Nicole Stewart

About

Nicole Stewart is a birth and postpartum doula with Brood, serving Vancouver & Lower Mainland. Nicole has 5 years of experience and has supported 5 families.

What languages do you speak?

English

What is your personal definition of “doula”?

A doula is a nurturing presence, a source of reassurance and someone who holds space for a mother to feel safe, heard, supported and empowered though birth and the postpartum period.

What brought you to birth and postpartum work?

My own experiences through pregnancy, birth and motherhood inspired me to pursue birth and postpartum work. Becoming a mother deepened my appreciation for how transformative this season of life is and the importance of feeling supported, nurtured and empowered throughout it. With my background in holistic nutrition and passion for women’s health, I wanted to bring a more holistic and personalized approach to caring for mothers. I believe every woman’s journey is unique, and my goal is to provide thoughtful, compassionate care that honours her individual needs, nurtures her confidence and allows her to embrace motherhood in her own way.

In a climate of caregiver burnout, how are you caring for yourself?

By setting boundaries for myself and with my clients from the get go! Understanding what my needs are as a caregiver is key to ensuring I don’t reach that burnout phase. If and when I do, I slow down – read, take a bath, spend time outside and with my family.

What is a standout book, movie/tv, etc about the childbearing/parenting journey that you return to?

Spirit Babies by Walter Makichen. This book really helped me through my first miscarriage and allowed me to know it wasn’t the end of my pregnancy and parenting journey. I recommend it to every friend who has ever experienced loss or is struggling with conception. The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care by Sally Fallon is also a staple for me. It provides a ton of wellness advice during pregnancy and postpartum.

Birth Care Package

To better understand Brood’s birth package pricing model, read on → Making Birth Doula Care Accessible: The Green Bottle Sliding Scale Method

Tell us more about the ethos in your birth doula practice:

My approach to birth and postpartum care is rooted in the belief that every woman deserves to feel nurtured, heard, and empowered throughout her journey into motherhood. Drawing on my background in holistic nutrition and my own experiences as a mother, I believe in caring for the whole person – physically, emotionally, and mentally. I recognize that every birth and family is unique, which is why I prioritize personalized, compassionate care that honours each mother’s values, choices and intuition. My role is to create a calm, supportive environment where women feel safe, informed and confident in their decisions. Above all, I believe in slowing down, building meaningful connections, and ensuring that mothers feel just as cared for as the babies they bring into the world.

Prenatal Care

My approach is relaxed, personal, and down-to-earth. We start with a quick connection phone call to get to know each other and confirm we’re a great fit. Our initial meeting makes space for questions, honest conversation, laughter, and sharing any fears or worries. Once the decision is made, I’m available via text, email, and phone for the duration of pregnancy. We typically spend two or three in-person prenatal sessions together covering all the stages of late pregnancy, early and active labor, interventions, pain management, delivery, and immediate postpartum. All Brood birth doulas provide:

• In-Person Foundations Visit and 1-2 prenatal visits → Once your contract is signed and your first-choice doula has been confirmed, your doula will visit your home for around 1+ hour so you can chat, connect, and ensure the fit feels right—for both of you! Approximately two hours each, allowing us to truly get to know one another and build trust and confidence. focused on building a meaningful connection, understanding your unique needs, discussing your birth preferences, and creating a personalized plan that aligns with your values and vision for birth.
• Holistic Birth Preparation → Personalized to each family’s unique needs, values, hopes, and concerns. Together, we’ll explore your preferences while providing evidence-based education on pregnancy, labour, comfort measures, medical interventions, induction, cesarean birth, VBAC, newborn care, and postpartum recovery, so you feel informed and confident as you prepare for birth. Guidance on preparing your body and mind for birth through nourishment, relaxation techniques, breathing, movement, and emotional well-being.
• Birth Plan Guidance → Helping to create flexible preferences that support decision-making while honouring the unpredictability of birth.
• Partner Preparation → Encouraging and educating partners to become “birth superheroes”. Helping your partner feel confident and involved by exploring practical ways they can provide physical comfort, emotional reassurance, and meaningful support throughout labour and birth.
• Hands-on Comfort Practicing → Including labour positions, breathing techniques, movement, labour tools and coping strategies.
• Community Referrals → Access valuable local resources like prenatal classes, lactation consultants, and mental health support.
• Brood’s Family Membership → Gain exclusive access to five online courses covering prenatal and newborn care, plus join our virtual private clubhouse and member area for downloadable resources.
• Postpartum Product Guide → A curated list of our top postpartum must-haves, based on what we see that supports families again and again.
• Postpartum Planning → Preparing for the fourth trimester with a focus on maternal recovery, nourishing meals, rest, newborn care, and building a supportive environment that allows you to slow down and embrace early parenthood.
• Birth Education & Informed Choices → Exploring the stages of labour, comfort measures, pain management options, and potential medical interventions so you feel informed, confident and empowered to make decisions that are right for you.
• Emotional Support & Connection” Creating a safe, nurturing space to openly discuss your hopes, fears, questions and expectations surround birth and the transition into motherhood.
• Ongoing Communication & Reassurance → providing continued support between prenatal visits through phone, text, or email to answer questions, offer resources, and help you feel supported as your birth approaches.

