Our Chicks

Meet Our Doula Team

Your doula will be with you on one of the most personal and vulnerable days of you life. It’s important that you feel comfortable with who they are and that they fit well into your family dynamic. If there is a specific person from our doula team that you feel drawn to, let us know! Or if you’d like to interview a few, we’d be happy to connect you with multiple doulas to help you find your perfect doula match.

LGBTQ Positive

Birth Doula

Childbirth Educator

Postpartum Doula

French speaking

Spanish Speaking

Stefanie Antunes

Stefanie Antunes

Owner

 

Area Serviced : GTA, East and Downtown Toronto, North York, Durham Region

Special Training : DONA, DONA Trainer, Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Lamaze® Educator, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Stefanie

Stefanie Antunes had her first baby in 1998. The experience was NOT AT ALL what she had hoped for. Years later before the birth of her second baby, she made sure to attend childbirth education classes and become an informed decision-maker.

This time, with the knowledge she needed and techniques she learned in class, she had a fabulous experience. Right away she knew she wanted to help other families to prepare for this important day. Stefanie became a Lamaze® Certified Childbirth Educator, and later a certified doula through DONA. She is the former Public Relations Director for DONA International and sits on the board of the Association of Ontario Doulas.

Stefanie believes that the world can be a better place if parents can have more positive childbirth experiences, allowing them to bond properly with their babies. She works tirelessly to change the world in this aspect…one family at a time.

Jayne Collins

Jayne Collins

CBE, Birth & Postpartum Doula

 

Area Serviced :GTA, West and East Toronto, Downtown, North York

Special Training :CD/PCD DONA, Birthing From Within, Acupressure for birth, Rebozo, Breastfeeding, Adult and Infant CPR, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Jayne

Jayne comes from a family of many nurses and health care workers. Growing up around these professionals gave her a deep love and respect for care-giving, and wonderful insight into communicating with compassion.

Her mother cared for both of her grandmothers and other unwell family members in their home, and in so doing, set a clear example of the positive ways in which you can work with someone who is in need of support. There was no patronizing, no fear, and no assumptions. Jayne loved watching her mother in these situations and would follow her around asking questions incessantly. Even when she was quite young, Jayne’s mother showed the utmost respect for her curiosity and was very patient with her interest.  From witnessing her mother in this role, Jayne grew up to be a calm and non-judgemental person, even under the most stressful circumstances.

As a teenager, she refined her own ability to care for others when she began volunteering in an elderly care facility where she learned how powerful listening to people’s stories could be. Jayne was teased by her peers for being so quiet and shy, but the people Jayne met while volunteering were grateful to have someone who would truly listen to them.

As your doula, Jayne will bring peace to your moments of worry, confidence to your moments of doubt, and care to those moments when you feel most vulnerable.

Janalee Ferreira

Janalee Ferreira

Birth and Postpartum Doula

 

Area Serviced : Downtown Toronto

Special Training : Birth Doula with The Nesting Instinct • Birth Doula,with Carriage House Birth in NYC, NY • Holistic Doula Training, with Pacific Rim College in Victoria, BC

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Meet Janalee

Janalee has trained in Ontario, NYC and British Columbia with one intention: to gather all the necessary tools and skills to offer families the support and respect they deserve on their pregnancy and postpartum journey.
She is now settled in the GTA and proud to serve families of all shapes and sizes. Janalee’s practice as a doula is centered on holistic, compassionate, and evidence-based care. She believes deeply in the power of a birthing person’s body and intuition, and that the way a person brings their baby earthside absolutely matters. Doula work has allowed Janalee the opportunity and honour to witness families as they bloom and grow into what they’ve always dreamed of becoming.
Suki Gaetz

Suki Gaetz

Birth and Postpartum Doula

 

Area Serviced : Toronto

Special Training : Social Worker Children with special needs

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Meet Suki

I have a background in social work and working with families, specifically infants and children. Since being a little girl I’ve had a passion for helping people. I have always loved babies and after having my own children (in ways that went very differently then I had hoped), I became interested in how I could get involved in supporting families in their birthing and parenting journeys.
Becoming a doula is a perfect fit for me to combine my passion and my experience into a very meaningful and rewarding career. My pastimes include soaking up as much time with my teenagers as I can, being with my extended family and friends, spinning, baking, sewing and reading.
Priyanka Gulati

Priyanka Gulati

Physiotherapist, Birth & Postpartum Doula and Lamaze Childbirth Educator

 

Area Serviced : West side of Toronto

Special Training :Lamaze Educator, Certified Birth Doula, Women’s and Paediatric Physiotherapist, Prenatal Yoga, Waterbirth

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Meet Priyanka

Priyanka is a women’s health physiotherapist, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, a Doula and a mom of a two year old girl! Years ago as she started attending labours she realized the big difference it made for families to have someone by their side. Her belief in doulas grew stronger when she had one for her daughter’s birth. Her wish is to be there for you and your family through the trials of labour and birth. “Labour and birth may be just the way you imagined it, or it may be a different kind of journey, but in the end my goals is for you to come away satisfied and happy for the experience of your birth!”
Helena McMann

Helena McMann

Birth, Postpartum Doula, Team Manager and Childbirth Educator

 

Area Serviced : Kawarthas

Special Training : DONA, Birth Doula, Henna Artist, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Helena

I believe in non – judgemental support and help to ease anxiety and fear related to birth. You CAN be confident and prepared for both your birth and early months of parenting. My experience and confidence can help you best communicate with your care providers, while my calming and nurturing nature can ease your fear and help keep you focused during birth.

