Why did you become a doula?

After experiencing the benefits of a doula first hand as a client, I knew that this career was one that would be perfect for me. My deep appreciation and respect for the people that bring life into the world and my unwavering love for babies meant that being a doula would be so personally fulfilling. I just had to find a way to make it my life.

Why did you become a doula?

I didn't know I wanted to be a doula. I saw it as a stepping stone to midwifery initially. But after taking my trainings, I fell in love with the unbiased, non-judgmental support I could provide to families of all backgrounds. Being someone who helps a new parent or family find their inner strength and confidence has been the most rewarding work of my life.

Why did you become a doula?

After having children of my own, I always knew I wanted to work with families and their babies. I didn't know what that looked like until I found out about doula work. I want to help support families during this special and vulnerable time in their lives and help them feel confident in the decisions they are making for their family.

Why did you become a doula?

I have been drawn to pregnancy, L&D, and postpartum families my entire life. When I first heard the word doula when I was 15, I knew what I would do with my life. After having my own children, experiencing two back-to-back miscarriages, and struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety, I saw firsthand the immense need for support for families experiencing the roller coaster of pregnancy and parenting and decided to take the dive into the doula world.

Why did you become a doula?

With my own birth experiences, aside from my partner, my doulas were my foundation. They were there through every change and bump in the road. I quickly realized how incredibly important this work truly is and found myself being drawn to it. I was confident that I could be a valuable asset and support system to new families during some of the most vulnerable, raw, and beautiful moments of their lives. Birth, and the early weeks thereafter, have become my passion.

After scouring Pinterest for the best advice on beach-going with a toddler (and coming up mostly empty), I turned to a pro: Jamie Summitt. Jamie, a fellow doula based in Melbourne, Florida, is a mom of two beach babes under three. And today on the blog, she’s sharing all of her best advice for actually enjoying a day at the beach with little ones.

What does your ideal Saturday look like?

I recently started to love waking up a little bit earlier than the rest of my house on Saturday’s just to get some quiet time to myself reading, drawing, or doodling. Then, the rest of the day would be consumed with spending time with my husband and our three kids. We’re either playing outside or working on some DIY projects.

My daughter recently turned 2-years-old, and I’m a functioning person with a decent amount of balance in my life. I have a job, I have friends, I go on dates with my husband, I exercise, and, most importantly, I love my daughter to pieces. We did bond, even without breastfeeding and without me being my best in the beginning.

At first it was all about the excitement, and I had lots of people checking on me and calling me. I had visitors, calls, messages, and mail from people showing their love. It was all about gazing at her little face and being in total awe that she was here, out in the real world, and I wasn’t feeling her wiggle around inside anymore. I was just recovering physically and trying to get the hang of life with a newborn.

She said we would continue talk therapy. It would help. I would slowly back off of my pumps and in June, when I weaned, I would start medication. I kept telling her I would get better if we just bought a house. If I could get organized. If Maggie would come back to the breast. If. If. If. I didn’t need medication. I would be fine. If only I could fast-forward this part of my life.