Me as a child, stroking a goat and hugging a dog. Vauchassis, circa 1986.
My Story
I grew up in a goat farm, in Champagne, France. As a country child, I attended many kiddings. Births were assisted by my mother or father but natural.
All the animals at the farm had a name. From the dogs (Gamin, Romy) to the goats (Mirabelle, Myrtille, Suzanne, Davina, Karaté...) and billy goats (Sirocco, Bouba, Chantilly).
Animals were my and my little sister Elsa's friends. They were our equals. I had digested the idea that we, humans, are animals too. We are mammals, just like goats, cows, cats, dogs, monkeys and whales.
I gave birth for the first time in Winter 2012. The experience was traumatic to me. A medical condition dragged its attendant of interventions. I felt like an object more than a subject. I was a patient. Although I was admiring of my baby, it took me time to feel confident as a mother. My breastfeeding experience was an obstacle course which I had to quit out of exhaustion. I was self-critical with mixed feelings of guilt and envy. Looking at my child growing well and bonding with my partner helped me to see things from a positive angle.
Then, I gave birth for the second time in Autumn 2014. A natural birth like I had dreamt of. A wonderful and supportive team of professionals in the hospital. An involved and confident partner. An attaching and attached baby. A powerful birthing experience and a beautiful breastfeeding story. I felt like a queen, in the centre of the action, omnipotent and omniscient, pretty much like a goddess on Earth.
This second chance helped me to understand that although we can't control the unexpected, we can surround ourselves with loving support, we can educate ourselves, we can control our decisions, we can accept and adapt. The force is in us and we can feed it each day.
Me as an adult, revisiting childhood memories in Haltialan kotieläintila, Helsinki, 2013.
My Philosophy
My Training
Birth is major event in the life of a family. The support a pregnant person receives during their pregnancy and after can determine their and their family's future well-being.
My objectives:
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Educate pregnant people, partners, families so they can make informed choices
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Support them whatever their choices are
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Reassure and involve partners if wanted
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Offer non-medical pain relief and methods to relax
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Help create the most secure and peaceful atmosphere
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Awake the super powers of pregnant people
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Do everything in my power for pregnant people, partners and families to have the best possible experience
What are your own objectives? What are your wishes and fears? Have you thought about writing a birthplan?
Birth Doula - Introductory course (8 h)
Doulakka, Veera Gindonis, Helsinki 2016
Birth Doula - basic course (144 h)
Doulakka, Veera Gindonis, Helsinki 2017
Gua Sha - basic workshop (4 h)
Kätilö, Kädet ja Sydän, Johanna Honkanen, Helsinki 2017
Breastfeeding MOOC, coordinated by the lactarioum of Necker Hospital in Paris, the GEN-IF (Francilian study group on neonatology) and the Parisian Perinatal Health Network, 2017
Prenatal yoga & birth preparation - course
Hamila, Hanna-Mari Nieminen, Helsinki 2018
Sacred Postpartum Summit - webinar
Layla B., 2018
Paramana Doula Course, Physiology and birth, Seminary (3 days), organised by the association Bien Naître, Marjorie Roux
Paramana Doula, Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers, Issy-les-Moulineaux, 2018
Birth, Trauma, Evolution - workshop (8h), organised by Viviane Lemaigre Dubreuil
Elizabeth Davis, Paris, 2018
Spinning Babies® Workshop with Jennifer Walker (7h), organised by Kätilö, Kädet ja Sydän, Johanna Honkanen, Espoo 2019
Postpartum workshop with Gabriela Ariana from Juurakon Voima, Vihti, May 2019
Birth Doula - Certification course (250h) Doulakka, Veera Gindonis, Helsinki 2020
¨Mayan Sealing Ceremony - Sacred Rituals for Postpartum¨
By Brenda Miquiztli, Vantaa May 2020