Your Birth Journey Co.

10/15/2026

Things I simply do NOT care about as your birth photographer + doula

✨ If your house is a mess.
✨ If you p**p during birth. Congratulations, your body is bodying.
✨ If you curse like a sailor, scream, cry, laugh, or say things you’d NEVER say in public.
✨ If you fart, burp, puke, or make literally any other bodily noise. We are mammals, babe!!
✨ If you’re naked, sweaty, shaking, or completely over everyone’s existence.
✨ If you get an epidural after planning an unmedicated birth.
✨ If your birth plan goes completely out the window.
✨ If your partner cries, panics, or needs a snack. Honestly same.
✨ If you haven’t showered in 4 days postpartum.
✨ If your baby comes out covered in vernix with a cone head. That’s my favorite kind of fresh.
✨ If you don’t feel cute, glowy, or remotely photogenic while bringing an entire human into the world.

I DO care about: Your safety, your autonomy, your experience, your baby, and making sure you feel supported instead of judged.

Birth is wild. Let’s stop pretending it has to be pretty or perfect the entire time.

10/12/2026

I have lots of openings for 2027!

If you are expecting or know someone that is I would love to talk about how a Doula could benefit their pregnancy, labor and delivery.

10/07/2026

A Birth Story That Reminds Us That Birth Plans Are Guides, Not Guarantees

Sweet baby Paisley made her entrance into the world much earlier than expected at just 33 weeks, after her mama developed preeclampsia.

Because of the risks to both mom and baby, a C-section was needed to help ensure their safety. While an unexpected C-section may not have been part of the family’s original birth plan, their birth team came together to make the safest decision for both of them. 🤍

As a doula, my role doesn’t end when a C-section is recommended or becomes necessary. I am there to support the family through whatever their birth looks like.

During a C-section, I help by:

✨ Making sure parents understand what is happening and helping explain the process in a way that feels less overwhelming.

✨ Helping families communicate with their medical team and advocating for their wishes and needs when appropriate.

✨ Providing emotional support before, during, and after surgery.

✨ Supporting partners and family members who may also be experiencing a lot of emotions.

✨ Helping with the little things — drinks, snacks, comfort measures, and anything else I can do to make the experience a little easier.

✨ And, when permitted, documenting these incredibly important moments through photographs. Because even when birth doesn't go according to plan, these moments still deserve to be remembered.

Commonly I am there to greet and support Dad/partner, help facilitate those first precious moments with baby, assist with skin-to-skin when it was medically appropriate, support breastfeeding, grab drinks and snacks, provide reassurance, and simply be a familiar and supportive presence during an emotional and uncertain time but little Paisley had to go to the NICU for extra support.

This is what doula support is about.

It isn't about guaranteeing a certain type of birth.

It isn't about making decisions for you.

It's about making sure that you are supported, informed, heard, and cared for — even when birth takes an unexpected turn.

WHAT IS PREECLAMPSIA?

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure that can affect a pregnant or postpartum person and may cause problems with organs such as the liver and kidneys. It can develop during pregnancy, often after 20 weeks, or after delivery.

Sometimes preeclampsia can develop with few or even no obvious symptoms, which is why regular prenatal care and blood-pressure monitoring are so important.

Possible signs and symptoms include:

• High blood pressure
• Severe or persistent headache
• Changes in vision, including blurred vision or seeing spots
• Pain in the upper abdomen, particularly under the ribs on the right side
• Sudden or significant swelling, especially of the face or hands
• Sudden weight gain caused by fluid retention
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting, particularly later in pregnancy
• Feeling generally very unwell

⚠️ Preeclampsia can become life-threatening for both parent and baby. If you are pregnant or recently gave birth and experience concerning symptoms, contact your healthcare provider right away or seek emergency medical care.

Sometimes the safest treatment is delivery — even when that means a baby arrives earlier than expected.

