We thought it would be fun for you to get to know the Natural Baby Doulas a little bit more! Enjoy our answers to these questions about us and doula work…
Left to Right: Jessica, Jessica's baby in her belly (born June 2018), Anna (Jessica's daughter), Sarah, Rafe (Kristian's son), Kristian, and Christina
What is your favorite thing to eat after a long birth?
Christina - I wish I could have a Cook Out milkshake after every birth! But most of the time I have to decide if I’m more hungry or tired! Jessica - If it’s 11am-10pm, you’ll find me at Chipotle after a long birth. I’ll take a chicken salad with veggies, pico, cheese, and guac! If it’s in the morning, I’ll take a sausage and egg biscuit with a sweet tea.
What’s your craziest doula moment?
Christina - When a client put me in a headlock while she was pushing. Good thing she only pushed for 5 minutes!
Jessica - I officially felt like I became an experienced doula when I was squeezing a mom’s hips during an intense contraction and her water broke in a huge gush and splashed all over me!
What is your favorite thing to drink during a birth?
Sarah - Every single drop of coffee available to me.
Kristian - Water, and lots of it. Also, an occasional cup of hot coffee or tea.
How would your friends describe you?
Kristian - I had to ask my husband for these answers and he said: compassionate, knowledgeable, and giving.
Jessica - I think my friends would say that I care deeply for them. They’d probably say I’m funny and that I say EXACTLY what I’m thinking. I’ve been told I’m a good storyteller. And they know I love birth and am extremely comfortable discussing everything from mucus plugs to placentas.
What’s your favorite moment at a birth?
Sarah - Not so much at the birth, but after when a couple is looking at the pictures I took and they start to cry. I love that they are able to keep that memory alive and that they feel so positive and happy about their birth.
Christina - When a woman realizes she CAN do it!
What did you study in college and are you using that now?
Jessica - In college, I didn’t really know what to study! I knew I loved people and wanted to support people… So I ended up as a psychology major and a Spanish minor. I became a Spanish teacher and got a master’s degree in education. I love having this background as a doula because the psychology background is so helpful as I relate to clients and the education background is great for teaching clients how to prepare for their births.
Sarah - I studied Business Admin- Marketing. That was a disaster. It got really boring really quickly. I still got a minor in that since I felt like I should finish it in some way. But, my degree is in Recreational Therapy. I worked in a therapy setting in a Children's hospital for 5 years and loved it so much! I learned a lot about babies, children, and the medical/hospital setting during that time.
What’s your favorite thing you carry with you in your doula bag?
Sarah - I really like my arnica massage oil. It smells so good (never had a mom in labor not like the smell) and it is so much easier to massage a mom with that oil. Gives a very slight warming sensation and I can rub a little on my tired muscles too.
Kristian - My heatable rice pack - to help mamas when they’re having back labor!
What’s your most memorable birth?
Sarah - This is really difficult to answer once you get past 100 births. However, when I first started thinking about this, one birth popped into my mind. I have a student/client who is now also a close friend. She took my class years ago with her first baby and did not have a positive birth experience. My heart broke for her. She had a cesarean birth but that was not the primary reason she was unhappy with her experience. I saw her heal and process it all for a few years. She expressed her desire to hire me as her doula and have a VBAC many times. She became pregnant and then experienced a miscarriage and I was able to walk through that with her and support her. During that time, she once again was failed by the medical system and it broke my heart even more. Luckily, we have an amazing birth center and they set her up for an appointment just hours after I got in touch with them while she was in the processes of miscarrying and getting no support from her current care provider. Fast forward to months later, she was pregnant again! She worked harder than any other mom I know to make her chances of a VBAC as high as possible. As her labor started I was AMAZED at her determination, lack of discouragement, hard work, and how incredibly able she was to push out her VBAC rainbow baby in the water, at Natural Beginnings Birth and Wellness Center in Statesville. It was one of the most powerful things I have ever had the opportunity to experience.
Christina - Besides my own natural birth, which started me on the path to becoming a doula...one of the most memorable births was a second time mom who was planning to give birth at a birth center. She was having mild contractions throughout the day. But in the evening her husband called me in a panic and said her water broke and she felt the urge to push. Thank god she only lived 5 minutes from my house so I rushed over there. She was sitting awkwardly on their leather ottoman so I just slid in behind her to support her body while her husband called EMS. I coached her through pushing and tried to keep her calm. Her baby was born within minutes! It was an epic accidental home birth.
How many children do you have?
Sarah - I have 3 girls
Christina - I have 2 boys
Jessica - I have 3 boys and 1 girl
Kristian - I have 1 boy