Yes. Death Midwives, Death Doulas and End-of-Life Doulas all have the same scope of practice and core competencies. I choose to identify as a Death Midwife because I tap into the ancestral and mystical traditions of this work and also because I provide home funeral guidance for after-death care. I completed both an End-of-Life Doula Training Program and a Death Midwifery Apprenticeship.

A Death Midwife is a non-medical and holistic practitioner who guides individuals and their families through the dying process by way of presence, support, advocacy, education, and companionship. Just as birth doulas support mothers birthing a new life, a death doula supports individuals leaving this life into the next. I provide full-spectrum end-of-life services from Advance Care Planning to Home Funeral Guidance.

Death Midwives offer a calming and reassuring presence with knowledge of the death process, and a compassionate resource for families who may be overwhelmed and grieving at the impending death of their loved one. Death Midwives offer a variety of services to assist in the transition of dying but are first and foremost a grounding, reliable, knowledgable, and comforting presence during a most emotional time.

In a perfect world, hospice would offer all of the services that I provide my clients with. As wonderful as hospice support can be for many families, there are still gaps in the care that hospice can provide. I fill in these gaps, however they may look, to fully support the dying person I have been hired to companion. Ideally, I become an active and involved part of the dying person’s care team and that can include working with the hospice care providers.

This is your journey and it can look how you want it to. After our initial consultation, I’ll make a home visit to meet you and/or your loved ones. I’ll assess your needs and the spaces where I can serve your unique situation. From the start of our work, you’ll have text/phone/email access to me during daytime and evening hours. I’ll visit once per week for 90-minutes and in those visits, we can tend to your needs; from living wills to funeral plans, legacy projects to guided meditations for relaxation. Once the dying person begins to transition into the active dying stage, I become “on-call” for my clients. My visits will be as frequently as you need and I will take vigil shifts in 7-hour increments if you desire. I also become available via phone/email 24-hours a day. I am here following the death to provide guidance for the family to honor the wishes of their loved one. I also provide bereavement support for the grieving.

No. My death midwifery includes advance care planning for adults of all ages. An Advance Care Plan is a comprehensive living will and comfort directive for your health care, comfort care, and after-death wishes. Every adult should have one. I also provide death midwifery support for those who have been impacted by a sudden or traumatic loss; a death midwife can help you find a soft space to land as your shock subsides. Additionally, I completed training in Perinatal Loss Support and offer death midwifery services to families and individuals experiencing miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, and infant loss. Last, my death midwifery practice includes home funeral guidance to empower families who wish to care for their dying and/or dead themselves.