The Facts

Giving birth is easily one of the most gloriously terrifying and rewarding feats a woman will face. It's the moment in life where life and death collide, a moment you face tight lipped and white knuckled but ferociously determined win. 

BIRTH IS A PROCESS, & your DOULA is your personal tour guide. She's there to point out the peaks and valleys ahead and help you develop a personal road map for your journey, support you as you trek through the rocky passages of birth with breathing and stress/pressure management techniques, and to help you prepare to meet the various beasts that may or may not show up along the way. She will do her best to keep you comfy and focused on the most important things--your little squish getting here safely, eating when he/she gets here, and on you being your best you postpartum. (Don't worry, she won't just ditch you after the baby gets here. Part of her work is to be there for you after as well!)

the scientific skinny on why you need a doula:

• 31% Decrease in Use of Pitocin, 25% decrease in risk of C-Section
• 12% increase of likelihood of vaginal birth, 9% decrease in use of pain meds
• 14% decrease in risk of newborns being admitted to special care nursery
• 34% decrease in women who were dissatisfied with their birth experience
• Doulas act as a buffer in a harsh environment 
• SOURCES: 2012, Hodnett et al. Evidence for Doulas Hofmeyr, Nikodem et al. Continuous Support fosters Positive Results

Doula Raven Iman

I have this unyielding belief that a woman's body is uniquely and finely designed to birth. It's crazy, I know. I see a glaring issue in the way women are treated during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum and it turns my stomach. I am here to HELP YOU transform your mind about yourself and your body. You are a strong woman with a strong body and you're going to TRIUMPH IN THIS! Not every birth will be rainbows, butterflies, and end with a fully intact perineum, however, if that is YOUR glory experience girl,  YOU GOTTA OWN IT.

Fear of the birth process paralyzes so many women because--let's face it-- the obstetrical industry is worth about, oh IDK, a BILLION dollars! If we're being honest about it, traumatic births make for good TV and fat pockets... Conversely, the trauma constantly pumped to us leaves many mamas feeling incapable, unprepared, and terrified. I've heard doctors TELL women they won't be able to push! People literally disclose their horror stories and feel the need to express how God awful they thought the whole experience was... The result is that subconsciously we start to believe "our body is not made for birth," "we don't have the right 'baby making' hips," or even, "we might literally and figuratively die during birth."

Let me just stop right there and say the aforementioned is CRAZY TALK! You were MADE for birth. Ain't nobody got time for that type of negativity! 

I thank GOD for hospitals, medical professionals, c-sections, the OR, pitocin--ALL OF IT! Those measures are there for you when/if you need them and can save you and your baby's life! 

The bottom line is this: I'm there to support YOU (meaning you and your partner). I'm there to inform you and to empower you to get informed and to do your research! I'm there to inspire, encourage, counsel, challenge, and be your labor left hand (woah)man (with your partner on the right!) I'm your biggest cheerleader and I'll be fangirling you the whole time. 

I Promise to:

• To be a wealth of knowledge on all things pregnancy, birth, and labor and to FIND the answers if I don't know
• To support you and your partners choices in childbirth #NoJudgenentZone #WhateverWorksZone 
• To be a liaison between you and your healthcare provider-- Consumer Advocacy is my thing
• To make sure sure SURE that you give INFORMED Consent about any suggested procedure
• To not leave your side (unless you ask...of course)
• Be your mamaBFF & ALWAYS have your back (:

Cost?  $FREE.99

I'm a Doula Intern at the Common Sense School of Midwifery!

From a young age, I've always been fascinated with the process of bringing life into the world. I was that weird kid you'd find watching "A Baby Story" on TLC, or "Birth Day" on Discovery Health Channel. My mother had my closest sibling 12 1/2 years after I was born so I had the privilege of indulging in Lamaze and Bradley Method birthing classes early. 

My mom cloth diapered and breastfed, and three children later, I was a childless crunchy teen. 

Currently, I'm a young mom studying at Common Sense Childbirth to become a Certified Doula, Lactation Consultant, and to become a Childbirth Educator. My Future goals include becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and to eventually opening my own birth center. 

Did you know, statistically speaking, only 10% of women-- need any serious medical intervention at all? Shout out to the Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and ANY of the medical professionals that work SUPER hard to keep mamas and babies alive every day. My goal is to give you info and empower you to get informed so you can make educated decisions about what's best for you and your baby. Epidural or not, c-section or not, hippie water birth or hospital birth---you deserve to know your options. You have the power to make informed choices about YOUR birth!

Sage Davis
Comic relief, Baby