Edmonton Doulas and Midwives: A Local Guide for Growing Families

You’re expecting a baby and suddenly there are so many decisions to make.

Where will you give birth? Who will provide your care? What kind of support will you want during labour? Who will help you navigate those first days and weeks after your baby arrives?

As you begin exploring your options, you’ll quickly realize that building a birth team is about so much more than checking boxes. From Edmonton doulas and midwives to lactation consultants, birth photographers, and postpartum support professionals, there are so many incredible resources available to families in Edmonton and the surrounding communities.

Hi! I’m Jessica, a certified birth, maternity, newborn, and family photographer serving Edmonton and area. As a mama myself, I know how exciting, overwhelming, and emotional preparing for birth can feel. I’ve also had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how meaningful the right support can be during pregnancy, labor, birth, and those early postpartum days.

This guide will introduce you to some of the professionals who help families feel informed, supported, and cared for as they prepare to welcome a new baby.

And if you’re feeling even a little curious about documenting your birth story through photography, I’d love to chat! I’m always happy to answer questions, talk through possibilities, and help families build a support system that feels aligned with their values and goals.

Why the People Supporting You Matter

It’s easy to focus on the practical side of preparing for birth. You might spend hours researching hospital bags, nursery items, baby gear, and birth plans.

Those things certainly have their place. But when families look back on their birth experience, they often remember something much bigger:

how supported, informed, and safe they felt throughout the process.

The people surrounding you during pregnancy and birth often have a greater impact on your experience than any checklist ever could.

That’s why so many families begin researching Edmonton doulas and midwives early in pregnancy. Building a strong support system allows you approach birth with greater confidence, knowing you have trusted professionals by your side.

What Do Edmonton Doulas Actually Do?

One of the most common questions expecting parents ask is whether a doula is worth it. For many families, the answer is absolutely.

Doulas provide non medical support throughout pregnancy, labour, birth, and also postpartum. Their role is to offer emotional support, practical guidance, education, and comfort measures that help families feel more prepared and confident.

Many Edmonton doulas support families by:

• Helping create birth preferences and plans
• Providing evidence based information
• Offering emotional encouragement during labor
• Supporting partners during birth
• Suggesting comfort measures and positioning techniques
• Helping families process their birth experience afterward

Unlike medical providers, doulas don’t perform clinical care. Instead, they focus entirely on supporting you and your family throughout the experience.

One of the things families often appreciate most is the continuity of care. Many Edmonton doulas spend months getting to know their clients before labour ever begins.

What Does a Midwife Do?

Midwives provide medical care throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

For many families, midwifery care offers a relationship focused approach that emphasizes informed choice, education, and personalized care.

Midwives often provide:

• Prenatal appointments
• Birth attendance
• Newborn assessments
• Postpartum follow up care
• Feeding support
• Referrals to specialists when needed

Many families appreciate the opportunity to build a relationship with their care provider throughout pregnancy. Midwives often spend more time during appointments discussing questions, concerns, and birth preferences.

Whether you’re considering midwifery care or exploring other care options, learning about the different models of care available can help you make informed decisions for your family.

How to Choose the Right Edmonton Doulas and Midwives

Not every provider is the right fit for every family. That’s why consultations can be so valuable.

When speaking with Edmonton doulas and midwives, consider asking questions like:

• What is your approach to birth?
• How do you support families during labor?
• What does communication look like throughout pregnancy?
• How do you help clients prepare before birth?
• What happens if you’re unavailable when labor begins?
• What postpartum support do you provide?

Can you ask questions openly and honestly? Do you feel heard and understood? Does this feel like someone you can trust to support you through one of life’s biggest transitions?

Birth is one of the most vulnerable experiences many people will ever have. Finding providers who make you feel supported and understood can make a tremendous difference.

Edmonton Doulas, Midwives, and Birth Professionals to Explore

One of the things I love most about serving families in Edmonton is the incredible community of professionals dedicated to supporting parents throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

As an Edmonton birth photographer, I’ve had the opportunity of connecting with and photographing these amazing providers. Spending time with them and hearing about their work has given me a deeper appreciation for the care they offer families in our community.

