I am a wife and a mother, and a certified birth nerd.

 

I’ve been a birth nerd since I attended my first birth at the age of 10- a beautiful homebirth of a family friend. I was captivated by the strength and power of the mother, and noticed just how many women were in that home, surrounding her with care and support. My memory of this formative experience holds no fear- this was a miraculous thing, but somehow simultaneously an ordinary one. This mom had given birth before and trusted herself and her team. I am so thankful for her decision to welcome myself and my sisters to that space to witness her in her glory. 

 

Fast forward to my teen years, and my Instagram feed is full of birth- photographers, midwives, birth stories, and eventually doulas. Discovering the vocation of a doula- that someone can actually make a career out of helping women give birth and being welcomed into that miraculous space- felt too good to be true. “It would be my dream to be a doula someday” I tucked away into my back pocket, but surely, I thought, I must pursue something more serious first. 

 

After a few years in the social work and nonprofit world, I was burned out. During a conversation in her kitchen, Maggie reminded me, as best friends often do, of that dream I had tucked away. She asked when I would actually take the leap and pursue my dream to be a doula. She even said she’d help me make the business work. So, thanks to Maggie’s belief in me and her bravery, we took the leap- got trained and certified, and started building Common Grace Birth Support.

 

In August of 2023, I welcomed my daughter Mercy into the world through a beautiful home birth, with Maggie by my side as my doula, my husband and mother holding me, and a wonderful midwife team watching over. It was simultaneously the hardest and best thing I have ever done, and has left a lasting mark on my life. These formative experiences have forged in me a belief about birth that is rooted in trust. 

 

I believe that God designed birth to function beautifully, that it is meant to empower women as they become mothers. I want to see women enter the challenge of motherhood feeling strong and knowing that they are trustworthy to parent this child. I believe this has less to do with specific outcomes of their birth— since birth is as diverse as the women who journey through it— but more to do with the way that families are treated during the journey. The way people are treated during birth will deeply impact their self-perception as either strong, capable, and wise, or discouraged, disrespected, confused and exhausted- right at the start. It is my absolute privilege to help families grow in the former- stronger than they were before, through surrounding them with love and support during these moments of a lifetime.