Planning For Your Fearless Homebirth
Did you plan your birth before you even planned on becoming pregnant?
I think most people don't but if you know my guest, Ashton Scott, that's exactly what she's doing!
Here are some topics we touch on throughout our magical conversation:
🔥 How to normalize birth to our current and future generations
🔥 Becoming a birth doula even though Ashton has no children... yet!
🔥 What twilight sleep is
🔥 How birth has changed in the past 100 years and why
🔥 Being in charge of your own birth and so much more!
This episode is everything and I'm so excited for you to dive into it!
Grab this free guide to have a fearless birth! CLICK HERE!
Connect with Ashton ⤵️
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashton.scott_/
Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.Ovaryaction/
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Theovaryaction
Resources:
The Business of Being Born - This movie is a MUST-see!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's Connect!
✨ The Birth Junkie Website: www.birthingcometrue.com/thebirthjunkiepodcast/16
✨ Follow me on Instagram: @thebirthjunkiepodcast
✨ Check out the transcript here! Planning For Your Fearless Homebirth
✨ If you’d like to be a guest: Fill this out!
✨ A topic you’d like for me to dive into: Fill this out 😊
I'd so appreciate it if you'd rate and review this show wherever you're listening from. I'm grateful you've taken time out of your day to listen, thank you!
Transcript: Today I have an exciting conversation. Well, I'm very excited about it. And I have the amazing Ashton on.
And we're just gonna go ahead and jump right in. So if you can just go ahead and give like a little intro of yourself. So people know like what you do and all that good stuff. Totally. So, I'm Ashton. Um, I am located in the Raleigh Durham Triangle of North Carolina. I am a birth doula as well as a placenta encapsulation specialist.
I, uh, teach yoga, specifically prenatal and postpartum yoga. Um, I am also, what else do I do? I, I'm also the host of The Ovary Action, which is my own podcast and, um, Petra was actually on and had an incredible episode that, I mean, it's just so good. So I'm really excited to be connected with her again on her own platform.
Yes, I know me too. I've been so excited to have this conversation ever since we talked with, you know, during my episode for your podcast. I was like, oh my gosh, we have to definitely get together again and talk some more. Full circle. Yes, yes. Um, so how long have you been and placenta encapsulator? Yeah, so, so I certified as a birth doula through ProDoula.
Um, and my certification was a weekend that was, I think it was like the first weekend of March in 2020. So, I, I was at, uh, my, my certification like weekend where we were doing an in person class and got a little hands on, that kind of thing. And. As I was there certifying is when talk started circulating about, are we about to shut down everything?
Um, and then we did. So, so while I certified in early 2020, um, I actually was able to start practicing as a doula and taking on clients, um, a little over a year ago now. And then placentas have sort of made their way into my scene over the past six months or so. I, um, sort of picked that up and just am like swimming in placentas all the time now it seems.
I'm a placenta nerd, so I love everything. They're so cool. Yes, they are. So what was it that drew you to birthwork? Yeah, I, you know, I was thinking about this question. I recently had someone ask me this, and, and sort of in preparation to talk about it here, too. I, it, it is such a, I feel like it's such a difficult question to answer for a lot of birth workers, because While, like, there are avenues where I can see that it, like, showed up in my life, for some reason, it was just in me.
Like, I don't know how to fully explain it. It was just sort of there. Um, that said, some of the avenues, I am the oldest of six, and, um, that is in my...
Um, and I was just kind of growing up around pregnant folks all the time. Um, and I just found it so fascinating. My, uh, my grandmother is actually a nurse. And she spoke a lot about just medicine in general. Um, and so she would almost start conversations at like get togethers or family reunions where all of the women of my family would sit around our dining room table and, and just sort of.
Chat about health and wellness all together. Um, and then, of course, along the way, Pregnancy and their births would kind of come up. Um, I was like the weird kid who was trying to get in on the conversation while all my cousins are out playing or like, uh, hanging out with each other, playing games. I'm like trying to sit at the, the adults table to talk about their birth with them.
