Ah, my first blog post. The one that’s supposed to introduce me to people. What to cover first? Some things you may have already guessed, if we’ve ever met in person...middle child (obvious), Taurus (also obvious). I live just outside of Athens, GA with my supportive, fun-loving husband, our two awesome kiddos, a dog, a couple of cats, and an assortment of chickens who are mostly named after characters from my favorite podcasts (don't worry, I'm planning a completely separate, in-depth blog post about that). I love to read, I’m a bit of a science nerd, and I have what sometimes feels like an undeserved excess of totally hilarious, amazing friends and family members to share this life with. But, probably a question more pertinent to this particular blog would be, how did I become interested in doula work?
My path to becoming a doula was a winding one, but once I arrived and understood what the work really meant, I can’t say that I was surprised to find myself here. Before I moved to Athens, my heart belonged to parks and recreation. Yes, that's a real job. It was my first love, and I spent over 11 years completely smitten with my career and my colleagues. I was particularly drawn to working with teens and young adults, from middle school up through college. At first, I couldn’t have identified what it was that I loved about working with this age group, I just knew it was pure awesome and I was hooked. After years of experience and self-reflection, the things that meant the most to me became more obvious.
I love the beauty of a human being moving through a life transition. The bravery, the vulnerability, the resilience, the sadness, the discovery...and, ultimately the joy and triumph of coming out the other side a stronger, more confident version of oneself.
What’s not to love about that?
So...not really a shocker that I’m drawn to birth and postpartum work. Some people may have trouble seeing the parallels between my former career and my present one, but I don’t. I’m still allowed the privilege of giving support and bearing witness to someone’s very personal journey. I still work in a community of providers who support one another at every turn, who feel called to serve others, and who sometimes make me laugh so hard my sides hurt. And, I still have a job that makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.
You often hear doulas say that doing this job is an honor. That’s not hyperbole and they’re not just handing you the company line. We are invited to share in some of our clients’ most intimate moments and at the end of it all...there is a brand new person in the room WHO WASN’T THERE BEFORE. It never gets old. It’s completely amazing. Every. Single. Time.
So hire a doula, have a better birth, and when she heads out the door afterward and says “Thank you. It was an honor to be here.”...know that she means it.
Best wishes,
Kate
My path to becoming a doula was a winding one, but once I arrived and understood what the work really meant, I can’t say that I was surprised to find myself here. Before I moved to Athens, my heart belonged to parks and recreation. Yes, that's a real job. It was my first love, and I spent over 11 years completely smitten with my career and my colleagues. I was particularly drawn to working with teens and young adults, from middle school up through college. At first, I couldn’t have identified what it was that I loved about working with this age group, I just knew it was pure awesome and I was hooked. After years of experience and self-reflection, the things that meant the most to me became more obvious.
I love the beauty of a human being moving through a life transition. The bravery, the vulnerability, the resilience, the sadness, the discovery...and, ultimately the joy and triumph of coming out the other side a stronger, more confident version of oneself.
What’s not to love about that?
So...not really a shocker that I’m drawn to birth and postpartum work. Some people may have trouble seeing the parallels between my former career and my present one, but I don’t. I’m still allowed the privilege of giving support and bearing witness to someone’s very personal journey. I still work in a community of providers who support one another at every turn, who feel called to serve others, and who sometimes make me laugh so hard my sides hurt. And, I still have a job that makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.
You often hear doulas say that doing this job is an honor. That’s not hyperbole and they’re not just handing you the company line. We are invited to share in some of our clients’ most intimate moments and at the end of it all...there is a brand new person in the room WHO WASN’T THERE BEFORE. It never gets old. It’s completely amazing. Every. Single. Time.
So hire a doula, have a better birth, and when she heads out the door afterward and says “Thank you. It was an honor to be here.”...know that she means it.
Best wishes,
Kate
Photo credit: EarlyGirl Photography
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