Our Doula Teachers and Yoga Educators
Meet our team of experts teachers with a broad range of knowledge and experience
Stefanie Antunes
Co-Director, Lead Doula Trainer
Stefanie (she/her) has been a Lamaze® Educator and doula since 2002, after the birth of her second son showed her just how valuable it is to be prepared for birth and to have good support around you. Stefanie is a visionary in the childbirth field. She leads the organization which includes 2 doula agencies, a hospital doula program and 3 training schools.
Stefanie was awarded CME Business Woman of the Year 2022 and is committed to advancing the birth worker profession. She has worked tirelessly on local and international boards to help improve access to care and grow the doula profession.
Julia Forest
Co-Director, Doula, Trainer
Julia (she/her) is a doula, childbirth educator, and birth advocate whose birthwork career spans over 20 years. A trainer of trainers, her whole-body philosophy of birth support is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and built on a truth Julia has witnessed again and again: the body already knows how to do this. Her work is about helping people trust that.
Julia is the co-creator of the Sacred Birth Yoga and Doula Training, one of the only programs of its kind that weaves the transformative power of yoga together with the relational depth and skill of doula work. For many of the birth workers who come through it, it becomes the training that changes not just their practice, but the way they see birth entirely.
Her teaching is heart-led, accessible, and rooted in deep respect for the person on the journey, whether that person is a first-time parent stepping nervously toward labour or a doula student stepping into their calling for the first time. Julia holds space for both with equal care. Her vision is simple and steadfast: every birthing person deserves to cross that threshold with confidence, with presence, and with full trust in their own body and strength.
Shandelle Ferguson
Doula Trainer, Childbirth Educator and Admin
Shandelle’s (she/her) passion is supporting doulas and creating a strong community where doulas can support and uplift one another. As a birth and postpartum doula, she strives to provide evidence-based, compassionate support to families.
Before becoming a doula in 2017, she managed and educated people in sales. When that no longer became a good fit for her family, a friend mentioned doula work and she hasn’t gone back. She met an incredible mentor and she provided the encouragement and support she needed to make her dreams of being a birth worker a reality. It made her realize that she wanted to do the same for others.
In 2020 she became a Lactation Counselor and supports families in her area through feeding challenges.
Jennifer Fontaine
Doula Trainer
Jenn (she/her) has been interested in birth since the birth of her twins in 1998. She became a birth and postpartum doula in 2002 and a Lamaze certified childbirth educator in 2008. She is an International Birth and Postpartum doula trainer, Certified lactation educator, Lamaze program Instructor and Approved When Survivors Give Birth Educator. Her passion for supporting families has pushed her to strive to be the best she can be in all of her roles.
Jenn is a sought after educator and curriculum developer. She is the owner of Birth Roots Doula Collective in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a crisis line counselor.
Andrea Paul
Doula Trainer and Admin
Andrea (she/her) has been a practicing doula for over a decade and is very passionate about supporting doulas to realize their potential. Andrea has been a doula mentor for many years and brings her knowledge, excitement, and spice to doula training and management at Doula School International.
In addition to being a trainer and administrator at Doula School International, Andrea is also a Lactation Educator, Infant Sleep Educator, Childbirth Educator, and La Leche League Leader. She sits on the board of directors for the provincial Association of Ontario Doulas working hard for positive change.
Jennifer Rogers
Lamaze Certified Birth Educator
Jennifer Rogers (she/her) became a Lamaze Certified Birth Educator shortly after the birth of her first son. She and her husband had an amazing experience in their own Lamaze class, leaving them feeling prepared, informed, and confident for the birth. This inspired her to help other new families have a similarly positive experience. Lamaze practices are grounded in the best scientific and medical evidence, designed to support safe, healthy pregnancy, birth, and early parenting. She loves how interactive and engaging the classes are—they’re never dull. Eventually, she found her way into the birth room as a doula, creating a safe, supportive space for families to experience something truly remarkable. She is passionate about birth and helping families feel empowered throughout the journey.
Carly Snyders
Infant Massage Instructor
Carly Snyders has been working with children of many ages and in many settings for nearly 20 years. She started as a teacher at an International School. Over 10 years ago, after moving to London, UK, she began her journey as a nanny and maternity nurse, specializing in newborn care.
That journey led her to become a teacher of baby multi-sensory classes. Now, she has found her niche, teaching Baby Massage, Baby Milestones, and Postnatal Pilates.
Having recently settled back in Canada, she was surprised to see the lack of activities for parents with small babies. She is excited to be able to share her classes with us here at Doula School.
Asma Rahman
Doula Trainer
Asma (she/her) has been a birthworker for the better part of a decade and has had the opportunity to learn from many leaders in the industry. Throughout her career, Asma discovered that the community at large lacks basic education about their birthing bodies, their rights as birthing folks, advocating for better care, and community support.
