THE PREGNANCY SCAMMER

Kaitlyn Braun used and abused dozens of doulas, faking childbirths and preying on their greatest vulnerabilities. Here's how she did it-and how she finally got caught.

- Sarah Treleaven

SEANNA STARTED WORKING as a doula in August 2022. The then34-year-old excitedly set up an Instagram page for her London, Ont., business, and, after a brief exchange, she found her first client: Kaitlyn Braun. Braun, who was 23 and lived with her mother in Brantford, Ont., was due in two days and needed help with labour and delivery. Shortly after that, Braun's contractions started.

When Seanna, who asked that Chatelaine only use her first name, arrived at Braun's apartment, she saw signs of impending motherhood: a car seat in the living room, a bassinet in the bedroom, tiny baby clothes, even a breast pump. "It all checked out that this was an underprivileged, under-supported young woman who was making do," says Seanna.

Unlike midwives, doulas aren't medical professionals. Instead, they provide emotional and informational support. Over the course of several days, Seanna coached Braun and massaged her; she even taught her to "curb walk," an exercise that would encourage Braun's pelvis to open up and speed up the process.

After several days of labour, Braun's contractions were now close together. On the drive to the hospital, Braun bashfully announced that her water had broken, and apologized to Seanna for the mess. Seanna told her not to worry about it. But when they got to the hospital and Braun got out, Seanna noticed something odd: the passenger seat Braun had been sitting in was dry.

After getting out of the car, Braun seemed to be stalling. She was walking so slowly and stopping so frequently that a one-minute walk to the hospital doors took almost an hour. But Braun also described rectal pressure-a sign that the baby was already in the birth canal. Seanna was determined that her first client wasn't going to give birth on the grass outside a hospital.