Learn About the Calgary Doulas Association
Supporting Families with Compassionate, Professional Care Through Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond.
Our Story
We are a community of compassionate, trained birth and postpartum doulas dedicated to supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and the early stages of parenthood. We believe every birthing person deserves a doula, and we’re here to provide access to professional, continuous support to help families have the healthiest, most positive experiences possible.
Our association was founded to create a network of support for both doulas and the families they serve. By offering continuing education, fostering community connections, and upholding high ethical standards, the CDA has become a trusted resource in Calgary and surrounding areas for doula services.
What is A Doula?
A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to individuals and families before, during, and after childbirth. While doulas are not medical professionals, they help to create a supportive environment, advocate for the birthing person’s preferences, and offer comfort through labor and postpartum recovery.
What is a Birth Doula?
A Birth Doula supports the birthing person during labor by offering emotional reassurance, pain relief techniques, and guidance on communication with medical staff.
They help the birthing person and their partner feel confident, supported, and informed throughout the labor process, without performing medical tasks.
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Your Secret Weapon for a Better Birth Experience
Did you know that hiring a birth doula can lead to:
A shorter labor (up to 25% faster!)
Lower rates of complications and cesarean births
Less use of pain medication (think epidurals, oxytocin, forceps)
More satisfaction with your birth experience
On top of that, babies born with the support of a doula are more likely to breastfeed successfully and have positive early experiences with their parents.
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Let’s Make Sure You’re On the Same Page for the Big Day
Choosing a birth doula is all about finding someone you trust and feel comfortable with. Here’s a list of questions to ask during your first consultation:
What’s your philosophy about childbirth and supporting birthing people?
How many prenatal visits do you offer?
At what point in labor do you join me?
Do you meet with us after birth for a post-birth review?
What training do you have, and how many births have you attended?
What is your fee and refund policy?
It’s your birth. Let’s make sure you’re getting the support you need!
What is a Postpartum Doula?
A Postpartum Doula assists new parents in the weeks following birth by offering support with newborn care, breastfeeding, and light household tasks.
They provide emotional encouragement, practical help, and resources, helping families adjust to life with a newborn and ensuring parents feel confident and well-rested.
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The Benefits: It's Like Having a Personal Guide to New Parenthood
Hiring a postpartum doula can make a world of difference, not just for you, but for your entire family. Here's how:
For You (the Birthing Person):
Smoother postpartum transition
Increased bodyfeeding success
Lower risk of postpartum depression
Less stress and overwhelm
For Your Family:
Competence in newborn care
Referrals to the right support and professionals when needed
A more positive experience for your partner
Research shows postpartum doulas are linked to less postpartum depression and greater success in bodyfeeding. Who knew hiring help could be so helpful?
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Finding the Right Fit: Ask These Key Questions to Make Sure You’re On the Same Page!
The first meeting with a postpartum doula is your chance to find the perfect match. To make the most of it, ask questions like:
What is your experience and philosophy about parenting?
How do you support bodyfeeding and general feeding?
What types of services do you offer (meal prep, sibling adjustment, light housekeeping)?
When do your services begin after the birth?
Do you have CPR certification and specialized training?
What’s your fee and refund policy?
This is your time to get to know them—be sure you feel comfortable and confident in your choice.
Learn about the Other Types of Doulas :
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A fertility doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to individuals and couples who are trying to conceive. They offer guidance through the fertility process, including navigating medical treatments, tracking cycles, and exploring holistic approaches to fertility.
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Death doulas, also known as end-of-life doulas, offer emotional, physical, and spiritual support to individuals and families during the dying process. They help to create a peaceful, personalized environment for the person nearing the end of life, assisting with end-of-life planning, legacy creation, and comfort care.
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Miscarriage doulas provide compassionate support to individuals and couples experiencing pregnancy loss. They offer emotional care during and after the miscarriage, assist with grief processing, and help individuals navigate medical procedures and healing.
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Antepartum doulas support individuals experiencing a high-risk pregnancy or bed rest due to medical conditions. They provide emotional support, assist with physical care, offer guidance on managing discomfort, and help families stay connected and informed during a challenging time.
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Adoption doulas offer support to both birth parents and adoptive parents during the adoption process. For birth parents, they provide emotional and practical support throughout the pregnancy, labor, and the adoption process. For adoptive families, they offer assistance navigating the emotional aspects of adoption and integration of the child into their home.
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Post-abortion doulas offer emotional and physical support to individuals following an abortion. They assist with recovery, provide emotional care, and help individuals process their feelings during this transitional period.
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Sibling doulas provide support to children who are expecting a new sibling. They help children prepare emotionally for the arrival of a new baby and assist families with integrating the new child into their existing family structure.
Our Mission & Values
Mission:
The Calgary Doula Association is committed to ensuring that every birthing and postpartum family has access to a qualified doula. Our mission is to elevate the quality of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care by promoting ethical standards in doula practices. We provide our members with opportunities for ongoing education, professional development, and a supportive network to grow both individually and collectively as a profession.
Values:
Ethical Practice: We are dedicated to promoting doulas who adhere to a strong code of ethics, ensuring that families receive respectful, informed, and compassionate care.
Collaboration: We believe in building strong, respectful relationships with healthcare providers and the birth community, working together to provide the best support for families.
Inclusivity: We embrace diversity and are committed to creating a welcoming, safe environment for all families, doulas, and members of the community, regardless of background, identity, or beliefs.