This prompted Asma to get involved in birthwork and has been supporting new doulas and families every since. She’s excited to support you on your journey!
Karena Dang
Doula Trainer
Karena (she/her) has been in the birth world (particularly in the Edmonton area) since the late-2010s as a birth and postpartum doula and perinatal educator. She is the owner and team lead of doula agency Bumps Upon a Time, a co-owner of perinatal health and wellness clinic Nest Integrative Wellness, and currently holds the position of Chair in the Doula Association of Edmonton.
In 2022, she joined the instructional team at Doula School International and enjoys sharing her expertise not only as a seasoned birth and postpartum doula, but particularly from the lens of a first generation multi-ethnic Asian Canadian.
Nadine Ross
Doula Trainer
Nadine (she/her) is a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, and currently works supporting families as their embark on their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. After supporting more than 200 families, Nadine continues to learn each and every day as she helps families feel heard and positively supported during their unique and special births and postpartum experiences.
Nadine comes to Doula School International as a Birth and Postpartum Doula Instructor, ready to share her passion and bring inspiration to her doula students as they begin exploring the wonderful world of birth and babies.
Aunjrya Fleming
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Lead
Aunjrya brings a rich background in reproductive health, equity, and advocacy to her new role supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Doula School. With deep experience supporting diverse families through some of life’s most powerful transitions, she brings a heart-forward, equity-driven approach to her role. As a Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), maternal health navigator, and experienced educator, she is passionate about creating safer, more inclusive learning spaces for doulas from all backgrounds. Aunjrya is here to support our trainers, students, and team in advancing meaningful, equity-centered change.
Tanicia Reedon
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Lead
Tanicia Reedon is a Fertility, Pregnancy, Infant Loss, and Postpartum Educator with nearly a decade of experience as a full-spectrum doula & facilitator.
She brings a rich background in mentorship, facilitation, pelvic-steaming care, and inclusive, trauma-informed support for families across all reproductive paths. Her work is rooted in community, compassion, and the unwavering belief that every birthing person deserves to be deeply seen, held, and guided. Tanicia’s expertise in fertility support, perinatal mental wellness, and loss-care offers students both skill and soulful perspective, she can’t wait to have you in her class.
Nicole Daniel
Registered Nurse
Nicole Daniel is a Registered Nurse, with a Master’s in Nursing Education and Leadership. She is currently a professor teaching maternal infant health, community health, and nursing scope of practice. Nicole is a Certified Childbirth Educator and teaches prenatal classes with Midwifery Services of Durham, and has experience in doula work, labour and delivery, IPAC training, sexual health, and mental health, and public health. Nicole has a special interest in providing family centered, trauma informed care. In her spare time, you can catch her performing in musical theatre productions and dancing in the kitchen with her teenage daughters.
Dr Aviance Rhome-Boroff
Psychologist + Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher
Dr. Aviance Rhome-Boroff (she/her/hers) is a psychologist, a prenatal/postnatal yoga teacher, and a mother of two young children, who works in the Department of Psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente in Richmond, California.
She provides individual and group therapy and specializes in peripartum mental health, mindfulness-based interventions, trauma, and multicultural therapy. Dr. Rhome-Boroff is certified in perinatal mental health and currently triages and coordinates services for peripartum patients with peripartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).
Dr. Sairupa Krishnamurti (ND)
Psychologist + Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher
Dr. Sairupa (she/her) is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor (ND), Ayurveda Practitioner, speaker and seeker. Her clinical focuses include: womb health, fertility, pregnancy, postnatal-care and psycho-spiritual health. From a heart-centred space, Sairupa guides people to re-discover their inner wisdom through herbal medicine, nutrition, lifestyle transformation, and counselling. As a doctor and teacher, she aims to provide non-judgmental care, rooted in a compassionate and trauma-informed framework.
Hannah Deriemaeker
Certified Midwife
Hannah (she/her) is a passionate certified midwife from Belgium who made a home for her heart in Guatemala. In 2011, she finalised her training by working for several months in the labor and delivery ward in Nyakibale, Uganda. After this intense experience, she worked for several years as the medical director of the Belgian + Guatemalan joint venture NGO, Vivir en Amor, located in a remote village in the mountains of Huehuetenango.
Hannah was taught by traditional midwives on how to use herbal medicine during and after pregnancy, the use of the temazcal (Mayan sauna), and traditional Maya abdominal massage.
Alexa Rittichier
Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Trainer & Doula
Alexa J. Rittichier (she/her) is an artist, mover, maker, yoga and movement teacher, birth doula, anatomy lover, and pre/postnatal exercise specialist. She has been dancing her whole life and practicing yoga for over 20 years. Teaching, tutoring and mentoring have been part of Alexa’s life since 2005. She has taught visual art, creative movement, drama, dance, and yoga in a variety of settings to all ages from 3-years-old and up. Alexa has been training yoga teachers since 2016.