What is your philosophy about birth?

I believe women have the innate knowledge to partner with their birth journey and that our pasts, society, and subconscious beliefs can drown out that voice. The journey of finding and following those instincts, as well as conquering the coexisting battle and surrender that, in partnership with Holy Spirit, unlocks parts of our being and relationship with the Lord we never knew existed! I believe this can unfold in every birth story, regardless of the method your baby enters the world!

What did you learn from your birth experience?

Baby #1 ~ I can survive and grow through SO much more than I ever imagined!!

Baby #2 ~ I am not in control but, I can trust the one who is

Baby #3 ~ Having support that shared my beliefs and reliance on Christ makes a world of difference! With the support of Holy Spirit and Godly women, I am a force to be reckoned with!

Baby #4 ~ I trust my Beloved, my body and have fully learned my power as a birthing momma. That strength has continued to suffuse my life and I am proud of who I am

Do you have any other clients that have due dates near mine?

I try to keep my client load at 2-3 clients a month, max! I’m still eyeballs deep in life, being a wife, and mothering! I need to have a balance where I can bring what I know to be my best to those I’m serving whether that’s at home, as a doula, or in ministry!

Do you have a backup doula? If so, may I meet them? How often is your backup doula used?

I have a doula bestie @doulalizzygarcia When she is unavailable, I have several other Christian doulas I also trust to provide quality care in line with the care I give. Thankfully I’ve yet to have a birth covered by my backup but, in case of emergency or illness, it’s such a blessing to have such beautiful women of God to call on!!

Do you make any visits before the birth?

My contract states that at a minimum I meet with clients at 35 weeks and 37 weeks. I budget 2ish hours for these meetings but they can be shorter or longer based on need. If a client has needs beyond that, and my schedule allows, I like to offer whatever support is needed to help them work through anything that’s coming up for them that might need to be processed!

Do you offer any postpartum care or follow up? Does that require an additional fee?

My birth contract also provides one postpartum meeting approximately 1 week after birth but, if more support is desired, I do offer separately contracted and paid for postpartum care!

May I email, text or call you with questions?

I try to keep my heart for ministry first and foremost in my work as a doula and am happy to answer any questions that you may have!

Have you attended births that have ended up as a c-section?

Yes! Sometimes, despite our preparations and best efforts, babies need a skylight exit to be part of their birth story. And on occasion, moms best birth is a cesarean! It’s a birth with its own challenges and triumphs that deserves all the support as well!! I will wait and pray through the procedure, just in case baby needs any further help so that both mom and baby would have a support person. If recovery is going well, I’ll pop in for a bit when I’m given the all clear and then meet with the family at our postpartum. In the case of a planned csection, I offer 8 hours of postpartum care in-lieu of the labor support.

Have you attended home births?

I have! I love the atmosphere and individuality of midwife attended home births!!! It would definitely be high on my list of considerations if I were to have another baby of my own however, with what I know of how I birth best, it would probably be the best of both worlds by going with a birth center!

At what point in labor would we meet up? How should I contact you during labor and at what point? Is it okay if it’s in the middle of the night? Are you always on call?

I go on call at 37 weeks. That means any time, day or night, I will respond via text or phone. I like to have little updates as time goes on in that on-call period as mommas have appointments or feel things are different with their bodies but, I try to not be just another person checking in all the time to see if baby is here I try to prepare my clients to labor a bit on their own in the earliest stages and protect the intimacy between mom and dad. I’ll meet my clients at their home or birth place whenever or wherever they feel ready! If I’m further away, I also listen to my instinct for when to drive closer and most often, my clients are ready for my support by the time I arrive!

Do you stay for the entire labor and childbirth, or do you have a time limit for long births?

I would never put a cap on how long I stay for a labor! I’ve been there and couldn’t conceive of leaving a client I’ve worked to get to know and love in the hardest part of their birth story just because I’ve been there for a certain length of time! If mom is comfortably resting, I may try and snag some rest myself but always with a plan of when to connect again

How do you work with the birth person’s partner?

Birth is hard work but, being a fully invested and active partner is hard work as well! As much as I’m keeping track of mom’s coping, nutrition, hydration, progress, etc, I’m watching dad to make sure he’s caring for himself as well or knows what the next steps are and how to support mom well through it! My goal is to leave a couple closer with each other than when I came in to provide care and would NEVER want to interfere with anything dad can do to support!! There’s always one person that anchors mom, that better not leave her, ever If I can help it, that person will be dad, every time!

How do you work with a midwife or doctor?

I like to be a comfortable bridge between my clients and providers (if necessary) and work hard to be on great terms with them, keeping them updated on my observations, and asking for any information they feel might be useful!

What are your tactics for pain?

Pain in birth is usually due to fear and tension or, physiological misalignment in momma or baby’s position. I try to identify fears as I get to know my clients and encourage them to work through those fears with the Lord. I even made a Bible study journaling resource to help with that processing! I love incorporating @christianhypnobirthing worship, and prayer into labor as peace and pain management! If I feel the pain is physiologic, I’m reaching into my bag of doula moves to get baby aligned (if at all possible) and smooth out labor!

How do you feel about epidurals or any pain medication?

Two of my own births were medicated and two unmedicated, if I hadn’t been at a birth center my third would have been an epidural as well due to back labor Sometimes medication is the right choice because mom isn’t coping well, labor has been really long, an overactive pelvic floor, or just part of the birth preference from the get-go! While I believe we can grow in huge ways from the journey of an unmedicated birth, my goal will always be a birth that mom has fond memories of instead of trauma or suffering! Sometimes that best birth is medicated and doesn’t exclude growth and satisfaction!