Hello! My name is Breanna. I live in Ottawa East and speak French and English. My passion for doula work started when I was very young. I was always fascinated with birth and motherhood. Before I was old enough to go to school, I watched birth shows every single week day during lunch time waiting for my older sister to get home. During the summer, I would rescue abandoned pregnant cats in our farm town, set up a dark, safe and quiet area in our home for them to birth, observe their labour and tend to them and the kittens postpartum. Always the babysitter in my family, I took care of children as soon as I turned twelve. During my teenage years, I taught dance lessons for a local dance company and was in charge of the youngest group: three and four-year-old dancers. After high school, I moved to Edmonton, Alberta where I had many different jobs while getting my Personal Fitness Training diploma. One of these jobs was taking care of a newborn and her older brother. This newborn needed special medical attention as she was born with a cleft lip and palate, and her recovery took longer than anticipated. I loved being part of her healing journey and early life, from her first few months Earth-side to her first steps, as well as being there to support her sibling with such a big transition. It never occurred to me that I could do this work officially, as a doula! When I moved back to Eastern Ontario, I gave fitness classes for a local gym and started a class called Mommy & Me: pilates for moms with their little ones in a baby carrier. I was looking to connect with new moms, give them something to look forward to outside of their home, offer support and allow them to meet other new moms as well. This was of course my favourite class and my most adorable clients. I switched gears and moved to Ottawa in 2018, where I got hired at CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) while I studied journalism and writing. There, I worked supporting patients and families in several departments like Medical Imaging, Outpatient Mental Health and Intensive Care for almost four years. Though working in a children’s hospital does come with its challenges, working with families and kids was once again a place that felt like home to me. My passion only grew. Living far from our hometowns, my husband and I started doing research to see what we could find for external support in the city should we choose to grow our own family. We all hear “it takes a village,” but for many of us especially in these times, our village is far away or non-existant. So I stumbled upon doula work and completely fell in love with all-things postpartum support. While I do have a full-time career as a first responder, I had been pondering on launching my own doula business on the side. The more I thought about it and the more I researched what I call “preparenting” and trauma-informed self-development before having a baby (to overcome my own childhood trauma), the more I knew that not only would I highly benefit from hiring a doula when my time comes, but I would also love to show up as this support person for my community. It was on Christmas Eve 2022 during the big snow storm that the Universe spoke to me: on one of my shifts as a first responder, I ended up on the phone with a mom who couldn’t make it to the hospital on time due to the blizzard, and ended up delivering her baby all by herself at home. I heard that baby’s first cry and that mom’s life change forever. Though I couldn’t see it, I heard and felt it. I wanted to rush over there and help the mom care for her new baby and make sure she had all the support she needed. This was the final sign that postpartum work was the right path for me. So I enrolled with DONA international the next day and voilà! I am now a trained postpartum Doula, registered with The Association of Ontario Doulas. I work in postpartum homes supporting families and absolutely love every minute of it. I have a passion for this work and am always so honoured to be chosen and welcomed into homes during such a special time. I am continuing my education to better serve you, and recently acquired my Lactation and Infant Feeding course certificate. I bring in extra perks with my experience in the fitness and health industry, as well as my journalism and photography training. Click this link to learn more about postpartum doula services and find the inquiry form. If doula work is something that interests you as well, reach out! I can share many resources to help guide you towards this path of divine work should it be the one for you too.
After five years of preparenting and one full and fulfilling year of doula work, I gave birth to my first child. My daughter Esmé was born by way of at-home water birth assisted by two midwives, my incredible husband and a birth doula. This experience made my passion for preparenting, pregnancy and birth, postpartum support and motherhood explode with the fire of a thousand suns. My purpose, aside from being Esmé’s mom, is to advocate for mamas, support women in my community, educate people and teach the beautiful process of preparenting, to which I give all credit for the most beautiful postpartum season I get to live: one with few clouds, much light and lots of flowers.
I can’t wait to connect with you!
breannaflis@gmail.com
@postpartumflowers
