EGYPT
REI’s staff is helping to equip maternity doctors and nurses in natural childbirth.
In a country once famous for midwifery, today most births are delivered by cesarean. Just outside Cairo, REI’s resident staff member - an internationally certified AMANI doula and childbirth educator - walks alongside Egyptian families as they navigate pregnancy and early parenting. She introduces evidence-based practices unfamiliar to many families, including prenatal nutrition, pregnancy fitness, natural childbirth and breastfeeding.
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​Partnering with Egyptian OB-GYN and pediatric specialists, she also leads a monthly well-baby clinic where mothers receive encouragement, education, and practical support. By training local doulas, she is helping equip women to support one another through childbirth, strengthening families and communities in lasting ways.
The act of giving birth should not be a traumatic experience for mom, dad, or baby. Recently founded and now led by REI Staff member Lydia, the Birth Guardian Academy and Sanctuary is working hard to change that paradigm in Egypt. Statistics show that 89 percent of women in Egypt describe their birth experience as traumatic. Ninety to ninety-five percent of them suffer some form of postpartum depression after the birth, with no place to go for help.
At the Birth Guardian Academy and Sanctuary, Lydia is training certified doulas, and educating medical professionals. While she is passionate about bringing new life into this world, she also focuses on the emotional and spiritual well-being of the family.
To Be Born and Grow in Love
REI staff is dedicated to sharing love with expectant parents and those whom we are training to serve other women.
We pride ourselves on holding in-person trainings, as we believe women learn best through hands-on practice and face-to-face interaction. Our mission is to train women to educate and equip women in their own community, transforming the culture of birth in Egypt. We believe every mother deserves to have a joyful birth experience, and every baby deserves a gentle birth and a family dedicated to grow in love.