Birth Attendance

Continuous Labour Support: Providing a calm, nurturing, and reassuring presence throughout labour and birth, offering consistent emotional and physical support tailored to your individual needs and preferences:

• Holistic Comfort Measures: Supporting your body’s birthing process through breathwork, movement, positioning, massage, counterpressure, and relaxation techniques to encourage comfort and confidence throughout labour.
• Emotional Support & Encouragement: Creating a safe, grounding environment where you feel heard, supported, and empowered to trust your body and intuition as your birth unfolds.
• Informed Decision-Making & Advocacy: Helping you understand your options, navigate unexpected changes and communicate your preferences with your birth team so you feel informed and respected in every decision.
• Partner Support & Connection: Encouraging your partner’s involvement by offering guidance, reassurance and practical comfort techniques, allowing you to feel supported and connected throughout the experience.
• Personalized & Adaptable Care: Honouring your unique birth preferences while remaining flexible and responsive to your changing needs, whether your birth is unmedicated, medicated or requires medical intervention.
• Immediate Postpartum Support: Remaining by your side following birth to support the first moments of bonding, encourage skin-to-skin contact and initial feeding, and help create a peaceful transition into the fourth trimester.

Postpartum Support

• Postpartum Follow-Up → During our first postpartum visit, approximately 7–10 days after birth, we’ll reflect on your birth experience, answer any questions, and process your transition into parenthood. I’ll provide evidence-based information, offer personalized recommendations, and support you as you navigate the physical and emotional changes of the early postpartum period.
• Personalized Postpartum Care: Providing compassionate, individualized support that honours your unique recovery, family dynamics, and transition into motherhood, ensuring you feel nurtured, confident, and cared for.
• Holistic Nutrition & Maternal Nourishment: Support postpartum recovering through nourishing meals, nutrient-dense snacks, hydration, and practical nutritional guidance that helps replenish and restore the mother.
• Emotional Well-Being & Connection: Creating a safe, nonjudgmental space to share your feelings, process your birth experience, and navigate the emotional transitions of motherhood with reassurance, compassion and understanding.
• Rest & Physical Recovery: Encouraging rest, healing, and a slower pace during the fourth trimester by helping create a peaceful, supportive environment where you can focus on recovery and bonding with your baby:
• Newborn Care & Guidance: Offering gentle, hands-on support with newborn care, including soothing techniques, diapering, bathing, sleep expectations, and understanding your baby’s cues while nurturing your confidence and intuition as a parent.
• Infant Feeding Support: Providing compassionate, nonjudgmental support with breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and establishing feeding routines that work for your family, with referrals to specialized professionals when additional guidance is needed.
• Practical Household Support: Light household tasks, meal preparation, laundry, and organizing baby essentials ot ease the everyday responsibilities of early parenthood and allow more time for rest and connection.
• Partner & Family Support: Helping partners and family members navigate their new roles, build confidence in caring for the baby, and create a supportive home environment where everyone’s needs are acknowledged.
• Postpartum Education and Resources: Sharing evidence-informed guidance on postpartum recovery, newborn development, maternal well-being, and community resources to help you feel informed and supported throughout the fourth trimester.

Training + Education

BIRTH & POSTPARTUM

• Birth & Postpartum Doula Certificate – Doula School of Canada

OTHER

• Registered Holistic Nutritionist – Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
• Healthcare Provider CPR-C with AED
• Certified Criminal Record Check, including Vulnerable Sector Screening
• Bachelor of Arts, Major in Family Studies – University of Western Ontario
• Eligible for Extended Health Reimbursement

FOR YOUR PERSONAL LEARNING, WHAT IS THE WORKSHOP/TRAINING ON YOUR RADAR?

The Vessel Village by Molly & Michale – they focus on mom and baby health from a holistic viewpoint