Nurtured Postpartum

Nurtured Postpartum Creating stronger families through support & education in the West Kootenays and online. I had 4 babies within 5 years.

I learned firsthand the benefits of having a non-biased support person in your life. The fourth trimester can be such a difficult, lonely, and overwhelming time for parents - both first time parents and multi child parents. Having someone in your lives that will help you navigate these first weeks and months is a great way to start out your parenting journey. For many parents, the first months can

be dark and stormy as they attempt to figure out both this new person in their lives and all of the changes that a baby brings. And for many parents, they do not have family support that they can rely on. That’s where a postpartum doula comes into play. As a non-biased, caring professional, a postpartum doula can help you navigate those first few months so that you do not feel so alone and overwhelmed. Hiring a postpartum doula can make the Fourth Trimester feel a little easier and help you to gain confidence as you learn all about your new little one.

Elias and his friend have been working hard to put together a basketball camp with Trail Rec Centre for this summer.If y...
05/30/2026

Elias and his friend have been working hard to put together a basketball camp with Trail Rec Centre for this summer.

If you know a 9-14 year old who loves basketball and wants to improve their skills, please share this with them!

Seeing this photo, you would never know that I was so deep down in a dark hole that I was envisioning ways to end my lif...
05/16/2026

Seeing this photo, you would never know that I was so deep down in a dark hole that I was envisioning ways to end my life.

You see my smile and my arms full of children. But I see that pain in my eyes, hidden beneath that smile.

I see how I overcompensated at trying to be the ultimate Pinterest mom.

I see how the rage and anger would take over at the smallest things, followed by guilt and shame.

I see how I imagined driving my car into oncoming traffic or off the bridge into the river, only refusing those thoughts because my children were in the car with me.

I see how I hoped to just fall asleep at night and never wake up again. How I thought that would be best for my family if I just stopped existing in their lives.

My story is not uncommon or exceptional. I am not the only one who has has found themselves down a dark hole after babies.

And yet, when I was in the thick of it I didn’t know anyone else also struggled. I didn't know anyone else who felt like the failure I felt like. And so I hid it away behind a fake smile and an attempt to do all the things and be all the things. Hiding it even from my partner and closest friends. Suffering in silence. Anything less felt like failure.

That’s why I share, and why I will continue to share.

You are not a failure if you are struggling.

On this day, I'm wishing you a gentle day full of whatever your heart needs most.Whether you hold your children in your ...
05/10/2026

On this day, I'm wishing you a gentle day full of whatever your heart needs most.

Whether you hold your children in your arms, far away, or in your heart.

Whether your children are not yet here on this earth or never will be.

Whether you go by Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma, Mother, Auntie, Gramma, or another name.

Whether you birthed your child or not.

Whether the children you care for are just in your care for a little while or a long while.

Whether your own mother was a safe place to fall or whether there are painful memories.

Whether this day comes with bittersweet feelings, feelings of love, complicated feelings, or painful feelings.

No matter your family structure, no matter your identity, no matter your relationships. If you have helped care for and raise a child, you matter.

This day will not be easy for all. For those who have lost children or their own mothers in Palestine, I see you. So please know that I see you and I hold you up in my heart.

Today I raise my mug of coffee and celebrate you and your incredible heart. You matter. You are loved. And I am so glad that you are here.

Photo from

I may not have even felt you move, but I loved you just the same.This past weekend I drove my 13 year old to their trave...
05/06/2026

I may not have even felt you move, but I loved you just the same.

This past weekend I drove my 13 year old to their travel basketball games. Last year, I had both teens and rushed from place to place cheering on both and having to make the choice between who to watch. This year I had only one, and the slower pace was refreshing. But as I drove back, I found myself wondering how things would be if I hadn't lost our first baby. How the first baby that was not to be would be fitting in amongst our household. Would she be wild and impulsive like my 13 and 12year olds? Or would she be cautious and follow the rules like my eldest? Would she be full of infectious joy like my youngest? Would she be full of sass like all of my children? Would I be driving her around for basketball? Nearly 17 years, and I still yearn for what might have been. How has it been almost 17 years? She'd be almost an adult, only one year of high school left.

If you grieve the loss of a child, no matter when you lost that child, I hold you up. Your grief matters, no matter how old it is. A few years before my Nana passed away, she told me about how she still grieved for the baby girl she birthed but never got to hold, about how the Ache had never left. Not even decades later.

The Ache will remain, but in grief is love.

And so, I honour you and hold you up in my heart. You matter. Your children matter. The children that you wish you could have matter. And you and they are loved beyond measure. Wishing you a Gentle (though belated) Bereaved Mother's Day.

If you need to talk about your children or about your struggles trying to get pregnant, please DM me or comment below. I would be honoured to hear your story and hold space for your children's story.

A few days late, but just your friendly reminder for the Trans Day of Visibility, that not all pregnant folks are women....
04/03/2026

A few days late, but just your friendly reminder for the Trans Day of Visibility, that not all pregnant folks are women. Trans and nonbinary folks exist and get pregnant and have babies and are great parents. Also, not all birthgivers want to be referred to as mom or mama - use the terms that are right for your client and don't assume you know what that is. (And honestly, while this is a different topic, but maybe let's stop infantalizing people and actually use their names rather than call them by the parent title that their children may call them by. I am not my children's doctor's mother, so he really shouldn't call me mom.)

Are you a birthworker that wants to learn more so you can better support your trans clients? These incredible folks have great programs and courses to extend your learning. (But please, if you're just gonna drag your transphobia over there, don't even bother. And while you're at it, if you're gonna bring it here, may as well unfollow. No need to announce your departure either).



