Maternal Village Doula Services

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 hos

pital 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

Did you know? 🤍When a baby girl is growing in the womb, something incredible is happening…By around 20 weeks gestation (...
06/16/2026

Did you know? 🤍

When a baby girl is growing in the womb, something incredible is happening…

By around 20 weeks gestation (about 4–5 months pregnant), she has already developed all the eggs she will ever carry in her lifetime. ✨

Pause for a second and let that sink in.

That means when your grandmother was pregnant with your mother… a tiny part of you already existed. 🤍

Three generations.
One womb.
An intricate design of connection that spans before we even take our first breath.

As a doula, I never stop being in awe of the wisdom of the body and the sacredness of pregnancy. The way life unfolds is nothing short of miraculous.

Whether you’re currently growing a daughter, healing your own mother story, or simply reflecting on the generations before you — there is something profoundly beautiful about remembering how deeply connected we truly are.

Women carry more than babies.
We carry stories, lineage, resilience, and love. ✨

Around the world, birth is held differently. Yet across cultures, one truth remains — mothers were never meant to do thi...
06/12/2026

Around the world, birth is held differently. Yet across cultures, one truth remains — mothers were never meant to do this alone.

In many cultures, birth is not just a medical event… it is sacred, communal, and deeply supported.

🌿 In parts of Africa, women traditionally labour upright — squatting, kneeling, moving with their bodies — supported by experienced women and community.

🧡 In Latin American cultures, the postpartum period “la cuarentena” honours 40 days of rest, nourishment, healing, and support for the new mother.

🫖 In parts of Asia, postpartum traditions focus on warmth, rest, specific healing foods, and protecting maternal recovery during the early weeks.

🤍 In Indigenous cultures across the world, birth has often been viewed as a ceremony — deeply connected to ancestry, community, and the wisdom of women.

And while every culture is unique, so many hold one thing in common:

The understanding that mothers deserve care too.

Somewhere along the way, many of us lost the village.

We normalized doing pregnancy, birth, and postpartum exhausted, isolated, and unsupported. We celebrate the baby shower… but too often forget the mother who is being born too.

Maybe there’s wisdom in looking back.

Maybe modern motherhood doesn’t need more pressure — maybe it needs more community, more rest, more support, and a return to honoring the transition into motherhood.

What is a birth or postpartum tradition from your culture or family that you love? 👇🤍

We don’t talk enough about how birth interventions can sometimes ripple into the postpartum experience.Did you know that...
06/10/2026

We don’t talk enough about how birth interventions can sometimes ripple into the postpartum experience.

Did you know that epidurals and interventions may influence early breastfeeding and newborn feeding behaviours for some families?

This doesn’t mean breastfeeding won’t be successful. It doesn’t mean pain management or interventions were the “wrong” choice it deemed necessary. And it certainly doesn’t mean mothers should feel guilt.

It means we deserve informed consent.

Some research suggests epidurals and interventions may be associated with sleepier babies in the early hours, delayed first feeds, or challenges with latch for some. But breastfeeding success is influenced by many factors — skin-to-skin, support, positioning, birth experience, lactation support, maternal confidence, and baby’s unique needs.

✨ The goal isn’t fear.
✨ The goal is information.
✨ The goal is support.

Whatever your birth looked like, you are not failing if feeding feels hard. And if you’re planning an epidural or interventions, knowing how to support feeding afterward can make a difference.

Immediate skin-to-skin.
Protected golden hour.
Frequent feeding opportunities.
Good lactation support.

Informed mothers make empowered choices — not perfect ones. 🤍

✨ Have you ever felt like becoming a mother changed everything… including you?There’s actually a word for that: matresce...
06/09/2026

✨ Have you ever felt like becoming a mother changed everything… including you?

There’s actually a word for that: matrescence.

Just like adolescence is the transition into adulthood, matrescence is the physical, emotional, hormonal, mental, and identity shift that happens as you become a mother.

And no — it doesn’t just happen in the newborn days.

It can happen with your first baby, your third baby, after a birth experience, during postpartum, returning to work, weaning, or simply realizing you’re not the same woman you were before motherhood.

Motherhood can feel beautiful, overwhelming, grounding, lonely, empowering, exhausting, and transformative — sometimes all in the same day.

You are not “losing yourself.”
You are becoming.

This season asks so much of women, and yet we’re often expected to navigate it silently.

What if instead of asking mothers, “When will you feel like yourself again?” we asked,
✨ “Who are you becoming?”

If this resonates with you, know you are not alone in the transition. 💛

For over 10 years, I’ve had the honour of walking alongside families through one of the most transformative seasons of t...
06/08/2026

For over 10 years, I’ve had the honour of walking alongside families through one of the most transformative seasons of their lives — pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Being a doula is so much more than supporting birth. It’s holding space. It’s helping families feel informed, seen, and deeply supported. It’s reminding mothers to trust themselves in a world that often tells them otherwise. It’s sitting in the quiet moments, the hard moments, the beautiful moments — and reminding families they don’t have to do this alone.

