Magnolia Birth Doula Services

03/13/2026

Most women will choose to birth in a hospital in the US. Whether it’s out of necessity because of health issues, a decision driven by finances, or because it’s where a woman feels most comfortable. OBs certainly have their place & St. Louis does have some good OB options, even when choosing a low to no intervention birth. But nurse midwives can provide care in a hospital setting & can be a wonderful option for those who are planning a physiological birth. St. Louis is blessed to have some wonderful options in our area when it comes to CNMs. They tend to offer a lower intervention birth bringing lots of knowledge on movement in labor, benefits of keeping interventions to a minimum, & how to provide a calm & reassuring space.
If you need recommendations please reach out! I can provide recommendations on either OBs or CNMs who I have known to provide supportive & reassuring care to my clients.

03/12/2026

Yesterday I was blessed to attend a wonderful birth center birth. I was there when this mama birthed her first baby in the same place. What a powerful mama to do both births unmedicated even though both babies weren’t in the best positions & threw some curveballs her way. I am so proud of how hard this family worked to bring both babies here safely!

03/12/2026

Last week I had to be out of town for my grandma’s funeral. And this baby needed to make their debut then. This mama had an induction that changed so quickly I couldn’t get my backup there in time. But my client handled this whirlwind birth like a champ! I was sad to miss it, this was a repeat client. I was there when this mama birthed big sister completely unmedicated in the hospital. And couldn’t believe baby brother (team green turned team blue!) had to be born three weeks earlier than his sister. But my client knew it was the best thing for her. And I’m so happy everyone is safe & sound! And despite an induction she did it completely unmedicated again!

03/04/2026

Spoiler….its all me because I’m a one woman show😂

Tiny Steffanie wanted to be a mom, a nurse, a teacher, a hairdresser, & a writer all at the same time. I feel I did a pretty good job of picking a profession that encompasses a lot of the elements of these jobs!

Teenage Steffanie swore she’d never have kids & would have a high profile job. God knocked me down a notch when he gifted me my oldest not long into my college years😂 But it was the best thing. I was not meant to work a job in politics or law or public relations.
I could never have fathomed I’d have chosen this work or that I would have built a birth business that has gone strong for a decade now. But God’s plans were much bigger & better than my own🙌🏻

03/03/2026

I see a very clear connection to induction & csection. You need to know this info before consenting to a non-medical induction.

02/28/2026

This is harrowing. We live in a big city. Yet, if you ask for my recommendation on an OB, I have only ONE I trust referring my clients to who desire a low to no intervention birth.
Are there good doctors? Sure. Does that mean they are the best choice for those desiring a low to no intervention birth? Not always.
There’s a reason there’s only one recommend. Because despite working with many doctors I see the same trend. Client talks about their desires for their birth. They are reassured that their doctor will support them & then there’s a bait & switch. The end of pregnancy brings a lot of stress:
🤰talk of induction, even in healthy pregnancies
🤰push to consent to membrane sweeps
🤰lots of stress about what could go wrong, creating anxiety & submission to things that were not originally part of the plan, to ensure perceived risks don’t have a chance of happening
🤰demand for complete compliance, not questioning their authority
🤰trying to hurry up spontaneous births by pushing AROM & pitocin use

Many OBs view it their job to manage your birth. I can’t tell you how many are amazed that my clients have consistent contractions without Pitocin. Which means their default is to augment even when labor begins in its own. So many are amazed or even annoyed by unmedicated birth, as it’s easier to manage women who are medicated & in bed.

I have seen too much bait & switch. It’s most of my experience. And it’s sad & very often traumatizing to witness. I get to see these people working in their element. I get to see what’s offered beyond the talk. I get to see the actions. Please believe me & other doulas when we share our experiences. Don’t expect to be the exception to their rule.

02/28/2026

I was just with a doctor who did not care one bit about patient autonomy. Who demanded complete compliance from his patient. This is why they don’t want you to have doula support. They don’t want you to know your options. They want complete & utter control over your birth. They want to protect their liability & reputation over providing a trauma-free experience. And this is not ok.

I don’t care if you want to have a doula or not. If this is how your provider views your relationship you need to RUN!

This type of care is not about saving you & your baby (despite them uttering it over & over). It’s about them managing every aspect of your birth. And that’s not ok or safe.

I’ve witnessed unnecessary injury & trauma because of this care. You deserve better.

Another example of AUDACITY 🤯

Once again, we can't confirm authenticity but it's such an important conversation.

What comes to mind when you see something like this?

Beyond audacity, we've got a few BIG thoughts.

One, does this practice even follow evidence-based care? Because doula support IS backed by evidence and ACOG even recognizes the role of continuous support reducing the risk of primary c-sections.

Two, do you not believe people deserve autonomy in birth? How does a practice dictate who gets to be present at a birth?? Yes, a hospital can have visiting restrictions in the form of number of visitors. But what authority exists to say WHO you can have present at YOUR birth?

And third, THIS is why it is VITAL that doulas practice within their scope. Yes, there's a chance these providers just don't like autonomy and informed consent. However, there's also the possibility a rouge doula, or a few, crossed outside scope of practice and caused issues. Remember, we do not diagnose, treat, or give direct medical advice. We provide education and remind clients they have a voice.

But even if a rouge doula triggered this, how is this fair or beneficial for all?

We would love to hear your thoughts as a doula, a parent, a nurse, a midwife, an OB, or just as a human.

Do parents deserve the right to have who they desire at their births?

It's feeling like some providers have a lot of audacity lately 👀 Perhaps they have a reason for these practices, but this isn't a great look....

02/28/2026

Just a reminder of a really important question.

In an editorial in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine, Professor Hannah Dahlen looked at the meta-analysis by Hutton et al (2019), which looked at 14 studies involving around 500,000 women.

It showed (again) that home and hospital birth are equally safe and that homebirths in well-integrated settings appear to lead to better perinatal outcomes.

She then raised an important question: 'Is it time to ask whether facility based birth is safe for low risk women and their babies?'

If you’d like to know more about the evidence on home birth, see https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/is_home_birth_safe/

We have an entire page of studies and links to load of evidence-based information about homebirth.

Dahlen HG (2019). Is it Time to Ask Whether Facility Based Birth is Safe for Low Risk Women and Their Babies? EClinicalMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.003

02/28/2026

What a powerhouse birth!
This first time mama had a completely unmedicated birth in a hospital WITH AN OP BABY! And she made it look easy!!!
This was all after going into spontaneous labor at 42 weeks & being “advanced maternal age😒”.
I could not believe the strength & composure I witnessed.

02/26/2026

And right as the last birth was wrapping up this baby was getting ready. I went straight from the last birth to meet this family at the hospital across the street. And was blessed to witness this powerful birth center birth! This family received 8 hours of support & this mama worked hard!

02/26/2026

I returned home very early Tuesday morning & a few hours later was awoken by a text that this mama’s labor was starting. These first time parents received 28 hours of support. It was such a blessing to get to witness this birth after such a marathon labor! This mama persevered!