Rebecca Payne
“Being our messy, imperfect, authentic selves helps create a space where others feel safe to be themselves, too. Your vulnerability can be a gift to others, how badass is that?” - b. oakman
Sometimes I feel like my story starts the same as so many other people that work in the birthing world, you know how it goes… from the time I was a little girl I’ve always had this burning passion to care for others. I feel called to pregnant people, babies, and everything in that realm. Life went on as normal, and being the youngest in my family, I never really got to see pregnancy and birth up close. Regardless, my Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube were always full of searches like “baby names”, “maternity pictures and updates”, “labor and delivery videos,” (you name it, I was obsessed with it!!)
The first time I saw a person give birth was my senior year of high school. I was in a program where I was given the opportunity to shadow many units in our local hospital. Eventually we got the L&D assignment… I vividly remember the moment I witnessed birth for the very first time. In that moment, I KNEW. This is what I was made for. I got to witness two vaginal and one belly birth during the week spent in the labor & delivery unit and my soul ached when I had to leave; not knowing when the next time I would get to be a part of something so beautiful was going to be.
I went off to college and had the typical “OMG WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE” crisis all 17-20 year old’s have… that was until I came across a video on YouTube titled “My Day in The Life as a Birth Doula.” I had no idea what to expect, but I clicked anyway, and I was hooked immediately.
B I R T H D O U L A.
I stayed up all night and googled every question possible, and before I knew it I finally knew what I wanted to do. I finally found that last missing piece to the puzzle. Fast forward to now… I moved to all the way to New Jersey from Texas after college graduation with dreams that seemed far too big and unrealistic to put into motion (which is never EVER true, by the way!!!). Quickly, I scoured the internet for doula trainings and found one that spoke to me. After weeks of journaling and manifesting, I found myself on day one of DONA doula training... somewhere I never thought I would be so soon. The next five days were some of the most transformative days of my life. I was surrounded by the most amazing women I have ever met, learning all the in's & out's of what being a birth doula truly is, and falling more in love with birth work every minute.
By the end of my training I knew one thing for sure. I want to be there. I want to create a birthing environment that is warm, cozy, safe, and intimate. I want every birthing person to feel powerful, magical, and advocated for.
SO, here I am. This is sage & onyx.