Supporting women during childbirth since 2014
Supporting families postpartum since 2006!
Leah is an independent professional doula based in Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto with over a decade of experience with homebirth, waterbirth, twin birth, hospital birth, VBAC, and Cesarean birth. Leah has supported over 500 families postpartum and over 60 labour & deliveries. Leah works as a doula in Toronto and travels up to 3 hours for birth support — to Collingwood, Owen Sound, Orangeville, Barrie and Muskoka!
Doula support for all births!
Leah has a rich background supporting families during labour and birth. Over 50% of births Leah attends are in hospital, others in homes or the Toronto Birth Centre. Support differs but is equally important for women labouring in all settings, with or without medical intervention. Leah supports epidural birth, surgical birth, free birth, homebirth and waterbirth — with evidence-based education and informed consent!
Specializing in water for relief in labour and delivery, Leah uses water in many ways to support all kinds of births (not just water births). Leah also brings her background in music, mindfulness and yoga to the table during all kinds of births — whether an unassisted home birth or a planned Cesarean delivery!
Our primary belief is that each family and person’s needs are different in labour, and all women and families deserve support during this vulnerable time!
Mindful Sprouts Family Services
— formerly Toronto Birth Doula, Mindful Sprouts Family Services is the result of a 10 years + supporting women & families through birth and the early years.
Founded by, Leah Jackson, Birth & Postpartum Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator (PDCCE), and trained in Midwifery Assistance at The Farm Midwifery Centre. Leah identifies as She/Her and LGBTQ.
Leah is not just a doula! Childbirth Education, Waterbirth Education and Midwifery Assistance and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training are additional trainings that Leah holds in addition to her birth doula training. She also offers families postpartum doula support, twin/multiples support, infant swim instruction, prenatal yoga, and more!
Leah is highly experienced birth doula, postpartum doula and birthworker based in Trinity Bellwoods/Little Portugal, downtown Toronto. She is a travelling doula and drives across much of Ontario (including Collingwood, Muskoka, Orangeville and beyond) for birth doula services.
We hope to increase peace in a small way by supporting healthy early attachment for infants through mindful care of both parents and infants. We prioritize the physical & emotional wellbeing of the whole family, from pregnancy, birth and through the postpartum period (and sometimes beyond). We aim to reduce avoidable birth trauma and support mental health through an informed, mindful and inclusive approach.
We are passionate about facilitating better birth; in home and in hospital.
We believe in access to mindful and informed care for infants and families.
We care about helping families improve their wellness in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
More about Leah and Mindful Sprouts
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All doulas working with Mindful Sprouts Family Services have diverse, relevant training including first aid/CPR-C. Please inquire with us to learn more about specific back-up doulas on our team.
Our head doula Leah Jackson (PDCCE) has multiple trainings and certifications relevant to the field of childbirth and raising young children. Below is a list of some of Leah’s training:
ProDoula Certified Childbirth Educator
CAPPA Birth Doula training
Power Yoga Canada Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher Certification
The Farm Midwifery Centre Midwife’s Assistant Certificate (Midwifery Center former home of Ina May Gaskin)
Birthpedia Waterbirth Facilitator (Certification in progress)
Power Yoga Canada Trained Kids Yoga Teacher
Redcross CPR-C/Standard First Aid Certified (updated Nov. 2024)
Leah’s professional experience includes:
15+ years in home care giver (infant and childcare, postpartum doula, special needs and end of life support) - support in over 500 homes in Ontario and abroad
Labour & Birth Doula at approx. 60 births/deliveries in Ontario (including home birth, hospital, and the Toronto Birth Center; VBAC birth, Cesarean birth, waterbirth)
Private childbirth workshop facilitator (online and in-person) including childbirth ed., home and hospital birth preparation, waterbirth, Cesarean birth, yoga birth, epidural birth, and more — 10 years of experience
Au Pair in France and England with children 0-6 years old for 6-months (this is where Leah’s journey began!)
Want to know more? Let’s chat ! Each new client can book a free 30-minute phone or zoom consultation with Leah.
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Leah is based in Toronto near Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood. Leah works with local families and families all around the Greater Toronto Area — Etobicoke, Vaughan, Brampton, North York, Aurora. Leah also travels as a birth doula to Collingwood, Owen Sound, Orangeville, Barrie and the Muskokas.
Some of our services are available in select areas only. Please inquire for more information!
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At Mindful Sprouts Family Services, we are backed by over 10 years of childbirth expertiseand experience. Our head doula Leah is not only a trained doula, but also a certified Childbirth Educator and Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
We are experts at attending hospital labour & deliveries as well as home birth support and waterbirth support. We hold no judgement only compassion and unbiased support for each unique families choices, with a focus on informed choices to reduce trauma and improve well-beings and satisfaction.
We are supportive of all families including LGBTQ+ and BIPOC families, families with disabilities or accessibility needs, or are a single parent family. We support families who choose adoption or abortion and those who face loss or hard decisions.
We provide an abundance of additional resources and services that other doula business do not have, such as birth pool rentals, newborn and birth photography, closing of the bones ceremonies, extended postpartum support (for months or years after birth), over night doula support, and more! Inquire for more details.
Our prices reflect our dedication and wealth of experience supporting families through childbirth education, birth doula support, postpartum support, and more. If you require a sliding-scale price, please inquire. Payment plans are available.
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Yes, Leah has extensive experience supporting VBAC deliveries (VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean)
We offer VBAC and HBAC (home birth after Cesarean) education and information in our childbirth education classes.
As a VBAC baby, Leah was vacuumed out. Having experienced negative side effects from this mode of delivery, Leah helps families to find other effective methods to birth without unnecessary interventions, and to support the best use of interventions when they’re really needed!
Leah supports VBAC, HBAC, and VBA2C, with an emphasis on education and informed consent.
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No, and we do not claim to provide midwifery care or advice. Licensed midwives are primary healthcare practitioners for families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
We work with midwives to provide high quality care and to fill caps in education and support. Doulas take on a non-medical role. They have evidence-based knowledge to support informed decisions in birth Our guidance is based on up-to-date clinical research and a rich background studying birth and related topics.
Birth doulas have a key role, separate from that of the midwife or doctor, promoting and facilitating safer and more positive birth as well as prenatal care and postpartum care. Each doula’s background and experience is unique.
In some circumstances we may be the sole provider at a birth, in case of a precipitous birth or sovereign birth. Clients understand the depth of our training on an individual basis.
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Leah and all the doulas we work with are trained to support within the role of a doula, not a medical provider. Leah is trained as a midwife assistant at The Farm in Tennesse and works in Ontario only as a childbirth educator, waterbirth facilitator and birth doula. We are happy to attend and support free births, or sovereign birth, as a doula (never as a medical practitioner). Please contact us to inquire further about freebirth support and to better understand our scope of practice.