About Me

“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers - strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

~Barbara Katz Rothman

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About Me

My name is Karinda Woodward. I have three beautiful babies. My oldest daugher is thirteen years old, my son is three years old, and my other daughter is 6 months old. I live in the country so that my children and I can enjoy a large garden, a big yard, and some of the other benefits of country living. I serve many surrounding cities including Salem, McMinnville, Newberg and other nearby smaller towns. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question about Doula services in your area.

I gave birth to my daughter in a hospital setting without continuous labor support. Although I did not plan to, I experienced interventions and medications that I did not want. I felt a little disappointed about my birth experience. My confidence in the ability of my body to give birth successfully dropped and my confidence as a woman dropped. I had let myself down. I assumed that the doctors knew best and that they wouldn’t listen to me anyway. I don't believe that the hospital was responsible for my negative birth experience. I feel like there was a lack of resources and support available to me during my first pregnancy and labor. I did not realize how much information I should have researched before giving birth. I was not aware that the Doctor does not stay with the laboring woman. I did not know that I was solely responsible for my birth support team. My labor was over 24 hours long. My Doctor was with me for less than 1 of those hours. My labor partner was with me, but this was his first experience with birth also.

When I decided to have another baby I knew that I needed to feel more empowered, that birth was meant to be a more rewarding experience. Two of my close friends had given birth in their homes with the assistance of a midwife. I had met these midwives during prenatal visits and experienced one of these births firsthand and I knew homebirth and waterbirth was the right choice for us. After having my son in my home without any medications or doctors or hospital interruptions I felt so empowered. My midwife was with me throughout the entire 10 hour labor. She never left. I have so much confidence in my body and in myself as a woman after this amazing experience!!! This overwhelming feeling I have of empowerment-wisdom-confidence-beauty is almost indescribable. However, I can help you experience it. My new goal is to help as many women as possible share this amazing feeling of birth/breastfeeding success.

I believe that mothers have a much more rewarding childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding experience when they are well informed and have all of the support that they derserve.

I have an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have extensive training in breastfeeding and have been a private breastfeeding counselor for three years. I received Doula training in April 2007 and became a certified birth doula through DONA in May 2009. My goal is to make your birth vision my own.

~Karinda Woodward