The Whole Doula Podcast

Mary Giordano

The Whole Doula Podcast is a conversation space for Doulas and Birthworkers to talk about the diverse paths that led them to birth work, as well as the diverse and unique skills, interests and offerings they bring to their birth keeping roles. I’m interested to dive into conversations with others who may be wondering how to bring the different aspects of their own lives into their roles as doulas in business. After all, there is more than one way to doula and I’d love to help others see the connections between all the different parts of themselves, to see themselves as a Whole Doula.

  1. 29. Navigating the sometimes polarising roles of Midwife and Doula with Terri-J De Nobrega

    09/24/2024

    29. Navigating the sometimes polarising roles of Midwife and Doula with Terri-J De Nobrega

    Terri-J De Nobrega, known as Jay (she/her), is a dedicated Registered Midwife and Birth Worker/Doula based in London, UK. With over eight years of experience in both clinical and community settings, Jay brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to providing holistic care for families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey. From the outset of her career in birth work, Jay has prioritised ensuring that women, people, and their families are respected, understood, and fully engaged in their birthing experience. She is committed to delivering support that is culturally sensitive, fully informed, and advocates for the individual choices and preferences of those she serves.  Jay skilfully navigates the sometimes polarising roles of midwife and doula in the UK, striving to bridge these gaps in a way that enhances the care provided. She is also dedicated to reflecting on and unlearning certain attitudes and practices from her midwifery career, aiming to embrace a more balanced approach to holistic care and the natural physiology of birth. In addition to her work in the UK, Jay is a multicultural Caribbean native with a keen ability to listen and adapt to the diverse needs of the families she supports. She aspires to expand her work internationally, bringing much-needed support and care to families in St. Lucia, where she was raised. You can connect with Jay via her website: www.jaydoula.co.uk or here on IG @jaydoula Find out how Mary can support you in turning your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout:  https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing  Connect with Mary on Instagram @marygiordano.com.au

    51 min
  2. 27. The long term investment of Postpartum Care with Imren Bayram

    08/27/2024

    27. The long term investment of Postpartum Care with Imren Bayram

    Imren (she/her) is a qualified Postpartum Doula and mother of two who has first-hand experience of the beauty and complexity that is pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Imren is passionate about women receiving the necessary care they need during the first forty days after birth and beyond. Her own experiences of becoming and being a mother in today’s society have influenced Imren’s passion to provide support, hold space and create a community of care for new and seasoned mothers. With a background in youth work, teaching and community planning, Imren has learned how to walk alongside someone, to truly listen and hold compassion during times of vulnerability. Further practice in mindfulness and meditation have taught her to embody self-reflection and stillness. Alongside practical support and care, Imren loves to feed families with meals that are made with love, infused with culture and loaded with nourishment. You can connect with Imren here: @awakeningpostpartum Find out how Mary can support you in turning your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing⁠⁠⁠⁠  Connect with Mary on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@marygiordano.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠ Expressions of interest to talk to me on the podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.marygiordano.com.au/the-whole-doula-podcast

    52 min
  3. 26. Ancient knowing in Modern Context with Nadia Raafat

    08/13/2024

    26. Ancient knowing in Modern Context with Nadia Raafat

    London-based Nadia has been a birth doula since 2009. In that time she has supported every type of birth from elective cesarean to Free birth; trained with many different people and gained certification in many different modalities from biomechanics to Mindfulness for Mothers and Hypnosis to Benkung Belly Wrapping. A former journalist and magazine editor, she came to doula-ing after the birth of her first child; an unplanned, undiagnosed breech and emergency cesarean following 12 hours of labour. She went on to have 3 HBACS (the first 2 outside the system with independent midwives).  Nadia is also a senior yoga and meditation teacher of 20 years, a prenatal and postpartum and baby yoga specialist and embodied birth educator.  In 2021 Nadia launched her Yoga & Mindfulness for Pregnancy & Birth Teacher Training and Birth professional course - now in its sixth run. She also runs training for Birth professionals and yoga teachers in Postnatal Yoga and Mindfulness in London, and the Maternity Chakra Pathway for Birth Professionals. She is also a Holistic Pelvic Health Practitioner and offers courses in Holistic Pelvic Health for women. More recently Nadia has embarked on a postgraduate counselling training in Psychosynthesis Counselling & Psychotherapy which is informing her perinatal work from a different angle and enriching her holistic view of childbirth and matrescence. Nadia lives in London with her partner and family. You can get in touch with Nadia in the following ways: Website & socials www.nadiaraafat.com Instagram: @nadiaraafatyogabirth Facebook: @nadiaraafatyogabirth Find out how Mary can support you to turn your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing⁠⁠⁠  Connect with Mary on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@marygiordano.com.au⁠⁠⁠ Expressions of interest to talk to me on the podcast:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.marygiordano.com.au/the-whole-doula-podcast

