Mandy'
s website can be found at: www.betterbirthdoula.com
In Bolivia soft-bodied mothers carry their young snugly around their middle in a cloth that meets in a knot at the neck.
In India, many toddlers don't wear diapers, but instead are held out over the earth when they express a need to relieve themselves.
In Thailand mothers feast on spices and chilies, with a child at their breast and no complaints of colic.
Watching the above scenarios, first hand, ultimately lead me into being a doula.
It was a couple years ago that my husband and I took off on our epic adventure- a backpacking trip around the world. As we traveled from country to country I was moved by the realization that there are indeed, so many "right" ways to have and raise a child. What started out as a traveling adventure, ended up to be much more- a schooling of cultural and tribal relationships and a lesson in mothering.
It was from an Internet cafe in India, that I signed up to begin my course as a birth doula. Several months later, when I returned home and found my course books waiting, I dove in headfirst! Thus began my love affair with assisting the simultanious birth of infants and of families. While we may cultivate our young in different manners, birth is a global issue. It is something that women across the globe share as a common bond regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic standing. Indeed, a woman's body, regardless of her citizenship, was made for this!
I spent ten years of my life as a teacher in California and am an avid advocate for education. It is for this reason, that after my initial birth doula certification, I dug deeper into the educational aspects of birth.I approach teaching from a very personal, interactive place and prefer the term "mentor" or "guide" to teacher, simply because birth is a journey that needs to be fully owned by the parents, not their doula.
I enter each sacred birth experience with a mindset of acceptance and the desire to be a source of inspiration and support to parents as they decide what is best for themselves and their family. My support comes without judgment or an alternate agenda. Every birth is a unique and for a family to invite me into this profound moment in time is truly an honor.
Mandy's Qualifications Include:
- B.A. and CA Teaching Credential
- Certified Birth Doula (CBD/ CBI)
- Certified Postpartum Doula (CPD/ CBI)
- Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor (HCHI)
- "Happiest Baby On The Block" Certified Instructor
- Many hours of additional professional education on various topics related to birth
- Active member of DASC (Doula Assosciation of Southern California)
- Member of DONA (Doulas of North America)
- Hypno-Doula (Hypnobabies)
- Hundreds of hours assisting new families during birth and the postpartum period
Please see more photos and information about me at: www.betterbirthdoula.com
