My Birth Journey.
My name is Emily Baldwin. I am a wife, a mother to three earthly children, and one angel, and a follower of Christ. I’m a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor, Childbirth Educator, Birth Photographer, Certified Placenta Specialist, and a Student Midwife.
My main purpose as a doula is to hold space and educate women as they go through this sacred, holy, and spiritual experience while gaining the knowledge of their god-given ability to give birth.
I currently provide services within a two hour radius of Toccoa, Georgia.
My journey into birth work began shortly after the birth of my first daughter, Indigo. I had a very “textbook” pregnancy and birth for my first baby, everything was standard. From the morning sickness to the rush of energy in the second trimester, to the walking whale in the third. But, I went through my pregnancy in the heat of the pandemic. I had the support of our families, but I felt very alone and uninformed. I agreed to all the testing, and took the advice of my provider with no questions asked. I had no idea what a doula even was at this time!
Throughout this pregnancy, I had envisioned myself giving birth unmedicated in the hospital, but after months of hearing the wrong stories, I chickened out. I went into my birth knowing that I “needed” an epidural at 6 cm because that’s what the norm was. Flash forward to a few weeks before my due date: my OB told me that she was going out of town for the month surrounding my due date, and I was so scared of being in a hospital with staff I didn’t know that I agreed to being induced at 39 weeks. I was induced immediately with Pitocin, and a few hours later had my epidural placed and my waters broken. A few more hours passed with multiple cervical exams and finally I was “ready to push”. I tore, continued receiving Pitocin through placenta delivery and had my baby taken away immediately for newborn exams.
I wish that I would have had someone there to hold my hand, and walk through pregnancy with me. Having the support from my husband was amazing, but he was also new to everything. Having that access to knowledge and someone to help guide me through my own thoughts and desires would have been so beneficial. Having the support and guidance to realize what my birth preferences actually were, to help me tap into the raw power that all women have to give birth, would have drastically changed my birth experience.
Although that birth may not have gone exactly how I had originally planed, it helped me to realize my passion for helping women feel educated and empowered in their births. From this thought and the encouragement of friends, Kindred Souls was born. (A special thank you to my sister-in-law, Natalie, for encouraging me to pursue this life).
I’ve been serving my community as a doula for 4 years now. Through two more births of my own, both uninterrupted, one precipitous, at the birth center (barely), and one unassisted in my own home - I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom from real experiences. From mothers giving birth in homes, hospitals, and birth centers, to sharing stories and receiving guidance from midwives, doulas, and so many others in my community.
As my story continues, I will always be shifting down the path of birth work. Gaining womb wisdom is a slow, devoted process, and in the years to come, I anticipate serving my community as a Traditional Midwife. For now, I love where I am at in my journey, guiding mothers into their new lives, helping them realize their full potential and the innate wisdom that they hold.
If you would like to read my own in-depth birth stories, you can view them on my blog or listen on my podcast, Radical Birth, wherever you listen to podcasts.
If you have any questions, personal or birth related, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My door is always open.
