Nurturing and compassionate physical, emotional and informational support for moms during pregnancy, labour and postpartum.

Imagine looking back at your birthing experience and feeling supported, loved, nurtured and empowered.

Imagine feeling like you are a part of the decision making process during labour and being supported in making informed choices about your body and your baby.

Imagine being grounded in your body and encouraged to follow your own innate wisdom and instincts to give birth in a way that feels really good to you.

Imagine feeling completely safe and respected by the people supporting you during birth, an experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

It sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Does it sound almost too good to be true?

I know with all of the horror stories out there and in the media about birth, it’s hard to believe birth can be a positive experience. But I’m here to tell you that I can help you make it happen.

Maybe you are a first time mama with a lot of questions and concerns.

You may be feeling all kinds of emotions as you near your due date and you are not alone.

I hear moms talk about this all the time. You may be:

• Feeling anxious, because birth is unpredictable and how could you
possibly be prepared for any scenario that comes your way
• Wondering how supportive your birth partner will be, will they faint as soon as they see the baby’s head, or will they lose their cool and leave you hanging?
• Wondering how you are going to cope if you have a really long labour
• Or alternatively, you may worry that you will have the baby in the car on the way to the hospital
• Planning for a home birth or an unmedicated birth and have fears about things going other than planned and ending up getting induced or needing a caesarean
• Feeling fearful about how much it will hurt
• Feeling unsettled because you are not sure which medical care provider is going to show up or be the one on call when you give birth

Or maybe you had a really awful birth experience previously and you want to change your experience this time around. You want to let go of the fear, the trauma, and the disrespect you felt in your previous experience.

The good news is, your next birthing story does not have to read like the last.

And if you were lucky – you’ve given birth before and had an experience you can look back on and feel good about. But, just imagine how much better it could be to have some extra support to make your next birthing experience even better!

Together, we can work to create a really empowering experience for you, no matter what happens, no matter the outcome or how you bring your baby into this world.

With how unpredictable birth can be, one of the only things you really have control over is the team that you choose to support you through.

When you work with Me as your Doula, you will get

• Continuous labour support-physical, emotional and informational
• A skilled and trained bodywork expert who is familiar with your body (!!), and the areas that you hold tension – as well as in depth knowledge of various pressure points that are helpful for pain management and labour progression
• Hands-on support and labour massage (or guidance for the birthing partner) for pain management and comfort measures for natural or medicated childbirth
• Intuitive, grounded and calm presence to provide reassurance, encouragement and information throughout labour

All of my birth doula packages include massage and bodywork with me prenatally.

We know that women labour with ease when they are surrounded with familiar people, feel relaxed and comfortable with the people supporting them. My goal is to get to know you, your preferences, how your body tenses and your unspoken signals, while you get to know me as a familiar person who you can trust and feel respected by.

Not only are we building a relationship, but massage and reflexology are amazing when it comes to preparing and opening the body for birthing a baby.

Releasing tension in the hips, opening the side-body, and practicing relaxation are all great things to do in preparation for labour. Plus! They feel good too!

Evidence shows that continuous support can:

Decrease the risk of Cesarean
Decrease the use of medications for pain relief
Decrease the risk of a low five minute Apgar score
Increases satisfaction and the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth
Shorten labor and decrease the use of Pitocin. *

All Gaia Mama Birth Support Packages include:

• Unlimited Phone, Text and Email Support for pregnancy, birth and postpartum questions
• On call 24/7 from 38 weeks until baby is born
• Continuous labour support until 1-2 hours postpartum
• Ongoing emotional, physical and informational support throughout birth
• Assistance with coping strategies and natural pain management support
• Labor massage, acupressure and/or reflexology and assist partner in labor massage
• Initial Breastfeeding support (if needed)
• Back-up doula support arranged
• TENS Machine Rental
• At least one prenatal meeting to discuss and put together a birth plan and preferences, discuss your ideal birth scenario and how we can best work together and what kind of support is needed as well as preparing for the postpartum period
• At least one postpartum visit to discuss the birth, put together a birth timeline if you wish for one, provide feeding support, answer questions, provide resources and referrals if needed

Premium Gaia Mama Package $1300 – All of the above PLUS:

Includes:
• 3 prenatal meetings
° Includes birth preparation and postpartum planning
• 5-60 minute prenatal bodywork sessions
• Optional 1-2 birth preparation/ labour initiation sessions (if needed)
• 1-2 Postpartum Visits
° To provide information, answer questions, support with feeding and sleep, resources and referrals
• 2-60 minute postpartum bodywork sessions (to be used within six weeks of delivery)
• deal for first-time mamas, people who have birthed before but would like to review some childbirth basics, those who have not taken childbirth classes and are hiring me early in pregnancy

Standard Gaia Mama Package $1000

Includes:
• 2 prenatal meetings
° Includes Birth Preparation and Postpartum Planning
• 3-60 minute prenatal bodywork session (or 2-90 minutes)
• Optional 1 birth preparation/ labour initiation session (if needed)
• 1 Postpartum Visit & 1 60 Minute Postpartum Bodywork Session
° To provide information, answer questions, support with feeding and sleep, resources and referrals

Basic Gaia Mama Package $700

Just the birth, baby! This package is ideal for those who have birthed before, taken childbirth education classes, are with midwives and just need the birth support. This package is available ONLY to last minute birth clients who are looking into having a doula past 36 weeks. (It’s never too late!)