Certified DONA Doula, Certified Lamaze Educator and owner of PATH (parenting at the hub – education and consulting for holistic businesses to better support local families).  I am also the past Executive Director for The Birth Doula Program and currently the Membership Director for Association of Ontario Doulas.

Recently founded PATH (Parenting at the Hub) – an integrative program bringing Holistic Practitioners, Doulas and Educators together to best Support expecting families during every stage of their journey (fertility to baby’s first year).

Dina Khorasanee

Dina Khorasanee

Birth Doula

Area Serviced :GTA, East Toronto, West Toronto, North York

Special Training :CAPPA, Rebozo, Infant Massage, Hypnobirthing, Acupressure, Adult and Infant CPR, Speaks French and Spanish as a second language, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Dina

Dina’s first pregnancy and birth are what inspired her to become a dedicated and warm hearted doula.  When she was first pregnant she was surprised to hear and read all the information and stories that drew fear to the birthing experience.  This too made her fearful.
She searched for other ways of birthing.  Looking for well trained, loving and dedicated support that she could draw on to help her and her partner feel calm and cared for while birthing their baby girl.  It is here where she found the incredible benefits of doula support. For this reason, Dina has brought particular attentiveness and grounding to the more than hundred clients she has supported over the past several years, so that they too may feel cared for, confident and connected to each other during their labour and birth.
Her background in mentorship, crisis management and community development has taken her around the world, including Argentina and Paraguay, where she spent time as a doula supporting labouring mothers in local hospitals under particularly difficult circumstances.  This has given Dina a sincere appreciation for the unique circumstances surrounding each family and the importance in listening deeply to each of their needs. As a child Dina spent many hours accompanying her mother during her nursing shifts at a downtown Toronto hospital.  Seeing how dedicated the staff was to their patients has given Dina a tremendous respect for the health care team supporting the family’s she works with, and is what has made her relationship with them easy and pleasurable.  At the same time, it has allowed Dina to advocate on her clients’ behalf with confidence, patience and kindness. Dina brings all of these skills and experiences together to offer parents a variety of tools to draw on while birthing. Dina is also trained in the rebozo technique, massage and hypnobirthing, and has applied all these techniques over the years.  
Dina has been a guest speaker at Humber college to 3rd year nursing students, and has written several articles on doula support, both in Toronto and overseas. Dina’s calm personality, non judgemental approach, effective communication, and wealth of experience and skills, has allowed families to feel prepared, well supported and listened to during this important and vulnerable time in their lives. 
“I was looking for a warm, supportive Doula who would help me through my first Childbirth experience. Dina was all that and much more.” F.Z.
Sarah McKee

Sarah McKee

Birth and Postpartum Doula

 

Area Serviced :GTA, East Toronto, Durham Region

Special Training :Birth Doula, DONA International, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Sarah

I’m Sarah, a DONA trained Birth and Postpartum Doula providing inclusive, non-judgmental care to families in Durham region and the GTA.

My practice is rooted in reproductive justice, anti-racism and anti-oppression. I value diversity and I adore getting to know birthing people and their families, listening deeply to what is most important to you, helping you make informed decisions and supporting your choices without judgment. I believe that the care and guidance we receive when pregnant and birthing should extend to the postpartum period, and that doulas are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating that “village” support our ancestors had long ago.

My pastimes include hiking in the woods with my dog, spending time with family and friends, making up ridiculous games for my 3 year old, and taking the occasional nap!

Corina Tudor

Corina Tudor

Birth Doula, Birthing from Within Mentor

 

Area Serviced :GTA, East Toronto, West Toronto

Special Training :Birth Doula, Trained by CD(DONA). Birthing from Within Mentor, Infant/child CPR and First Aid, INFACT Canada Breastfeeding Course, Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher, Prenatal Thai Massage, Hatha and Yin Yoga, LGBTQ Positive

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Meet Corina

Corina is a doula, childbirth educator, yoga teacher, and former academic (she used to be an archaeologist). After completing her prenatal teacher training with Blooma, Corina felt like she found her life’s calling. Shortly after, she became a birth doula and a childbirth educator.
Her diverse background, including sexual diversity studies and medical anthropology paved the path for her birth work. Corina believes in offering holistic and non-judgemental support to families of all shapes and sizes, understanding that there as many ways to birth as there are people. She uses her diverse background to offer a safe, supportive, and loving birth journey.  
Rhondda Smiley

Rhondda Smiley

Birth and Postpartum Doula

 

Area Serviced : Toronto

Special Training: Birth Doula, Certified by DONA International Certified Yoga Teacher Certified Pre and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Former La Leche League Leader LGBTQ positive

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Meet Rhondda

What is one thing about you most people don’t know about?

I trained as a professional dancer til an injury halted that career when I was 21. I took up dancing again a few years ago, and enjoy it more than ever before. Its been a dream come true to perform with my daughter over the last two summers in community projects with Dusk Dances and Porch View Dances.

What is one thing you are most scared about?

Losing faith.

Why did you become a doula?

I believe that a mother’s birth experience matters. It matters to her, it matters to her baby, it matters to her family, and by extension it matters to all of us. The scientific evidence concurs with this view. I chose to become a doula to support women in one of the most profound events in their lives. I truly believe that helping a mother to have a safe and satisfying birth can change the world. Becoming a doula has drawn together all the many threads in my life in a way that I could never have predicted, to weave a rich tapestry that feels complete.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working as a doula?

When I’m not doula-ing, you might find me doing yoga or meditating, swooning over good poetry, cooking for my family or catching the latest Marvel universe superhero flick with my husband and girl.

What’s your favorite quote?

“All the suffering in the world has come from wanting happiness for yourself. All the happiness in the world has come from wanting to make others happy.” ~ Shantideva