Um, yeah, for some reason it was just... There. It just drew me in and I knew growing up that I just loved the space. I loved that space, talking about it, the community, talking about it, um, as well as, like, just, just as I started to get older and was being presented with the question of, what are you going to do with your life?
I was like, I have no idea because I want to be in this birth space. I guess I'm going to be an OB. You know, you go to the thing that you know. So I did research on becoming an OB and what life as an OB actually looks like, um, and in doing that research, I discovered that that didn't really fit with me, um, just, it just didn't jive, um, and so I was like, okay, well, that's fine, I'll be a midwife, because you go with what you know, you jump to the next thing, and, um, again, in doing research and, um, understanding their actual role is, you know, It's a beautiful role and it just doesn't, it didn't check all of my boxes.
Um, I think a lot of times doulas and midwives are sort of in the same conversation. And so, in that, um, research of midwifery, I came across the word doulas. Or at the time I was like, doula, dowla, dola, because I've never heard of them before. Like, what, what is this? Right. Um, so I dove into research about doulas.
And. It just, check, check, check, check, check, emotional support centered around the parent, um, physical support, also being in the birth space, so like, it's checking that box of, for some reason, I just have this passion in me about it, um, but also I get to support the people who are there, um, you know, growing up, again, in those conversations, a lot, uh, something that sort of was present often amongst my family was, I don't know.
I don't know why we did that. I don't know why the doctor suggested that, and they just, they didn't know, um, and so that was just sort of acceptable and normal, um, to just not know or not even know to ask questions. So, there's another box to check was, uh, doula work and, um, making sure that the parents I work with know, um, their, Informed they feel empowered through information and the ability to ask questions to get more information wherever they need it.
Oh my goodness. I love all that. Like, you typically don't hear about people being so obsessed with learning about birth before they've even had children or as they're a child trying to get in on these adult conversations. I love that so much. And so, once you became a doula, did that change your view of birth than what you had previously thought about it?
Yeah, for sure. So that I, I noticed that shift starting to change as I did research, um, into what even doula work was, um, in the same vein that, that like, um, midwives and doulas are sort of lumped together, you also see it. The word home birth start to be lumped in as well. Um, and I remember I was like 18.
And that's when I discovered the word doula. Discovered what, what they are, what we are. And, um, then in that research found out people do home birth. Um, before even, Before then what I knew about home birth was, you know, like the quirky side friend in the movies that are like, oh, yeah, I do. I had my babies at home and everyone's like, well, that's weird.
You shouldn't do that. That's unsafe. Um, and I don't have any home birth stories in my family. It's all I'm a hospital baby. All my siblings, cousins, grandparents, everyone. Um. And so, yeah, discovering home birth and that it's actually something people do today, um, that really shifted what I thought about birth altogether.
Um, I think that the fascination with birth even as a child was, was there because it just seemed so Normal, like it just see it seems so like, yeah, this is just something that we do. It's just something that our bodies do. And, um, to have that, that already that seed sort of planted and then watered by these YouTube videos of home births.
And, um, yeah, yeah, I actually have a picture. I think I was about 16 or 15 or 16 in the picture. Um, I like sat out on, on our porch with my stepmom and we were talking about birth and she's like, look up a birth video. I was like, okay. And there's a picture of my reaction to a very first, the very first birth video I've ever seen.
And I'm like, curled up and I'm like covering my face with my hand and my eyes are wide. And it's so funny to look at that now because. I'm like, yeah, same. Yeah, that's pretty much me at every birth. I'm like, this is incredible. I love that. Yeah, because even though like birth literally happens every day, every second of the day, like it is this miraculous thing.
thing that we go through. And I know, like, I've seen, I don't even know, maybe thousands of birth videos. Yes. All of them. Yes. And still, like, especially when I watch where the parents or whoever's around is super emotional when the baby comes out, a lot of times I'll start to cry, even though I've seen.
I've seen that type of reaction every single time. Like I will cry because I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful. Yes. Or you've been with that family for the whole, like 15 minutes of the video, but for some reason you're just like, I'm so happy for you. Like you're so connected. Exactly. Oh my gosh.
