"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou ~

My name is Ricky Issler and I live in Beaumont with my very supportive husband and two wonderful teenagers. Having previously worked as a Pharmacy Technician for 20 years, I knew it was time for a change. I followed my heart and found my calling in doula work and have never looked back since. I have been attending births as a Birth Doula in Edmonton and surrounding areas since 2010.

I am a DONA Certified Birth Doula, Hypno-Doula, Matrona Certified Holistic Doula, and a Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor.

I was blessed with two very positive birth experiences with a doula and I know firsthand how important their presence can be. I bring a warm, intuitive, professional, yet light-hearted approach to my work. I am passionate about birth and I work hard to ensure that my clients have a positive and memorable birth experience, however they envision that to be. My goal is for you to feel informed, respected and for your voice to be heard by your birthing team in your chosen birth environment.

As a doula, I am honored and privileged to be a part of a woman’s birth experience. I love to see a mother empowered and able to trust her inner wisdom and draw upon her inner strength. To witness a child’s birth is something that I deeply cherish and am grateful to experience each and every time.

Over the years I have worked with many different families and have gained experience in VBAC, VBA2C, vaginal breech birth, surrogacy, LGBTQP, single moms, plus-size moms, 40+ moms, clients on bed rest, high-risk pregnancy, induction, cesarean birth, IVF, miscarriage, loss, previous trauma, hospital/home/birth centre birth, and water birth.

I am also a Reiki Master and I believe that the healing energy of Reiki has great benefit for both baby and mother, prenatally and during the birth. See more about Reiki in my services.

I am continually learning and have attended various workshops and trainings over the years to benefit my clients including, but not limited to, Rebozo training, Spinning Babies, and Holistic Doula training with The Matrona. My involvement with our local doula association (DAE) as a past executive member and current member keeps me active in the doula community as well.

I welcome all families and all ways of birthing! I look forward to meeting you!

My Philosophy

I believe that birth is a natural process and that a woman instinctively has the wisdom and strength required to labour and give birth. I also believe that a woman is benefited enormously by continuous support and encouragement to enable her to relax and trust the birthing process. We cannot control birth, but we can control how a mother is cared for. A woman should be treated with respect and dignity and should always be informed about what’s going on throughout her labour.

I understand and support obstetrical interventions when they are truly necessary, and believe that a woman should be informed ahead of time if medical interventions are being considered. In order for a mother to remain empowered during her birth she should know all of her available options (as relayed to her by her medical caregivers) and be given the time she needs to decide how she would like to proceed.

I realize that every woman has her own philosophy on the challenges of labour and the discomfort that is sometimes associated with it. As your doula, I ensure that you have all the information you need ahead of time to make informed decisions regarding your labour and that you are aware of any associated risks. I then support you in your choices, whatever they may be, and work hard to make your birth experience a positive and memorable one for both you and your partner.

I also believe that birth doesn’t have to be painful. Yes, you read that correctly… it doesn’t have to hurt! I have witnessed many births where my clients have reported that though the sensations they experienced were indeed very powerful and intense, they were still able to remain quite comfortable through most or all of their birthing time. There are many factors that play into this and all of the moms I am referring to here prepared for their births by using Hypnobabies – a prenatal class that I teach where mothers learn self-hypnosis techniques to use during labour to remain calm, relaxed and comfortable. Learn more about this under the Hypnobabies tab.

I am grateful to be a part of such an intimate and special time for a couple and I know when to stay in the background to respect your privacy. My role is a calm, quiet, confident, reassuring, and supportive presence for the mother. I am her advocate, but I do not speak for her. I am there to help ensure her desires and needs are met so that she may experience her child’s birth as she envisions it.

I am always there to comfort, encourage, support, and inform, helping to make your pregnancy and birth experience a joyous journey to new life.

I have joined forces with four other like-minded doulas in creating Village Birth Collective. Each of us brings a variety of education, knowledge, and experience, enabling families to take their first step into parenthood knowing they have a whole village of support behind them.

This collective was not only created to be a village for our clients, but a village for each other. Birth work is demanding, and so knowing we have each other to lean on for support and knowledge allows us to be the best doulas we can be. If ever I am unable to attend my client's birth, I can rest easy knowing they are in good hands with an amazing and skilled doula from my Village team!

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