Doula Noelle
- Birth, Fertility and Postpartum Doula, Bebo Mia Inc.
- Certified Breastfeeding Counselor, Arugaan
- Hypnobirthing Practitioner
Doula Noelle has worn many hats over the course of her career. She has seamlessly moved from legislative work to corporate life, from writing and editing to dancing professionally, and from managing her own dance studio to teaching young children in schools. When motherhood knocked on her door, however, she instinctively knew that this was going to change the course of her life in more ways than one.
It was only through sheer determination that she pushed to have an unmedicated vaginal birth with her first child and breastfeed him for the next two years. There was a shortage of support and information at that time, so she wondered about how other women who were less headstrong as she was and with little access to updated information could succeed in achieving their goals in birthing and breastfeeding. After a life-changing Hypnobirth with her second baby, she began pursuing her education in breastfeeding management seriously.
Aside from taking a slew of short courses on children's nutrition, Doula Noelle underwent training under Arugaan in 2014 and received her certification as a breastfeeding counselor under the program of Breastfeeding Pinays in 2015. She went on to take the Advanced Relactation and Lactation Massage course under Arugaan. She has also been participating in international online conferences such as GOLD Lactation, GOLD Perinatal, and iLactation annually. She was also a delegate at the “2nd International Conference on Breastfeeding Sick Babies in Thailand”, as well as the “2015 One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum” in Malaysia. These experiences contributed richly to her one-on-one counseling sessions with mothers from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, which he has been able to sustain for the past few years.
After some encouragement from her mentor in breastfeeding management, Velvet Roxas, Doula Noelle decided to formally train as a birth and postpartum doula. She is part of the 2015 Fall batch of Maternal Support Practitioners trained by Bebo Mia, Inc., a Canada-based institution.
Today, Doula Noelle strives to learn and update herself continuously in order to provide the best possible support she can to mothers, babies, and families. She earnestly hopes for a society where families are empowered to make informed choices and where mothers can birth in a safe environment where they are protected, honored, and respected.