Ora Doula Services

12/25/2025

What could be a more beautiful way to celebrate the birth of Christ than with a birth? Congratulations to the beautiful 2nd time mom who welcomed her baby in the wee hours of the morning, her second unmedicated hosted birth! It's always such a special joy to care for families through multiple pregnancies. Dad even got to catch the baby this time!

I'm especially thankful this baby decided to be born at the perfect moment - I didn't miss Christmas Vigil Mass or present time at home! Other birth workers and on-call professionals will understand how that truly feels like divine providence.

Merry Christmas!

12/16/2025

After church this morning, an older woman stopped to chat with me because she'd heard I was a doula. "That must be so amazing! And sometimes probably heartbreaking." I have never felt so seen.

I think some of the hardest moments of this work can only be described as heartbreaking - to walk with families on what should have been the best days of their lives and for it to be their worst day. Those births stick with me, and they should. I honor the heartbreak of tragedy in the midst of all the joy this profession brings.

To the moms who I've cared for on the worst days of their lives, I'm thinking of you today. You are seen, your loss in honored, and not forgotten. If you're preparing for a Christmas without someone who should be here, take some time to honor that ache in midst of this busy season. You aren't alone.

12/03/2025

Thrilled to be on the board of the Doula Network of Fort Wayne for another year!

This past week, our members elected the new board for 2026! Please welcome our new Director Alyssa Oprie, our new Treasurer Makayla Slone, our new Event Coordinator Shelby Yarnelle, our returning Secretary Ronae Cleland, and our returning Webmaster Laura Kiefer. We're looking forward to building on our growth as DNFW continues to flourish!

12/03/2025

Something about a snow day sure brings on the births! What a joy to witness and support a strong first time mom as she welcomed her 4lb 6oz baby.

11/24/2025

What an incredible joy to witness an incredible mom get her VBA2C! This mom has such a special place in my heart, and caring for her as she navigated this new and beautiful experience was such an honor. 💗

11/20/2025

This beautiful candle was a gift from a sweet client! It was such a joy to witness her power as she welcomed her fifth baby!

11/12/2025

So blessed to witness the welcoming of this sweet one! 💗

And little girl makes five. She joins three sisters and a brother who were also born at home with Agape. These siblings watched as their little sister was delivered by dad. ♥️ She came at 41.4wks and weighed 8 # 5 oz.

11/10/2025

As a birthworker and a person of faith, I've seen more than a few instances of wrong assumptions about how faith plays a role in birthwork. As a Catholic Christian, everything about who I am is a reflection of my faith. But what does that actually look like for my clients? Let's unpack!

As a Catholic doula, I...

WON'T use spiritual bypassing to dismiss what you go through.

WILL validate your experience. I will ensure that you feel seen in how you process everything that you go through.

WON'T require my clients to be Catholic or Christian.

WILL support you and your beliefs wholeheartedly, ensuring that the spirituality of your birth experience reflects who you are as a person and as a family.

WON'T moralize your birth, because there is no "right" or "wrong" kind of birth.

WILL trust your intuition, support your goals, and guide you along the path you've chosen.

WON'T say all that matters is a healthy mom and a healthy baby.

WILL acknowledge all needs and values, and recognize that the veil between this world and the next is thinnest in the experience of birth.

Did any of these surprise you? I'd love to hear your input!

11/08/2025

Running a service-based business has so many unseen costs, especially when you're sick or your kids are. This past week, I've rescheduled 4 client prenatals, which in practice sets my entire prenatal calender back by a month. I'm usually a power through it person, but went to the doctor early on, trying to get ahead of it. I'm just thankful that somehow, despite the full moon, I didn't have any births during the worst of it!

Doulas, let's normalize caring for our own needs. We can't show up well for the women we serve if we are running on empty!

11/06/2025

Placenta accreta is a life-threatening condition in which the placenta attaches to scar tissue left by a C-section. It used to be extremely rare.

11/06/2025

Decades of research have shown that round-the-clock fetal monitoring does not reliably predict fetal distress, and experts say it leads to many unnecessary surgeries. But it’s still used in nearly every birth in the U.S. because of business and legal concerns, a New York Times investigation found. https://nyti.ms/3WF7yLx