Yeah. So it is a miracle. Like, birth is so amazing. And I noticed, like, there's so much that we don't emphasize on birth. Like, We emphasize the medical aspect of it, but a lot of times we don't emphasize that this is a normal physiologic process. And a lot of, I've noticed, you know, um, like my clients, the first thing that they say to me when we have a consult or when we're, you know, working towards their birth, they're scared.
There's so much fear surrounding birth, and which I've been there, like, you know, when I was preparing to have my kids, I was scared, I was like, scared to tear, because that's like the biggest thing, you know, you're scared to, you're like, you hear the comparison of you're going to birth a watermelon. Yeah, that's scary.
And yeah, so if you, like, think about that picture, you're like, Oh my gosh, how is a watermelon gonna come out of this? But I think that's a horrible comparison, now that I know about birth. Like, the baby's body is very moldable, it's squishy, and Yeah. Like, it's, it'll mold to your body to fit perfectly. And even if you tear, like, It can be healed and you'll be fine.
Like, I tore. I had a second degree tear. I didn't even notice when it happened. Yeah. And then they just kind of, you know, stitched me up and I was good to go. Like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I, you know, and can you blame them? I mean, the way that we are taught about birth, uh, through movies and TV shows, um, I'm sure, like, we've all sort of gone there, the, the, um, Uh, the way that society presents birth is so scary if you watch the one scene in, uh, what's, what is it, what to expect when you're expecting, or no, it's, uh, knocked up.
Oh my gosh. It's like traumatizing. So, of, of course if you're going into birth and that is what you're expecting, it's so scary. Um. I think it's also important to highlight that for some reason that I cannot understand, when someone meets a pregnant person, the first thing that they like to do is give unsolicited stories that are just horrifying.
And, and I think You know, I don't know if it's to get a sense of community, or if it's a, this happened to me, and then it was sort of brushed off, which happens so often, um, or, or what it is, but it's, it's, it's something that, like, I think has to be approached softly, because, um, To sort of trauma dump on a pregnant person really sucks for the pregnant person who then takes the those stories They're in her brain.
They're in the brains of the pregnant people who are going to go give birth but then also being soft with that person who's Doing the dumping because if you're if you're sharing that that terrible experience It is a terrible experience and I am so sorry that happened to you and I I want to be able to hold space for you to Work through that.
Yeah, so so it's so difficult because like you have to stop doing this you have to stop sharing these scary scary stories and I even advised some of my clients to set that hard boundary of If, if you're gonna, Hey, whoa, is this a good story? Is this a scary story? If it's scary, I really don't need to hear it because I don't need to bring it into my birth space or into my like energetic field.
Um, I've had some clients who say like, Oh, but I'm not comfortable with that. And so their, their, uh, partner will say, well, that's fine. Cause I'll step in and I'll, I'll tell them like, no, no, no, no. We're not bringing that over here. And, and it's. It's important. It's so hard to, to come in and, and sort of come into the birth space as a birthing person.
Filtering through, not only knocked up, but also your grandma's friend's terrible experience. Twilight birth or whatever. Like, something that's so terrible. Yeah. So, so it's, yeah. It's, it's something that I don't, I don't blame them for being afraid. Right. And I think, you know, growing up in, In my family, it was sort of presented as, yeah, well, it's nothing to be afraid of because we all survived and we're fine, but also in my family, we don't do the whole emotional, emotional side of things or like, uh, emotional trauma discussions, um, which is just as present or just can be just as present in the birth space, um, especially if you start dating back, like my grandmother's, uh, time period of giving birth, So, uh, having those stories passed down and sort of cycled through, and there are so many scary ones out there, there are so many beautiful ones, there are so many lovely ones, there are so many triumphant ones, empowering ones, so many births that, um, Can have completely reshaped the way that I look at birth and the way that I hope to achieve in my own, um, because those have just overpowered the fear that was sort of instilled in to me as, as a young kid.
