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ABOUT
I Believe in...
Healthy Conscious Living
Intentional Conscious Birthing
Happy Conscious Nests
ABOUT ME
Jessica Goodfellow,
Certified Holistic Doula
Born and raised in a quaint Southern Ontario community, I migrated westward as soon as I could flee the nest of my post-secondary education. Beautiful British Columbia has felt like home to me since the summer of '96, when my family and I travelled from Elora, Ontario to Rossland, BC, by bicycle. We lived there for a year, indulging in the many wonders of the wintery lifestyle, before returning home. Since I was nine years old, the mountains never stopped calling me back.
I would now call myself a Kootenay girl, or shall I say a Kootenay mama. My partner and I own a home in Rossland where we spend a great deal of our time adventuring in the great outdoors with our growing little family.
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My dream of becoming a mother was fulfilled in March of 2019. It was a beautiful home birth, in our sweet little nest upon Salt Spring Island. Two years plus six days later, I became a mother of two. This transformation took place in the Kootenay Boundary Regional hospital's OR, after an emergency transfer from our cute little home in the mountains. From that moment on, motherhood got taken to a whole new level, and my work as a doula gained a ton of perspective.
Being given the opportunity to share my perspective and knowledge with others, while shining light and empowerment on their journey ahead, brings me so much joy.
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MY TRAINING
Certified Holistic Doula
Pacific Rim College, Victoria BC
Childbirth Educator
Simkin Centre, Bastyr University, WA, USA
BA Indigenous Environmental Studies
Trent University, Peterborough ON
MY APPROACH
Prenatal, Birth, Postpartum
Supporting families throughout their entire childrearing journey is always my approach of choice, however my involvement is always determined by the needs of the client. I offer multiple packages, and am open to negotiating structure and cost for low income circumstances.
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Whether it be a home, hospital, natural, medicated, vaginal, or cesarean delivery, I am there to inform, advocate, and celebrate that birth while holding space for the entirety of its process.
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My spectrum of care spans from the decision making days of pregnancy to the fourth trimester, when baby is feeding, mama is healing, and the parents are falling into their new roles.
Prenatal
After we have our initial consultation and decide that the connection feels right, we will arrange our first prenatal visit to discuss the exciting journey ahead. At this time I will offer my guidance and support as you navigate your way through the 'planning' aspect of birth. As this can often be an overwhelming task, I will do my best to simplify it for you, offering as much insight on what home and/or hospital births can look like. I also have a library of resources that I am happy to loan during our time together.
During the preparation stage I can offer information to you on many useful birthing tools such as acupressure, massage, aromatherapy, herbs, and simple breathing/visualization exercises.
If your birth is something you are sharing with a partner, I would also make it a priority at this time to ensure that your partner is feeling supported and confident in their role. Having a partner that feels comfortable with birth and prepared for the task can be a complete game changer, and I like to honour that.
The number and the content of our prenatal visits varies with the package you choose. However, I will be available to you (and your partner) via email, text and phone for the duration of our relationship.
Birth
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From the early stages of labour, i.e. when your water breaks, or your contractions kick in, I can be there to offer you any form of support you need. This could consist of massage or acupressure to relieve pain and support labour progression, positional recommendations to increase comfort and maximize progress, breath work to stay present and focused, aromatherapy for relaxation or augmentation, or simply playing music and sharing a laugh to keep the oxytocin levels high. In any scenario - at home or in the hospital - I am there to support you and your birth.
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PostPartum
Depending on the needs of you and your new family, my involvement at this time will vary. It may just be one quick visit to debrief the birth and exchange stories and photos, or it could consist of a few regular visits focused on breastfeeding support, sleep relief, child/home care, and of course emotional support.
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Whether it be the essential processing of the birth, adjusting to the new dynamics and roles between you and your partner, or managing the postpartum hormonal fluxes, I will nurture each process with comfort and guidance.
My goal as a postpartum doula is to support and inspire the development of happy and healthy homes. Though there will inevitably be some form of structure and time frame to our relationship, it is my intention to be as available to you as possible.
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