Featuring Oklahoma City Doulas

I’ve been thinking of different ways that I can get to know other doulas in my area, and dreaming of the day my house will be ready to host a get together of the doulas of Oklahoma City, and have yet to be able to turn that dream into a reality, but I’m not giving up!  For the moment I’ve come up with another way to get to know, and help support these doulas.

READY FOR IT?

I’m writing about them!

My first doula to be interviewed is Crystal Wright!

I’m featuring Crystal first because I had the pleasure of working with her at a birth last fall.  Crystal was professional, well equipped and ready for service the moment she arrived.  Interestingly enough this birth started out in my home, I can say that was a first for me!  When Crystal arrived she brought with her a very quiet assurance that added to the warmth of our already created atmosphere, and it was a pleasure to have her join us.

Sometimes when people hear that I’m going to be working with other birth supporters, be it another doula, or a grandma there to welcome her new grandchild into the world, or a friend of the mother, they assume that this would be threatening to my job, or position in the labor, on the contrary I welcome the opportunity to work among other women who care as much as I do about the laboring mother.  I can say with great confidence that Crystal and I worked together as a team, not as separate business owners with a rivalry for the success of our own service.

In speaking to the mother that we were serving I feel that she felt the same about our service, that we were a part of the team, not separate entities, but one well oiled machine working for the same cause.  I hadn’t even met Crystal before the moment she arrived birth bag in tow at my front door for the birth that was approaching us (this baby was delivered in hospital but the mother lived far away and wanted a place to labor that was closer to her hospital of choice so I offered my home).  Our birth culture was different, but our goals were the same, to serve the mother with our best care and attitude!

After coming up with this idea to feature a doula in Oklahoma City on my own website I quickly ran over the list of doulas I have had the privileged of speaking to, emailing, or meeting in person and decided very quickly that no one could be a better candidate than Crystal. I immediately emailed her and asked her a series of questions, all questions that I feel would help mothers to get to know her, and hopefully bring her more business, and help me to build a deeper relationship with her.

Crystal is a beautiful woman of God who comes ready for service, and often uses bible verses to sooth the mothers she serves.  While attending a birth with her I had my first real moment of being able to see how my relationship with God could be used to help calm a mother during her labor.  Crystal had a list of bible verses that she pulled out of her VERY well equipped birth bag and she quietly and with the permission of the laboring mother began to read the verses, one after another.  Her soothing voice calmed us all.

When I asked Crystal why she was a doula she said “I am a doula because I know how important it is for a woman to have support during her pregnancy and birth.   I have a deep passion for birth work.” and I can say with all honesty it shows in what she does!  Crystal said her favorite part of being a doula was just joining families as they witness the miracle of birth.  Her passion is all over her face, her calm nature during birth is a welcome addition to the experience, but I remember the moment the baby whose birth we witnessed together was emerging, and the joy on her face.  I remember taking Crystal’s photo with the baby, it was very touching, a moment we don’t always get, an image that isn’t always put to paper, the baby and the doula together in the moments after birth, we never want to take away from the mother and baby’s time of bonding, so it is a pleasure indescribable to have that image.

Crystal prides herself in her business on her ability to bring insight into hospital procedures that are not evidence based, helping to give the information needed to mothers as it is needed.  This is a tool that I value greatly, as a doula, in other doulas, it is not an easy thing to accomplish either, new information is coming out all the time, and most of it not properly used in practice at births in the United States, and often difficult to find.

A peek into Crystal’s home life reveals that she has eight children (though she hardly looks old enough to have more than one), she is a mother, wife, and doula, (a busy undertaking) and all of which she is happy doing!  She says the only thing she could aspire to aside from these services already in the works for her would be that of a home birth midwife. Crystal has attended the birth of 25 babies!  And birthed her own eight children, the last one being a most rewarding birth, a home birth, when I asked her what her ideal birth would be she said “I’ve actually had my ideal birth with my 8th baby.  She was born safely at home with no interventions, nobody yelling at me how to push or doing routine procedures that weren’t necessary!”  I can attest to the wonders of a birth like this as my last one was also born this way… and as a doula with this experience I feel that it has helped me to serve others better, I’m sure that Crystal feels the same.

Crystal is currently awaiting approval of her certification through DONA (the same organization as I am certified through and the training is worth more than I can say).  The birth I attended with her was one of her qualifying births, and I feel confident through that experience that she is absolutely going to be receiving that certification!

Often while serving women a doula will have the chance to be blessed by the family that she is serving, I often feel they bless me more than I ever could bless them simply by allowing me the opportunity to be there to witness their birth.  Sometimes a specific phrase or event will catch the attention and heart of a doula though and effect the passion she has for birth. When I asked Crystal what the best thing a mother she had served had done, said or taught her was, she responded that a mother said she would never have another baby without her being there!  What an amazing testament for the service that she provided!

Crystal told me that she plans to continue her education in birth so that she can then educate others as she serves them.  The Best doulas are continually learning, so that they can help each woman to be her own advocate.  Crystal has the makings of one of these doulas.

Obviously I would prefer that women hire me, but for lots of reasons one doula can not serve every woman in need, and with that in mind, I would love to offer the option of Crystal Wright.  Search out your doula, there is one perfect for your upcoming birth, and whoever you choose I hope they are the most amazing person for the job.  Every woman needs a doula!  If not me, If not Crystal, then please check out doulamatch to find the doula that is right for you and your needs.

You can find Crystal on doulamatch, or you can leave me a comment and I will send you her contact information if you wish to speak to her about your upcoming birth.

Have a Cherished Birth!