Paisley may have arrived at 33 weeks and needed some extra help getting started, but she was surrounded by love from her very first moments. And her parents had a great team beside them every step of the way. I am happy to say Paisley is home after only 4 weeks in the NICU and she is doing great!

Birth can be unpredictable. Your support shouldn't be.

— Your Birth Journey Co.

10/04/2026

09/23/2026

A DOULA DOESN’T MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU.

A DOULA HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR OPTIONS.
One of the biggest misconceptions about doulas is that we tell clients what they should do.

We don’t.

A doula’s role is to help families feel informed, supported, and confident making their own decisions.

✨ We can help explain terminology and options.
❤️ We can encourage clients to ask questions.
❤️ We can help families find evidence based resources.
❤️ We can remind clients of preferences they previously expressed.
❤️ We can provide continuous emotional and physical support regardless of the decisions they make.

A doula shouldn’t replace a midwife or doctor, provide medical advice, or make decisions on a client’s behalf.

Good doula support isn’t about creating the birth the doula wants.

It’s about supporting the person giving birth through the birth that is theirs.

Are there doulas who give medical advice, have agendas, and step outside scope? Unfortunately, yes. Simply because in all fields, there's always a few rogue "professionals" that do not act inline with guidelines and expectations.

09/19/2026

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do in labor is rest.

Not every moment of labor needs to be spent walking, bouncing, or changing positions.

Sometimes, the most helpful thing a laboring person can do is rest. Sure, maybe you shouldn't lay down for five hours in active labor 😉 But rest is important. And in early labor? Rest can be vital.

Especially during a long labor, conserving energy can be just as important as movement.

✨ Rest between contractions when possible.
✨ Try side lying positions with pillows for comfort or a peanut ball to aid in pelvic opening
✨ Keep the environment calm and minimize unnecessary interruptions.
✨ Stay hydrate and nourished
✨ Remember that movement and rest can both have a place in labor.

As doulas, our role isn't to keep someone moving constantly or to make every contraction "more productive." It's to provide individualized support based on needs, preferences, and how labor is unfolding.

Sometimes that means suggesting a position change. Other times, it's dimming lights, helping someone get comfortable, and supporting an opportunity to rest.

👇🏽 Birth workers, what's one comfort measure you use to help clients rest during a long labor?



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1846CGSXDr/

09/12/2026

WHAT DOES A DOULA ACTUALLY DO DURING LABOR?

I think sometimes people picture a doula standing quietly in the corner saying, “You got this!”

And yes, I'll absolutely remind you that you can do this.
But that's a very small part of what I'm there for.

During labor, I may be…
Applying counterpressure through contraction after contraction.
Helping you change positions when baby needs a little more room to move down.
Setting up the birth sling, birth ball, peanut ball, shower, or whatever else we can use to help you get comfortable.
Reminding you to relax your jaw, breathe, drink, eat when appropriate, p*e, rest, and conserve your energy.
Helping your partner figure out how to help you instead of standing there wondering what to do.
Explaining what's happening when the room suddenly gets busy.
Helping you slow things down when you're presented with a decision and have time to ask questions.
Reminding you of the preferences we talked about months ago when you're too deep in labor to remember them.
Helping you think through your options when the birth plan needs to change.
Keeping the room calm.
Watching your cues.
Knowing when you need encouragement and when you need everyone to stop talking.

And sometimes?
I'm holding the puke bag.
Refilling the water.
Putting your hair up.
Holding a leg.
Wiping your face.
Getting your partner a snack.
Or squeezing your hips for the 437th time because that's the one thing that makes the contraction manageable.

A doula doesn't replace your partner.
A doula doesn't replace your nurse.
And a doula doesn't make medical decisions for you.

I fill the space between all of those people.
Continuous support from someone who knows birth, knows your wishes, and isn't leaving when the shift changes.

That's what a doula actually does during labor.
And every birth looks a little different, because every woman needs something different.

08/25/2026

When I look back on Brianna's birth I get goosebumps, it was pretty close to everything she dreamed of after the birth of their first child left both parents with some trauma and fear for future birth experiences.

