New Life.

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The first moments where mom and babe are skin to skin and the world pauses for a moment to embrace the gift of new life. The blessed beginning of a tiny human.

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After all the sweat and tears and the process of pain, comes a purpose like no other. A purpose that lasts a lifetime. A purpose that partners with the hand of God.

What a blessing it has been to serve as a part of this process for so many families as their doula. To help prepare and advocate. To remind them of the divine purpose of the process of pain. To give dad the permission to cry when he meets his sweet child. And to remind momma of her strength and partnership with God in such a beautiful gift.

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The process has looked different every time and I am continually amazed at the gift that I have in joining people in this unordinary, vulnerable, intimate space….that I would have the honor of reminding them of the purpose of the pain, the truth of God’s word in those moments of despair, and the miracle that they are witnessing in the blessed beginning of new life.

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This gift of being a doula, of supporting families through the process of childbirth, it’s challenged me to see life in a new way. To see life as a gift. To see the actual beauty in the struggle. Because without the struggle and the process of pain, we can’t fully experience the depth of divine purpose and intention.

Being a doula has not only given me the gift of supporting families in such a way, but it’s given me the perspective for my own life, that the struggle is necessary in order for me to acknowledge and feel the depth of purpose in and through it all.

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This position as a doula has brought about friendships that will last a lifetime…children’s names penned in my doula journey, of which I pray for continually…life perspective and an immeasurable sense of joy and inspiration.

So sure, those labors that lasted 39 hours were exhausting and those countless nights of waking up at 1am to assist a client were rough, and the times when I was stretched to be the voice of assertiveness to gently direct the nurses and doctors in the client’s preferences, and the times I had to learn to balance the 1am labor calls with the preparation for college tests the next day….but the gift that it has given to me has been immeasurable.

And now I get the extreme blessing and honor of getting to know these precious little ones as they continue to grow and develop. Smiles and laughs and all the firsts…

Thank you to each family who has given me the blessing and honor of supporting you through the process of childbirth. What a beauty that you have brought to my life. Thank You. You have aided in the blessed beginning of the rest of my future and my passion to become a nurse-midwife.