Leshia Johnson

Some parents' birth journeys leave them feeling unsafe, unheard, and unsupported during their pregnancy and delivery. I was one of those parents.  Many years ago, when I was pregnant, my prenatal doctor refused to tell me the sex of my child because he believed your first child should be a surprise. When I was in labor, the doctor that delivered my baby, I had never met a day in my life, and he never asked me about how I wanted to deliver my baby. After my delivery, he went about his way and never checked on me.

As the years went by, I heard similar or worse stories from other birth parents. I made the decision to become a doula to advocate for birth justice and to help ensure a laboring person feels respected, supported, and is an active participant in their own birth experience whether it is at their home, in a hospital, or at a birth center. I believe in true informed consent where parents are given balanced, evidenced based information about the risks and benefits of procedures, so they can make the best decision about what’s right for them and their baby. As a doula it is a part of my job to help you access this information. I am a firm believer that if you don’t know your options, you won’t have any!