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THE DOUGLAS COLLEGE NEWSLETTER @ MAY 1997

 

Kathie Lindstrom: Doula of
Distinction

One of Douglas College’s own has
been nominated for a YWCA Woman of
Distinction award.

Kathie Lindstrom, a community
programmer in Continuing Education’s
Perinatal Program, has been short-listed in
the Health and Wellness category of the
prestigious annual awards. Winners will
be announced at a banquet and ceremony
to take place in Vancouver May 15, but
for Lindstrom, it’s quite a thrill just to be
among the finalists.

“I’m really pleased and proud,
especially for the recognition it brings to
the work.” And impressive work it is,
encompassing prenatal education, doula
care and breastfeeding support to promote
a healthy and satisfying birth experience
for women and their families.

An estimated 2,300 couples per year
benefit from Lindstrom’s work in
developing curriculum for prenatal and
childbirth educators. She has spent years
providing labor support to women and
building the associated doula movement
in BC and Canada.

A doula is a trained labour support
person who provides continuous physical,
emotional and informational support to
the mother before, during and after
childbirth. Thanks to the efforts of
Lindstrom and her supporters, Douglas
College now has the only recognized
doula training program in the province.

Lindstrom was also
recently named as a College
representative on the
provincial Midwifery
Advisory Committee, and is
currently working with the
Midwifery Review Skills
Course on Vancouver Island.
She is also a certified
lactation consultant, and is a
nationally recognized
advocate for breastfeeding
and breastfeeding education.

“Kathie Lindstrom has
been visionary, innovative
and persistent in creating
positive, long-reaching
change in the perinatal field,”
says colleague and co-
nominator Susan Hammond.
“Through her groundbreaking
work, she has created a vast
expansion of opportunities
and choices for birthing
families and for health
professionals.”

The YWCA agreed with
Hammond's assessment,
recognizing Lindstrom not only as a
leader in her field, but as an inspiration
for women everywhere.

“There’s quite a group from the
College attending the awards ceremony
with Kathie,” Hammond adds. “Joy
Holmwood has been really supportive, as

 

Perinatal Program community programmer
and doula Kathie Lindstrom.

have Bev Miller and community
programmers Cathie Cookson, Rose
Marie Fournier and Geraldine Murphy.
We all think that Kathie’s nomination is
great, because of the important things
she’s achieved and for the work she
continues to do.”