Leiko Hidaka

Hello!

 

My name is Leiko Hidaka. Since 2016 I am dedicated to providing support to mothers and pregnant families. I started my path into the birth world as a childbirth doula in 2016, initially certified by DONA International and currently by the International Registry of Midwives as Certified Global Doula™. In 2018 I started my training as a midwife under mentoring. In that same year I became certified as a prenatal educator with the International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) and was awarded a full scholarship to train as an Evidence Based Birth instructor®. In 2019, to continue my midwifery education, I joined and completed a one-year program in midwifery skills with Puerto Rico's Dar a Luz School and in 2020 I completed a master's degree in Obstetric Nursing.

 

Throughout my journey I have supported more than 300 families to welcome their babies, with experience in both hospital and home settings, always promoting the role of the mother and her baby as the center of the process and aiming at contributing to making the experience happen in a safe, positive and satisfactory way.

 

In addition to my professional practice, I collaborate with different education and support initiatives promoting respect for childbirth, breastfeeding, prevention of primary cesarean section and vaginal delivery after cesarean section.

 

These initiatives include the International Awareness Caesarean Network (ICAN), where I was the International Coordinator until 2021 and currently lead the local ICAN chapter in the Dominican Republic. Between 2019 and 2020 I collaborated with New Life Birthing Centers to establish an independent birthing center in the Dominican Republic, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions, these plans had to be suspended.

​

I am a firm believer, defender and promoter of equality among human beings and the right of all people to make the decisions they consider best for their own well-being, as long as they do not undermine the well-being of others. Based on this understanding, my work with mothers and families seeks to provide equal access to information, support, and knowledge of options that enable them to make informed decisions for their well-being and that of their baby.

​

From my perspective, regardless of the way birth occurs, every mother deserves and has the right to be respected in her preferences and live a positive experience of the process of waiting and welcoming their baby, , since this event has the intrinsic potential to be a transcendental milestone in her life as a human being and as a mother.