I am a childbirth, lactation, and sleep educator and birth doula trainer with over 30 years of experience. I practiced as a birth doula for 25 years and have attended over 160 births. Although I no longer practice as a birth doula, I bring that experience of supporting new parents into my current work helping new families with their lactation and sleep issues.

I grew up all over the world – in Japan, Laos, France, and Thailand, as well as in Ottawa, and Toronto.  My father was a diplomat and our family led an exciting nomadic life. This led to a close-knit and loving family life and a great education in how people can be different and the same all at once.

I studied Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Toronto in the early 80’s, and earned an MA in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1987.  It was in Toronto that I met Randy Enkin who became my husband in 1985. Together we moved to France in 1986 where Randy pursued a PhD in Geophysics, while I taught English as a Foreign Language in a large French company. Our son Daniel was born in Paris in 1989, at a private maternity hospital, attended by a brisk French midwife.

In 1991, Randy, Daniel, and I moved to Edinburgh where Simon was born at home, into the hands of a lovely NHS midwife.  This is where I began my career in childbirth education with the National Childbirth Trust in 1992.  I will always be grateful to the Scottish women who introduced me to this field with so much friendliness and compassion.

In 1993, our family moved to Victoria, BC.  That year, our daughter Hannah was born at home with the support of a kind, unregistered lay-midwife. I completed my training as a Childbirth Educator with the Vancouver Community College and started teaching childbirth preparation classes at the YM-YWCA of Greater Victoria in the fall of 1994.

I trained as a doula in 1994 and was certified as a doula by DONA International in 1999. I have attended over 160 births. In 2005, I was approved by DONA International as a Birth Doula Trainer, and I have trained over 600 doulas. My workshops are attended by aspiring doulas from Victoria, all over Vancouver Island, and from as far away as Yellowknife and Calgary!

In 1999 I completed the Douglas College Breastfeeding Course for Health Professionals.  I have been offering my services as a lactation educator in private practice since then.  I find this work rewarding and fascinating!

In 2003, I opened the Mothering Touch Centre at the top of a heritage house on Fort Street.  We moved to a commercial location in 2004 and added a retail component to the centre.  In 2008, three generations of the Bild-Enkin family helped with the re-design and construction of the space at 975 Fort Street.   Daniel, Simon, and Hannah have all worked for Mothering Touch on and off: Daniel providing IT support, Simon providing maintenance services, and Hannah at the retail desk.

In February of 2022, we closed Mothering Touch on Fort street as a retail store. The Childbirth, Parenting the Newborn, and First Aid Classes will continue at 733 Johnson street, under the direction of two of my longtime instructors and friends, Pamela Bethel and Melissa Harris.

Randy and I live in a well-loved and messy house in the Fairfield neighbourhood of Victoria. The children have flown the nest now, and all live in Ontario. I am now moving into a new chapter of my life: a semi-retirement in which I hope to continue to be busy supporting new families with sleep and lactation issues.