Growing up, all I knew about pregnancy and birth were horror stories from my mom about her emergency c-section with me. I was terrified and sure I would never want to put myself through the horrors of labor and delivery, afraid I wouldn’t be able to. I just didn’t think I could. But I’ve always loved babies. They called me the “little mother” when my brother was born 21 months after me. At my mother’s La Leche League meetings, I would pretend to nurse my baby doll while my brother nursed from my mom. Nurturing has always been an important part of my life.

I’m not a mom yet, but I met a woman in 2007 who was a doula and she radically altered everything I thought I knew about birth and pregnancy. Before I knew it, I was devouring books on natural childbirth and found myself so fascinated. Eventually I realized that helping pregnant moms was something I wanted to do, too.

I am going to take a doula training class this summer and start on the official journey toward helping moms and families. I’m so excited!