Maternal Village Doula Services

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Maternal Village Doula Services DONA certified Doula providing women and their partners with the support they need in order to have the birth & postpartum experience they envision

Chatham-Kent Birth Services offers Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula services. A doula is a certified professional experienced in childbirth who provides women and partners with continuous emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after the birth of your baby. We are able to support you if you are low risk or high risk, using a midwife or doctor, planning a homebirth or hospital birth. Doulas work with clients who want to avoid medications, as well as those clients who are planning to use medications. Chatham-Kent Birth Services founder, Emily Hime, is a DONA International Certified Doula who offers support before, during, and after birth allowing women and their partners to experience the birth & postpartum periods they envision for themselves. Studies show that Doula's:
- reduce the rate of medicated births
-reduce the rate of medical interventions (such as C-sections, episiotomies, use of forceps, induction)
-reduce the risk of tearing
-shorten the length of labour
-reduce the risk of postpartum depression
-increase the success of breastfeeding
- Increase overall satisfaction with birth

Doulas not only support mothers, but also partners and other family members involved in the birth. "If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it" - Dr John H Kennell

10/15/2026

You deserve to feel supported, informed, and cared for as you prepare to meet your baby. 🤍

As your doula, I’m here for the questions during pregnancy, the moments you need reassurance in labour, and the early days at home when everything feels new.

Together, we can explore your birth preferences, practise comfort measures, prepare your partner to support you, and talk through what to expect during birth and postpartum. Once baby arrives, that support can include feeding guidance, newborn care, and space to process your experience.

Whether you’re planning a hospital birth, a home birth, an epidural, or a caesarean, your choices and your experience matter.

Wondering what doula support could look like for your family? Send me a message to book a complimentary consultation. ✨

You don’t have to know exactly how you’ll cope with labour before it begins. 🤍Preparing for birth can mean exploring you...
10/15/2026

You don’t have to know exactly how you’ll cope with labour before it begins. 🤍

Preparing for birth can mean exploring your options, practising together, and discovering what helps you feel supported.

Sometimes that looks like movement. Sometimes it’s rest, a steady breath, or holding someone’s hand through a contraction. Your needs may change along the way, and you’re allowed to change your mind, too.

Swipe through for an introduction to positions, breathing, and relaxation techniques to add to your birth toolkit. ✨

At The Maternal Village, our childbirth education and doula support offer space to ask questions, involve your birth partner, and prepare with compassionate guidance.

However your birth unfolds, you deserve to feel heard, informed, and cared for.

Upcoming childbirth class October 24th from 1-5pm
Use link in bio or DM to register.

Save this for your birth preparation and share it with the person who will be beside you. 🌙

If your baby seems to turn into a completely different little human as soon as the sun goes down… you’re not alone. 🌙The...
09/15/2026

If your baby seems to turn into a completely different little human as soon as the sun goes down… you’re not alone. 🌙

The witching hour is a very real part of life with a newborn for many families. Suddenly baby wants to feed constantly, won’t be put down, fights sleep, cries despite trying everything and you find yourself watching the clock wondering how it’s only been 12 minutes. 😅

And sometimes the “sundown scaries” affect parents just as much as babies. When you’ve had a long day and you know those difficult evening hours are coming, it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed.

Dim the lights. Lower the stimulation. Feed on demand. Try skin-to-skin, movement, babywearing or white noise. And remember, sometimes your baby doesn’t need you to fix anything. They just need you close. 🤍

This stage can feel endless when you’re in it, but it won’t always be this way.

Save this post for 6pm. And send it to a new parent who needs it.

Birth is beautiful. Birth is powerful. Birth is sacred.Birth is also absolutely UNHINGED sometimes. 😂Between contraction...
09/13/2026

Birth is beautiful. Birth is powerful. Birth is sacred.

Birth is also absolutely UNHINGED sometimes. 😂

Between contractions, transition, pushing, partners trying to be helpful, and the occasional “PUT IT BACK,” some truly iconic things can come out of a labouring person’s mouth.

And as a doula, I can confirm: what happens in the birth room stays in the birth room… unless it’s this funny. 🤷‍♀️

Swipe for some of the funniest things you might hear during labour. 👉

Mamas, what’s the funniest or most ridiculous thing YOU said during birth? I need to hear them in the comments.

On September 2nd we welcomed this sweet baby girl, Haven, into the world 🤍 She is pure perfection and her mama is incred...
09/04/2026

On September 2nd we welcomed this sweet baby girl, Haven, into the world 🤍 She is pure perfection and her mama is incredibly strong!

It’s always such an honour to walk alongside parents as they welcome their little ones earthside!

Ten years ago, I stepped into my first birth space as a doula. I had no idea then just how much this work, and the famil...
08/31/2026

Ten years ago, I stepped into my first birth space as a doula. I had no idea then just how much this work, and the families I would meet along the way, would shape the direction of my life.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside so many families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, feeding, healing, uncertainty and some of the biggest transitions of their lives.

And throughout those years, I kept hearing the same things.

“I wish we had something like this here.”

“Where do I go for support after the baby comes?”

“Why are these resources so hard to find?”

“We need more for moms in our community.”

Those conversations stayed with me.

Every family who shared what they needed. Every client who pointed out a gap. Every mom who wished there was somewhere to go. Every person who trusted me to be part of their story helped shape the vision that eventually became The Maternal Village.

