UNC Birth Partners

01/16/2025

Last night at our January Birth Partners meeting we announced the kickoff of Katherine’s Kindness Week. Katherine was a former UNC School of Nursing BSN student and doula who passed away in October 2021. She was passionate about women’s and reproductive health. The Katherine Acierno Nell Doula Scholars program was created in her honor. For the week of her birthday (January 20-24), we are supporting a platelet drive and fundraising for the doula scholars program. Visit the links in our bio or below to support Katherine’s Kindness Week! 🩵🤍

Donate platelets: https://tinyurl.com/bdz65bar
Donate to the KNA fund: https://tinyurl.com/4n6dubtw
Purchase a T-Shirt: https://tinyurl.com/3nrexfd3

01/19/2024

UNC Birth Partners: Application for Trained Doulas - https://mailchi.mp/6ddee0bfbb35/spring2024application

09/05/2022

Qué es acompañar? Acompañar es estar junto a ella. Algo tan simple y tan difícil a la vez, porque para hacerlo bien debemos trabajar mucho en nosotras mismas y en nuestra historia...

Muchas veces nos toca acompañar ahí, en ese océano en el cuál se sumerge la mujer recién parida. En ese puerperio abrumador, donde su identidad queda confundida y aplastada por el derrumbe que originó el ingreso a la maternidad. Y entonces se nos plantea otra vez el interrogante: qué es acomp...

10/27/2021

Birth Partners Fall Newsletter -

03/25/2020

We recognize that these times are especially challenging for health care professionals who devote their lives and hearts to care for the people of this world. A special shoutout to all health care workers at the UNC Womens Labor and Delivery unit for their persistence to provide extraordinary care to all patients. We cannot thank you all enough! We are here to continue supporting your patients through our doula care services. Sending you all virtual hugs!

Abigail, Emily, Grace and McKayla are quadruplets, and they sure do love each other. The girls take turns hugging one another. Be Smarter. Faster. More Color...

03/06/2020

We love to honor our doula of the week, Sarah Wu! Sarah has been a wonderful part of our Birth Partners team for over a year. Sarah is both an amazing doula and mentor, training and supporting fellow doula friends at UNC Women’s Hospital. We have had the privilege of seeing Sarah raise up new generations of doulas to grow as one of the most highly valued mentors on our team. Sarah’s bright smile brings a shining presence to all, creating a sense of calmness and relief to her patients in one of the most vulnerable times of their lives. Thank you Sarah for all that you do! Find out more below about Sarah:

"As a doula, I have the immense privilege of being allowed into an intimate, life-changing moment as a complete stranger. I cherish the deep bonds I develop with the mothers I serve, and these strong connections are what make birth so emotional for both the family and me (I tear up every time). Every mother deserves to have unwavering support during the ups and downs of labor, and being that advocate is incredibly affirming. I look forward to every chance I get to be a part of someone’s birth story, and I am incredibly lucky to be able to do what I do!"

02/28/2020

Today we have the privilege of recognizing Jolie Rufty as our doula of the week! Jolie has been a longstanding doula in our Birth Partners program. She always meets her patients with comfort and gives hope even in the most unexpected situations during labor. Since joining our program, Jolie has taken initiative to serve laboring patients in both vaginal deliveries and cesarean births. Last week, I had the honor of doing a postpartum visit for one of her patients. She expressed so much appreciation for the support Jolie provided her and the relief she felt having someone who she could trust in the operating room with her! Congratulations Jolie!!

“I love being a doula, and I see the difference we can make in the family. It is such an intimate blessed encounter and ushering a new life into this world reminds me how interconnected we all are. Supporting other women in their most vulnerable times is one of the most satisfying, significant and precious times in my life. I feel honored to be a part of this valuable program.”

Thank you Jolie for all that you do!

02/16/2020

We love to celebrate our doula of the week, Cindy Huynh! Cindy has been such an amazing part of our Birth Partners team. Not only is she a doula, but she is also one of our wonderful mentors. We have loved watching Cindy blossom over the past year and a half into one of our most valued mentors. Cindy’s bright, loving energy and her enthusiasm for this work always shines through. Thank you Cindy for all that you do! Find out more below about Cindy:

“I’m a doula because I want to make the birthing experiences of families the best that they can be. Birth can be a lot of things- exciting, miraculous, beautiful, anxiety-inducing, traumatizing, and everything in between. As a doula, I love being able to transform birthing experiences from whatever they may be to becoming one of the most momentous times that families will hold in their hearts. The best memories come from their qualities, not just the fact that they happened.”

02/14/2020

Happy Valentine's Day from Birth Partners! We would like to give a special shoutout to the UNC Women’s Hospital Labor and Delivery nurses today! Our doulas love working with you all! Thank you for delivering love every day and for allowing us to be a part of your care!

02/12/2020

Thank you to our doula friends from MAAME, Inc. who joined us for our OR training last week! We are so grateful to work alongside you and all the work you have done in the community to end health disparities!

Excited that got the opportunity to learn how to support our clients in the operating room, thanks to ❤️.

Emocionado de que MAAME, Inc. tuviera la oportunidad de aprender e apoyar a nuestros clientes en el quirófano, gracias a .

02/12/2020

At Birth Partners, we are super grateful for community members that partner with us in our mission to provide support in all laboring patients. Last week we had the opportunity to host an OR training at UNC Women’s Hospital for community doulas to prepare them to support patients having cesarean births! Thank you to all who came out to join us.

02/07/2020

Today we are thrilled to recognize our doula, Adele Bernard!! Adele has been with Birth Partners for a year. Recently she received wonderful feedback about her contribution to the UNC Labor and Delivery Unit team from one of the nurses. The nurse let us know how incredibly amazing Adele was at remaining calm and reassuring to a mother during a very challenging delivery. The nurses also recognized Adele for going above and beyond to stay after the delivery to provide the patient and family with all that they needed while the baby was brought to the newborn critical care center. Thank you Adele for saving the day! Read more about Adele’s heart for the Birth Partners program:

“I came to birth partners with experience in healthcare consulting, public health work and volunteering, and with a passion for integrative medicine, but I have stayed on as a volunteer doula because I’ve seen the power of offering one's presence. I have experienced what it’s like to not feel seen during health experiences; having the opportunity to fully be there for a patient during labor and delivery keeps me coming back. Even when I feel like I can’t provide help, I’m reminded of just how powerful eye contact, saying someone’s name, and holding their hand can be. Most importantly, I’m inspired to continue to serve through Birth Partners for its dedication to providing doula support to patients no matter what demographic boxes are checked on their chart.”

Congratulations, Adele! We are so grateful to have such a valuable member on our Birth Partners team!