More About Me
Brief History
I have always been fascinated with pregnancy and birth. I can remember pretending to have a growing belly as I watched my mom carry my younger brothers, and playing house with my baby dolls. As I grew older my mom welcomed me to join her journey with my youngest brother. I attended all of her appointments with the midwife, and I joined her for the birth of Josiah. As I watched the midwife work and check on everything after he was born, I was even more hooked. I almost pursued the midwifery path long ago. However after thinking it over I wasn’t as interested in the clinical side. It was the journey and development of new life, the caring and coming along side someone as they became a mother, which called to me.
Many years later I actually began the process of becoming a doula. In 2014 I was awarded a scholarship to attend a DONA birth doula training here in Asheville. That weekend really changed my life. I learned so much more about the process of birth than I ever thought possible. The value that a doula brings to the table during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum time for the mom and new family goes beyond just having someone there. (More thoughts about this later).
Initially I viewed my doula work as a hobby of sorts, supporting friends and a few other clients along the way. I kept my job as a customer service representative at Blue Ridge Home Care and only took on a few births per year. I viewed education for birth and beyond as so important, everyone that I talked to, even if they were not going to hire me as their doula, I stressed the importance of getting information, and learning in an active environment with up to date information. As I continued to work in the field I became more and more connected to the work that I was doing. It was becoming clearer and clearer that this was truly where my calling for life lay.
I started looking at different opportunities to expand my knowledge base, and expand my business. I signed on with an agency in town to help build my clientele, I also partnered with a friend who was a doula. Since I was still working full-time, this partnership allowed me to grow my business while continuing to work my job. In early 2017 life brought me to a cross-road, my doula work was busy enough that I was stressed about my day job, but not really busy enough to replace my day job paycheck. I really felt like I needed to choose, to keep our family stable I was going to set aside my doula work and hope that I could come back to it one day. My husband pushed and challenged me, together we decided that now was the time to jump in with both feet, coming back later was not an option. I had been successfully building a reputation in the community and in the medical field as a reliable doula… If I was going to be successful now was my time. So that was that, I put in my notice, finished my obligations and left a job that I had gone to for the previous nine years of my life.
Stepping Out
August 1st, 2017 I began self-employment and learning the hustle of business ownership. I have taking steps toward being more organized, and courageous in the choices that I make. I have redesigned my website, taken on learning and pursuing two additional certifications. I have also been blessed with clients. God has been good to us in our step of faith, bringing in people who want to work with me. I am proud of the relationships that have developed over the last year and the grace that has been given to me in the work that I do. This year has brought me lessons about loss, investment, letting go, knowing when to press on, and finding the strength to continue when it is tough.
What Is in the Future
The rest of this year I will be preparing and pursuing my official certification as a Lamaze educator. It is my desire to be able to offer birth education across WNC as a traveling teacher, providing quality information and training in the outlying counties. I am planning to partner with local churches and pregnancy care centers, as well as offer virtual classes in an online learning center.
I will also be pursuing certification as a postpartum doula with DONA international beginning next year, expanding what I teach into this portion of parenthood that a lot of people overlook. In the society that we live in today a lot of people find themselves isolated from the family that would normally support them. As a postpartum doula I am able to be that initial support while assisting the family in working on the community connections to provide longterm support.
Closing
My long-term goals for 10 + years are to still be doing all these things and continuing to work on expansion. I would like to have other doulas join with me in this pursuit of providing education and support in all the WNC counties.
