My journey to becoming a doula started almost ten years ago when I was pregnant with my first. I knew I wanted a natural birth, but quickly learned that support and resources in our area were pretty limited. So I did what any determined mama would do – I researched everything, read all the books, and basically lived on Pinterest trying to gather every piece of information I could find.

"But when labor actually started? I wished so badly that I had someone there with me who knew what they were doing."

Fast forward to 2019 – we found out baby number two was on the way, and this time I was determined to have the support I needed. I hired a doula, and honestly, it changed everything. That experience was life-changing.

By the time our third came along in 2023, I'd switched to midwifery care and delivered at a birthing center. Then in 2025, our fourth baby arrived at home with a midwife – and surprised us all by being breech! Six months later, we discovered we were expecting again, but I miscarried at eight weeks. Even in that loss, I felt held and supported by my birth team.

Every single pregnancy and birth was different. Some details fade over time, but what I'll never forget is how it felt to have the right support – and how it felt when I didn't.