971-361-6833

For Doulas

Rebecca Durlin Smith, Birth First Doulas

Rebecca Durlin Smith, Portland Doula

The most empowering event of my life was the birth of my first child. The support and confidence we received from our amazing medical team and doula, plus the work we put into preparing for our baby’s birth, ignited in me a passion for pregnancy and childbirth that cannot be extinguished. Since 2010, I have lived and breathed pregnancy and birth – to date I’ve been honored to provide doula services to over 300 families. In addition to being a certified doula, I am also a childbirth educator, prenatal yoga teacher, placenta specialist, doula mentor in the Mother Tree Doula Internship program, and co-owner of Birth First Portland Doulas.

I am committed to increasing the professionalism and effectiveness of doula care through training students and developing doulas. As your certified doula, I am honored to help you build and grow the strength, confidence, and joy available to you through your birth experience.

Training

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Birth Doula & Childbirth Educator Certification through The Bradley Method

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DONA Certified Doula (Doulas of North America)

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Pre/postnatal Yoga Certification through Britt Fohrman

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Spinning Babies/optimal fetal positioning, acupressure, trauma informed care, labor massage

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UT Austin, B.A. Geography/Environmental Resources, Anthropology Minor

Areas Of Specialty

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Unmedicated Birth, Out Of Hospital Birth, Water Birth

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Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

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IVF Pregnancy

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Surrogacy

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High Risk Pregnancy/Birth

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Medical Induction

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LGBTQIA+ Families

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Polyamorous Families

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Trauma Informed Care

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Survivors Of Sexual Abuse

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Recovery From Addiction

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Pregnancy or Infant Loss

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Body Positive

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Placenta Encapsulation

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Childbirth Education

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Prenatal Yoga

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Rebozo, Massage, Acupressure, Spinning Babies

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Aromatherapy

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Rebecca’s Testimonials

“We cannot recommend Rebecca and Brooke highly enough! They made us feel so much more relaxed and comfortable before giving birth to our first child. During the process, Rebecca helped us remember all the things we cared about that otherwise would have been lost in the chaos of the moment. She held the space, helping us feel centered and grounded. During our entire journey they both always provided well-researched information to help us make decisions, as well as space for open, non-judgmental dialogue. We are thrilled to have them with us for our second pregnancy, as well – baby boy #2 due Spring 2019!”

Anna & Barrett, NE Portland

“My husband and I had a great experience of doula-care during our first delivery and we wanted to make sure our second was just as amazing… Rebecca ended up being on-call when I went in for labor and offered several helpful suggestions in a patient, calming way – such as doing things that helped me relax, using pressure points, taking laps around the unit, and using a breast pump (to increase oxytocin). While my husband went out to get some lunch, Rebecca walked and talked with me. It was such a relaxing way to prepare for my baby’s birth! After only an hour of switching between brisk walks and breast pump use, my body kicked into serious active labor. If I hadn’t had the expert coaching of Rebecca and my midwife I don’t know how I could have managed the intensity of the experience.Thank you Rebecca and Brooke for partnering with my husband and me on our journey to becoming parents again! Your experience, breadth of knowledge, supportive presence and advocacy for my desire to have a natural delivery all made the birthing experience wonderful.”

Susanna & Dan, Beaverton

“Working with Brooke and Rebecca was one of the best decisions we made in achieving our one birth goal: to have a positive experience bringing our baby girl into the world. At our get-to-know-you meeting, my husband and I were blown away by Brooke and Rebecca’s professionalism and demeanor. We instantly felt at ease in their presence and knew right then that they would complete our birth team… I was really looking for a doula that could make me feel less anxious and scared in a very unpredictable and new experience. I also wanted to try my best at an unmedicated birth. Thanks to my husband, Brooke, and Rebecca, I was able to achieve that goal safely. They provided us with physical and emotional support beyond our expectations, they have the perfect temperaments for highly emotional environments, and they showed respect and deference for doctors and nurses while simultaneously inserting themselves and providing critical support. We are extraordinarily grateful to have had Brooke and Rebecca woven into our birth story.”

Stephanie & Elliot, Beaverton

“My wife and I just recently had our first child and are grateful to have worked with Rebecca and Brooke… They are very knowledgeable about area hospitals and about the choices you have regarding everything from pain management to typical medical practices. They were very responsive and helpful when my wife’s water broke in the middle of the night. Rebecca was with us throughout labor and delivery and was fantastic. She has a very calming presence and great emotional intelligence. She knew exactly when we needed her with us and when we needed a little time to talk amongst ourselves. As a father, I really appreciated that she made space for me to be as involved and supportive as I could be. She also made sure that I remembered to eat and rest during the 29-hour labor! I think my wife and I are only going to have one child, but if we were going to have another, I would definitely work with Brooke and Rebecca again. I highly recommend them.”

Aimee & Adrian, Oregon City