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RAEBEN NOLAN

I believe strongly in the advocacy aspect of labor support. It is my goal for women to feel that they were fully informed and empowered to make their personal-best decisions about labor and birth. I am not a sit-back-and-take-notes doula, but rather a massage-move-breath-with mama kind of doula.

Raeben brings a strong intuition, calm manner and inclusive attitude to her client’s births. She approaches her role as a doula as an enhancement to a birthing woman's partner and family--providing the key elements of physical comfort measures, advocacy and emotional support.

Raeben has attended home births, water births, births at free-standing birth centers, hospital births, epidural births, births after stillbirth, VBACs, high-risk desiring low-intervention births, high-drama desiring no-drama births, early inductions, almost delivered a baby in a minivan and supported a mom up to the point of an unanticipated C-section and post-surgery.

She received her initial doula training through DONA International and later with Birthingway College of Midwifery. She has been practicing in the Portland and Vancouver areas for over 6 years.

A passionate breastfeeding counselor, her experience with natural remedies has been useful to many families. She is deeply committed to providing breastfeeding advice, encouragement, and support to new mothers as well as suggesting herbs for healing and increasing milk production. She has a passion for all growing things and has been found to be brewing up a "lactation Chai"—to boost a woman's milk supply—for her postpartum clients.

Active in the birth community in person and online, she participates in many online forums and support groups—an engagement that has developed her skills of researching issues and offering succinct, thorough, and nuanced advice.

Raeben and her husband Jason are active parents to their son Orion. She's a poet and enjoys drawing pencil portraits and sketches. She’s an avid gardener, loves tomatoes, radishes, dirt, reading and cooking.

"Raeben handled all the physical aspects of support, while my husband could focus on coaching me. She is a beautiful, caring woman, whose support was invaluable! She is such a gifted doula!"

--Jaylene, mom of 3

"It was an honor and a privelege to work with Raeben. Her inner and outer strength and innate knowledge of the birthing process make her invaluable in the labor support. She has an old wisdom. I don't think this is her first time on the earth, being with birthing women!" --Kathleen Hersch-midwife