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Sarah Watson | Mary McArthur | Diana Breshamer
Crystal Chevalier | Marlo Van Mackelberg

Birth Doulas

Sarah Watson

Sarah is the WAHM of 4 beautiful children. All born with midwives, 2 at home. All breastfed. She is currently tandem nursing 2 boys, aged 8 months and 2.5 years. She has 2 girls, 2 boys and has been married 9 years to Jeff, a sitting M.P. She started Rite of Passage over 5 years ago, wanting to provide women with a different standard of care for their births. Passionate about birth and women's choice, she sponsored the Association of Labour Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) to come to Windsor in 2002. They offered training to women looking to provide Labour Support. Rite of Passage grew! We now have the only large practice of working doulas to all be trained by ALACE. 

Having attended over 150 births, done second attending for our local midwifery practice and extensive breastfeeding support in our community, she is an active member and participant in the birthing community. Sarah sat on the board for the Midwifery Consumer Network and was one of the leading voices in bringing our first midwifery practice here to Windsor- Essex county. She is a member of La Leche League, ALACE, the Breastfeeding Coalition and our local Midwifery Consumer Network. Sarah is currently living between Ottawa and Windsor due to her husband's job and is committed above all to keeping her family intact. She is doing some births when in the area, and has done a birth up in Ottawa as well.

Mary McArthur

Mary is a Certified Windsor Doula with Rite of Passage Labour Support Service and a married mother of two girls. After hiring a Doula during her first pregnancy, she was deeply affected by the role the Doula played in her pregnancy and birth and subsequently left her career to pursue her passion in Labour Support. 

Mary is an A.L.A.C.E.Certified Labour Assistant, one of only a few in the Windsor Doula community and the first in the area to complete the program's certification requirements. Mary also has CAPPPA certification.  She is a member of The Association of Labour Assistants and Childbirth Educators, Le Leche League International-, Essex County Midwifery Consumer Group and a number of continuing education forums. Mary has experience with both home and hospital birth, and is well know to both the local midwifery practice and hospital staff. As a Windsor Doula, Mary's goal is to provide fact-based information that will prepare women and their partners for pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond. She provides helpful education, well rounded physical, practical and emotional support in an effort to facilitate the most fulfilling birth possible.

Diana Breshamer 

Diana did her Doula training both with A.L.A.C.E. and with DONA Doula Training programs and is currently a member of A.L.A.C.E. She has been working as a Doula for 7 years and is a lone La Leche League Leader of one of Ontario’ largest breastfeeding support groups for the past 13. Diana is married and the mother of three daughters, Gillian 24, Rachel 15 and Lauren is 12. 

She became a impassioned Doula when she realized how childbirth can change outcomes and complications with new mothers breastfeeding experience. Her home based business, Momma’s Secrets is now a total childbirth business package of services. Offering expecting couples a doula service through ROP, as well as her extensive breastfeeding services, products and follow up after.

Diana totally believes in a women’s body having the physical ability to give birth naturally and to nurture their babies through breastfeeding. She empowers them to make natural choices in their births and educates them on how these choices can affect a positive birth experience.

Having a Doula with extensive breastfeeding training is invaluable. Diana does 3 postpartum visits with her clients to work on adjusting to and breastfeeding a new baby in the hospital and in the mother’s home.

Crystal Chevalier 

and wanted to help women and their partners achieve the births that they wanted. Her desire for more knowledge brought her to take further training in 2002 with A.L.A.C.E. (Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators).

Crystal has taken C.P.R. courses and breastfeeding classes, while she is also a member of a number of continuing education forums.

Having nursed both of her children extensively, she has personal experience with breastfeeding and practices attachment-style parenting.

As a birth doula, she helps prepare women and partners for their pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postpartum period.

Crystal also provides postpartum doula services, offering further breastfeeding support, along with newborn care, light housekeeping, and meal preparation. 

Crystal can be reached at crystaldoula@sympatico.ca

Marlo Van Mackelberg

myomassology, belly dancing, Reiki, performances as ‘Lola the Clown’ and years as a fitness instructor. She values helping women make informed choices and getting past the fear of childbirth. “The more you learn to trust and work with your body, the less there is to fear.”