Below are a few Edmonton doulas, midwives, and birth professionals I’ve recently had the pleasure of photographing and getting to know. If you’re building your support team, this is the perfect place to start.

Justine Houston | The Moon & Me Doula

Justine is a holistic birth doula serving Edmonton and the surrounding communities since 2018. She supports families from conception through postpartum, combining evidence based education with compassionate, personalized care.

What stands out most about Justine’s approach is her commitment to helping families feel informed and empowered in their choices. She believes birth is a normal physiological event and works hard to ensure her clients have access to current research and resources so they can confidently advocate for themselves throughout pregnancy and birth.

Outside of birth work, Justine enjoys spending time with her growing family, connecting with nature in the mountains, and sharing good wine with friends.

Website: themoonandme.ca
Instagram: @the_moon_and_me_doula

Brianne Bell | Blissful Birth Doula Services

Brianne is a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and yoga teacher serving Edmonton, St. Albert, and surrounding communities. Her work is rooted in trust, education, and a deep respect for the physiology of birth.

Brianne is passionate about helping families move through pregnancy and birth feeling informed, connected, and empowered. She spends significant time supporting clients during pregnancy, building strong relationships long before labour begins. Her goal is to help families trust their instincts, understand their options, and create a birth experience that aligns with their values.

When she’s not supporting families, you’ll likely find her practicing yoga, gardening, enjoying live music, or spending time outdoors with her children.

Website: blissfulbirthdoulaservices.com
Instagram: @blissfulbirthdoulayeg

Erin Howard | Transition Doulas

Erin is a childbirth educator and doula with Transition Doulas, a business she co-founded alongside Kayla Woodman after what began as a simple crochet date turned into a shared vision for supporting families.

Since 2015, Erin has helped Edmonton area parents prepare for labour, birth, and life with a newborn. Her approach focuses on honest conversations, practical education, and helping families feel confident making informed decisions. Erin believes knowledge is one of the most powerful tools parents can carry into birth and early parenthood.

Outside of supporting families, Erin is also a teacher, a mother, and someone who understands the realities of balancing family life with a busy career.

Website: transitiondoulas.ca

Kayla Woodman | Transition Doulas

Kayla is a childbirth educator and doula with Transition Doulas, where she has been supporting Edmonton area families since 2015.

Known for her down to earth and supportive approach, Kayla helps parents navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with confidence. She believes education should be honest, inclusive, and empowering, giving families the tools they need to advocate for themselves and make decisions that feel right for them.

In addition to supporting clients, Kayla is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing while raising her family. Her passion for education and care shines through in every aspect of her work.

Website: transitiondoulas.ca

Laura Gibb | Registered Midwife

Laura is a Registered Midwife with more than a decade of midwifery experience and a background in nursing. Her approach centers on education, collaboration, and helping families feel confident in their choices throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Laura is passionate about preparing families for the birth they hope to have by focusing on prenatal education, nutrition, and holistic support. She believes care works best when families and providers work together, creating a partnership built on trust, information, and informed decision making.

When she’s not supporting families, Laura enjoys spending time with her family, camping, hiking, and travelling.

Connect through Lucina Birth Centre.

Catherine Woodlock | Kindred Medicine

Catherine is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, holistic doula, registered herbalist, and miscarriage doula serving the Edmonton area.

Her work supports women through fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and pregnancy loss. Drawing from both Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern reproductive care, Catherine takes a deeply holistic and trauma aware approach to supporting families. She is especially passionate about helping women feel seen, informed, and connected to their intuition throughout every stage of their journey.

Catherine’s own experiences with pregnancy, miscarriage, and secondary infertility have shaped the compassionate care she now provides to others.

Website: kindredmedicine.ca
Instagram: @catherines.kindred.medicine

Michelle Fraser | Tranquility Doula Services

Michelle is a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and longtime elementary school teacher serving Edmonton and surrounding communities.

