Before I became a doula, I was a bankruptcy attorney.

I met with clients, filed their cases, and accompanied them to their trustee meetings. In most situations, the client only had to attend one meeting. I knew this process inside and out. I had done it hundreds of times. It was almost like breathing.

My clients, however, had not done this hundreds of times. Most of them were scared and embarrassed. They didn’t understand what was going to happen or why it was happening, and they felt overwhelmed before we ever walked into the room.

Technically, my job was to file their bankruptcy. But my calling was something more: to guide them through the process, to demystify it, and to help them understand what was happening so they didn’t feel alone or afraid.

Labor and delivery units in hospitals are very much like this.

The nurses and providers have seen hundreds—sometimes thousands—of births. They know what progress looks like. They can glance at a monitor, assess your contractions, check your cervix, and confidently say, “You’re doing just fine.”

But you haven’t done this hundreds of times.

This may be your very first labor. You read the books. You watched the videos. Maybe you even took a childbirth education class. You thought you understood what was coming.

What you weren’t prepared for was this level of intensity.

You weren’t prepared to think, I must be almost there, only to hear that you’re four centimeters dilated. You weren’t prepared for vomiting, or shoulder pain, or back pain that feels unbearable. Something feels wrong, so you tell the nurse you’re concerned.

She smiles kindly and says, “You’re doing just fine.”

But it doesn’t feel fine.

Even as you try to believe her, your body is screaming, This is not fine. You can’t remember your coping strategies. You’re shaking with adrenaline—the hormone that tells your body it’s time to fight or run away.

And when adrenaline takes over, labor can slow. Baby may show signs of distress. Now the room feels different. The nurses are concerned. Interventions are suggested—Pitocin, an epidural—right now. Whether you hoped for an unmedicated birth or planned to wait until transition, suddenly it feels like getting on the bed for that epidural is the safest choice.

Because this doesn’t feel fine.

This feels dangerous.

Enter the doula.

A doula listens carefully to what the nurses are saying and explains what their assessment actually means. She reminds you where you are in the process. She offers coping techniques when your brain can’t access them anymore. She helps calm the adrenaline and encourages the hormones that tell your body it is safe—safe to relax, safe to open, safe to birth your baby.

My bankruptcy clients often thanked me because they had met with other attorneys who left them more confused and frightened than when they started. My role was never just paperwork—it was reassurance, clarity, and steady guidance through the unknown.

That is what a doula does, too.

Your doula helps you understand what is happening, why certain procedures are being suggested, and what your options are. She helps you cope with labor—not just physically, but emotionally. And there is nothing more reassuring than knowing someone knowledgeable, calm, and completely on your side is there with you, every step of the way.

If you’re preparing for birth and want someone by your side who can help you make sense of what’s happening, calm the fear, and support you through every stage of labor, I would be honored to support you. You don’t have to navigate this unfamiliar experience alone.

Reach out today to learn how doula support can make a difference in your

birth.