Nice to meet you.
My name is Lani and I am originally from Pennsylvania, in the United States. I have been in Montréal since 2018 and I am here to stay! I have a PhD in Neuroscience and I study prenatal influences on child development as a post-doctoral researcher.
Since the end of my PhD, I have been driven to learn about pregnancy and birth. In March, 2025 I undertook a birth doula training and I am passionate about supporting child-bearer’s navigating the birth space in an incredibly difficult and confusing time. Birth-givers and new parents have never been as isolated as they are now. I think this needs to change, and I think doulas can be an important part of that picture.
I believe birth-givers are beautiful and powerful. I believe health for parent and baby can start before birth. I believe everyone deserves to have autonomy and respect.
I am also curious and creative. Besides my research and birth-work, I like to make music with my band, play dungeons and dragons, and walk my dog through Verdun.
Who do I work with?
As a solo doula, I always make a contingency plan in case of sudden illness or something else that would prevent me from attending your birth. I rely on a community of other doulas at a similar experience-level as myself to be back-ups. If you decide to hire me, I can introduce you to my back-up doulas too so you never worry that you will be left with an unfamiliar face.
My Research
In my PhD, I studied the impact of cannabis exposure before birth on brain development of mice using magnetic resonance imaging. My colleagues and I have been working to make sure this research is not used to shame pregnant people for their choices, but instead will be used to help inform them as they navigate complex decisions in pregnancy.
In addition to continuing this work, I have been studying climate change and mental health. I’m especially interested in studying the impact of climate change hazards (like heat and pollution exposure) on the mental health of pregnant people, birth outcomes, and brain development of their children.
If you’re curious about any particular topic that may be less reported, I would be happy to prepare a summary of the academic literature as part of our prenatal preparation!
