“Giving birth should be your greatest achievement, not your greatest fear.” — Jane Weideman.
Pregnancy is an exciting yet often challenging time, and being pregnant in a foreign country can feel nothing short of overwhelming. You need to find a trusted care provider, a supportive birthing facility, maternity and baby clothes and supplies, government support and benefits — and going through the entire process with limited communication abilities can bring a whole new level of stress. With family and friends living far away, and an expat community that is all too transient, there is not always someone at hand offering much-needed information and support.
We know exactly how that feels. We are fellow expats who had our babies here, and we remember all too well the sensations of feeling lost in a sea of information and advice that did not necessarily reflect the reality of experiencing pregnancy, birth, and parenting in a foreign country. Having now lived in Korea well over a decade, and with specialized knowledge in the field of pregnancy, birth, lactation, and postpartum care, we have chosen to dedicate our lives to helping fellow parents feel confident and supported as they prepare to welcome a baby in this complex, amazing country.
Who We Are
Morning Calm Birthing Services is the only foreign-owned registered childbirth service company in Korea. We are full-time, professional, certified doulas and childbirth educators, with a commitment to providing reliable support to the families who seek our services.
Adele Vitale is a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula (CBI), Childbirth Educator (CBI), as well as a Dunstan Baby Language Instructor. She is also a former HypnoBirthing® Instructor, and since 2015 has been a Trainer for the Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator certification courses offered by Childbirth International (CBI). After completing her education as a conference interpreter and translator and spending several years in administrative management for international companies in China, in 2010 she moved to Korea and, after having her own baby, found her true calling: helping couples get the birth they are hoping for, whether they live in Seoul or anywhere else in Korea.
“I spent my late twenties and early thirties in China living the demanding and exciting life of a career woman, but I always felt my work was not meaningful. In my early thirties I moved to Korea to marry my husband, and as I became pregnant I was faced with the harsh reality that expats living in Seoul and the surrounding area are granted the right to better health care than anywhere else in the Korean peninsula — but everyone else is pretty much on their own. At the time I lived in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, and had to fight for my right to an unmedicated childbirth as it was simply unheard of where I was. I probably would not have made it without the invaluable support of a doula; hence my decision to focus my efforts on providing support to other couples living away from the capital during such crucial and challenging times in their lives as pregnancy and birth”.
Adele currently lives in Gimhae with her husband, their two daughters, and their puppy Coco. She speaks Italian, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Korean.
Miriam Mangano is a Certified Birth Doula (CBI). She was born in Italy but grew up in Korea; after a BA in English Literature, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has three children, all born in Korea. In 2013 with her friend and fellow national Adele, they decided to set up a childbirth services company, opening up the choices available to couples experiencing pregnancy and birth on the Korean peninsula.
“I am a native from Rome and come from a Catholic missionary family. In 1995 at a young age we moved to South Korea for my parents to continue their ministry here. In 2007 I started working for the Italian Embassy, but although I loved my job, at one point in my career I realized that nothing I did made me happy, nor did I feel rewarded. I attended by chance my best friend’s birth and ever since I felt that this was what I was called to do. None of my births where ideal nor went as planned, but this made me realize all the more that I wanted to be a support to parents and babies in helping them achieve the birth they want”.
After living in Korea for over twenty years, Miriam relocated to the United States. She speaks Italian, English, and native-level Korean.
Where We Are
Morning Calm Birthing is based in Busan, but online services are available nationwide.
What We Offer
Online Childbirth Education (Group and Private);
In-Person Childbirth Education (Group and Private);
Pre- and Post-partum Consultations, Online or In-Person;
Contact Us: enquiries@morningcalmbirthing.com