Brantford woman who faked pregnancies an extreme case of scamming doulas, prompting groups to raise awareness

WARNING: This article ref‐ erences sexual assault and suicidal ideation, and may affect those who have ex‐ perienced them or know someone affected by them.

The high-profile case of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was rearrested while serving house arrest for faking preg‐ nancies and duping doulas may be an extreme and "unique" case, but scams tar‐ geting workers in the field are more common than peo‐ ple may think, say doula or‐ ganizations.

Efforts to con these preg‐ nancy-care professionals have been "known for a long time in the doula world," said Robin Elise Weiss, president of DONA International, which has certified over 14,000 doulas in over 50 countries since 1992.

"There are a lot of people who do this … it's common enough that if you've been a doula for more than six mon‐ ths, you've probably gotten one or more of these people who reached out to you," Weiss said, referring to calls from people who may be looking to take advantage of doula services.

Weiss spoke in the wake of new charges against Kait‐ lyn Braun, who was sen‐ tenced in February to house arrest for harassment and fraudulently seeking the ser‐ vices of numerous doulas in Ontario between June 2022 and February 2023.

Hamilton police said alle‐ gations between April 17 and 18 spurred an investigation into the 25-year-old and it was reported she had "falsely solicited support related to pregnancy and childbirth from unsuspecting victim(s)."

A doula is a trained pro‐ fessional who supports clien‐ ts before, during and shortly after childbirth. They also help with grief and trauma around pregnancy loss, but they're not health-care pro‐ fessionals who deliver babies and they don't have access to medical records or equip‐ ment.

While doulas have certifi‐ cations with different organi‐ zations, they are not regis‐ tered with a regulating or governing body.

A 'unique' case

Earlier this year, CBC spoke with at least three women who are part of a group of about 50 doulas in Ontario who believe they are all vic‐ tims of Braun. They said the ordeal caused them severe trauma, along with the loss of valuable time, and in some cases no financial compensa‐ tion.

Stefanie Antunes with the Association of Ontario Doulas, which has between 300 and 400 members, said previously that in her 20 years in the profession, she had never seen a situation like Braun's deception and worried it could cause doulas in the future to be doubtful of the events Braun de‐ scribed to them.

Some of the victims who spoke to CBC earlier this year said Braun had not shown any "red flags."

Antunes agreed the case is an exception.

"It's interesting when we think of how people can pro‐ tect themselves or look for flags, but I just think the situ‐ ation is so unique and there's no way people could prepare themselves for it."

A judge sentenced Braun to two years of house arrest and three years of probation after she pleaded guilty late in 2023 to 21 of the 52 charges she faced, including fraud, indecent acts, false pretences and mischief. She also was told she'd have to wear a GPS ankle bracelet and undergo mandatory counselling, was forbidden to contact victims, and banned from using the internet and social media for two years.

During the court proceed‐ ings on the initial charges, over a dozen doulas shared how Braun's actions changed their lives, including how she coerced victims into giving her massages while she was naked with the intent of in‐ sulting or offending them.

Lawyers also shared Braun's long history of men‐ tal health challenges, includ‐ ing memories of childhood sexual assault, major depres‐ sive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar and borderline tendencies. Braun's health records indi‐ cate a history of suicidal ideation and almost 200 hos‐ pital visits beginning in 2006.

'We dodged a bullet'

Leanne Palmerston, owner of Hamilton Family Doulas, said Braun reached out to Hamil‐ ton Family Doulas in 2022, but didn't end up using their services because Braun lived outside of the organization's catchment area and she had asked for discounted ser‐ vices.

"We dodged a bullet," Palmerston told CBC Hamil‐ ton.

"What Kaitlyn did to the various prenatal workers she was able to scam was horrif‐ ic," she added.

"The nature of our job is very personal and very inti‐ mate. You have to be trusting … when that trust is broken and betrayed, it's devastating and makes you question things far outside of your work."

While Braun's case may be unusual, Weiss said more common scams try to prey on new doulas by:

Asking for free or deeply discounted services. Telling doulas they are overdue or their water broke days ago. Saying they're having contrac‐ tions at the moment they're calling. Trying to have doulas talk about pregnancy or birth in vivid, anatomical detail. Having numerous ex‐ cuses for why they can't follow the doula's ad‐ vice. Asking for services that are outside a doula's scope of prac‐ tice.

'Talking about it ... is im‐ portant'

Weiss and Palmerston give these tips to doulas, for those who are less aware, to help them avoid scammers:

Tell the person asking them for services that they must be a client to get any. Don't offer deeply discounted or free services. Use doula message boards and so‐ cial media groups to learn from others. Trust your gut and don't work with someone if it does‐ n't feel right.

Weiss said educating doulas about how to recognize legiti‐ mate clients "is something we address in training in talk‐ ing about business and build‐ ing a doula business.

"I also think just talking about it as doulas is impor‐ tant and we're seeing more of that.

"It's a conversation, not a one-time teaching point."

Help resources

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, support is available through crisis lines and local support ser‐ vices via this government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Associa‐ tion of Canada database. If you're in immediate dan‐ ger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

For anyone struggling with their mental health, help is available through:

This guide from the Cen‐ tre for Addiction and Men‐ tal Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.