Um, so working through those individual fears, I will also say like, I, I see that a lot with my clients too. We go in for a prenatal and we start talking about, um, what are your goals? And I always get, well, I just, I want everything to be healthy and I want everyone to be okay. And I'm like, yes, that is understood.
We are, that is like, yep, a goal that should be unspoken. We, we're all on that same page. Absolutely. Right. But you feel the urge to just make that known that, you know, because of whatever, whatever stories you may have heard. I just, I just want everything to be happy and healthy, whatever that means, whatever it takes to get there, we'll do it.
And then I'm like, yes, agreed, agreed. So how can we make this an experience for you that when you go to tell the story, it makes people cry and happy tears. Yeah. And makes you, makes them beam and get excited and feel empowered. So what goals can we set to reach that? Um. I will say too like information is power and education is power and a lot of the fears it's incredible to kind of move through a prenatal appointment with a client and watch those fears start to fade away as they have someone to answer questions for them and not make them feel dumb or make them feel small, um, but they have someone to To ask those questions, they're getting an honest answer.
They're getting, um, hopefully evidence based answers and, um, answers that center them and their goals and, and how we can make it, make it a magical and empowering experience for them. Um, so yes, and in. A long story short, a rambling way, as I do, um, information and getting your questions answered can really help, um, alleviate fears as well as surrounding yourself with empowering birth stories, um, happy birth stories, allowing yourself to filter through.
If you, if you are listening, I have, um, like, I have a podcast that has been one of my go to favorites for years now, that if I read the description, if something in it just feels a little like it doesn't really, it's something I can't handle that day, I take care of that mental health there and skip it.
And, and, and just, I don't know, giving yourself the permission to filter that. Um, yeah, it'd be really helpful in alleviating fears. I think, yeah, yeah, no, and I totally agree. And I don't feel like you're rambling. I feel like you have touched on so many key points. It's like when somebody tells us a birth story, they're trauma dumping on us because they went through this traumatic experience.
And obviously they have not resolved that experience in themselves. So they're projecting that onto somebody else because they don't know what else to do with it. Yeah. And you know, like another thing you said, the twilight sleep. And if you don't know what that is, it was where they gave the mother this medication and she would not remember her birth.
She was still, uh, how would you say it? She, uh, she was still reacting and, you know, doing like kicking. I know I've heard kicking and flailing. They would tie them down. She wouldn't remember. Any of that. She wouldn't even remember her baby coming out. In a lot of instances, they would just put this baby and be like, here's your baby.
You birthed your baby. And that's horrible. Like, yes, that's horrible. And that's as close as our grandparents. Like that was our grandparents who then passed down stories. So they need, they have to resolve that or have someone to talk to about it because that's horrible. Exactly, and it's crazy because hospital birth hasn't become so mainstream, I mean it's what, the past 100 years I think it is that hospital birth has become mainstream, and it started to become mainstream because it was for the rich, because they wanted to give birth in a clean quote unquote quote unquote.
clean space, not at home. And so it was this thing to be revered like a hospital birth. So then that's how people started with hospital birth. And now it's like the minority is having a home birth when that's where we started. It's like, how do you think our ancestors from hundreds and thousands of years ago gave birth.
They didn't have these fancy hospitals. They probably gave birth outside next to a river or wherever it happened. So anyways, yeah, I think it's so important to remember all that stuff coming into this because in our generation, this is all we know. All we know is what we've been fed, and so we have to, I feel like, if we're triggered by something or fearful by something, sit down and really think about, like, where is this fear coming from?
Where did I learn this? Because fear is learned. I think, I think it's, we're born with two fears, the fear of falling and I think the fear of loud noises. Yeah, I believe that's right. Okay, so every other fear we have... is learned. So we just have to really focus and unlearn that so we can have these blissful births and not to say that things can't go awry, like that's why we do have these medical interventions when it's truly an emergency.
