About Me
Starting my IBCLC practice & teaching
Since 2020, I have been working as an IBCLC in private practice in the Montreal community. Following the completion of my Master’s degree in 2022, individual lactation consultations, and prenatal and breastfeeding education have become my main focus. Although I continue to occasionally support families as a birth doula, especially my returning families!
I also continue to teach nursing students and healthcare professionals as a guest lecturer on physiologic birth, labour support, and facilitating collaboration with birth doulas in the hospital setting.
Hi, I'm Gabriela!
I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), registered nurse clinician (MScN), and DONA International certified birth doula with a passion for supporting empowered birth, lactation, and parenting journeys.
My journey to becoming an IBCLC
My credentials reflect my knowledge and experience and my passion for the specialized, individualized, evidence-based, responsive, supportive care based on a collaborative, respectful approach which attends to clients’ stated parenting choices and wisdom.
Throughout my nursing training, I was drawn to the experience of birth and the integration of evidence-base practice to promote best outcomes and the best experience for mothers and babies. To this end, I delved into the significance of labour support and how this shows up in the continuum of care for families welcoming and caring for their new babies. In my years of work in maternity, I continued to hone in on the values that are the foundation for my practice, with a focus on person-centred evidence-based care.
To provide the best quality holistic care to my families, I decided to enhance my labour support skill set, eventually becoming a fully certified doula and a committed doula advocate.
As I completed my master’s degree, I also continued to pursue my goal to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
What I do in a nutshell
From the last weeks of pregnancy to the first days home after birth and the ever-evolving needs of rapidly growing babies and toddlers, I offer families individualized evidence-based care to meet their lactation and breastfeeding goals.
I integrate my knowledge as a nurse, a doula, and a lactation consultant to provide families with evidence-based information, individualized recommendations, as well as skilled support based on advanced training and professional experience, in a supportive, non-judgmental environment where my clients’ choices and parenting wisdom are always valued.
Education & Certification
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International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2020
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Registered Nurse in good standing with the OIIQ and CNO (since 2014 and 2018 respectively)
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DONA International Certified Birth Doula
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Master of Science Nursing, University of Ottawa
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Bachelor of Nursing, McGill University
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Over 5 years and 2000 hours experience providing breastfeeding support to families in the greater Montreal area.
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Thesis: “It’s about the patient”: Perspectives of Intrapartum Nurses on Working in Collaborative Practice with Birth Doulas
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CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s
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Ontario Graduate Scholarship
My Vision
To promote gentle empowering birth and breastfeeding journeys, so every mother and parent experiences gentleness and respect, and an honouring of this delicate and precious time as they step into parenthood.
My Mission
To offer gentle, responsive, and evidence-informed lactation support so parents feel prepared to make informed choices, learn to trust their bodies’ abilities, tune into their observations and listen to their parenting intuition as they continue on their breastfeeding and parenting journeys with growing confidence.
Why New and Expecting Parents Choose to Work with me?
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I provide evidence-based information and offer parents options to support them in making informed choices because you know your family, your baby and your body best.
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I am responsive to parents’ concerns and involve them in the decision-making process to co-create a personalized plan of care that will guide them in overcoming their current challenges and foster growing confidence in their own abilities during this delicate period of transition.
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I am professional, knowledgeable, and offer expert care, but I also don’t take myself too seriously. There’s nothing like a well-timed silly baby, breastmilk, or poop joke to bring some levity into a difficult time.
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I offer time for parents to ask questions…lots of questions! And I often learn something new from these questions too.
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I acknowledge what I do not know. I look to reliable sources for further information and I refer to other healthcare providers or complementary care practitioners as needed.
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At the end of a consultation, they can visualize the steps they need to take. They have more clarity about what is going on and a greater understanding of their own abilities and what to look for to know that they are doing well and moving forward toward reaching their goals.