Meet Linda the Doula
Linda Miranda, Birth and Postpartum Doula
Greetings!
My name is Linda. While I happily call Austin home, I hail from the sunny valleys of Sonoma County, California! I started off as a nursing student eager to heal the sick but I realized my passion was not for medicine. I found myself frustrated by the emphasis of nursing to be on procedures and hospital policy rather than on holistically helping patients. I admire the tireless work of nursing professionals and the care they give but was certain that nursing was not for me.
My passion lies in people, their stories and the realization of their deep-seated hopes. The pursuit of that passion has taken me all over the country. I’ve worked in hurricane disaster recovery on the Gulf Coast , with AmeriCorps teaching children that mathematics and literature can be fun, and various times in health care with uninsured people of all kinds. More often than not, I have found myself supporting pregnant women and their families.
It wasn’t until I started volunteering as a doula at the Women’s Health and Birth Center (Santa Rosa, California) that I realized my calling! I must say it is a calling I’m delighted to answer! I think I was born with a doula spirit but I never really had a term for it. The moment I attended my first birth something inside me clicked and I was hooked! I have loved supporting a wide range of families since then and each experience has been an special honor. I whole-heartedly believe that birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers (and families too)~ strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength (Barbara Katz Rothman, PhD). My hope is that every birthing woman would be able to experience birth and the first months postpartum without overpowering fear. A doula’s role is to empower families with education, encouragement, and experienced hands so that you may be confidant as you enter parenthood. I believe each family deserves someone committed to supporting them through one of the most exciting and trying times in their lives. I would love to be that person for you!
