WINDSOR, ONT. -- "Going through pregnancy is the most beautiful journeys, but one of the hardest journeys," says Nour Hachem-Fawaz.

As a mother of two, Hachem-Fawaz knows first-hand what it’s like to be pregnant and give birth during a pandemic.

"Everything is different. Even going to your visits. You go on your own. You don’t have your partner with you. Everything changes. And when you have your baby, you don’t have the same support," says Hachem-Fawaz.

With the support of Deborah Herritt Koumoutsidis, her doula and registered massage therapist, specializing in pregnancy massage, Hachem-Fawaz was able to navigate through the challenges of a pandemic pregnancy.

"She was constantly providing me resources, information, helping me and guiding me through pregnancy, but also trying to support my concerns through a pandemic," says Hachem-Fawaz.

For the past 16 years, Koumoutsidis has been on the path of empowering women through thousands of pregnancies in Windsor and Essex County.

Together the women are each others inspiration. Hachem-Fawaz inspired Koumoutsidis to start her own podcast.

"We wanted it to represent a gift to all mothers and not just moms - lots of females who are not moms will get lots of information from this," says Koumoutsidis.

Launching in time for Mother’s Day, in the first episode Hachem-Fawaz shares her birth story saying the podcast is needed now more than ever.

"What beautiful gift then for other women to feel validated, to feel heard, to feel inspired and to know that Debora is building a community for other women to support each one of along our journey."

Koumoutsidis says it takes a village to raise a child and having a place like 'Tend and Befriend' to turn to for support is a good start.

"Women need to be there for each other and to really connect and I know a lot of times when you’re listening to your friends tell you what they need is almost impossible to help them. But sometime you don’t have to help. You just have to hold space and feel all those things," says Koumoutsidis.

"Tend and Befriend is not just for pregnant woman, it’s also for people talk about sex, becoming a women, menopause, menstruation, pregnancy, birth, thyroid, hormones and the list goes on."