Pregnancy anxiety is real and when you have a not so good first experience it makes the anxiety worse. As challenges popped up during Brianna's pregnancy we planned, replanned and talked, texted and chatted our way through them. It was very important to me that she felt heard, acknowledged and supported when she needed it.

I could not have summed things up better than Brianna did, here are her words about her labor and delivery experience at OSF with the support of her husband, mother-in-law and me her doula:

There are some moments in life that you know you’ll carry in your heart forever… and this was one of them. 🤍

Being induced and knowing we were about to meet our sweet baby boy was a feeling I can’t even put into words. What followed was 10 hours of the hardest, most beautiful work I’ve ever done — 9 of those hours without an epidural. There were moments I wasn’t sure I could keep going, moments when I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and completely vulnerable… but I was never alone.

I leaned on my husband, my best friend, through every contraction, every tear, every moment I needed someone to remind me that I could do it. He was my strength when I felt like I had none left. 🤍

My doula was there with the kind of support, encouragement, comfort, and reassurance that carried me through the moments that felt impossible. And having my mother-in-law beside me, loving me, encouraging me, and witnessing this incredible moment with us made it even more special. I will forever be grateful for the village that surrounded me when I needed them most.

After 10 hours of labor, and about 30–40 minutes of pushing, our beautiful baby boy finally made his way into the world. And in one of the most incredible moments of our entire lives… Dad delivered his son. 🥹💙

Watching my husband bring our baby boy into this world is something I will never forget. The look on his face, the emotion, the love… it was a moment I wish I could freeze in time forever.

I would do every contraction, every tear, every ounce of exhaustion all over again for that one moment — the moment we finally heard our son cry and got to hold him in our arms.

Our son, you were worth every second. You were worth the pain, the exhaustion, the fear, and every tear. You completed a part of our family we didn’t even know was missing. 💙

And to my husband, my best friend, my doula, and my mother-in-law — thank you for holding me up when I couldn’t hold myself up. Thank you for believing in me, comforting me, encouraging me, and surrounding me with so much love.

I didn’t just give birth to our son that day… we brought him into this world together.

TRIGGER WARNING- YOU WILL SEE BIRTH IN THIS GALLERY, IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THINGS LIKE THAT PLEASE DO NOT SCROLL THROUGH.

08/17/2026

Expecting mother's MICHIGAN sees you and knows the importance of the impact a Doula makes during pregnancy, labor and postpartum by fully covering the cost of 10 visits and the birth.

I am registered with the state of Michigan, I have meet their requirements to practice as a Doual and I can accept Medicaid and UPHP. Click the link for more information amd message me with any questions you have or to begin Doula services. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FmqchWCCx/

Michigan's Women, Infants & Children program, providing supplemental nutrition, breastfeeding information, and other resources for healthy mothers & babies.

08/05/2026

Every birth has its own story, and no two labors are ever the same.

Induction can make for an especially unique journey, with each decision, each contraction, and each moment unfolding in its own way. This beautiful mama embraced the unexpected with incredible strength and grace. She advocated for herself every step of the way, making informed decisions alongside her amazing support team—her loving husband and her doula. Together, they created a personalized pain management plan that helped her navigate her longest labor with confidence and determination.

And then came one of the craziest moments of the whole process! The doctor simply asked for a test push...but baby had other plans. Before anyone could blink, baby made a spontaneous entrance into the world! Mom would later laugh and saying baby thought, "Hold my milk...I'm coming!"

Birth isn't about following the perfect plan, it's about finding your strength through every twist, turn, and surprise along the way. Watching this family trust each other, work together, and welcome their sweet little one was such an honor.

Congratulations to this incredible family on your newest adventure 3 daughters will make an amazing ride. Thank you for allowing me to support you all and document such a powerful, beautiful, and unforgettable birth story and for sharing your images with others.

Welcome to the world Adaleigh