The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. Why I’ve decided to become a Doula:
The reason why I chose to become a Doula is simply because I want to be able to support the mother (family) while experiencing the miracle of giving life. A few years ago, while my husband and I were stationed in Germany, I was able to attend a birth for a fellow military spouse, because she didn’t have a support system. It was such a wonderful thing to witness that it was always kind of in my head how much I would like to be able to work with women in these moments. Sadly, Germany didn’t offer a certification system that would have allowed me to do this and I wrote it off as a life changing experience, but not something I could pursue as a career. We have since moved to America and just a few months ago a friend of mine asked me if I would support her once she went into labor. I was thrilled and surprised that she had asked me. When I went and supported her during this miraculous time, it became very clear to me that this was a direction that my life was moving in. I have since learned of this opportunity to spread help and support to those families who are in need before, during and after their pregnancies. I have and I am still learning so much about medicated and non-medicated births, Hypnobirthing, Inductions, Waterbirthing, Breastfeeding, encapsulating Placentas and everything else related to Prenatal Care – Childbirth and Postpartum Care that I see how important it is for the mother and loved ones to know that there are options for each birth. Every woman and every birth is different and I would love to assist in every aspect of it. I want to be able to give advice and pass on all the information and make sure that the woman can make the right choices for their own birth experience by working out individual birth plans and make this the most memorable experience for the expectant families. This is definitely a dream come true for me!