    48 min
  4. 25. Nourishing mums on the inside and the outside with Erika Watson-Lawson

    07/29/2024

    25. Nourishing mums on the inside and the outside with Erika Watson-Lawson

    Erika she/her is a Jacksonville, Florida native.  She has been a Registered Dietitian for over 15 years and decided that she was “doulaing” so much for friends and family, she should make it official. In 2021 Erika became a certified doula and founded her own nutrition focused doula business, called Purely Nourishing Doula. She offers virtual and in-person services from nutrition coaching, pregnancy & labor support. Shortly, she will be adding group nutrition coaching to her menu of services.  Erika also educates and empowers women through movement as a 4th Trimester Fitness Instructor®️. The class she leads, Birth Ball Basics™️ teaches women how to work with their bodies and baby in labor for a home, birth center, or hospital birth.  You can connect with Erika in the following ways: FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066761889650&mibextid=LQQJ4d IG: https://instagram.com/purelynourishingdoula?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ= Website: www.purelynourishingdoula.com Find out how Mary can support you to turn your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout: ⁠⁠https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing⁠⁠  Connect with Mary on Instagram ⁠⁠@marygiordano.com.au⁠⁠ Expressions of interest to talk to me on the podcast:⁠⁠ https://www.marygiordano.com.au/the-whole-doula-podcast

    1 hr
  5. 4: Full Spectrum Doula with Emily Morter

    07/25/2024

    4: Full Spectrum Doula with Emily Morter

    Emily Morter (she/her) is an osteopath and doula based in Naarm, Melbourne (on Wurundjeri land). She provides gentle and compassionate care for everybody. Her holistic approach honours you as the expert on your body, with deep listening and co-creation of treatment plans that support your healing journey. Emily comes from a long lineage of midwives. She is a full spectrum doula, offering continuity of care throughout preconception, pregnancy, pregnancy loss or abortion, birth, stillbirth, postpartum and parenting. She works from her home studio and travels for home visits around metropolitan Melbourne. In our conversation today, we’ll talk about how she came to doula work as a continuation of her osteopathy practice. She felt the pull to attend the birth of her pregnant clients as well, rather than just seeing them before and after, as well as the calling to continue the work of the women in her family. She has had to do a lot of work to undo her “physician” tendencies, but the part she loves the most about the work and the part that’s the most challenging are the same. You can connect with Emily here: emilymorter.com.au Emilymorterosteopath.substack.com Find out how Mary can support you to turn your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout: https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing  Connect with Mary on Instagram @marygiordano.com.au Music credit: Slow Gusto by Good News Tunes A Subito Media production

    41 min
  6. 3: Becoming Your Own Doula First with Maddison Sharman

    07/25/2024

    3: Becoming Your Own Doula First with Maddison Sharman

    Based in Melbourne (on Wurundjeri land) , Maddison Sharman (she/her/they/them) has been in the Healing Arts for 13 yrs, running a developed solo practitioner business in which she currently offers bodywork, yoni massage, remedial and pregnancy massage, flower essences, sound healing, reiki, sacred sexual healing and more.  Maddison is a new doula, training at the time of recording with Rhea Dempsey, and on call to attend her first birth.  Maddison's journey to birthwork was almost by accident when one of her pregnant clients asked her to accompany her for her birth. Of course it wasn't really an accident though, as the signs to birth work had been there for a long time.  In this conversation we talk about the ways Maddison is creating space to enrich her practice by adding the role of Doula to her repertoire, and what she is doing to prepare for her first birth. We’ll touch on pricing, managing your schedule and commitments, and some of the basics of starting a doula business.  In order to do the work that we are called to do, we need to support ourselves first in order to be able to give fully when we’re needed. You can connect with Maddison in these ways:  www.templeandremedy.com.au Instagram @temple_and_remedy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templeandremedy Find out how Mary can support you to turn your passion for birth into a profitable, sustainable business, without compromising on your values or becoming a statistic of burnout: ⁠https://www.marygiordano.com.au/for-doulas-landing⁠  Connect with Mary on Instagram ⁠@marygiordano.com.au⁠ Music credit: Slow Gusto by Good News Tunes A Subito Media production

    43 min

Trailer

About

The Whole Doula Podcast is a conversation space for Doulas and Birthworkers to talk about the diverse paths that led them to birth work, as well as the diverse and unique skills, interests and offerings they bring to their birth keeping roles. I’m interested to dive into conversations with others who may be wondering how to bring the different aspects of their own lives into their roles as doulas in business. After all, there is more than one way to doula and I’d love to help others see the connections between all the different parts of themselves, to see themselves as a Whole Doula.