And now, after ten years of doula work, I get to continue doing what I love from a space that was built because of all of you.

I am officially working out of The Maternal Village | Maternal Wellness Centre , offering birth and postpartum doula services, and I am officially BACK ON CALL. 🙌

My books are now open for 2027 births.

There is something incredibly full-circle about welcoming doula families into this space. The Maternal Village may have started as a dream in my head, but it was built from ten years of listening to women and families tell me what was missing.

To every family who has invited me into one of the most vulnerable, powerful and life-changing moments of your lives, thank you.

You didn’t just allow me to support your family.

You helped me build the village I always wished existed.

Here’s to the next chapter. 🤍

2027 birth doula bookings are now open.
Birth + postpartum support available through The Maternal Village.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week 🤍Breastfeeding is so much more than feeding a baby.It’s the countless hours spent with a ...
08/01/2026

Happy World Breastfeeding Week 🤍

Breastfeeding is so much more than feeding a baby.

It’s the countless hours spent with a baby in your arms.
It’s middle-of-the-night feeds when the rest of the world is sleeping.
It’s sore ni***es, cluster feeding, growth spurts, and wondering if you’re doing enough.
It’s learning, adjusting, and showing up again and again.

It’s a commitment that often goes unseen.

It requires patience, resilience, sacrifice, and an incredible amount of love. Whether you’re exclusively breastfeeding, pumping around the clock, combination feeding with breast milk, or navigating unexpected challenges, your journey deserves to be recognized.

Breastfeeding isn’t always easy, and it certainly isn’t something that comes naturally for everyone. Behind every feeding session is a mother giving her time, energy, body, and heart to nourish her baby.

This World Breastfeeding Week, let’s celebrate not perfection, but perseverance.
Let’s support mothers with compassion instead of judgment.
Let’s normalize asking for help.
And let’s remind every breastfeeding parent that they were never meant to do this alone.

To every mother who has breastfed for one day, one month, one year, or anywhere in between—your dedication matters.

You are doing an incredible job. 🤍

What if the things we’ve accepted about birth… deserve a second look? 🤍We’ve heard these phrases so many times that they...
07/27/2026

What if the things we’ve accepted about birth… deserve a second look? 🤍

We’ve heard these phrases so many times that they’ve started to sound like facts.

“Your pelvis is too small.”
“Your baby is too big.”
“Failure to progress.”
“Your body just isn’t doing what it should.”

Sometimes these concerns are real. Sometimes they require intervention. And sometimes… they deserve more context, more questions, and more time.

The goal isn’t to reject modern medicine.

The goal is to help families understand why recommendations are being made, what the evidence says, and what options exist—so they can make informed decisions with confidence.

Because informed consent isn’t just signing a form.

It’s understanding your choices.

At The Maternal Village, we believe birth isn’t about following one “right” path. It’s about being educated, respected, and supported—whether your birth unfolds at home, in a hospital, medicated, unmedicated, vaginally, or by cesarean.

✨ Ask questions.
✨ Seek understanding.
✨ Trust that your voice belongs in every birth room.

Dawson’s Birth Story ✨ When I arrived in Thamesville around 9:20 a.m., labour was well underway. Contractions were comin...
07/24/2026

Dawson’s Birth Story ✨

When I arrived in Thamesville around 9:20 a.m., labour was well underway. Contractions were coming every 4–5 minutes, and together we settled into a rhythm, moving through a variety of positions to help baby descend. We spent time on the toilet, in deep squats, on hands and knees, and using abdominal lifts with the rebozo.

One of the things that stood out most was her joy between contractions. She would smile, catch her breath, and say how different this labour felt compared to her previous births. Even as the intensity built, there was a sense of confidence and calm that filled the room.

As labour picked up quickly, she made her way into the birth tub. The warm water brought comfort and relief, allowing her to relax into each wave.

Before long, she began pushing. This stage felt different—more challenging and longer than she expected. She moved from the tub to the couch, where she found a position that allowed her body to work more effectively. With each push, baby made steady progress.

As her baby made its way earthside, she remained incredibly calm and in control. There was a double shoulder dystocia, and through it all she listened, worked with her body, and welcomed her baby with remarkable strength.

It’s a boy!

Dawson Paul arrived weighing an impressive 9 lbs 4 oz and 22 inches long.

He entered the world surrounded by love and is already so lucky to have two big brothers to guide him, protect him, and teach him as he grows.

Welcome to the world, sweet Dawson. 🤍

Not every doula is the right fit for every family… and that’s okay. 🤍I believe the best support starts with shared value...
07/21/2026

Not every doula is the right fit for every family… and that’s okay. 🤍

I believe the best support starts with shared values.

So here’s what you can expect if you choose to follow along:

✨ Evidence-based education over fear.
✨ Support without judgment.
✨ Informed choices, always.
✨ A safe place to ask every question.
✨ Honest conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood.
✨ A reminder that you were never meant to do this alone.

If you’re looking for someone to tell you there’s only one “right” way to have a baby, we probably won’t be the perfect match.

But if you’re looking for support that empowers you to make the decisions that are right for your family…

Welcome. You’ve found your village. 🌿

💬 Which one of these resonates with you most? I’d love to hear in the comments.

Address

15 Grand Avenue W
Chatham, ON
N7L1B4

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15193500755

Website

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