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Portland Doula

Heather Meyer, Portland Doula

Witnessing the birth of my sister at 2 ½ sparked a deep love of babies and birth, led to early babysitting and years of nannying into adulthood. In 2004, I supported my first birth which unearthed an overwhelming passion for the entire process and a deep respect for families, launching my career as a pregnancy massage specialist and 19 years of my practice as a full spectrum doula. I have supported over 750 labors and births and have gathered a great number of skills, tools and knowledge that I can offer you and your family. I will listen to your unique needs and help navigate the way with concrete support, practical information, kindness, time, and holistic loving care.

I began my formal doula studies in 2009 and was certified as a birth and postpartum doula in 2011 while living in Sydney, Australia working as a pregnancy massage specialist. After returning to the United States in 2013, I was hired to co-create and launch a hospital-based integrated doula program as part of the revolutionary Pregnancy Care Package at Providence Women’s Clinic in NE Portland, where I was the lead doula for 7 years. I worked in a team-based model of care with hospital staff as colleagues, managed a team of doulas, co-created innovative programs to better help families (such as doula support at cesarean births), all while supporting an extremely diverse body of clients through prenatal groups, birth, and early postpartum. After years of attending others, I finally had my own child in 2018 (with one loss before that), and after an extended maternity leave I moved on from the hospital program and returned to support private clients in a more sustainable way for my family. 

I see conception, loss, pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum as a journey of transformation. The most important thing as your doula is to be present and learn about your personal values and preferences so I can provide you with the best possible evidence-based heartfelt care, whether you are trying to conceive, during prenatal visits, in the midst of labor and birth, or at home while I offer guidance during a postpartum visit. As a postpartum doula, I see the postpartum period as an essential time to tend to you post birth, so the entire family can rest, recover from all that has come before and metamorphosize. This is our human design and I truly love to be there in your home through this transition. 

I have worked with clients from all walks of life and histories from preconception to postpartum. I am able to meet my individual clients wherever they are, through joys and sorrows. All are welcome. I love serving all types of people, and in addition, specialize in supporting those with trauma histories (including previous birth trauma), mental health history (including anxiety), fertility, pregnancy loss, and those who come from more challenging situations. I am a state certified THW doula, co-founder of the Oregon Doula Association and a doula mentor.

I am mamma to one, have lived in a tiny house for over 7 years, love people and travel, believe in social change through birth, and dream about living by the ocean. I would be truly honored to be your doula.

Doula Training

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Certified Birth & Postpartum Doula: Australian Doula College

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Oregon State Certified Traditional Health Care Worker

N

INNATE Postpartum Care: Innate Traditions

N

Undisturbing Birth: Dr  Sarah J. Buckley

N

Lactation Intensive for Professionals: Melissa Cole

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Diploma of Remedial Massage: Nature Care College

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Pregnancy, Labor, & Postnatal Massage: Nature Care College

N

Certified In Prenatal & Perinatal Massage: Carole Osborne-Sheets

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Childbirth Education: Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations at Basytr University

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Tens Unit In Labor: DONA

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Rebozo Uses In Pregnancy & Birth: DONA

N

Lead Poisoning & Pregnancy: ICTC

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Powerful Prenatals: Carrie Kenner/Doula Schoola

N

Placenta Encapsulation Training: Carrie Kenner/Doula Schoola

N

Reiki 1

N

Subtle Hands On Skills: Carol Gray Center For CST Studies

N

Craniosacral, The Basics & Beyond The Basics: Carol Gray Center For CST Studies

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Pregnancy & Infant Loss (PAIL) Advocate- Quite United In Loss Together

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Cultural Competency: Shafia Monroe Consulting

N

Adopting Trauma Informed Care: Mothertree

N

Collaborative Practice: Mothertree

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Oral Health for Traditional Health Workers: Birthingway College

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Bachelor of Arts: Lewis & Clark College

