Tell us a little about yourself?

I am a mom of three grown children and three grandchildren, and wife to my husband, Charles, who is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to chasing my dreams. I have been passionate about birth for as long as I remember and when I learned the term "doula" and what it meant, I knew that was exactly what I was made for. However, life, finances and what felt like some insurmountable obstacles caused me to shelve that idea for close to 20 years. When my husband was offered a job in Seattle a few years ago, neither of us knew that move would be the thing that would catapult my forever dream into a reality. I was able to train with the best of the best in the doula community as well as provide support in top rated hospitals. Choosing to return to my home state in 2021 was a hard one in that it meant rebuilding my doula business from scratch, however, the easy part was knowing that we would be in our new grandchildren's lives on a day to day basis.

I am self professed crunchy with a side of Chikfila.....it's all about balance, right? I love a great book surrounded by silence and a comfy blanket, but I also love time with my close girl friends coupled with chips and margs (again...balance ).

Tell us a little about your practice / what it specializes in?

I am a birth, postpartum and bereavement doula. I support women as they go through their pregnancy, labor and also once they return home with a newborn. So much more goes into birth than most realize and with evidence based education coming more front and center, women want more autonomy in their birth experiences. It is my job to help by physically as well as emotionally supporting, educating and providing advocacy to ensure that the wishes are heard and respected.

As a bereavement doula, I walk beside you and your partner during one of the most painful times of your life. I make sure that you know what choices you have within the process as well as offer ways to help you memorialize your baby. Having someone there who is familiar with the procedures and can offer emotional support through all of it can make all the difference.

For the postpartum period, I offer support in the home whether it's in 4-hour daytime sessions or 8-hour overnight sessions. This can be whatever you need once you are home with your baby. Do you need to take a nap or a long, overdue shower? Do you need meal prep? Do you need additional breastfeeding support? Do you need the baby's laundry to be taken care of or your pump parts washed and sterilized? These sessions are whatever sets you up for success for the rest of the day. Or, how great does it sound for you and your partner to get 8 full hours of sleep at night? Overnight support is just that. You can choose one or two nights a week or even a single night every other week to get a full recharge. It can be a priceless thing to give yourselves.

What is your WHY?

I would not say that I had traumatic birth experiences, but I definitely wished I had been more informed of my rights and choices. My first birth ended in cesarean and I went on to have two successful VBACs. I am proud of that and I fought for them the entire way. I want to make sure that women have someone to walk alongside them in the most precious times of their lives. I want to make sure that they know what questions to ask their provider, and prepare them for labor in the best way possible so that they do not have any regrets. I want to empower them to realize that their bodies were made for birth and I want to cheer them all the way.

What do you do with your time?

This job demands that I am on call for a lot of the time. I try to balance my work and my family life. When I am not going to prenatal appointments (there are 2 prenatals and 1 postpartum visit in my doula package), or teaching childbirth classes (I offer private, in-home classes), I am spending time with my husband and my wheaton doodle pup, Mollie. We also spend as much time as we can with our three grands who are all under the age of 2.

I am also a huge advocate for self care so after a birth, I love getting massages or just having a nice long soak in an epsom salt bath and some candles.

Your fav spot to hangout in the Rocket City?

I don't feel like I "hang out" much anymore but my husband and I are huge foodies who love to try new restaurants all the time. We love Salt Factory Pub, Saza, Bubby's Diner and of course fajitas at Phil Sandoval's. We also love a good market so you will often find us at the Mid City Sunday market.

What's the best way for people to reach out to you?

You can find me most days on Instagram @paigeyourdoula sharing labor tips and a sneak peak into my day to day life. On Facebook, you can follow me @Imaginebirthdoula. If you are interested in my services or finding out if your due date is available, check out my website at imaginebirthdoula.com.