Hello... It's Me!

Welcome to our new blog! To kick things off, we thought we'd introduce ourselves in a little more depth. Thanks for reading! 

Happy birthing,
Sam & Alannah


I have lived in Ontario for about five years, after being born in raised in Des Moines, Iowa.  I currently live in Orillia, with my husband Brian, our five year old daughter, Gia, and our one year old son, Waylon.

Like many doulas, my calling to childbirth education and doula care began with the birth of my first child. I had such an amazing, empowering birth experience that I knew I wanted to help other mothers and families have more satisfying births. My goal is to make sure parents-to-be have all the information and tools presented to them to make the best decisions for their own families.  

As a doula, I support all mothers in childbirth; whether it is natural, medicated, or a scheduled c-section. I want to help you achieve the birth and postpartum that you hope to have!

Alannah is amazing. It is funny, because before she had even announced she wanted to become a doula, I thought about asking her to be at my son’s birth. She just has this warm, mothering energy about her that is such a calming force. She was made for doula work and I am so glad we have become partners!

So… 5 fun facts about me!

1. 1) My previous career back in Iowa was in High Value Mortgaging. I serviced (and sometimes I got to speak to!) people with homes worth tens of millions of dollars.  This included movie stars, musicians, and famous athletes!
2. 2) I’ve been a figure competitor in bodybuilding shows! I even got first place once! (Please don’t Google me, ha!)
3. 3) Like Alannah, I too have a passion for music! I was a show choir geek in high school, and I also play the piano.
4. 4) My favourite pet I ever had was a pet duck named Mr. Duck. He lived in my parents suburban backyard and he was the coolest guard duck, ever!
5. 5) I’ve lived in Canada but I still can’t say “eh” without feeling like an imposter. And I cannot get over milk coming in bags. Or tell you what the temperature is in Celsius.  (But I DO know how to order coffee at Timmy’s! And how to use all this coin money! Loonies and Toonies, eh!)

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I was born and raised in Orillia and still call it home today! While I’ve lived in other places, there is something very special about Orillia that kept me coming back (now to stay!) The beautiful lakes, great parks and trails, fabulous main street… it’s a great place to call home and raise a family. I feel really blessed to be able to provide doula and placenta encapsulation services to my hometown and it’s surrounding areas! 

I have two sons, Roman (2) and Isaiah (1), and have been married for seven wonderful years to my husband, Justin. It was the births of my sons that gave me the passion I needed to pursue birth work. 

Sam was actually my doula for my first birth, so I can speak firsthand to how wonderful she is! She was a fantastic support (for both my husband and myself!), and it’s clear she has a true compassion for all the families she works with. Sam is a wealth of knowledge in all things birth-related and is truly an asset to anyone’s birth!

And now… 5 fun fact about me! 

1. 1) I have a degree in Media Studies and a diploma in Public Relations. My first job out of university was working in the Communications department for one of Canada’s largest pharmaceutical companies. I then worked at the Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Foundation as a development officer before entering into birth work.
2. 2) I love to sing! I love music. I play the violin, guitar and piano (none of them very well, however.)
3. 3) My husband and I got married when he was 19 and I had just turned 20. Still the best decision of my life!
4. 4) I love playing board games! To me, there’s no better way to spend a Friday night then with a bunch of great friends enjoying a nice dinner, a good bottle of wine, and some fun games (don’t forget the snacks!)
5. 5) I have watched The Office series at least 20 times. Best show ever, IMO.