Connection in Community

Today was... amazing. Simply put.

The expo was filled with countless resources and opportunities to connect with grass-roots birth workers in the community. Expecting families and birth workers alike collaborated with public health representatives to strengthen a network. I met with a community doula agency in LA that matches women at any stage of their pregnancy with a doula. Many of the families in the current Birth Womxn OC cohort showed up and left with strollers, boxes of diapers, breast pumps, you name it! It's one thing to be drawn to the work, to feel a sense of warmth at the potential of something. It's a whole other thing to witness real work being done. Equipping families with vital materials their babies will need. Additionally, meals, massages and yoga were provided throughout the weekend. Families spoke about their birth experience, presenters spoke about fatherhood support and postpartum education. A wealth of knowledge was sewn back into the community this weekend and I am honored to play a small part.

I had the honor of meeting Angela Brown, RN.; a Hypnobabies educator, published author and doula of many years. We talk about the importance of mentorship and how to establish a mentor. However, I experienced first-hand this afternoon what it looks like to exude the aura of a mentor. Angela spoke to me about the ways in which she instructs her students before she even know I was a new doula. Once I told her my story she was eager to ask attentive questions about my intended direction and realities of business ownership. Will she end up becoming one of my official mentors in the birthing space? Who's to say. I will report back if that becomes the case. Either way, being in the presence of a natural community leader instills a certain sense of responsibility in you. I am grateful for the wisdom she has shared with me so far in the short time we've known each other.

I'm always amazed at how being at these events never makes me feel drained. A long day of talking and matching people's energies typically leaves my cup empty. But, spending the day engulfed in what I love most ignites a fire in me I want to feel for a long time. I am nervous to get my first client as a doula, but I am confident I will provide the best possible resources to them that I can. My community of fellow birth workers spent the day telling me to be confident in myself and lean on the light I exude through my passion and love for this work. My excitement to learn and grow from my experiences as a doula overwhelms any nervous jitters. I can't ignore all positive affirmations from people I respect in my field, so I reflected deeper on why I felt so nervous. You only get to experience the birth of that child once. A woman may experience many births, but each child is only born once. Every woman deserves a birth she can hold close to her heart during late nights breast feeding and long days at work away from her baby. I feel an immense responsibility to ensure this for my clients. But, in reality, they are not there for me and I am not giving birth. The two stars of the show are mother and baby with family as supporting co-leads. It is my job to equip them with the tools to support each other in the event their medical team is not. To ground them to their deeper purpose and provide a mirror to amplify the light inside each of them.

I am grateful to be plugged into the birth-work community in Orange County and can't wait to serve in any capacity that I can.