Your Prenatal Educators

Sarah is a professional educator and advocate, originally from Vancouver Island with strong ties to the Nanaimo community. Her interest in supporting families started young when she worked as a nanny both in Canada and overseas. Travel took her around the world, but she returned to her island home to raise her own two kids, grow her garden, read lots, swim often and enjoy the surrounding nature.

Sarah is a highly skilled group facilitator and has been providing prenatal education classes with Journey of Birth since 2007. She strives to support families to be well equipped to handle birth and early parenthood while building community and connection through prenatal education. Over multiple years of experience and continuing education, Sarah custom-built a course in prenatal preparation that is evidenced based with a focus on resilience, coping skills, and practical information.

Since 2005, both in non-profit organizations and self employment in Canada and the Middle East Sarah has worked in advocacy and education. As a birth doula, Sarah attended dozens of births and has supported even more families through their adjustment to parenthood as a postpartum doula and breastfeeding counsellor. Sarah's research focuses included prevention of childbirth trauma, breastfeeding support and education, and preventative approaches for postpartum wellbeing.  

B.A., Major in Psychology (Vancouver Island University) 

DONA Certified Birth & Postpartum Doula 

Breastfeeding Counsellor (Douglas College)

Childbirth Educator (Birthing From Within) 

Sarah is a prenatal educator and doula, originally from London, England who has lived on Gabriola Island for 12 years. Her interest in supporting families during pregnancy, birth and postpartum started when she had her own children. It was these births which inspired her to train as a birth doula through DONA international. Sarah owns Island Doula and takes clients in Nanaimo, Ladysmith and on Gabriola Island. She understands the uncertainty which arises when entering the unknown territory of birth and hopes to support families with calm intuition and evidence-based knowledge. 

Sarah is a new addition to Journey of Birth, delivering the same custom-built course that Journey of Birth is well known for. She has been facilitating groups with new families since 2015 and enjoys the dynamic of the group setting. She strives to support and connect with parents in her groups while giving them practical information. 

Sarah has also completed training through the Pacific Post Partum Support Society in Vancouver. She is passionate about the importance of solid support and compassion in the first few years as new parents.

When she’s not teaching with Journey of Birth or working as a doula, Sarah is happiest raising her children, growing vegetables and on the beach foraging for edible seaweed.