But until then, it's like, we got to really focus and hone in on ourselves. Gosh, I feel like. Touched on so many good points and I just wanted to roll off of them. But thank you. I'm glad I can hear myself talking and I'm like, you've been talking for a really long time. I, I completely agree. And I think we're, we are sort of in a privileged.
Place in time where we're able to sort of make that decision, um, and and look inside of ourselves and say, do I feel safer at home? Do I feel safer at a hospital? Where can I like? We're mammals, you know? So mammals, a deer is going to. Give birth, preferably, uh, in the dark, and away from people, and if they hear a, the slightest sound, then, okay, we have to, we have to stop and pause, because it's our baby, and we have to protect it, and, um, we're mammals, so, so we love to feel comfortable, and when you talk about oxytocin production in labor, um, you, you can produce the most oxytocin when you feel safe, And when you feel comfortable, and if that's in a hospital, let's get you there.
Let's do that. And let's, let's set up your room with your twinkly lights and your, your fun playlists and, and all the things that you need, um, to feel safe and feel comfortable. Or let's do the same thing at home. Like, let's do it where you, where you need to be. So I think we do live in a fantastic place in time where we're able to kind of make that decision.
And also, um, the way you were talking about hospitals were for the rich, that was for the rich, and some, and, and no, by no means am I saying birthing at a hospital is now cheap, because it's definitely not, um, and that, uh, That's a rant I could get on, but I'll, I'll leave it. I hear ya. I hear ya. Um, um, it's in me, but I'll, I'll hold it off for now.
It's not cheap to, to give birth at a hospital. Um, but also, like, Home births are made so, now, they are, uh, also very expensive. Um, we, I live in the state of North Carolina, where we have eight total, in the state, midwives who can deliver at home. So, home birth here, because we, our laws are very, very strict where we, you only have CNMs, only certified nurse midwives, no, um, CPMs, and also most of the CNMs end up just kind of working with, uh, like a midwifery group that, Delivers at the local hospitals, um, which could be amazing for exactly, like I said, you want a hospital experience, but something that's a little more like holistic or um, uh, kind of in that, in that vein, then that's great to have them there.
Unfortunately, then they, they are tied to like hospital policy and, and that kind of thing. Um, and so the laws in my state in particular are so strict and it makes home birth. Damn near impossible to come across and, um, so anyway, it's, it's, um, it's also, now it's just kind of like birth is expensive no matter where you go, um, and pay for your midwife and pay for your whatever and, and, um, assuming that you live in a home where it makes sense to even set up where you've got like space and, and you do feel comfortable and safe and, um, So, um, yeah, a anyway.
Yeah, no, and I think, like, there's some companies that are coming up with different ways to help pay for that kind of stuff. Like, to have a home birth with a midwife, if that's what you choose. Like, I don't know if you've heard of them, but Be Her Village. Yes, that's what I was gonna, I was gonna be like, okay, because they're so amazing.
I feel like I talk about them so much now because I also hear, you know, when we're talking about birth and getting support, cost, you know, that's a big one, which I totally get it. Like, I completely get it, especially when you're pregnant and then you're anticipating not being at work for months or however long it might be after your birth.
That's a real. Decision, a big decision to make, but I know Be Her Village, like, it's like a registry, but for services, and I think they're doing such amazing and needed work for everybody. Yes, I absolutely agree. Hearing about them just completely changed, it was one of those things that changed the way that I'll approach my own pregnancy, is, you know what, like, I, don't give me all the clothes, I appreciate it, that's incredible, but like, help me pay for my doula, help me pay for my midwife, help me pay to set up my home for a home birth, help me pay for prenatal massage, and, uh, chiropractor work, and, like, help me, because, yeah, the prenatal services are, which wildly expensive.
And so, so many of us go without, um, go without a doula there to support. And, uh, as a doula myself, the flip side of the cost is, like, Make us making a living to also like pay just to live so so it's also a delicate balance of approaching that with with softness and kindness and and trying to find the balance of like I Also have to feed my family, but I don't I want it to be Accessible for you because doulas are, doulas are incredible.
