Doula Velvet
- Certified Birth Doula, Doulas of North America
- Fertility and Postpartum Doula, Bebo Mia Inc.
- Breastfeeding Counselor/Trainor, Arugaan
- Founder, Breastfeeding Pinays
Doula Velvet, whose primary advocacy is breastfeeding, has helped countless mothers with her extensive knowledge and experience on the golden hour after birth or Unang Yakap (First Embrace), troubleshooting breastfeeding problems, relactation, induced lactation, breastfeeding premies, sick and critically-ill babies and breastfeeding rescue in emergencies and calamities. She is also an international resource person and trainor.
It is in the pursuit of this advocacy that she observed how sub-optimal birthing practices affect breastfeeding negatively. Having had two natural births herself, the first using Lamaze method (2002) and the other being the first recorded hospital-based waterbirth in the Philippines (2007), she has decided to train as a birth doula and bridge the gap between birthing practices and breastfeeding.
Under the tutelage of the world’s premier birth doula teachers Penny Simkin, Ana Paula Markel and Stacey Scarborough, she finished her hands-on training at Bastyr University in San Diego, California in 2013. She is a certified birth doula with DONA International (Doulas of North America), a premier doula association in the world with a high quality of care and high ethical standards. To deepen her knowledge to serve mothers and families better, she again trained with author, medical/cultural anthropologist Dr. Robbie Davis-Floyd and author/director Debra Pascali-Bonaro on Birth Without Borders. She is also a trained fertility and postpartum doula with BeboMia.
Using this wealth of knowledge and trainings, Doula Velvet for the best years has supported mothers in homebirths, lying-ins, birthing facilities and hospital births including waterbirth, natural birth, epidural births, VBAC (vaginal birth after a caesarean), VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 caesareans) and gentle caesarean births. She has also fostered the growth of Pinay Doulas Collective the first doula organization in the Philippines.
Doula Velvet’s advocacy and work on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition since 2002 has earned her the Soroptimist International Unsung Women Heroes Award (2013), the Gawad Geny Bayaning Pilipino Award (2014) NCR and the Southern Leyteños Young Achievers Award (2015).
Having found her mission to give non-judgmental and unwavering support, she hopes to help mothers experience a more positive, empowered and gentle birthing to have healthier babies, healthier families and the best start in breastfeeding.