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This weekend marks the end of our spring break, the end of , and the end of a week where I had to put my doula skills to...
03/29/2026

This weekend marks the end of our spring break, the end of , and the end of a week where I had to put my doula skills to use in a way I never thought I'd have to. This is vulnerable, and mentions death. Please do what's right for your heart.

Tonight at supper, my partner asked my children what 3 things they were grateful for the past 2 weeks. There were the usual things. Basketball (of course), going to friends' houses, playing outside, going for walks, sleeping in, jumping on the trampoline. But when it came to my turn, I could only think of one thing that quickly morphed into many things. And as I answered, my tears flowed freely.

Hugging my best friend outside of the hospital where her sister lay inside when I first arrived after her call. Sitting beside my friend, quietly holding space, as we held vigil at her sister's bedside and in the hallway. Being able to say goodbye. Filling up their fridge with all the prepared food so that they didn't have to worry about that. The feeling of calm. Being able to drive people where they needed to go. More hugs. All the hugs. From her whole family, my second family. The socks my friend gave me since I only packed one pair. The hug that my teen gave me just before I left and the one he gave me when I returned. That my partner didn't hesitate to tell me to go for as long as I needed, that he had everything under control at home. That my client was willing to reschedule if needed. That the last episode of The Pitt we watched had a storyline that prepared me for what these days would hold. That the universe thought to put me here in the Kootenays, less than 2 hours away from where she'd need me. That when I stopped at the river before coming home, I saw this rock, as if it was a message from my friend's sister herself.

I'm filled with a deep sadness and grief and love. So much love and gratitude.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

🎀

Real life is full of hard moments.It's full of emotions and dark days and things we need to heal from that affect us eve...
02/14/2026

Real life is full of hard moments.

It's full of emotions and dark days and things we need to heal from that affect us every single day.

It's not all a party with rainbows and unicorns and balloons. And often, no amount of sugar coating it will make it feel better. Some days, it can be hard to find even one thing to be grateful for.

Sometimes, frankly, it freaking sucks.

It's important to feel the feelings, even the sh*tty ones. It's important to name them and feel them. It's important to not shove them down and pretend they don't exist. It's okay to not be okay.

Real life is never always okay.

Just do me a favour?

Please don't let those sh*tty feelings unpack and stay there. Feel them, honour them, thank them if that feels right for you, and then try to let them go.

Real life can be hard, even without thinking about the current world events. Outside of social media, we don't have filters and editing to hide the things we don't like. But it doesn't feel so hard when you're not alone. And you are not alone.

What do you do when you're in a hard moment? How do you cope? Comment below to share with the community what you do that works!

Last week was International Childbirth Education Week, in case you didn't know. I had this post queued up ready to go. I...
02/03/2026

Last week was International Childbirth Education Week, in case you didn't know. I had this post queued up ready to go. I had been ready to share about my updated classes. But in the face of everything happening in the world, it felt disingenuous to post about silly, little, business things.

I mean, we're talking about people being pulled from their homes, being unalived, not to mention the unspeakable and horrifying things that are within those documents that have been released.

And then I realized that this is probably the time classes like this are needed most. When going online to try to learn is liable to hit you in the face because of current events, you need to be able to get the information somewhere. So, here I am. Sharing about my new Birth & Beyond Childbirth Education series. It's not a silly little, business thing to teach families about birth, about how to cope through the hard parts, about how to support their loved one as they birth, about how to advocate for themselves, and about what their choices are. These are lessons that can go beyond birth. Stay tuned because I'm gonna share a little more about it later.

I don't know what to say.Every time I look at what's happening in the world, I find myself wondering what movie I'm curr...
02/03/2026

I don't know what to say.

Every time I look at what's happening in the world, I find myself wondering what movie I'm currently watching. From Minnesota to Gaza, it's like all the movies mashed into one. And then I realize that this is real life and I wonder how the hell I'm supposed to do all the every day things. The last few years have been one thing after the other. And if we're gonna be honest, it's been unprecedented event after unprecedented event for nearly my entire adult life. I won't even touch on the numerous hard moments and events in my own personal life that have sat heavy on my heart for the last few years.

And yet, there's still babies being born and families needing support. Still people needing to know about birth and babies and how to keep going in all of this *gestures wildly*. Still people needing to know they are loved. Still my own kids needing to know that they are safe, as safe as I can keep them at least.

I don't have an answer. I don't know what it is. But years ago, I heard someone say "just do the next right thing." I don't know what that is yet, and while I'm pretty sure that's not creating the brain-changing potion my teen suggested, I do know it's not sticking my head in the sand or sitting in fear.

How are you handling everything right now?

If you need me on Wednesday, I'll be here. I'm so excited to share about something that I am passionate about with other...
01/27/2026

If you need me on Wednesday, I'll be here. I'm so excited to share about something that I am passionate about with other perinatal professionals.

"This session will focus on the impact language has on people’s experiences during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care. It will highlight how the words used by perinatal professionals & those who work in birthwork can either foster a sense of safety and belonging or unintentionally create barriers and harm. The presentation will cover common challenges around language and offer practical, straightforward approaches to promote more inclusive and respectful communication. Its goal is to inspire reflection and support professionals in creating welcoming environments that honor the diverse identities of the families they serve."

From my family to yours, whether you celebrate today or not, I hope that your day was filled with love, laughter, and jo...
12/26/2025

From my family to yours, whether you celebrate today or not, I hope that your day was filled with love, laughter, and joy. If you're snuggling a sweet new little one, I hope you got some time to breathe deeply.

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Trail, BC
V1R3J4

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7802975446

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