About Me | Sherpa Births

Sherpa Births

It’s important to hold a balanced perspective on birth. While it is deeply transformative and potentially empowering, it’s also physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding.

In a society where birth is often portrayed in a narrow or fear-based way, positive stories can feel like a breath of fresh air: and they matter. Birth, like life, exists on a wide spectrum of possibilities. Yes, orgasmic births are real—although rarer in this modern age.

Like climbing a mountain, the journey requires strength and endurance. There will be highs and lows. But when you feel safe, supported, and respected in your choices, the sense of accomplishment you achieve can be profound, no matter which path you take.

Debbie Mitchell

Reviews on Google

"We would give 10 stars if google allowed us. ;) Debbie was the best thing that happened to us for our baby girl's birth! She held the space for all emotions, had great resources at hand, gave herself fully to support. My husband and I are both so glad we had her there with us. Thanks to her we look back with a smile and pride how we managed to overcome fears and actually "enjoy" the day our little nugget came to the world. Don't hesitate to ask her for yours!😉"

Janine & Val Erb

"Debbie was such a great help when I was expecting my first baby, I would recommend her my eyes closed and wish she had lived closer when I had my second baby! She was so supportive and helpful, and after meeting her I was so much less stressed about birth ❤️ she also took really good care of me after baby was born, a real gem 💎"

"She's a wonderful person and I am so lucky I met her, she was a great support before and after baby was born."

Elisabeth Grimsø Boisson

Debbie has been so helpful and supportive throughout my pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum journey. Four years ago I was suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss and Debbie was there to listen to me and help me work through my feelings. Then during my first full term pregnancy she helped me find the confidence to believe in myself and enjoy my pregnancy. She helped me when preparing to give birth and in the postpartum period, and was there for me again during my next pregnancy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Debbie to anyone looking for a doula to help them navigate this special but often nerve wracking experience.

Katherine Feignier

"What I appreciate about Debbie is that she is absolutely open minded and knows that there is not the one and only way. And this is from my experience the most important thing when you give birth and start being a family: Listen to your own needs and have someone by your side who helps you finding your own individual way, someone who shows you alternatives and not only gives mainstream “solutions”, someone who listens well and will support you no matter which way you pick, someone who will never judge about the decision you made. This someone is Debbie, especially because she went through all of this herself and knows about this tricky feeling of uncertainty when it comes to pregnancy and babies (even more when you are an expat far away from home and family support)."

Anne-Kathrin Veltin

"I think that Debbie would be a wonderful doula because of her great ability to develop empathy for others, because when she starts something, she invests her entire self - soul, mind and body.
Debbie is a people person and she has the rare ability to want to make the world a better place. I know how much she wanted to be a doula and how enthusiastic she was about getting trained.
I know that anyone having Debbie close when bringing a new life in the world would benefit of her positive energy and her desire to help."

Donatela Cazanacli

"I can't think of anyone who would make a better doula than Debbie. She is a caring, kind and supportive and is extremely open minded and non-judgmental, which is important when it comes to supporting mothers-to-be. She will respect your choices and support you in the best possible way that is right for you.
Debbie is a natural fit for this job and is a wonderful gift to the expectant mothers in need of encouragement and guidance."

Olesya Akhavan-Malayeri

"Debbie is calm, positive and warm and her great drive and determination are all the qualities that will make her a great doula."

Dr. Špela Peternel,

DONA International Advanced Doula Trainer, Mentor and Visionary

"I can attest to Debbie‘s character that she is a thoroughly genuine and loyal individual. She has a good sense of humour and is a wonderful mother to her two children. I think she will make a great doula not only because she is a supportive friend but also because she is open both to the sensible and the spiritual! She breastfed her children for many years a sacrifice which I admire particularly as I never could imagine breastfeeding for more than 6 months! I think that her support for expecting mothers and fathers in preparing for their baby’s birth would be invaluable."

Penelope Wallenstein

Coach and Co-founder, The Informed Perspective

Špela and I talk with 'The Informed Perspective" team about the role of the Doula in the Community.

