Doula Support Foundation book launch supports low-income families

The Doula Support Foundation (DSF) has announced the birth of their new book, An Anthology of Canadian Birth Stories. Everyone is invited to two book launch events being held this weekend.

A small nonprofit based here in Kingston, DSF provides full-spectrum doula services to people and families facing financial and other challenges. All proceeds from the book and book launch events will return to Kingstonians in the form of doula services to low-income families, according to a release from the organization.

“I joined Doula Support Foundation to give back to the community within my skill set of doula work and passion for social media marketing, but what I found was so much more,” said Lauren Miller, postpartum doula and marketing director at DSF, and a contributing author to An Anthology of Canadian Birth Stories. “The advocacy and education that this community of doulas puts into the world is truly unique.”

The DSF holds an annual birth story writing contest inviting people from across the country to submit their birth experiences. Miller told Kingstonist that reading the vulnerability in these stories made her realize their true healing power.

“Naturally, when the decision was made to turn the stories we had collected over the years into a book, I jumped on board,” Miller said. “I was honoured to have the opportunity to write the chapter on perinatal human rights as well as help with the marketing side of this incredible project. I believe the greatest hope in birthwork is that all birthers embrace the process of giving birth as a physiological human experience. And in my (albeit biased) opinion, An Anthology of Canadian Birth Stories belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who has birthed, works in birth, or teaches about birth.”

The book is a compilation of 32 birth stories from different voices across a range of experiences, submitted to either the 2019 or 2020 Birth Story Writing Contest. The DSF said that through reading these stories, the reader will feel what birth can be like, and will know that birth can be as wildly unpredictable as it can be transformative.

According to the release, the stories are followed by essential evidence-based guidance for creating the conditions for positive and empowering birth experiences for all — provided by practitioners, clinicians, and scholars in birth and perinatal care such as maternity care researcher Dr. Michael C. Klein, pediatrician Dr. Jack Newman, professor and midwife Dr. Karen Lawford, and midwife Chandra Martini.

The two book launch events are as follows:

• On Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, join DSL and local writers at the in-person book launch, which will be held at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, 370 King Street West, from 2 to 4 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, and each ticket purchase includes a copy of the book.
• On Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, there will be a virtual launch from 12 to 1 p.m., with some of the story contributors in attendance. Tickets by donation on Eventbrite.

The DSF noted, “All writers and contributors will not receive any royalties as they have given them to the Doula Support Foundation. All proceeds go towards giving doula care to low-income families. We thank them for their generosity.”

Learn more about the Doula Support Foundation on their website.