Her journey into birth work began while supporting her daughter through pregnancy and birth. Wanting to better understand the process and provide meaningful support, she completed her doula training in 2022 and has been walking alongside families ever since.

Michelle’s goal is to ensure clients feel heard, supported, and empowered throughout pregnancy, labour, and postpartum. She provides evidence based information, guidance, and encouragement while creating a calm and reassuring presence for the families she serves.

Website: tranquilitydoulaservices.ca
Instagram: @tranquil_doula

Samantha Hyvarinen | Delicate Care Doula

Samantha is a certified birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and passionate advocate for informed, family centered care.

After the births of her own children, Samantha developed a deep appreciation for the importance of prenatal and postpartum support. Since attending her first birth in 2020, she has dedicated herself to helping families feel educated, empowered, and supported throughout their unique journeys.

Samantha believes every birth experience deserves individualized care. She supports clients through pregnancy, labour, and postpartum while helping families build confidence in their choices and navigate the transition into parenthood with greater ease.

Instagram: @delicatecaredoula
Facebook: Delicate Care Doula

A Special Thank You to Brenda Giourmetakis

While Brenda is now retired, it would feel incomplete to write about Edmonton’s birth community without recognizing the impact she has had on countless families over the years.

As a birth doula and educator for more than a decade, Brenda supported families throughout Edmonton and surrounding communities with compassion, wisdom, and unwavering respect for personal choice. Her philosophy was simple: provide education, support families without judgment, and trust parents to make the decisions that felt right for them.

On a personal note, Brenda has been a dear family friend of mine for many years and someone whose passion for birth has inspired many within the local birth community. Though retirement came unexpectedly following a stroke in 2025, her legacy continues through the families she supported and the birth workers she mentored, including her former doula partner, Justine of The Moon & Me Doula.

These days, Brenda enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, tending her garden, and embracing a slower pace of life.

Other Professionals Who Can Support Your Birth Journey

While Edmonton doulas and midwives are often at the center of a family’s support team, they’re not the only professionals who can make a difference.

Depending on your needs, you may also benefit from:

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy
• Lactation consultants
• Prenatal education classes
• Prenatal yoga instructors
• Mental health support
• Postpartum doulas
• Birth photographers

Every family looks different.

The goal isn’t to build the biggest support team possible. It’s to find the people and resources that help you feel informed, cared for, and confident throughout the journey.

Families planning a midwife assisted birth may also want to explore the Lucina Birth Centre in Edmonton. This community birth centre offers a comfortable, home like setting for low risk births and is staffed by registered midwives, providing another option alongside hospital and home births.

Why I Believe Birth Photography Is Part of Birth Support

As an Edmonton birth photographer, I don’t see photography as separate from support.

I see it as part of it.

When labor begins, your focus should be on bringing your baby into the world. Your partner’s focus should be on supporting you. Neither of you should be worried about documenting every moment.

Birth photography allows families to stay fully present while their story is preserved with care. It captures the strength, connection, and emotion woven throughout the experience, along with the moments that often become a blur afterward.

Many families tell me there are details they forgot until they saw their images. That’s what makes birth photography so meaningful. It allows you to relive the story of your baby’s arrival for years to come.

Final Thoughts on Finding Edmonton Doulas and Midwives

Preparing for birth is about more than checking tasks off a list. It’s about building a support system that helps you feel informed, respected, and cared for as you welcome your baby into the world.

Whether you’re researching Edmonton doulas, exploring midwifery care, considering birth photography, or simply learning about the resources available in our community, I hope this guide helps you feel more confident as you move forward.

If you’re building your birth team and would like to learn more about birth photography, I’d love to connect. Whether you’re ready to book photography, explore support options, or simply talk through what’s possible, I’m here.

If you’re looking for inspiration or quiet glimpses into all things motherhood photography, come say hello on Instagram. To keep in touch, sign up for my email list. I share birth stories, maternity sessions, newborn photography, and resources for growing families throughout Edmonton and surrounding communities.

Let’s celebrate this season with intention, connection, and memories worth holding onto for generations!