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Mother Nurture Doulas was established in 2008 and has been both an agency and solo practice over the years.

Currently we are Rachel Cline (founder, DONA Certified) Jade Elford (DONA Certified), based in Fernie BC and Sally Bevand (DONA Certified) based in Australia.

>> About Rachel

I have been a doula for over 13 years and have supported over 100 families in this time, many with several births. I began my doula journey in Leeds, England, following my own empowering VBAC to my second child after a planned but traumatic c-section for my breech baby. I then went on to have an unassisted home water birth in September 2011 (under midwifery care). Although all my birth experiences were very different they have each contributed to the work I do as a doula and my philosophies around birth.

I trained in 2008 to be a doula and went on to facilitate doula courses, and have see many of the world recognized birth experts speak at conferences. I am also a La Leche League (breastfeeding) counsellor and trained in the BabyCalm and ToddlerCalm parenting methods.

My background as a Physiotherapist gives me a great insight into not only the workings of the body but also the workings of the public health-care system, which is a huge benefit to my communication with health-care professionals.

I love my work, being able to empower women to achieve a positive birth experience whatever their wishes but especially to work towards a healing birth after an initial difficult experience.

In the UK I regularly attended the homebirth support group and I was co- leader of the Caesarean and VBAC support group.

Having moved to Fernie, British Columbia in October 2012 I  quickly become an established name within the birthing community locally, I am so proud of the fact that I am supporting over 10% of the birthing families each year in the Valley.  It is not only my work as a birth doula but the breastfeeding education and support and the placenta work that adds to the entire package that I offer.

I continually learn from every birth I attend and I am looking to the future to shape my practice and offer additional counselling services.


>> About Jade

My experience of becoming a mother sparked a yearning in me to help support, nurture and honour other mothers and their partners in their pregnancy, birth and parenting journey. It is such a sacred time, which is full of mixed emotions, love, control, joy, power, fear of the unknown, excitement and more. It is a real big bag of yin and yang, light and dark, that I could not help but be drawn down the doula pathway.

The birth of our first baby taught me so much not only about myself, my relationships but also the transformation that occurs when you move through the rite of passage of becoming a mother. I thought my husband and I were prepared but we were not. I knew after this experience I had to do a lot of internal work and preparation for each of the next two births. We were blessed to work with the same partnership of midwives in Australia for the birth of all three of our babies and our last two births were calm yet powerful water births. These babies and their entrance earth side gave me the confidence to step into the role of mother and was a learning and healing journey that I am so thankful for.

I completed DONA accredited Birth Doula training in May 2019 and since December 2019 and my Mindeful Hypnobirthing facilitators course in 2020.  I have been fortunate to work closely with Rachel Cline at Mother Nurture Doulas. Her experience and
knowledge are helping me build a solid foundation as a doula and I will be forever grateful for her caring nature and expertise.

Prior to becoming a doula, I worked in community-based positions in Fernie and Australia. For three years I worked as an Employment Counsellor at Elk Valley Job Seekers and for close to seven years I worked in the disability sector supporting non-government disability organisations, families and their loved ones with a disability. These roles required the ability to provide empathy, support and care in sometimes quite stressful and confusing situations and I believe this experience has given me a strong set of relative skills to be a great doula.

As I continue to build my skills as a doula, I am also looking forward to undertaking more training in areas such as spinning babies. I look forward to supporting mothers in the Elk Valley and their partners to transition from maiden to mother and welcome their babies into this wonderful world.


>> About Sally (practising in Australia)

My doula journey began after the birth of my second child. I had an empowering first birth in a hospital setting with amazing midwifery support in Australia. But it was the intimate homebirth, supported by midwives and a doula, of my second child that demonstrated the true value and importance of doula support.

I truly believe that supporting women and their partners as they navigate their individual journey to the birth of their child is amazingly important. Every birth experience is as unique as every woman and supporting them and their partner through their own birth experience is truly inspiring work.

I am a certified doula with DONA International and Mongan Hypnobirthing practitioner. I have already gained a wealth of knowledge from my studies and work in Human Movement Studies and Education, and practical experience collaborating with many amazing and knowledge doulas in the Valley and further afield. I am currently collaborating with Rachel Cline. I feel very fortunate to be working with someone as passionate and experienced as she.

In breastfeeding both my children, I faced many breastfeeding challenges, especially with my second child. As a result, I understand the value of a knowledgeable and supportive doula to assist in the early postpartum days. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from a range of support people regarding establishing and continuing breastfeeding, breastfeeding difficulties and supporting breastfeeding.