Today we’d like to introduce you to Daneé Haynes.
Hi Daneé, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My personal journey of both pregnancy loss and carrying full term pregnancies was the catalyst that led me to become a birth doula. I really became a “birth nerd” during that time and wanted to be for others, what I wanted for myself. I ended up having a doula and she told me I would make a great doula… that was the confirmation I needed to hear. I trained with a few organizations but ended up certifying with the National Black Doulas Association.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but it hasn’t been overly crazy… in general doula work gain popularity I would say in the last 5 to 6 years, so there was (and sometimes still is) a lot of educating people on what a doula does and the value and benefits of a doula. Specifically for me, in late 2020 my husband accepted a position that moved us from Atlanta to Cleveland. One thing about birth work is a lot of our clientele comes from reputation, referrals, word-of-mouth, and so having to leave a city where I had already built to all of that and come to a city where I knew no one forced me to lock in and rebrand, and put myself out there in order to have a successful business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about My Sweet Cadence Doula Services?
I am a certified birth and postpartum Doula. The name of my business, My Sweet Cadence Doula Services, came from my love of music and also my daughter. I want every person‘s birth to feel like a rhythmic flow of events and my hope is that with education and support more birthing people can say they had a positive birth experience. I educate families on childbirth education, labor positions, comfort measures, breast-feeding and postpartum. In addition I support families throughout the pregnancy, labor & delivery and early postpartum.
I am also a certified trainer with the National Black Doula Association. I take a lot of pride in training the next wave of doulas. This is something that I didn’t know I would enjoy, but I very much enjoy training and teaching. Additionally, I am the Director of Partnerships for the National Black Doula Association, so I try to keep up on the latest and informed of companies and organization is in groups that want to grow and support this work.
What am I most proud of? …That’s a difficult one. Without sounding vain, I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to support so many families, specifically black families, in achieving a birth that did not leave them traumatized. It means a lot to me when I get those calls, cards and texts after birth from a family thanking me and loving on me letting me know that they appreciate me being there and they value the work I do. No… you know what actually, I’m most proud when a birthing person or their partner refers me to someone else – that means they felt safe. That means they saw value in what I do and oddly enough, it is usually the partner who didn’t really know what to doula does, and now they’ve experienced the birth with a doula present, and they are usually my biggest cheerleaders and supporters telling all their friends get your partner a doula that I’m proud of.
I’m also proud of the example that I set for my three kids. Specifically, my daughter who wants to be just like her mommy!
I currently offer birth and postpartum services, placenta services, doula training and doula mentorship.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Families that would like to reach out to me in regards to doula services can visit my website, www.mysweetcadence.com, or my IG page (@mysweetcadence_doula) and click the link to schedule a free virtual consultation.
People that would like to support the work that I do can donate to my scholarship fund for families that want to doula services but aren’t able to cover the cost via insurance or out-of-pocket. They can contact me via my website for more information.
And for those looking to train to become certified birth and postpartum doula can check my training schedule and/or those recently trained doulas looking for mentorship can check out my profile – both via the national Black Doula Association website, www.blackdoulas.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mysweetcadence.com
- Instagram: @mysweetcadence_doula
- Other: https://linktr.ee/MySweetCadence
