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-Birth Mentoring and Education -

Labour & Birth support

Prenatal Portrait

​"I hired Asha because of my previous traumatic birth, and I couldn’t be more thankful for her support. Asha helped me feel calm and supported not only during the birth, but throughout my pregnancy and postpartum. She always replied to me promptly, acknowledged my feelings and provided guidance when appropriate. She encouraged healthy expression of emotions and was a great mentor in easing our transition from one to two children."
 
Collen
 

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Pregnancy that includes worry and anxiety after a trauma, whether this is your first birth post a traumatic event, or this is a subsequent pregnancy after a previous birth trauma, can create an abundance of feelings and emotions.

You deserve to birth in a space where you can feel safe and supported by your birth team.
Where you are heard, and feel a sense of autonomy.
Hiring a birth attendant who understands the complexity of birth fear, or trauma can alleviate a lot of your worries and concerns. 

My priority as your doula is to honour your birth wishes, and protect not only the environment in which you labour, but protect your nervous-system as you move through each of the phases of birth, mentally, physically and emotionally. 

In 2017 I welcomed my first born.
And while I felt prepared, I couldn't be ready for the ways in which my birth unfolded, including obstetric violence, and an emergency ceasearean under general anesthetic for a cord prolapse. The experince itself left me with crippling trauma, anxiety, depression, plus a newborn. The journey to healing was long, but profound and important to shaping who I am as a birth worker.    From my personal birth story, I became an advocate for Birth Trauma Awareness and began not only healing through my own personal journey, but was motivated to hold space for those who either have previous trauma before their pregnancy or are healing their own birth trauma.

In 2020 I welcomed my second child.
In some ways it was a redemptive, healing birth experince, however it also came with it's own traumatic story, happening during the beginning of the Covid - 19 pandemic and having her also be born via cearean despite already pushing. 


What I have learned is no two births are the same, no matter how much I worried. 
I do not share my stories with the hope to trauma dump but to share how my personal and professional experiences, plus my education, that I have a passion to help others move through their own concerns and hopes, to birth their baby with confidence and comfort. My hope for those who hire me as their birth attendant is to help them navigate their own birth story, for a healing and empowering experince.

I acknowledge, as a third- generation settler from Bukovina, Ukraine, that my practice is situated on Treaty 6 territory, in amiskwacîwâskahikan ( ᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ Beaver Hills House in Cree); ti oda, (Many Houses as per Nakota Sioux); and Amakowsis, or omahkoyis (Big Lodge from Niisitapi). It is possible that the fort was known by other names as well, in languages which have yet to be revitalized- but is most recently referred to as Edmonton, AB. This land is the traditional lands of the First Nations, including nêhiyaw, Cree, Dené, Anishinaabe Saulteaux, Nakota Isga Nakota Sioux, and Niitsitapi Blackfoot peoples, the Métis’ homeland and the home of one of the largest communities of Inuit, South of the 60th parallel.

 

For these Nations, intuitive and inner wisdom always was and still is deeply rooted in their birthing practice shared by their Knowledge Keepers and Elders. Much of the education here in the Western world of Birth Work is stolen and sold to people such as myself, from Indigenous people all over Turtle Island and other parts of the world.

 

I call upon the Canadian Gov't to continue to work with the 94 call to Reconciliation and will continue to personally do my best work towards being a better ally and care taker of this land, while committing to support the agency and autonomy of Indigenous peoples in revitalizing and participating in traditional, contemporary, and future manifestations of their heritage and culture.

 

I strive to offer a family practice, inclusive of all people, with equity, inclusion and diversity offered and honoured. These priorities include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin. an act of reconciliation, I will continue to work towards creating inclusion, equity and diversity within my Birth Work.


If you identify as a member of the 2SLGBTQ and/or BIPOC community please let me offer you an appropriate exchange of services / fee for the services I offer, with the above acknowledged as a way to thank you..

@grow.gentlekind

ashayogaandwellness@gmail.com

780-504-0596

Edmonton, AB, Canada

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©2024 BY Asha Thomas.

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