Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mabel Keller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mabel , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

My first client for an (in person) birth was December 30th 2022. A nurse had posted on a facebook Doula group that she had a patient all alone experiencing fetal demise. When I saw this nobody had yet had availability both because it was the new year and it would have to be probono. I felt extremely conflicted as to whether I should attend this birth. I have previously attended many virtual births and almost got to attend an in person birth but covid prevented that last minute. Luckily I have an amazing network of Doulas that let me know, no matter what I did as long as I showed up it would help.

So, I contacted the nurse and asked for more information regarding how the patient was doing and if anyone else had offered support. The nurse said the patient was not coping well and nobody had offered any support. This was really hard for me to hear as this was the worst news a parent could hear in their entire life and they didn’t have anyone to hold their hand through it. Immediately I knew I had to go be with them.

When I got there the patient was very stressed constantly glancing at monitors and watching everyone move around them trying to get blood pressure or draw blood. I swooped in and held her hand and watched the relief slowly settle in.

The rest of the story is very personal to the patient and myself but it is an experience I will never forget. I witnessed motherly love transcend death. That will stick with me forever, the beauty in such a heartbreaking event and the love that still filled the room even when the worst happened.

In conclusion, my first in person birth client was not what I thought they would be but I will be eternally grateful I was able to support them in that moment. There is no greater honor than helping someone walk through the worst moment of their life and seeing them have nothing but strength, beauty and love throughout it. It was as tragic as it was incredible.

Mabel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started out working in childcare. I worked for daycare facilities, as a nanny, and even as a caregiver for children with disabilities. I always knew I wanted to help more. Working with families was amazing, but I felt they didn’t always need as much support as I had to give. Until I worked for my first family, who were not properly supported through their birthing process and came out the other side with trauma that really affected their ability to bond with their new baby.

I naturally started researching how I could help them and what support options there were, and that’s when I discovered what a Doula was. A doula was a magical being to me, a woman who was unafraid, supportive, and everything I wanted to be. I took my first job as a postpartum doula shortly after and knew this is what I was meant to do. I saw that mom flourishes with my support and it made my heart sing. I am still in contact with that client and every client after her.

Now I am a full spectrum Doula. I help every pregnant person, wherever they are on their journey. Be it preconception or postpartum. This means my days look very different. Some days im helping a new mom and baby learn how to breastfeed or doing dishes and laundry while mom takes a nap. Or it could mean im holding someone’s hand through birth and offering them coping mechanisms. Sometimes it even means I work overnight to keep baby asleep, cook a meal and let the parents wake up to a clean home. There’s nothing more relaxing for newborn parents than 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep only to see the house is clean, smell coffee brewing and start getting to eat warm breakfast while they greet their baby.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Keeping in touch with clients is very important to me personally and for business. When you go through childbirth or the postpartum period with a family it typically creates a bond. There’s nothing I love more than receiving Christmas cards in the mail or seeing cute posts on social media about the family’s latest adventures. As for creating brand loyalty im less hands on with that. I think if I did my job you will want to come back when you have another child.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My biggest show of resilience was starting a business during the peak of covid. It was a struggle for doulas who had been working for 20+ years to get into hospitals to attend births none the less a brand new Doula. I attended many virtual births because of this and had to switch my business to mainly postpartum work for the first year to make sure I was able to get clients. Right before the end of 2022 I was able to attend my first in person birth though which was so amazing after so much effort and waiting. I can’t wait to attend another!

Contact Info:

• Website: Eirdoula.com
• Instagram: Eir Doula
• Facebook: Eir Doula