I have been passionate about birth since long before I was a mother- or even a wife. I will never forget being freshly 21 years old, on a mission trip in Kenya, asking a friend why on earth she would want to have an unmedicated birth. The grace and kindness with which she shared her love of physiological birth with me impacted my life forever. Three years later, I attended a doula (DONA) certification course in Atlanta, where I knew no one at all but felt called to be anyway. Soon after I was certified, my life shifted course but birth remained a constant love.

When my first baby ended up a C-section, I quickly realized how broken the hospital system in the United States is and how vital doulas are for parents to have the birth they desire. My second birth was a failed VBAC turned emergency C section with a pulmonary embolism on the operating table. I spent the first few days of my daughter’s life in the ICU separated from her, and the actions of my friend Stephanie impacted my recovery greatly. She brought me food, washed my face, braided my hair, and didn’t leave my side. She advocated for my baby girl to be brought to me, and shuttled my pumped colostrum back and forth to the L&D floor. She was the hands and feet of Jesus to me then, and this is the role I pray to be able to take in your birth story- a selfless servant of Christ who makes you feel safe even in uncertain and scary circumstances.

I thought the Lord might be stopping my childbearing story after the PE, but we found out we were expecting a baby boy when I was 4 months postpartum and I knew in my bones that he was going to be my VBAC baby. I achieved an unmedicated VBA2C at Presbyterian and feel forever changed by the experience. After my own births and attending the births of a few dear friends, I feel called to help empower and advocate for parents in the birth space- whatever that looks like for YOU. Hospital birth, home birth, medicated or unmedicated- my prayer is that I can hear the desires of your heart and advocate like crazy for you to get there. For me, supporting families in this area has always felt more like a ministry than a job. It is an immense privilege to be invited into the most sacred space- witnessing life burst forth from a mother- and I would be honored to enter that space with you.

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