Shortly after our daughter was born, a woman I had met a few times at church came over to buy some diapers. When I learned how close she was to giving birth, I wanted very much to help her in any way I could, even though we weren’t close friends. I talked to my doula (Lindsay) about these desires and she agreed that my feelings were not typical for first time moms but my fascination with all things birth was pretty similar to what many doulas experience before deciding to become a doula!

Even during pregnancy and after birth I was amazed at what the human body can do. I was still so inspired by reading birth stories and I couldn’t get enough of them. I had a tough time postpartum even though we had family and friends around to help and offer advice. I relied on my doula a lot during that time.

When our daughter was about six months old, I quit my full time job to become a stay at home mom and to begin my doula training. When I’m not reading or talking about birth things, I love reading novels, going for walks even if it’s raining, playing nerdy board games, and spending time with my husband and daughter. I believe strongly in the power of prayer and dark chocolate.

Trainings:
Childbirth International for Birth Doula | Spinning Babies

 

“In the world you will have courage, but do no fear: I have conquered the world.” - John 16:33

FUN FACT: When I am on my hands and knees, I can stick my shoulder blades out a lot more than others and I can hold a can of soda between them. My shoulder blades never looked great in prom dresses when I was younger, but I'm a mom of two now so I don't often find myself in a prom dress anymore.

What was your biggest take away from doula training?

The biggest thing I took from my doula training was that my role was to support the mom, not to guide her. It is more important for me to be a mirror helping to reflect back what the client is experiencing than to guide the experience to what I might want her to experience. This is, after all, not my experience but hers!

The most important thing I learned from my Spinning Babies training was the importance of positioning: both mom's and baby's. I use my Spinning Babies training in absolutely every birth I attend.

What is a birth or postpartum resource you highly recommend? Number one birth or postpartum podcast recommendation for a parent?

I really enjoy the "My New Life" podcast. It's a parenting podcast with relatively short episodes (20-30 minutes) and ends with "3 big takeaways" which as a first time sleep-deprived mom was very helpful for me.

In one of the earliest episodes Jessica Rolph explores the importance of early math. As she says, everyone knows the importance of early reading, but early math isn't as frequently mentioned! I find it really easy to incorporate various things that I've learned from the podcast and it's helpful to hear different ideas on parenting so my husband and I can figure out what works best for our family.

What is the number one thing you use when supporting a family?

The number one piece of "equipment" I use when supporting a family is the TENS unit. My clients have either loved or hated the TENS, but the ones who loved it said it was absolutely a must for their birth. It was very helpful for my own labors.

The number one thing I think I can give to families is to be a trusted friend walking with them on their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey. My clients often tell me one of the most helpful things I did was just normalizing things and speaking up when something didn't seem quite right, whether that meant a position change was needed or if they should reach out to their provider about a symptom they were experiencing.

Why should a client hire you?

A client should hire me only if they feel most comfortable with me. When I looked for a doula myself I interviewed 3 doulas before finding my match. The first two interviews felt very transactional and thankfully my husband encouraged me to interview one more. That last one was Lindsay Laubacher and that's what led me to Little Lilacs!

One thing you wish you knew when you were pregnant or postpartum?

I wish I had learned a bit more about breastfeeding while I was pregnant. I have since found some helpful videos on YouTube from Bridget Teyler and others that I wish I had watched those last few days waiting for my baby to come! I was very prepared for all things birth, but a bit underprepared for what came next.

Number one birth or postpartum book recommendation for a parent, and why?

Expecting Better by Emily Oster was a fantastic resource for me because she takes all the data and explains it in such a way that a non-researcher can understand. I love how she challenges the social norms we have around pregnancy. She has a postpartum one too: Crib Sheet.

Currently Serving | Birth & Postpartum Clients located in Dallas County, Denton County, Tarrant County, Rockwall County, & Collin County.