Where would you say
at this vision of having a business with
service in dual industry came from?
Definitely my first
Daughter's birth over 32 years ago. I had a hospital delivery
I was military dependent at the time and I had an overwhelmingly positive experience. It was very challenging
But it was overwhelmingly positive and some of that was just luck. It was just luck
I had no support my husband at the time was not able to be with me for the delivery
I had my mom and my 18 year old sister there and I just
By sheer luck things went well. It was not knowledge of my own or the proper support that
Led me to realize several things one. You can have a very positive experience even in the hospital
Which was not my first choice. I had wanted to do a birth center birth or a home birth
And so I was transferred to the hospital due to some risks in my pregnancy
and also it's possible to have a
super successful happy positive birth in a setting that you didn't necessarily choose or want and
Support helps a lot
And so I wanted other women to not feel so alone in whatever their situation or choices were and that's how I got into
birth work 32 years ago
32 years of yeah
It's been a minute
So what happened after that when you got into this space? What did you do? I spent 12 years as a birth assistant
I worked predominantly with a midwifery agency. I was a lactation consultant
I ran Lilleche League meeting so I was supporting women a lot postpartum and with the breastfeeding relationship and also
prenatally in the clinic setting with midwives and at home births and I loved it after 12 years
Unfortunately, I had to take a step back from that from birth work, which was one of the most
challenging
Periods of time couple years in my adult life. I was divorced
I had moved to a new location and I needed a job that was steady income and more steady hours
Which is another reason that my vision is so important now
I I'm older my kids are mostly adults but doulas coming into the workforce have younger children and
getting that steady income so that they can actually
Be a doula as a job that contributes to the family's finances that I wouldn't have had to give it up if
Things had been like they are now back when I stopped and then a few years ago
I was really blessed to be able to go back to birth work something
I didn't think I would ever be able to do I feel very grateful. We made changes in our family dynamic
I'm remarried now and
To make that happen and I just think if I could if the process could be more
Streamlined a little faster a little easier a little more supported for the doulas
Then it's something that they could do even with a small young family