 |
|
 |
||
| I will be the first to admit it, I am a bona-fide research junkie. As a result, I spent my entire pregnancy studying different birth options and preparing for a birth with as little intervention as possible. We started Bradley Method classes before I was even out of my first trimester! Then, it seemed like all of a sudden, baby day was fast approaching and I had a lot of anxiety about my ability to remember all the techniques for managing pain, plus I worried about all the pressure that would put on my husband. I had heard of doulas, but I didn't know much about what they could do to help us both. After learning the statistics, we hired our birth doula and never looked back.
The birth of our daughter in 2007 was THE momentous event in our lives, made even more special by our doula’s presence. We went into it very well-informed, a birth vision in hand, our doula and family by our side and came out of the hospital excited about the new adventure we were about to embark upon. I believe I am a better person because of the positive way I experienced such a critical transformation in life. Because of all the research my friends and family knew I had done for myself, they started asking me about different pregnancy and postpartum issues. Then, came the phone calls of husbands while their wives were in labor and the late night emails of sleep deprived friends that had just become overwhelmed new mothers. I realized I had a skill that I could share and as I got to know more, it felt like a calling I just hadn’t answered for years. Simply put, I loved what my doula helped do for my family so much that I decided to become one myself. I have been working as a birth doula since early 2009. As my own process of becoming a mother was a rite of passage, so was the first birth I attended as a doula. The moment that little boy gasped his first breath, I knew I had chosen my path in this life. I have now seen birth from both sides. That is not to say I know everything, as I don't and I never will, but just that I have walked through a door of perception that is a privilege and honor to pass through. I have been working as a postpartum doula since 2008. What a pleasure it is to help a mother successfully nurse twins, play with older siblings while honoring their transition to brother/sister, or to cook a tired family a nutritious meal. The reality is that I have been helping the families of my friends for years, I just did not know there was a name for it (a home-made meal and an ear is a much better present than a onesie anyday!). The years before my foray into motherhood and doula-dom I attended DePaul University in Chicago and then acquired a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from The University of Missouri - Kansas City in 2001. I specialized in Women's Studies and Sociology. I proceeded to work for ten years in the creative advertising world as a graphic designer and marketing specialist. My other passions are playing music, baking, travel, yoga, anthropology, writing and gardening. All women have many faces (as I see in labor quite a bit) and I tend to embrace my own fully and wholeheartedly. The next time you see a car flying down the highway with a sticker that says "rocknroll doula," that's me on my way to help a new family or play a gig! |
What Past Families Are Saying: "Thank you for making such a tremendous difference in my birthing and postpartum experience. Your gentle encouragement and support helped me have an amazing experience. Your calm presence and good Karma make you an awesome doula. Thanks for all the helpful websites, books and tips."
|
|