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Podcast with Dr. Hillary Melchiors, DONA International

Hillary asked some great questions, it was a pleasure being able to share a little about my doula world!

My birth community

I'm always working on something and coming up with ideas. I feel that a sense of being in a community is one of the most important parts of life, to develop our sense of belonging and interconnectedness.

I am a regular volunteer with my colleague Amandoula at the Basel Children's Trust's 'Bumps and Babes' coffee mornings, held every Friday morning 10.30-12.00 at the Magical Café in Kleinbasel. This is a wonderful opportunity for English-speaking parents to decompress, connect and share where they are in their journey through pregnancy and the first year of baby's life. The Magical Café regularly holds special events, has a speciality cake service and fantastic personalised cupcake-making parties for kids and adults at the weekends.

I am one of the 'kern gruppe' members of the Doula Community Nordwest Schweiz, which is developing and deepening connections with a wider circle of perinatal specialists in the Basel region through a monthly 'open lunch'.

I have found an international home as both a Friend and volunteer within the European Doula Network. I am blessed with the privilege of working with many doula pioneers from many countries. I am one of three Core-Organisers, with a number of roles and projects in motion: from supporting refugees and those in vulnerable circumstances, connecting with international organisations of doulas, midwives and doctors, and conducting community research into doula work.

When I lived in the Paris region, I connected with a flourishing local doula community and also attended the Ethics and Positioning training of Doulas de France. I am always happy to reconnect with them whenever the opportunity arises.

In Versailles I formed and facilitated The Positive Birth Movement group, which met every month to chat about birth. These woman-to-woman peer groups encourage open and non-judgemental discussion focusing on various birthing topics. I also supported a number of pregnant friends who found themselves navigating pregnancy, birth and the post-partum period during the pandemic. This included setting up 'Meal Trains' where local community members cooked and delivered food in the post partum period or during illness.

I have been heavily involved in developing the EDN's Doula Solidarity and Support initiative to help support doulas supporting refugee women, a cause I feel deeply about. I am available to offer pro bono support.

Now I am settled in the Basel region I have been reconnecting with friends and contacts within the birth world: La League de la Leche, BCT (Basel Children's Trust), Mignon Parenting and Magical Café.

Doula Career and Training

I attended my first birth in 2019 in an amazing and rare 'double-doula' scenario with my doula 'marraine' ('god'mother), Dr Špela Peternel (PhD Biomedecine, DONA Advanced Trainer). The hospital was keen to encourage more doulas becoming active through the mentorship of a highly skilled and experienced doula. I found myself captivated during her childbirth education classes, which I attended following the DONA International Doula and Breastfeeding workshops, held in person with Elena Carillo, DONA Advanced Trainer.

Since 2020, during these challenging pandemic years of upheaval and change, I have dedicated a lot of my time to supporting the European Doula Network as an a Friend and Volunteer and now treasurer and one of three Core-Organisers with a number of roles to juggle. I feel blessed to work with amazing doulas, many of whom are pioneer doulas and doula-trainers in their own countries.

In 2020, for World Doula Week, I teamed up with Anita Budak to create and launch the first EDN Doula Survey which had over 600 responses from 21 countries. Summer 2020, in a team of 5 volunteer doulas we created and organised the first EDN Online Conference in September, inviting speakers on key doula topics including racism, disability, refugees, death, doula care and much more. I am now working with Špela Peternel on the results of our second EDN Doula Survey, which also counts responses from over 600 doulas.

In 2022 I created an EDN focus group committed to doing everything possible to share information to help Ukrainian doulas, some of whom I feel very closely connected with. The Doula Solidarity and Support hub I co-created with Ukrainian doulas helps facilitate local and Ukrainain doula support for refugees located in countries all across Europe. Resources are shared and accessible in the language of the country as well as other languages used by refugees to help doulas and birth workers best support vulnerable mothers-to-be and new mothers.