I believe birth matters. Postpartum matters. The way we care for mothers matters.

Over the years, I’ve supported 160+ births, but what continues to stay with me most is the power of community and support during motherhood. That’s exactly why I’m building something bigger.

I’m currently working on creating 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 — a space designed to bring mothers, babies, and families together with the support they deserve. A place where care feels connected. Where you can find trusted practitioners, education, fertility, birth, postpartum, parenthood, and menopause support, and community all under one roof.

This work is deeply personal to me, and I’m so excited for what’s ahead. (Website and space announcement coming soon)!

What would you want to see in a space built to support mothers and families?

If you’re a practitioner who believes in village-style care, I’d love to connect 🤍

There is something unbelievably empowering about catching your own baby. 🤍The first hands to hold them. The moment insti...
06/08/2026

There is something unbelievably empowering about catching your own baby. 🤍

The first hands to hold them. The moment instinct takes over. The reminder that birth is powerful, primal, and deeply yours.

Not every birth looks the same — but when mothers are supported to trust themselves, incredible things can happen. ✨

Did you or your partner catch your own baby? If so - share below!!! I love hearing others birth stories 😍

06/06/2026

Mother-led birth means recognizing that the mother is the expert of her own body, baby, and experience.

In birth, you may hear different opinions from different professionals. A midwife may suggest one thing. An OB another. A nurse, doula, family doctor, chiropractor, pelvic floor therapist, or lactation consultant may all bring different perspectives. And while these voices can offer valuable knowledge, none of them are the one giving birth.

True support in birth means providing evidence, education, options, and informed consent — while remembering that the mother’s voice belongs at the center of the room.

A mother deserves care that says:
✨ “Here are your options.”
✨ “Here are the risks and benefits.”
✨ “What feels right to you?”
✨ “How can we support your decision?”

Because birth is not something done to a mother. It is something she moves through, leads, and experiences.

And sometimes, intuition matters too.

That quiet feeling. That inner knowing. That pause when something doesn’t feel right. Or the deep certainty that says, this is the path for me.

Intuition and evidence are not enemies. Respectful birth care makes room for both.

Mother-led birth doesn’t mean rejecting medical care. It doesn’t mean refusing interventions. It means the mother remains informed, respected, and empowered in the decisions surrounding her birth — whether that looks like an unmedicated home birth, an epidural, an induction, or a cesarean.

Different professionals may have different opinions.

But the most important voice in the room should never be forgotten.

The mother matters. Her choices matter. Her intuition matters. 🤍

✨ Prepare for birth. Plan for postpartum. ✨Because bringing home a baby is about so much more than labour.Join us for a ...
06/04/2026

✨ Prepare for birth. Plan for postpartum. ✨

Because bringing home a baby is about so much more than labour.

Join us for a virtual evening designed to help you and your partner feel informed, supported, and confident as you prepare for birth and the early postpartum days. We’ll talk through what to expect, how to plan ahead, and practical ways to feel more prepared for the transition into parenthood! 🤍

📍 Virtual Class
🗓 June 16th
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM
💻 Live on Zoom
💲$25 per couple

DM to register or email [email protected]

In many cultures around the world, the first 40 days postpartum are considered sacred. A time not for “bouncing back” — ...
06/03/2026

In many cultures around the world, the first 40 days postpartum are considered sacred. A time not for “bouncing back” — but for healing, bonding, and being deeply cared for. 🤍

In Portugal and many other cultures, this postpartum period is seen as a protected season for the mother. Meals are brought. Babies are held. The village steps in. Rest is expected — not earned.

Yet somewhere along the way, many moms were taught that strength looks like doing it all. Cleaning the house, hosting visitors, getting back to normal.

But postpartum was never meant to be survived alone.

Your body just grew and birthed a human. Your hormones are shifting. Your heart is expanding. You deserve nourishment, rest, support, and softness.

What if we stopped asking moms to “bounce back” and instead asked: Who is caring for the mother?

Maybe the wisdom of the first 40 days is something we need to bring back. 🌿

✨ Prepare for birth. Plan for postpartum. ✨Because bringing home a baby is about so much more than labour.Join us for a ...
06/01/2026

✨ Prepare for birth. Plan for postpartum. ✨

Because bringing home a baby is about so much more than labour.

Join us for a virtual evening designed to help you and your partner feel informed, supported, and confident as you prepare for birth and the early postpartum days. We’ll talk through what to expect, how to plan ahead, and practical ways to feel more prepared for the transition into parenthood. 🤍

📍 Virtual Class
🗓 June 16th
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM
💻 Live on Zoom
💲$25 per couple

DM to register or email [email protected]

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

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Maternal Village Doula Services posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Maternal Village Doula Services:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category