I said it as a doula. They're incredible and everyone deserves a doula. Yeah, and I agree. Like, I had a doula at my fourth birth and I feel like if I would have had a doula at my first birth, I would have avoided all of my unnecessary cesareans and I would have had. Like a much better experience because I would have had this expert in birth that I knew nothing about at the time.
I feel like that could have definitely changed, you know, of course, we can't rewind, go back in time and change that. But, you know, now it's like now, you know, so. It's, you can change somebody else's birth, like I have three daughters, so I expect at least one of them is probably going to have kids, you know, if not all of them, so, you know, now I know all this amazing information as a doula and I feel like I can, you know, pass that on to them and then in turn they can pass that on to people they know or their own children and then we'll create this different generation of people who view birth in the way that it, I feel like, should be this beautiful, amazing miracle that doesn't need medical management and yeah, like my three year old, So I showed her the birth video of my fourth, and yes, and almost every day she goes, Mom, I want to see baby Luke born.
I want to see him come out of you. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, almost every day. I'm just letting her watch the birth video. You've created a birth junkie. Yes. Yes, yes. So I think like. Yeah, make it so that birth is not scary. It's normal, yeah. Exactly, exactly. So, you know, obviously you don't have any children of your own yet, so how has that changed your perspective on preparing for your future birth?
Yeah, so, uh, along with being obsessed with my family's births and wanting to hear all of the stories and the gory details, I, uh, have also, just as long as I can remember, have known one thing about myself, and that was that I want to be a mom. I want to have babies. I want to, um, Birth babies, like, that's just something that has always just been in me, too, but I can't really fully explain.
I love it. I carried around multiple baby dolls forever, um, and Yeah, so, so I think like growing up I would hear those stories and I didn't, I didn't have a super clear vision of what I wanted because what I was hearing versus what sort of felt right, just they weren't really lining up. Um, and so I didn't really have like a good idea.
Um, and. As I started doing research, and as I got older, and I'm, I think the birth, first birth video that I, that I saw was like a hospital birth. It's like a YouTube hospital birth. And I remember thinking, ugh. Like, like, I mean, I get it, but also like. It kind of just seems, I don't know, impersonal, um, and so yeah, doing research and looking into midwives, which is lumped in with home birth so often and, uh, a hundred thousand home birth videos later.
And I was like, all right, so I'm blowing up a pool in my living room and that's where I'll be having my baby. Thank you very much. So, um, Yeah, when I, I don't know if it's a normal thing to, to be like planning for your birth when you're not even pregnant, but like, that's what I do. So normal or not, if you're out there and you're doing the same, I am on the same page as you.
There's another, um, yeah, so which totally could just be my obsession coming through. But yeah, blowing up a pool in my living room and, and setting up the beautiful twinkly lights and, um, I would love to catch my own baby is sort of the envision or the vision that I have. I recently had a client who, she caught her own baby and I just.
I was like, well, that seems cool. And then I watched it and I was like, yeah, okay. I came home and I told my fiance. I was like, yeah, so I'll be catching my own baby. And he was like, okay, that sounds fine. Um, he also, God, I mean, bless him. And he like, when we first met, I, I was not shy about being like, yeah, so when we have kids, um, or like, we'll, we'll, that's what we'll be doing.
Um, really early on when we have kids, we'll have them at home, just so you know, and for him, he was like, okay, like, all right. Cause he's never heard of home birth or he doesn't know anyone with home birth. And, um, it's also not a nerd like me. So, um, over time I've been like, You know, pushing it more and more and getting my reasons of this is what we're doing.
And also, to be honest, uh, he'll probably agree that, um, I haven't really supplied an out or like an option of you get a say. I'm like, this is what we want to do. This is what I want to do. This is important to me to be able to, to be comfortable and, um, and yeah, have my babies at home. Um, I also, since getting into placenta encapsulation will definitely be encapsulating my own placenta.
That's another one of those things that has, that like you would see as like the weird crunchy side friend in, uh, I had a home birth. Oh, and I ate my placenta and then the crowd goes, eww, gross. Oh, yeah, even I remember I remember like them being tiny little sprinkled conversations throughout of like, yeah, that girl ate her placenta you throughout my childhood.
