My Story: How Did I Get Here?

It was recommended to me that I tell my story of how I got to be a doula. I thought this was a great topic, since I am often asked this at interviews! So, here is my story!

I was sitting on the beach with my great friend, Mary, one day. We try to get to the beach whenever we can! She was telling me about the doula training she had recently taken and it sounded fascinating! I was very happy for her that she had found out about this work. We didn’t have doulas when we were having our babies back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I already had a job as an office manager for a physician, so I certainly wasn’t thinking about switching careers, but I filed away our conversation in my memory bank. Fast forward and I am working again as an office manager for a physician’s group after I had recently moved to Philadelphia. This time, I found myself managing adults who were acting like children and I grew tired of it. Surely there must be something better for me out there, something that I would feel passionate about. And then it came to me! I started thinking back to my conversation with Mary and thought, you know what? That work sounds amazing and sounds like something I would be very passionate about, and very rewarding and fulfilling. So I touched base with Mary again about how to get started, signed up for the DONA training that was offered back in August of 2012, and I jumped in, feet first, into the training at that time. I trained and certified as a birth and postpartum doula with DONA. This would be the most fulfilling and rewarding career I have ever had in my life, and I have had many jobs over the years. Fast forward to today, 9 years later, and I am still doing this work, although I am now concentrating on the postpartum part of my business. I have never been happier in my work and can never thank my friend enough for pointing me in this direction. She told me I would be good at it. Sometimes our friends know us better than we know ourselves! Thank you Mare!!