About Active Peace Maternity & massage

Why & How Did You Become a Doula?

I get asked this a lot, and my journey is quite different from many doulas I know. While many say, "I've always loved birth and always wanted to be a doula," for me, birth work was thrown at me, lol. I initially went to massage school to become a sports massage therapist. During the hands-on portion of the training, a pregnant student needed a partner, and most of my classmates were hesitant. So, I volunteered, thinking, "We have an instructor to ensure safety, so why not?" After that, I kept getting paired with pregnant students. When the student clinic started, my schedule filled up with pregnant clients the other students didn't want to work on. I completed all my clinic hours in the first two weeks of the six-week clinic because of all the pregnancy massages I did!

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My program director suggested I focus on prenatal massage instead of sports. With my diploma and massage license in hand, I pursued additional trainings in prenatal and postpartum massage, with a focus on labor and high-risk pregnancy massage. As I gained more experience, clients started scheduling massages while they were in the hospital, either on bedrest or in labor. That's when I first heard the word "doula." Nurses would ask, "Are you the doula?" and I'd reply, "No, just the massage therapist. I have no idea what a doula even is, lol."

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After the third time hearing it, I decided to look into what a doula actually was. Reading the descriptions, I thought, "I could totally do that!" I signed up for a doula training geared specifically toward licensed massage therapists, Massage Doula Network, in October 2011 (I got my massage license in March 2011), and the rest is history! Over a decade later, I still feel it was the best decision ever because I love helping families the way I do.

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I've continued growing my knowledge and experience base since.