Doula Differently

12/09/2025

Loved and reposted from .photo The one where the midwife made the hard choice for a cesarean…
Sonja has spent her life walking with families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as a midwife at , one of our local freestanding birth centers. She has witnessed hundreds of births, each one powerful, unique, and deeply human. But this time, the story was hers.
Her baby had been persistently breech, even after everything she tried to encourage a turn. We tried acupuncture, spinning babies, chiropractic care, and three, maybe four ECVs. Despite her deep knowledge and all the right support, her baby remained tucked in that position, firm and certain. No one could say why baby wasn’t willing to flip.
As someone who had built her career helping families experience birth on their own terms, planning a cesarean was not an easy pivot. It was a decision she made after carefully considering all her options and thinking through the risks and benefits for her unique situation. It was a mother’s act of surrender. An act of love.
That morning, I met Sonja and her partner at their home. The house was calm but humming with quiet and heavy emotion. I documented them getting ready, folding baby clothes, packing their bags, and soaking in the strange feeling of before-ness that feels so heavy right before your life changes forever.
Paying attention to the sentimental nods to their sweet dog, Marshall, who sadly had passed away just before the birth. His presence was felt all throughout their home. She brought stuffy Marsh to the hospital, a little golden lab stuffed animal and a symbol of love and loss that reminded them of his comfort and unending loyalty in the moments they truly needed it.
Birth Team

11/15/2025

✨ Client Love Alert ✨

When a family tells you they can’t imagine doing pregnancy and birth without you by their side… 🥹 That’s the kind of love that keeps me doing this work, one birth at a time.

To :
I'm just so damn proud of you my darling! Being beside you during a sacred life moment is something I'm forever in gratitude for. Thank you for making my life even better!

"If you’re questioning whether to get a doula, or if Collin will be the right fit, don’t walk, run to book her. While I had family and friends who had used Collin’s services during their pregnancies, I was hesitant at first as to whether the investment would truly be worth it. Collin is worth it and more! I couldn’t imagine going through my pregnancy journey and especially labor without her. After the birth of our baby girl, even my husband was like, hands down getting Collin was the best decision we made for us and our baby. The education, guidance, support and love were felt every step of the way. It’s a big decision as to who you want there by your side during one of the biggest and most vulnerable experiences of your life and I was so grateful to have Collin. I will forever be singing her praises!"
- Lauren T

11/09/2025

11/09/2025

We don’t deliver the turkeys… but we sure help the cutest little ones gobble, wobble, and thrive 🧡🍼

From pregnancy prep to postpartum support, we’re here for every wiggle, wobble, and “what now?” moment — with evidence-based care, heart-centered guidance, and a whole lot of real talk.

Because raising tiny turkeys (and finding your rhythm as parents) isn’t about perfection — it’s about feeling supported every step of the way.

11/09/2025

🌸 Spring 2026 Births — Now Booking! Let’s make it unforgettable. 🌸

If your due date (or what we like to call 'guess date') falls between March–May 2026, this is your sign to secure your support!

Whether you’re dreaming of a calm, grounded birth or a full-on concierge experience, we’ll find a plan that feels uniquely you.

✨ Let’s do it a DIFFERENT kind of way — with advocacy, education, laughter, and real, evidence-based care from bump to postpartum.

📍Serving Charlotte, NC + surrounding areas
📅 Limited spots remaining for The Empowered and The Elite Doula Experiences.

💌 Tap the link in bio or visit www.douladifferently.com to inquire!

11/09/2025

Just a classic milk fairy move; underestimating how heavy 200 ounces of milk actually is so you have to drag it through your house.

10/16/2025

*DISCLAIMER: FED IS BEST*
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, bc it is important, let's move on to the bigger reasons for this post, postpartum teamwork, supportive partners, community support, and giving freely.

Meet Landon. He adores his wife Adrea abundantly, like so so much, you should hear how giddy he gets when he mentions that they have the same birthday. He also loves their sweet 6 (almost 7!) month old Luca to absolute pieces. He's also an amazing General Contractor, a native North Carolinian, the second born, and loves family traditions.

You see, picking up or dropping of milk isn't just transactional to me. It's a privileged invitation to check in on families, even outside the immediate doula differently community, + get to know them. Landon has shared memories he's been excited to make, like the family photos they just had taken, and OH MY GOD Lucas thighs are EVERYTHING. He's talked to me about how being a new dad is going.

Andrea + Landon are true dream team. When it comes to supporting each others goals they knock it out of the park, especially throughout Luca's feeding journey.

Another doula gave them my info when they were looking for and ofc as the community milk fairy 🍼🧚‍♀️ I stepped up + stepped in right away. Luca was a teensy weensy new babe and his mama knew she wanted him to have breastmilk, even if it meant it wasn't all hers.

Little did she (and I know) our journey together would become as long but also as special as it is. Some families reach out to me for milk only once, some families here or there, and some families rely on frequent donations to the . (We're so making that hash tag a thing.) Andrea, Landon, and Luca have been one of my more regular donation families. It has been so incredible to not just support them in this journey but also see Luca growing!

I love being the community milk fairy. Getting to know donor families + families who are in need is a gift. I get to see them, really see them, in new phases of their parenting journey. I get to see so much joy, so much anxiety drift away, + tons of community support.

And, what a privilege it is.

10/08/2025

Halloween.

A cooler full of donated breastmilk headed to a baby in the NICU.

Two of my greatest joys.

09/28/2025

And just like that... we're on a sign!!! But it's so much more than that.

It's a sign in our favorite neighborhood as a Charlottean. A sign in front of our most favorite place to have our first brick and mortar office, . A sign that is passed by our doula babies when they go on walks. And a sign that shows just how far we've come!

To all those who have helped Doula Differently grow into what it is today, the immense gratitude I feel truly takes my breath away. There are no words to describe it. I am just so damn lucky to do something I feel I was meant to do. I'm even luckier to give that love to the families I have the privilege to support.

To my family, thank you for always believing in me. Thank you for supporting all my winding paths and passions that brought me here. Thank you for cheering me on from the moment I said, 'This is it. It's what I was born to do.'

To my clients in the Doula Differently family, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for always letting me love you. Thank you for letting me believe in you when sometimes you didn't believe in yourselves and leaning into that belief. Thank you for letting me witness a life changing moment in time. I will never lose sight of that gift.

And to me, that girl who grew up with lots of big feelings, you became a woman who found out exactly what to do with them. You found your place in this world and you're exactly where you're meant to be. That's pretty bad ass and I'm proud of you.