That's so gross. So gross. Um, of course now I'm like Oh my God. All the placenta, please. Yes. Let me encapsulate your placenta. Do you want me to show you? Like, this is where baby was? Look at all these veins. They're so beautiful. And yes, half the time the parents are like, wow, that's incredible. Let me take a picture.
And then they're like, all right, I'm gonna go now. . Yeah, you do your thing. I wanna go like watch tv. Um, yeah. Meanwhile I'm just soaking it all in. Oh, I know. I feel ya. . It's just, yeah, I don't e again, I, I don't know why. I don't know why it's in me. Um. But yeah, so, so when I think about my own birth, I do really, um, really hone in on the vision of Peaceful and, um, quiet and, um, dreamy and has the playlists and has the, um, just, just, yeah, a labor in my living room, a birth in my living room.
And, um, I have two St. Bernards, and I would love to kind of be there too, depending on. I know some people are like, yeah, my older kid, I'm afraid they would be freaked out. My dogs, I'm like, yeah, I'm a little afraid they might get freaked out. So we'll see about that. I'll wait until I'm actually pregnant to, to start worrying about that.
Right, right. Um, yeah, yeah. I, I don't know that I have, I think like, When we talk about going back to like fears and things, um, for my own, I don't really know that I have. Many. I don't feel fearful of the, of the process. I actually, I feel more fearful of not being able to find a home birth midwife. Um, especially if I happen to be in North Carolina when I'm having a baby, I, I am more fearful of not being able to achieve this because the laws here are so strict.
Yeah. So, yeah, as far as the process itself, I, I wouldn't say that I feel fearful, necessarily, about anything. I think I'm, I'm really just more excited about the idea. Um, but, yeah. Yeah, so that's, that's me like planning for my birth before I'm pregnant and I love that. No, I think that's incredible because a lot of us don't even think about it until we're actually pregnant and then we don't start seriously thinking about until we're like, About to give birth.
And then we're like, Oh my gosh, I'm freaking out. Like, yes, like, I'm actually going to have a baby. Like, yeah. So I think that's so incredible that you are like, for one in birth work. And because Normally, you know, normally, not to say that there's a specific normal, but typically people have babies before they're birth workers.
And I think that's so amazing that you were just drawn to birth work before you've even had kids. Like, that is so beautiful to me. So beautiful. I think if all of us, like, dove into birth work before we had kids, we would have such different birth experiences. Oh, that's beautiful. Well, well, thank you. I, uh, it's certainly like, yeah, it just sort of.
The stars started to align and, uh, I was just fortunate enough to, um, I don't know, have those seeds sort of watered as I grew up and then be able to totally rain shower them as I found out about DoolaWork and just kind of dive Thanks, guys. Head first and be able to dip my toes and all of the all of the random things that I like every every other I also like teach childbirth education classes and I'm taking on like newborn one on one classes.
And so it just birth workers. I think we we jump in and then we just keep rolling with it until we have touched. Everything. Oh yeah, definitely. Because I feel like that too, like once I jumped into birth work, I wanted to do everything. Like the birth and postpartum, the childbirth education, the placenta encapsulation, the newborn stuff, like everything.
Which yes is amazing, but I've noticed as I've personally gone Gone on and through this process, there's certain things that I've noticed I am super passionate about over others. And that's like what I hone in on. So I think it's important to when somebody is looking for a doula, like Try to have conversations to figure out who they are, because then you'll figure out what's most important to them and see if you guys align.
Because I know personally, like, when I take on clients, I want to make sure, like, my client feels comfortable with me, we feel comfortable with each other, because this is a once in a lifetime Like experience. Yeah. And you don't get a redo on it. Like, right. Even if you have six kids, every experience can be 1, 000% different.