In 2023 I lead an EDN focus group with the goal of promoting doulas at a global level with doctors and midwives. This project brought around a wonderful collaboration between international doula organisations from Europe and both North and South America: ICEA, DONA International and Red Mundial de Doulas. I was honoured to be co-hosting at the three doula tables at the FIGO Doctor's World Congress in Paris in October 2023 and then taking part in the International Childbirth Initiative sessions. In the same week EDN colleagues were promoting Midwife:Doula relations at Midwifery Today, Badwild Bad, Germany.

Aside from meeting monthly with my back up team, I am in regular contact with doulas in France (Grand Est and Yvelines), Germany (Black Forest) and Switzerland (North-West). I am a member of Doula Netzwerk Schweiz. Connecting with other doulas is so important - we learn so much form each other and about ourselves when we come together! Our communal energy helps us provide the best support possible for each other and for the people we care for.

I have participated in Dreambirth, Hypnobirthing and Spinning Babies training workshops. I genuinely believe that there is immense power when our mind and body get the opportunity to find harmony in the moment. It is a joy when I can share tools which may help you find that place!

I have been working on deepening my understanding and self-awareness through the 'Resiliency for Birthworkers' course and continue to improve my knowledge and practice of using the rebozo through further training. Breastfeeding is an area I have gained personal experience over many years and I am fascinated by learning the latest developments in the study of the infant microbiome.

I practice Qi Gong and feel particularly drawn to the sense of calmness and vivid energy this creates. I am curious about future training in trauma-informed care and as a Thana Doula (End of Life/Death Doula), being a doula will always be a life-long journey of discovery!

I am certified as a doula with Nurturing Birth.

Doulaing Together

Lara Gomez, my friend and Basel-based doula 'buddy', demonstrating rebozo techniques.

Doulas regularly meet and connect across Basel and NW Switzerland. These gatherings are a wonderful chance to share experiences, support one another, and grow together.

This is the heart of my doula community, I'm blessed to have many inspirational international doulas to share my journey with, many of whom mentor me along the way!

The biggest doula cuddle in Europe: EDN 2024, Lille, France

Core Organiser Volunteer and 'Friend'

European Doula Network

Extract of words I wrote and presented during the EDN Madrid conference on Saturday 30th September 2023

The full version is available here in:
English
Spanish

When people are in danger, women are in danger,
when women are in danger, families are in danger,
when families are in danger, children and babies are in danger.

Where society is fractured, social connections are fractured, people are fearful and when people are fearful they do not thrive. Often, in their desire to survive, they may find it hard to be kind.

Even if we feel we cannot change the world, we can change ourselves, the kindness we send ourselves, we can send to others and kindness has the power to change the world of another individual:

to feel cared for,
to feel respected,
to feel safe enough to heal,
to feel safe enough to trust,
to feel safe enough to trust yourself and to trust others.

We may all speak other languages, but we can all speak the one language of loving kindness.

We are all one
European Doulas, Global Doulas
Connecting, Supporting, Informing

Sometimes we heal, sometimes we need healing
Sometimes we love, sometimes we need loving.
We are all one.

In 2023, I brought together a team of international doulas represented by EDN, DONA and ICEA in support of the International Childbirth Initiative at
FIGO XXIV World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Paris 2023.

In 2026, I will be presenting the research we launched at FIGO at the International Confederation of Midwives' Triennial Congress in Lisbon.

Active Organiser of 'Doula Community Rund um Basel'
and Co-hostess of monthly Birthworker Open Lunches, Basel.

Mitgliederin Doula Netzwerk Schweiz

Swiss Doulas at EDN 2024, Lille, France.

Mitgliederin:

Competence Centre for Migration, Health and Equal Opportunities
The transcultural competence center Prosalute promotes health equal opportunities and Equal access to health care for disadvantaged populations in Switzerland.

Primary target groups are migrants, people with experiences of flight and violence, people of color, asylum seekers, persons with precarious residence status, sans-papers, young adults, People of older age, those at risk of poverty, those affected by poverty and, overall, socially disadvantaged.