Pregnancy, birth, babies, and breastfeeding have had me captivated since I was a child. I felt The Lord recently invite me to marry the two passions of serving and birth together, and so Well-Watered Doula was born! My desire is to make women feel heard, safe, empowered, loved, protected, and supported in the birth experience they desire and are designed for. Without a shadow of a doubt, I believe
in a woman’s ability to give birth because of our Creator. And no matter how many times or ways you've given birth, each experience should be treated with reverence and respect. Well-Watered Doula comes from one of my favorite scriptures Isaiah 58:11, which says “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. I like to think that the Lord would use this namesake to remind the mothers I work with that no matter how “sun-scorched” they may feel in their pregnancy or labor, through His power and love He will strengthen their frame and they would BE and BIRTH like a well-watered garden, where God’s power and love never run dry. My "Why"
From the time my mother became pregnant with my sister when I was eight, I was fascinated with the beauty and wonder of pregnancy and every facet of God's design of it all. I loved that I was invited into the whole process, helping with the nursery, watching A Baby Story on TLC with my mom, and even joining her at many prenatal appointments. When my mom went into labor I even got to help write down the duration and time of contractions for her. My mom gave birth to my sister shortly after I turned nine years old, and I was there to witness it all! One nurse in particular even invited me to help angle and shine one of the lights for her during the pushing phase. I watched my sister come into the world in a very traumatic way due to shoulder dystocia and her initial APGAR score of a 1, but in the end my sister and mom were safe and healthy. Some of my earliest memories are of waiting and watching the labors of our shelties growing up. In a way, I've been a "doggie doula" for a couple decades! I learned a lot about physiological labor just from being there with our canine friends! As a kid I learned about how letting puppies nurse stimulates contractions to help deliver the placenta and bring the next puppy down. I saw puppies born en-caul and born breech. I learned how to help latch puppies onto their mama, and I even learned how to clamp, tie off, and cut their cords! I saw how the laboring shelties wanted to feel safe in their environment, not wanting other dogs or a lot of people in the room, and they only trust felt comfortable with just a few very specific people. I could see in their body language that they relaxed when we pet them and told them they were a "good girl" after contractions and when we remained a constant presence with them. All of it left a lasting impression on me and further deepened my interest in birth over the years. While I do love dogs, I'm much more interested in supporting women and their families in my community. In a way, I feel that birth is a once in a lifetime experience. Sure, some women have lots of babies! I just can't help but think of those who may not have been able to conceive their own children and those whose previous birth experiences were traumatic or left them feeling dissatisfied. Every pregnancy is a miracle, and I honor it as such! My heart is to make you feel heard, safe, empowered, loved, protected, and supported in your birth experience. No matter how many times you've given birth, each experience should be treated with reverence and respect. I'd love to partner alongside you, hear about YOU and YOUR birth wishes, and support you in your journey from pregnancy to postpartum. I see the need in our beautiful Central Coast for doulas. I feel the need for intercessory prayer and God's perspective to be imparted in women to believe in their innate ability to birth their babies. After all, you were designed for this! I will offer you emotional, educational, physical, and spiritual support throughout your pregnancy, labor, and early postpartum.
