Manger Born Doula
Ashley Engram, CLC, Birth Consultant
I am a loving-devoted wife and mother of 6 beautiful children; 5 boys and 1 little princess. We are passionate followers of Christ and we are consistently making effort to transition to an all natural lifestyle, as I enjoy being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom), a homemaker, and an all around 'proverbs 31' kind of woman!
The idea of supporting woman throughout the childbearing years came to me after viewing the ever popular documentary called 'The Business of Being Born' by: Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein. I'd already had two births that were less than ideal for me. Howbeit a vaginal birth, I was not aware of nor presented with ALL of my options for my labor and birth.
I began to do my own research and BOOM! It seemed everything I was instructed in the hospital as being what I'm "supposed" to do or allow them to do, was actually optional and not what I'd been wishing for when telling my OB/GYN that I wanted a "natural birth".
At first, as a 19-year old, my idea of natural childbirth was simply to labor without an epidural and to birth vaginally. No one versed me on the MANY routines and procedures that were truthfully unnecessary, intrusive, insensitive, uncomfortable, and sometimes just outright obstructive to the process of the natural hormonal changes that allow labor and childbirth to go forth instinctively.
I had no one that was knowledgeable in this to properly prepare me for what I was getting into. It was after my 2nd child's birth that I said "Enough is enough! I'm going to learn all that I can so that I'm not caught at the end feeling pressured to go along with what is simply convenient for my doctor and the hospital staff!"
In my studying, I found that I was one of many many women who did not know their options and did not think to ask about them because of how strongly our doctors and nurses recommended certain practices. My husband and I decided that this is one of my callings that would save some women from traumatic birthing experiences and maybe save some lives as well.
