DOULA - dou·la <ˈdo͞olə/> noun: derived from the Greek meaning, "a woman who serves," 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.

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You typically only ever hear about a family hiring one doula -- yet I hired three doulas for my first and only child, born in 2012. Not that I felt I needed that many additional birth companions to aid my husband and myself through the birth process, but after I met them and learned about their unique skill set, I worked hard to budget for the expense to include them in my birth preparation, labor support and aftercare.

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As I started my family late in life, I had cared for other people’s children, traveled, and professional career, before I dipped my toe into the realm of parenthood.  I dove into the search for a doula initially like I was hiring an employee, but I soon realized that process was much different. The emotional connection, energy, and personalities of these women along with their training, and the skills they brought to the table were key. 

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After several phone interviews, the first pair of doulas I met a duo of doulas working as backups for each other, I hired immediately! One doula was planning a working vacation to help birthing moms in Haiti during my birthing time, but as my pregnancy went postdates, she had returned and was able to attend my birth. The other doula was attending midwifery school at the time and was not able to attend my birth, but as my husband was to return to work overseas just two weeks after our daughter's birth, she was hired to help in my postpartum period.

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As a birthday gift shortly after learning I was pregnant, my mother purchased a package of prenatal massages from a wonderful multi-talented young woman who was not only a trained aromatherapist and craniosacral therapist, but once in treatment, I learned she was a recently trained birth doula as well. As part of her training, she was required to attend births and I requested her presence as an additional doula to aide with comfort measure support, setting the scene with scent and provide a release after birth to help my pelvis realign. 

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All three doulas were all informative without being pushy, while also being funny and humble.  I knew then that their calm and youthful energy was what I wanted to surround me during my pregnancy and birth.  They started all these wheels turning in my head -- WAIT -- I have choices for my birth?! I can ask for what I want?!  I can change providers at 26 weeks?! -- YES!  

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It was a journey of stepping into my body and taking power over my body, not with their permission, but with my own...

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My birth was uniquely enhanced by these doulas, with their informative guidance, nurturing care, and confidence in me and my ability to birth my baby.  

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My search to hire a doula placed me on the path to become one myself.

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I was determined to share all that I learned from them with other women seeking the same empowering birth experience.  I had read many books during the preparation for my birth, just as I had to ready my body during the long period of trying to conceive this child.  After birth, I began to read all that I could find on labor support and the art of becoming a doula myself.  Once we arrived in Mississippi from Florida when my daughter was just over one year old, I started to meet a very small group of very special women through the local positive discipline parenting groups and the local La Leche League chapter who were either were doulas or who had hired doulas, which is rare in Mississippi. I knew I had found my people and how I could "pay forward" the gentle and loving care I received from my doulas -- by becoming a doula in my new community.

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I completed my first birth doula training in Texas the year we arrived in Mississippi after discovering that at the time there were not any doula training programs being conducted any closer.  In my first year as a doula, a local experienced doula, took me under her wing and shared her wisdom, asked permission for me to attend a home water birth with her, as well as included me into the birthing community of mostly local doulas as a babywearing and prenatal yoga resource.

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Birth is my passion because I believe that how we birth matters to babies, mothers, families, and our community.  Serving and nurturing families through the transformational life experience of birth is rewarding and never seems like a job -- it is an honor just to be invited!

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Birth transformed and delivered me not only a sweet child but a career and lifestyle where I get to watch people transform into families before my eyes...