We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Whitmore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.

Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Black women are constantly ignored and treated as though their voices doesn’t matter. This holds true even in their most vulnerable moments. I became a birth doula because I believe that we deserve to feel heard, seen, respected, and trusted throughout pregnancy and in our birthing spaces.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a birth doula who supports moms by providing informational, physical, and emotional support throughout their pregnancy and during labor & delivery. Mamas commonly connect with me late in their first trimester or early in their second. I frequently check in with my mamas to discuss diet, exercise, emotions, all the things really! I make sure that they know that I am there for them and we feel comfortable with one another well before our first prenatal meeting.

As a birth doula, I am huge on making sure my baby mamas and their partners feel ready for labor, delivery, and postpartum. I pride myself on following the lead of my clients. I adapt to ensure I am meeting their needs, even if that means simply holding space for them during a check=in.

I pride myself on holding my clients accountable for their goals. I want my clients to take control of their narrative and that involves setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Simply hiring me means nothing if you don’t put in work, so I like to make sure that my clients know I’m in their corner rooting for them and pushing them to do what needs to be done.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to realize that while hospitals are deemed safe places where people who are hurting go to be helped, assistance doesn’t always come for many who look like me. Further, Tracie Collins, the founder of the National Black Doula Association, once said something that stuck with me. She said “hospitals are trained in intervention, not normalcy” and this is so true. Birth is such a normal and natural occurrence the majority of the time yet hospitals routinely introduce interventions. Introducing interventions often leads to the need for additional interventions and this can create issues where there were initially none.

I birthed my daughter in a hospital and afterwards I realized that I wasn’t listened to. My wishes weren’t considered. Things were explained in a way that was meant to scare me into consenting. Is that really informed consent? Nah.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

You know, word of mouth is something else! Friends, family, and clients share my passion for birth work to others and that yields additional clients. It’s been amazing. This actually works well for me because I consider myself a rookie when it comes to social media. I try, but I know Instagram alone is not what’s bringing the clients my way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.doxthedoula.com
• Instagram: @doxthedoula
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/doxthedoula

Image Credits
@TyanaDanae