Last week I was leaving a postpartum visit with a client and she quietly mentioned not liking to say goodbye and even though they aren't planning on having more children she preferred to say something like 'see you around'. I smiled and said something about maybe how I hoped to see them again and how I'm open to birthday party invitations. "Take care, hope to see you soon," were my departing words as I waved goodbye from the sidewalk. 

All week this image sat with me...how people come into my life and I into theirs to share this incredibly personal, private, and transformational event and then within a couple of weeks we part ways. Most of the time that's it. We may see each other around town and occasionally a friendship is struck. Maybe they are expecting again in a couple of years and I am invited to share again as they grow into a new and larger family. 

I do love seeing some of these babies grow on Facebook and through that medium I can glance into the lives of these families. And I do get invited to first birthday parties from time to time.

Overall though I'm awestruck with the honor and responsibility that come with this unique career. Thanks to the families who make it possible and to my family for being so supportive!

I am not "on call" right now. Meaning I don't have any moms-to-be between 38-42 weeks of pregnancy, waiting for "the time". February has been a universe-inspired time for me to not be on call for the first time since a week at the beach in August. And it's an odd feeling.  

Many people express disbelief when I talk about my schedule..."I can't imagine living that life!" is something I hear often. I realize that for now, I cannot imagine not living this life. I adore the work I do and manage to thrive on the unpredictability of the schedule. I have a dedicated partner, wonderfully involved parents and a network of incredible friends and family members, all of whom are willing to support this work that I get to do. I also have two incredibly understanding children, who give me the most lovely hugs when I get home, asking "Was it a boy or girl?".

I really love the on call life. Yes, it's tough never knowing when I may have to duck out of an event I've been looking forward to (or miss it all together). I remember as a greener doula, I would be so nervous that at any moment I might get a call saying "Come now." But really, those calls are extremely rare. You get notice that someone may need you, sometime...will it be this afternoon, tomorrow or not until the weekend?? So nowadays I just live my life. I go about my activities. I take day trips. I stay up late. I sleep when I can. And it all works out.

It was also challenging to get used to heading out with no sense of when I might be back. I used to try to estimate how long I thought I'd be gone. Now I've learned better. I say, "I have to leave. I will be back in 4-48 hours. I love you all and will be in touch." 

As any doula can attest (and most parents, I think, would agree), time feels different when you are at a birth. One hour blends into another, the sun rises, the sun sets, the nurses change shift, you fill water cups, you rub backs, you smile understandingly at partners, you catch cat naps sitting in a chair and eventually (sometimes quickly, sometimes very slowly) there is a new baby being welcomed. 

I cannot deny that this is hard work, sometimes mentally, sometimes physically, sometimes both but it is also fulfilling and meaningful work. I had the honor of supporting over fifty families in the last year and half as they welcomed their new babies into the world. Each birth was as special and unique as each of those babies.

I cannot write of my love for this on call work without mentioning my love for my back ups. I am so blessed to be one of five doulas in the B-more Birth Doula Collaborative. It is not an overstatement to say that I could not do this work without them. Not only because I have a qualified doula that can go to a client for me, if for any reason I cannot. But also because I can call them at any hour to discuss a tough situation I might be in and rely on their expertise and objective view. And I can decompress with them after a birth and know that they will hold everything I have said in confidence and without judgement. We also have some great girls nights out!

So, I will enjoy this next week or so I have left of being off call. I will teach and work on curriculum and not stress if my phone's battery runs out (that is life on the edge for a doula!). But I will also look forward to being back on call!

Finally getting around to starting my blog! Not that I really need another thing to do each week :-) but am excited to share my experiences and thoughts with you. 

We will explore many topics - all revolving around pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting - my passions. I'll keep this first post brief...


I read an article last night in the News-Register out of Oregon which detailed how outcomes for moms and babies in the United States are worsening. So despite all the technology we have available and use often (frequently without medical indication), there have been increasing mortality and morbidity rates for American mothers and babies. If fact, it appears that our over-reliance on these technologies that are contributing to these worrisome statistics. Read the article here: Danger in Delivery. Let me know what you think of the article and what can we do as birth workers and consumers to begin reversing these trends.