Current Leadership & Board Members
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![Person wearing glasses holding a baby wrapped in a black fabric sling in a kitchen with a tiled backsplash.]()
Adele Callfas
PRESIDENT | CBD/PCD/CPE/RMT
Adele is a homesteading, fun loving Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Certified Perinatal Educator, and owner of The Hive Doula Services. As President of the CDA, Adele acts as a leader and offers strategic guidance for the Association and its members, including ongoing open and transparent communication, relationship building and facilitation of a positive member experience.
Email : president@calgarydoulas.ca
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![Calgary Doula Association logo featuring stylized mountain outline, black text on white background.]()
Vice President
VACANT
The role of the Vice President is to support the President in their role including providing leadership and strategic guidance for the Association and its members, including ongoing open and transparent communication, relationship building and facilitation of a positive member experience. The Vice President should be willing to facilitate Association and Executive meetings that the President cannot attend, either in person or virtually.
If you are interested in this position, please email info@calgarydoulas.ca for more information and to apply.
FAQs
Whether you’re curious about the services doulas offer or how they can support you during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, we’re here to help. Explore our FAQs to learn more, and if you have more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to connect and support you on thus beautiful journey!
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In Calgary, the cost for a trained and certified, experienced birth doula typically ranges from $900 to $2000.
For postpartum doulas, you can expect to pay between $30 and $45 per hour.
If cost is a concern, many doulas offer a sliding scale or reduced rates, especially certifying doulas. We believe every birthing person deserves the support of a doula and work to make this possible for those who seek one.
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Doula packages vary based on the individual doula’s style and preferences. Most offer a free, no-obligation consultation to ensure you’re a good fit.
Many doulas also include one or two prenatal meetings in their packages. Additional services might include postpartum support, breastfeeding assistance, placenta encapsulation, photography, and more.
We encourage you to explore different doulas to find the one whose services align with your needs and desires.
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Your doula is there for emotional, physical, and informational support—not medical advice.
While doulas are not medically trained, they work in harmony with your medical team, including doctors, midwives, and nurses. Most medical professionals are highly supportive of doulas, as they enhance the birthing experience and contribute positively to your well-being.
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A doula’s main focus is to make your birth experience as positive as possible, based on your preferences. They work closely with you before the birth to understand your vision and help you achieve it, respecting your decisions and the unfolding circumstances.
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Doulas are not there to replace your partner. Instead, they support both the birthing person and their partner, ensuring everyone feels confident and involved in the experience.
Partners are an essential part of the support team, and doulas help them provide emotional and physical support, offering guidance during labor.
As one father shared, “I felt a huge sense of relief when the doula arrived. I hadn’t realized how much pressure I was feeling. They didn’t just calm my wife—they calmed me, too”
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A postpartum doula complements the love and support your family offers by bringing specialized knowledge and skills to your care.
They provide expert guidance and support during the critical early weeks, assisting with newborn care, recovery, and transition, so your family can focus on bonding and adjusting to this exciting new chapter.
History of the Calgary Doula Association
1970s: Hospitals in Calgary began to shift towards more homelike birth environments, allowing fathers into the labor and delivery rooms and offering Labor, Delivery, and Recovery (LDR) rooms.
1992: Doulas of North America (DONA) was founded, bringing the term “doula” into the birthing world as a professional providing continuous support for families.
1994: Calgary’s first birth doula training courses were held, led by Elaine Montgomery, who became a DONA doula trainer.
1995: The first birth doula basic training courses were offered at Peter Lougheed Centre, focusing on volunteer birth doulas in the hospital setting
1997: The Doula Services Association of Alberta (DSAA) was founded, with 12 women completing the first doula training course in Calgary
1999: A referral list was established to connect doulas with families in need of support, and by 2001, there were 8 members on the list.
2005: The Calgary Doula Association (CDA) was formed, welcoming postpartum doulas to membership.
2018: CDA expanded its services to include CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) doulas on the referral list.
2023: CDA officially opened up its referral lines to approved doula training bodies, including BeboMia, Doula Training Canada, Pro Doula, and more.
Code of Ethics
At the Calgary Doula Association, we uphold a strong code of ethics that guides our doulas in providing the highest standard of care:
Primacy of Client interests: A doula’s primary responsibility is always to support the client, ensuring their needs and preferences are respected.
Confidentiality and Privacy: We prioritize the privacy of clients and maintain confidentiality about all information shared in the course of professional service
Competence and Professional Development: We are committed to continuous learning, striving for proficiency in our practice through education, mentorship, and affiliation with relevant organizations.
Community Service: Doulas contribute to raising awareness about labor support services and advocate for broader access to doula care.
Fair Fees: When setting fees, doulas ensure they are fair, reasonable, and reflective of the value provided to clients.
Standards of Practice
Our doulas adhere to the following standards to ensure consistent, professional, and compassionate care:
Continuous Support: Doulas provide unwavering emotional and physical support for the duration of labor and beyond.
Collaborative Support: Doulas work alongside other support persons (like partners and family), enhancing their involvement without displacing them.
Respect for Self-Determination: We empower clients to make informed decisions, guiding them without making choices on their behalf
Non-Medical Role: Doulas do not perform medical tasks, but support communication between the birthing person and their healthcare providers.
Backup Arrangements: Doulas make arrangements for backup support in case they are unavailable due to illness or other emergencies.
Referrals: For any needs beyond a doula’s scope, appropriate referrals are made to other healthcare professionals or resources.