DST Doula Bios

In 1996 my best friend became pregnant. Because she lacked the support of the baby's father and her family, she asked that I help her during her labor. Researching how to best be of help to my friend, I stumbled upon the idea of becoming a doula. Since that time I have had the honor of supporting families during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I strongly believe, because of my experience watching birth and giving birth twice myself, that all women deserve a supportive environment to give birth and that through the experience of having a positive birth experience women learn about the power of motherhood. One of my greatest joys is seeing fathers, grandmothers, sisters and friends love and adore the new baby in their life. I live with my wonderful husband, Ben, and our beautiful children Sophia and Lucas.

Kayla Hixson was a DST client in 2005. The experience of having a doula was so moving that she desided to become a doula herself. Since completing her doula training, Kayla has worked with over a dozen families. In 2006, she joined DST's board of directors. Currently, she is persuing her Women's Studies degree through Lane Community College. She lives with her partner Devin and daughter Bailey.

In addition to being a DST Mentor Doula, I am also on the DST board of directors to help further a vision that sees every pregnant teen receiving the education, emotional and physical support she needs during her journey into motherhood, and aiding that vision to extend itself out past our community into others. I own Equinox Real Estate with my incredible husband Ron. I have three Beuatiful children: Will 17, Nuvia 14, & Makena 10. Among my many accomplishments, my family is my greatest. My passions are watching my children grow, scuba diving, dancing, and helping mamas have healthy babies.

I have been a doula for four and half years and it is my true passion in life. I am professionally trained as a birth and postpartum doula. I am also a childbirth educator and a student midwife. I have a private doula practice, but what I really love is working with pregnant and parenting teens and their families. I believe that every young woman I work with has the right to be informed, respected and supported 100% in the decisions she makes for herself and her baby. I do not have a personal opinion about where a woman has her baby or whether my client chooses a natural childbirth or a medicated birth. I support you without judgement in whatever you choose. In addition to supporting pregnant women I also support her partner and family. I do not replace a woman's support team, I help them as well! My goal is for you to have a positive, wonderful, supported and beautiful experience when welcoming your baby into the world.

Along with being a wife and mother, I am a Certified Birth Doula through the DONA (Doulas of North America) organization. As a Doula I recognize childbirth as a key life experience. I understand the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a mother, her partner and her family during labor, and that they have a right to choose the birth experience they want. They also have a right to have knowledgeable, supportive people surrounding them during this wonderful experience. I believe that Teen Mothers can benefit greatly from having Doula support that will assist them in discovering their own opinions and then effectively voicing those opinions. Wishing you Health and Happiness

At any age, childbirth is a profound and exquisite experience, one you will carry with you for a lifetime. I am a mother of three and a certified doula and childbirth educator. Through my own birth experiences I discovered the importance of knowledge, encouragement, and belief in the process and in our bodies. My goal is to empower women, their partners and their families in pregnancy and childbirth through education, support and encouraging self-confidence.

I am a doula, high school teacher, yoga student, and book lover. I attended doula training at the Birthway College of Midwifery in Portland, OR, in 2005 and have been associated with DST since about that time. I have been fascinated by birth for as long as I can remember, and feel that attending a birth is one of the greatest privileges a person can have. Birth is an incredibly special and powerful event, and all mothers and families deserve to be supported and well-informed throughout the process. My goal as a doula is to help provide support for birthing parents and families while remaining respectful of the very personal nature of birth.

I was inspired to become a Doula after seeing the miracle of my sister-in-law give birth to a beautiful baby girl, my niece Brooke. Every birth continues to be a new miracle and I love giving moms the support they need as they are taking their first step into motherhood. Creating a comfortable and caring environment for moms and providing moms with information to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their baby is the most important part to building happy families. I do believe that happy moms mean happy babies and I've loved giving support to moms to ensure their confidence and knowledge to have a happy and healthy child.