 Birth Doula Specialty Areas

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Unmedicated Birth

N

Epidural Supported Births

N

Medical Induction

N

Unplanned & Planned Cesarean Birth

N

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

N

Fertility & IVF Pregnancy

N

High Risk Pregnancy/Birth

N

Postpartum Doula Care

N

Massage & Therapeutic Touch

N

Twins/Multiples

N

Trauma Informed Care

N

Pregnancy or Infant Loss

N

Survivors Of Abuse

N

Anxiety & Depression

N

LGBTQIA+ Families

N

Polyamorous Families

N

Single & Adoptive Parents

N

Culturally Appropriate Care

N

Placenta Encapsulation

 Postpartum Doula Specialty Areas

N

Cesarean Recovery

N

Breast/Body Feeding Support

N

Birth Processing/Birth Story Listening

N

Trauma Informed Postpartum Care

N

Postpartum Anxiety & Mood Disorders

N

Helping To Establishing Sleep Routines

N

Cooking

N

Baby Wearing

N

Nursery Set Up

N

Sibling Support

N

Childproofing The Home

N

Supporting The Transition Back To Work

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Heather’s Testimonials

“Heather was a joy to work with! She was very attentive, responsive, and easy to talk to about our wishes or concerns. We were so impressed with Heather’s knowledge and process. She knows her way around hospital protocols and made sure our plan went smoothly. Heather is respected by the nurses and doctors and she kept things flowing in the way that we wanted. We are grateful and definitely recommend working with Heather!“

Rose, se Portland

“Although this was my 3rd natural birth, I have never had a doula in attendance and now I am not sure why I never did! Heather was beyond amazing advocating for me, taking care of anything and everything we needed and massaging me between and during contractions. I was nervous going into labor this time because of my high risk past and it was made worse getting diverted. Heather eased my fears and her positive words during transition and after labor truly saved me! This was my most painful labor so far by far and because of Heather I was able to get through the pain without giving up. It’s without a doubt that Heather is in the right vocation and has found her calling. We will never be able to fully express our gratitude to her. Heather went above and beyond for us!”

wendy, vancouver wa

“I worked with Heather for my first labor; it was full of surprises to say the least. I thought Heather was good at providing unbiased information and support prior to and pertaining to labor and newborn advice. I ended up with a long induction and labor and Heather was with me at the hospital from about 6pm to probably close to 6pm the next day! During the labor she helped with calming techniques, several different positions to progress the labor, and lactation support immediately after delivery. After a long hospital stay and an unexpected C-section I had some mental health issues in my immediate postpartum. Heather was supportive, compassionate, and understanding through my whole experience, start to finish. Overall, my perinatal journey was a pretty wild ride, but I was thankful to have Heather along for it!”

ashley, south washington

“Heather brings deep wisdom and experience to her doula practice. In my third trimester, I found out that I had gestational diabetes and Heather helped me to advocate for myself in the medical system. More than offering advice, she built my confidence to identify and communicate my needs. On the evening I went into labor, Heather’s presence made the hospital room where I gave birth feel calm and safe. I felt like I could let go and do the work of laboring because she was there for my partner and me. I look back at my son’s birth as sort of magical, and working with Heather played a big part in making it so. Heather was an incredible support during pregnancy and birth, and I can’t recommend her highly enough!”

elizabeth, se portland

“Working with Heather was easily the best pregnancy-related decision we made.  I am not able to find the words to adequately describe how important she was for our birth experience. After complications and a traumatic birth of our first child, we had trepidations about the arrival of our second. Through the end of my pregnancy, the birth, and the postpartum period, Heather held space for and honored our trauma. She helped us to imagine the possibility of a different experience and build our confidence. I had been hoping for a natural birth, and Heather made it possible. She knew all the positions to help me manage back labor. She helped both of us stay calm and helped my partner to know what to do.  She helped me to communicate with the medical staff during labor when I had withdrawn into myself and was having trouble speaking. The birth ended up going so much smoother than we had ever thought possible, and being an incredibly healing experience. Of course the great medical staff contributed to this experience, as did luck, but without Heather’s calm and confident presence, her knowledge, and her respect for and making space for our past trauma, the healing that we experienced could not have happened. We are so grateful that Heather is part of our birth story.”

christa, ne portland

“The more times I tell my birth story the more I realize just how amazing the whole process was and how in the midst of painful contractions that I always felt safe and supported. The idea of having birth without suffering wasn’t something I really believed was possible but yet that’s exactly what happened during our birth. I don’t remember much between contractions but I do remember hearing Heather advocate for my birth plan (warm compress, delayed cord clamping…) which really put me at ease. Her energy matched my partner’s and my energy so perfectly and we are so thankful Heather was there. Our baby is doing so well, nursing and latching like a champ and overall just one happy baby. Thank you for everything-we really appreciate it!”

Michelle, sherwood oregon