About Maria & Mayu

Maria and Mayu…then

Owners Maria and Mayu are two of three sisters (youngest and middle, respectively), who look like twins – but are 3 years apart. They are from Tokyo, Japan, bilingual in Japanese and English. Having grown up in a family of educators, healers and entrepreneurs, they are combining their knowledge and business and life experience to continue on the legacy of Mama Goddess Birth Shop, founded by Birthmother Nikiah Seeds in 2005.

It is truly a blessing to have had this beautiful Birth Shop passed down to us – we are eternally grateful, and our wish is to turn this gratitude into a powerful force that can further enhance the lives of our Mama Goddess community members, both loyal and new. We are now working around the clock (literally, as Mayu is helping out from Tokyo) to be responsible, caring foster mothers – to our loyal customers, we thank you for your continued support and patience, and for those new to Mama Goddess Birth Shop, our warmest welcome and blessings!

Maria and Mayu…now

Lots of love and gratitude,

Maria and Mayu

More about Maria

After her pregnancy and experience of a home water birth, all Maria wanted to do was make different birthing choices available and accessible for all families. She felt empowered and blessed by her whole experience and wanted to share this new feeling she felt with others. Soon, she found herself sitting in a DONA International (Doulas of North America) Birth & Postpartum Doula Training with her 10-month-old son in her arms, Fall of 2008. Soon, her journey as a doula (labour support person) unfolded, as she met families, other inspiring people, birthing programs, and fell deeply in love with doula work.

She now volunteers as a doula with the South Community Birth Program in Vancouver BC, Youth Pregnancy and Parenting Program (YPPP) in Vancouver, BC, and SMILE Program (St. Leonard’s), also a youth pregnancy program in Burnaby, BC. She is a current member and certified doula of DONA International and Director of Publicity & Promotions of the Doula Services Association of British Columbia (DSA), Board of Directors.

The other passion that grew out of her during her pregnancy was living naturally. Having had grown up in the large city of Tokyo, Japan, where she is from, she never questioned the polluted environment she was in, until she was pregnant and reconnected with her body. She pursued her education in natural health and is now studying for a degree in Complementary Alternative Medicine, majoring in Herbalism. She is a Certified Natural Products Manufacturer and also shares her wisdom on Babywearing and Cloth Diapering to her clients and in workshops.

At home, she enjoys every moment of being with her loving husband, son, and dog which she considers their daughter. She is constantly thankful for all the blessings life brings, including being a part of other women and families’ magnificent experience of birth and growth.
She now resides in Vancouver, BC, Canada with her growing family, while also spending a portion of their time in Japan every year. She feels that her unique background has taught her a sense of respect, understanding, and acceptance for different cultures and lifestyles.

More about Mayu

A healer, educator and musician, Mayu is thrilled to be Maria’s partner at Mama Goddess Birth Shop. (Mayu is pronounced Mah-you, by the way!) An aspiring naturopathic physician, Mayu is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Holistic Health Practitioner, bringing her knowledge of natural living and her love for helping people heal themselves into the Mama Goddess community. Quite fittingly, she had also recently become a Goddess Playshop Facilitator, a facilitator for Women’s empowerment workshops based in Australia. She now conducts these "play"shops in Tokyo where she resides, but is planning to bring them into the Vancouver community in the near future.

As a music therapist, she has worked with various populations, including babies and pregnant mothers. She strongly believes in the power of music to improve people’s quality of life, and plans on bringing this skill to Vancouver and joining the Canadian Music Therapy Association as well!

Mayu is living in Tokyo with her husband, who is an aspiring Art Therapist and amazing teacher. She enjoys being able to spend time with her mother (also a teacher) and oldest sister, Maho, who continually support their two younger daughters/sisters in all of their business and life ventures.