• 1 Prenatal Meeting (TBD at the initial consultation)
• 1 Prenatal 60 Minute Massage
• 1 Postpartum Visit

Optional Add-Ons:

Postpartum Doula Support- 10 hrs $300

As a Postpartum Doula, I provide support to the new family structure after the birth of the baby during the 4th trimester (about 12-16 weeks postpartum). This involves:

• Emotional support, physical comfort, and information on topics like self-care, baby care and adjustment measures.
• Reassurance and perspective to you and your partner; helpful suggestions for breastfeeding and household organization after the birth.
• Help prepare meals and snacks for the family for the day of, do grocery shopping, do laundry or run other necessary errands.

After seeing Lori my pain is always so much better. I had never had an intra-oral (TMJ) massage before and as painful as it is, I feel quite a bit of relief afterward. I’m able to open my mouth wider, my headaches improve and my jaw isn’t tired. For that alone I am grateful! As well as the rest of my body feeling much less painful than any other massage therapist I have seen.

~Jodi W.

Lori knows her stuff. Compared to other massage therapists I’ve seen, who just gingerly try to relax me, Lori actually sources the issue and gets in there! She truly wants to fix you, and will do everything in her power to do so! She listens to what you ask and uses her own knowledge and variety of healing skills to support her clients. I recommend her over and over again! Once you go to Lori, you’ll never see another RMT.

~Brittany W.

Cupping is especially effective in treating chronic issues like:

Back pain
Headaches
Knee pain associated with tight IT bands
Carpal Tunnel, Tennis elbow, and tendonitis
Plantar fasciitis
Reducing tightness around surgical scars such as C-sections

And many more!

Do you love deep tissue massage and the relief it brings?

Do you have chronic pain and tension that just don’t seem to be fixed with regular massage and want to feel better?

Ready to try something different to let go of chronic pain?

Yes, I want to try Myofascial Cupping!

So what are people saying about myofascial cupping?

“That felt like a much deeper massage.”

“It feels like you are vacuuming all the stress and tension out of my back”

“That’s the best my back has ever felt after a massage!”

“Those cups are like magic!”

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have big bruises and marks on my body afterwards?
I do my best to minimize marking, however, I have found that some people still have some light bruising or marking depending on the person. I have found if you are anemic, or it’s your first time trying cupping and your body or muscles are really “tight” you are more likely to have light bruising/marking. I use different things to minimize marking such as cooling marble stones and essential oils.
Do you use fire or heat to create suction?
No, I create the vacuum using a hand pump to create negative pressure.
Can I have cupping done if I am pregnant?
Yes! Depending on where you are in your pregnancy it is safe to have cupping done, we just have to modify where we do it. I generally will not do cupping on the lower back or sacrum area until the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Are you registered? Can I submit your receipt to my extended health benefits plan?
Yes, I am registered. I can provide direct billing to your insurance company or provide you a receipt that you can submit yourself to them afterwards. I am covered by most insurance companies.
Can you do deep tissue? Can you really get in there?
Yes, if it is necessary. Although sometimes less is more. I intuitively work with your body to find the pressure that is right for you.
What happens after I book my massage?
You will receive an email confirmation and an online intake form where you will provide all relevant health history and details such as your address and contact information. I also require payment information to secure your spot-you will not be charged until the time of your appointment. Please note the late notice cancellation policy. Less than 24 hours and you will be required to pay 50% of your appointment service fee. If you’ve booked an Office Appointment, you will receive all of the location and parking information in the email.
Do you offer Direct Billing?
Yes!
What other forms of payment do you accept?
Credit card, e-transfer, and cash. Debit tap is available for $100 and under.
What do I need to provide or have ready for my in home massage?
Your music of choice, or I will provide some relaxation music, and a throw blanket to place over my sheets to keep you warm and cozy.

Rates (+GST):

60 minutes $80
75 minutes $95
90 minutes $115

Add 30 minutes of Reflexology to any massage for $25

Mobile: Trip Fee $20 +GST

Bonus

I may incorporate essential oils, cupping, reiki or reflexology into your massage, at no extra charge! I also give home care recommendations at the end of your treatment so that you can take charge of your health and wellbeing and get better results.