About MeHello! I'm Shay. I am a married stay at home mom/stepmom of eight children. I am a homeschool teacher and am a writer.
I got interested in childbirth after my first son was born in 2005. I was very young and did not know a lot about birth or babies. I wanted to learn more about why certain things were done or how they happened, so I began to read and do research. After several years of getting involved with birth and baby related groups in my area, I realized I wanted to delve into it further and start pursuing my education as a doula. My PhilosophyI easily connect with all kinds of families because of the wide variety of things I've experienced. In addition to starting out as a young mother and having multiple children of my own, I’ve breastfed and formula fed, used disposables and cloth diapers, used pain medication and had natural childbirths, had hospital and home births, been attended by OB/GYNs and midwives, and have experienced many of the typical (and not so typical!) motherhood issues. I am empathetic, non-judgmental, and supportive. I love providing education and resources.
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My Education and ExperienceI began training as a doula in 2014 and received my Certification through New Beginnings Doula Training in January of 2015. I've continued to recertify every two years since then and also attended various other classes and training sessions related to doula work to continue my education. You can see my most recent certification here.
I have been working on an additional certification through Still Birth Day University. When I can, I volunteer at the Parke-Vermillion Community Pregnancy Center. I was a 2020 Mom Ambassador and in 2018 was a finalist for Ambassador of the Year. I have been a guest speaker at childbirth classes and Community Baby Shower events, attended community health fairs as an exhibitor, and lead local Maternal Mental Health community events. My full resume and copies of my certifications are available upon request. |