So finding that support system that aligns with your values and who you are and is gonna get along with your partner if you have a partner, because that is gonna be your crew right there. Yeah. Yes. Yes, absolutely. So I was actually, I was a nanny for five years before really diving into birth work and, uh, being a nanny is such an intimate job because you are in someone's home, you are with their children all day long, um, you are doing things like it.
Implementing the rules that are around the house and also like activities and helping these little humans figure out who they are. Like it's so intimate and, uh, I kind of, I always took that same approach of, okay, but if I don't vibe with the Family, then it's just not right, you know, and, and so transitioning into doula work and bringing that along was really important, um, because if, if you think nanny work is intimate, like doula work is real intimate and, uh, gets down to the nitty gritty of your emotions and your, your mental capacity, as well as, you know, just, just witnessing a birth and.
And. So yeah, I would agree. Bringing that, rolling that over into birth work has been really important because it is a once in a lifetime. It is so intimate and being supported by someone that you feel, again, comes back to that comfort, comes back to that, um, cozy, comes back to that, what makes you feel empowered and empowerment.
Plus, being uncomfortable with your doula or being uncomfortable with someone on your support team, they just don't go. Um, it's a lot harder to feel empowered when, when you don't feel confident in your team. Exactly. So, yes, second that, absolutely, interview multiple doulas. When I do an interview with a client and they're like, we're interviewing other doulas, and they kind of like, shy away from telling you, and I'm like, please, interview everyone, because I really love you guys as people, but also, you need a doula that you feel is right.
So interview everyone that you can, and then make your decision. Yeah, I agree because I know when I was preparing for my birth with a doula, I had interviewed a couple and I remember Like after the first interview, it was like, Ooh, I feel like this is the one, like, I feel like I don't even want to do the other interviews.
So I know that, and it was the doula who, you know, actually attended my birth and it was amazing. Um, so yeah, but I think it's important to line up some interviews. You don't have to just interview one, especially if there's more than one in your area. Because, I mean, I encourage that too. Because I'm like, you know.
There's so many different personalities in this world, and not everybody's going to get along with each other. So, yeah, I think finding that person that you vibe with and feel that connection with is so important. So important. So, so important. Yeah, so if somebody were to love to connect with you, which I think they should, because you're pretty amazing.
Thank you. How would they go about doing that? Yeah, so, um, I am, you can primarily find me talking about birth work, um, on Instagram, uh, with my handle being at the. dot ovary, which is like your ovaries. So O V A R Y action. Um, and yeah, so that's, that's where I post a lot about my podcasts as well as share things birth related.
Um, I have my own personal Instagrams that you can probably find by finding, finding those, but I talk a little less about birth and a little more about my dogs, uh, on the personal side of things. Um, you can find my podcast itself, um, on Spotify app. Um, there's actually a link on my Instagram where you can just sort of navigate and find it from there.
Um, yeah, uh, we're talking weekly over on, uh, on my podcast about, about birth, about all the things birth. Yeah. Um, yeah. And then if you want to connect with me on like, doula side of things, I do live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. If you're interested or like, or wanting to, um, connect with me as like a client, you can feel free to like, send me a message on that Instagram page.
I'm always in those messages. So feel free to connect there. I do also work with the agency Carolina Birth and Wellness in this area. Uh, where we have a really cool, like, team approach to, um, all things pregnancy and all things birth and postpartum. So, uh, they're a really great resource in this area for all of the things that you need.
Very cool. I love it. And obviously I'll stick all that information in the show notes so that they can easily find you. And I want to thank you so much for coming on here and sharing your perspective about birth. I love this conversation. Yes, I have too. Thank you so Thank you so much for having me on.
I'm so excited about your podcast. Thank you. Alright, I'll talk soon. Okay, bye. Oh my gosh, I feel so honored that you took the time out of your busy day to listen to that episode. I really hope that you liked it or something resonated with you or you learned something new today. Make sure to hit subscribe so that you don't miss an episode.
Go ahead and go to the show notes and click the link to connect with me. Also, I would love for you to rate and review this show. That helps more people see this show when they're searching. So, thank you so much and I hope you have a beautiful day. I will see you next week.
