About Me and Why I chose to be a Doula.
I am completing my training at Birth Arts International. I am in the process of finishing up my last few requirements for course completion.
I am a mother to 1 beautiful little boy, who has taught me so many things the past few years, that has totally changed my views on life. He is the reason I am learning so much more every day, and continue to want to learn more.
Our birth did not go as planned. I was in the loving care of our local birthing center and at 41 weeks 3 days, I was convinced by family to go to the hospital to get checked out. 24 hours later, my life changed.
Because of being so far along, they thought best to induce me. My gut told me to run far far away. But my mouth said yes. I did not have my midwife there to support me, I did not have a doula or really anyone to support me. After 24 hours of a painful induction, a failed epidural, fully dilating and pushing for an hour, a doctor I had never met, came in and said that he did not think I could push my son out. So off to the OR I went. Because of my failed epidural, and them pumping me so fully of medicine I was so out of it and crying for my Husband. They gas masked me, and my husband was not allowed in the room. I later woke up to my baby being handed to me and my instincts to nurse kicked right in. A 5 day hospital stay and no support led to post partum depression. Breastfeeding only lasted 4 months because I was uninformed and allowed my son to be circumcised. I will never forgive myself for that. He would no longer nurse. Which made my PPD 100x's worse. The first year after my son was born was stressful to say the least. In the past 2 years, I have slowly been learning more and being very open to being educated even more. I am so happy I was willing to learn and change my ways.
Why I wanted to become a Doula!
Everything that happened during my labor and delivery has made me who I am today. I want to support laboring mothers so they do not have to go through what I went through. I want to help laboring mothers have the birth they want and deserve. Every mother deserves a Doula, no matter what.
Every mother looks back on the birth of their babies, and they deserve to be able to remember it with great joy and happiness, not be upset and regretful. That is what I strive to accomplish. Even if your birth does not go as planned, Having a Doula can help put you at ease about what happens.
With me, you will get nothing but love and nurturing support in whatever you choose. You will have a support person who will help you inform yourself and stand by whatever decision you make. No mother should ever have to go through Labor and Birth alone. You deserve a Doula.
My specialty is natural birth home birth and or birthing center births. I understand that not all mothers that want a natural child birth are good a candidate for out of hospital births this is why I will attend Hospital births, though my comfort zone is in an out of hospital setting, It is completely possible to have a natural birth in a hospital setting, you just have to work harder and fight harder to get there. I firmly believe having a doula can make or break a natural birth in a hospital setting.
I understand that not all families are comfortable with out of hospital births, and like to have that secure feeling for the "just in case" . I completely support hospital births, as long as you go into it with all of the knowledge you need to stand your ground. I can provide you will all of the resources you need to have your perfect birth in any setting. It is my job to provide unconditional, non judgmental support throughout your labor, no matter where you choose to deliver.
Nurturing Embrace Birth Services is currently serving the following counties:
Sarasota, Bradenton, Parrish, Palmetto, Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, North Port and Lakeland.