Angie Marchinkow, CD(DONA)
DONA International Certified Birth Doula
Feel Calm and Empowered
Welcome.
My name is Angie Marchinkow and I offer birth doula support in and around Kelowna, BC, Canada.
I provide prenatal, birth, and postpartum guidance to help you feel physically and emotionally supported and empowered. My goal is to help you make this the best birth experience possible, no matter what kind of birth you're planning!
Certification & Training Workshops
2016 • DONA International Birth Doula Training - Douglas College
2017 • Lactation Education Resources Training
2017 • HypnoBirthing® Prenatal Education Series
2018 • Lifesaving Society CPR - HCP/AED - Adults, Infants, and Pregnant Adults
2018 • CJR Acupuncture for Labour & Pregnancy - Workshop by Christopher J. Russell, BSc, RAc
2019 • When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Trauma and Sexual Abuse on the Childbearing Woman
2019 • Pelvic Health Physiotherapy for Pregnancy - Workshop for Doulas - Melissa Dessaulles, BScPT, BScKin, Cert Pelvic Health
2020 • Physiological Breech Birth: Building Global Capacity - Lecture by Dr. Shawn Walker RM, PhD
About Angie
I first discovered birth support in 2015 when a close friend asked for guidance through her pregnancy. She was feeling nervous and unsure, like there was too much information to weed through. I was married at the time and was planning on starting a family of my own. I have always been interested in knowing how things work, so naturally I had accumulated my own collection of pregnancy tips and tricks scoured from doula, maternity nurse, and mommy blogs.
After helping to guide my friend to some options to consider, as well as a few helpful birthing hacks, she asked if I would be on her birthing team, to which I excitedly accepted! Shortly after I had the honour of witnessing her and her husband birth their family, and it was an experience that transformed my world. It was an experience like no other, which made me realise "I want this to be my job."
My doula journey began at a perfect time in my life- I had just finished an 8 year career at Disney working with production teams around the world to coordinate translations and workflow, and I was aching to find the connections and art of life's beauty through nature and human connection. The transformative, profound nature of birth features all of that.
With my extensive background coordinating people and workflows, combined with my artistic eye and search for poetry in daily life, I couldn't have found a more perfect avenue for my skills and interests.
Midway through 2016 I began my certification process through DONA International, and since then have joyfully attended the births of families in the Okanagan, each proving the unique power and needs of every woman, and teaching me so much more.
In addition to my birth-related labours (pun intended), I also work as an abstract painter and poet. Similar to the process of labour and birth, my work in art is both a trained and intuitive process where I combine intention and chance. I love the parallels between each field, and how they can both teach me so much about the world.
In the time between, I enjoy stand-up paddle boarding and rock climbing. These strengthening activities sure come in handy at times when I need to assist a labouring mama who finds comfort in a couple hours worth of hip compressions!
Are you looking for support for your pregnancy and birth, but don't know how to get started? I'd love to meet you and your partner for a free consultation.