Day 23: Discovering Doulas in a Small Town

Being the mother of four boys who love comic heroes and villains, I am constantly hearing characters' origin stories -- how they became who they are. I have pulled this over to the doula world, the idea of the origin story, and it is something I love to hear: how a doula made her way into the world of serving families during birth. Emily learned about doulas but had none locally to connect with. Here she shares how she has made her way in the doula world. Enjoy her origin story!

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I grew up in a town of 10,000 people. We had 3 stoplights, five 7-11s, and both hospitals 20 minutes away. When I learned I was pregnant I began to research everything. What foods should I avoid? How active should I be? What type of birth would I have? Through my research, one term stood out to me. This word was “doula.”

It sounded like an interesting word so I dug a little deeper. The definition I found was “a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth” (Merriam-Webster). This sounded like the type of person I wanted to know! I began to find out anything I could about this seemingly magical profession. There could really be a person who is there solely to help me remain as comfortable and calm as possible during labor?

​I discovered that finding a doula wasn’t always easy. In my town, delivering in a hospital meant travelling at least an hour away. Homebirth was an option but not possible in our circumstances. On top of that, who would drive all the way here? So I came up with the next best solution. I decided to become a doula!

I poured my all into discovering the different pathways to becoming a doula. I looked at different certifying organizations and what they each had to offer. After discovering all the amazing possibilities, I decided I would become a DONA International Certified Birth Doula. Now came the fun part: immersing myself in all things birth!
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I’ve since moved to Richmond, VA. The birth community is large, and steadily growing. I’ve learned that doulas in my area work together like a large, close-knit family. Though I haven’t attended any births to date, I feel comfortable knowing that there are so many people I can rely on to help give my future clients the best service I possibly can. Pursuing this path has been one of the best choices I’ve made and I’m so excited to be a part of something that can positively change the lives of so many families.

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Emily Mozingo is the owner of Little Love Birth Services, LLC in Richmond, Virginia. She is a Certificated Lactation Educator Counselor and is certifying through DONA as a birth doula. When she is not with clients she is spending time with her husband and their daughter. They spend time exploring the city and at home with their many pets. Currently, Emily is also working on childbirth education certification as well as continuing education to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She hopes to one day become a Certified Professional Midwife.

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