On being a Doula by Design / Kim Holden

Architecture Off-Centre

In this bonus episode, we speak to Kim Holden, whose change of careers has been unconventional and courageous at the same time. She was a founder, managing principal and architect at the renowned SHoP Architects and decided to become a doula after 20 years of practice. We speak to Kim about her initiative Doula x Design and how she helps people during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum.

Kim is a registered architect and certified doula focused on the intersection of design and women's health. Through the examination of the role that environment plays in the physical, physiological, and psychological experience of birth, Kim seeks to create awareness, improve outcomes, and to reframe childbirth as a societal topic, rather than as a women's issue.

Kim's website: https://doulaxdesign.com

Image credits: Kate Randall and Adventure to Motherhood: The Picture Story of Pregnancy and Childbirth, J. Allan Offen, MD, 1960