Today we’d like to introduce you to Adara Parker
Hi Adara, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I had my son James on the tail end of COVID when there were still a lot of restrictions in the hospitals. When I got pregnant I knew I had wanted a birth doula. At that point I didn’t actually know what a doula did, but I wanted one because I knew my mom (who had passed away at that point) had a doula to support her when she had me and all my siblings. Unfortunately, I was not able to have a doula due to the COVID restrictions. The birth went fine in that my son and I were both healthy, but I felt that I had made some decisions I wouldn’t have made if I had been given more information. There were times where I felt out of control of what was happening with my labor, so after I had my son I looked into what I could do to prevent that feeling the next time I gave birth. This is when I started looking more into what birth doulas actually do…and I fell in love! I immediately felt as though this is what I was meant to be doing. Within a month I had registered for my DONA training, finished my certification, and started support women as they made evidence-based decisions about what they wanted their birth to look like! I am completely in love with my job and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When looking into how to become a doula, there are a lot of considerations. There are no laws surrounding doula certification at this point so you don’t actually need a training or certification to become a birth doula, although I would highly recommend it! I weighed the pro and cons of different paths to becoming a doula and finally settled on going through certification with DONA International. Being a DONA doula allows me opportunities to work with insurance companies so that I can help more women who aren’t able to be private pay clients. There are perks to being a DONA doula, but the path to certification wasn’t the easiest. DONA has a very extensive training and certification process so that their doulas are very competent and prepared. These certification requirements include having a minimum amount of active labor support hours. A lot of growing a doula business and finding clients is through networking, which I had a hard time doing in the beginning. It is a lot of calls, emails, and drop-in’s, all of which eventually paid off! I became a back-up for another local doula, providing me with opportunities to gain the labor hours I needed to complete my certification. Once certified, it took about a year or so for my business to really become consistent through referrals and word of mouth from my first few satisfied clients! I just knew if I kept putting the work in the business would come, this is an important job that fills such a need in this country.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Belly Blessings Birth Services is the name of my business! I am a birth doula in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio but I also offer TENS unit rentals for labor, personalized breastmilk keepsake jewelry, and starting in 2025, childbirth education classes!
I am extremely passionate about my job. I believe that women have choices when it comes to giving birth, and I make sure that they have all the latest evidence-based information so that my clients feel educated and empowered to make the choices that feel right for them! I work with my clients before the birth, practicing labor techniques, educating, and helping them form their birth preferences. I am a physical, educational, and emotional support for my clients while they are in labor, as well as another advocate in their corner!
One thing I want people to know is that doulas are not just for the woman who wants an unmedicated and hands-off birth. Doulas are for anyone who wants one, even if you are wanting an epidural or having an elective C-Section.
One thing that sets me apart is that I am a faith-based doula, so for those of my clients who are also believers, I am another person praying for you throughout the pregnancy and birth! I don’t feel that this makes me a bad choice for those who aren’t Christian, but just a perk for those who are. My approach to supporting my clients is loving and non-judgmental. My job is to be a support for you in whatever choices you make!
I am very proud of the business I have built and I am excited that I regularly get to add on more services for my clients to take advantage of! Just this year I have begun working with TRICARE. This is huge because there is a large base in Dayton and this provides more access for our military families to have the support they deserve during pregnancy, labor, and delivery! I also started renting our TENS units this year. TENS for labor is a great non-medical pain relief option while in labor, especially if you are prone to back labor!
The service I added this year that I am most excited about is that I now make breastmilk keepsakes! Breastmilk keepsakes preserves your breastmilk into jewelry, a keychain, etc. A tangible reminder of that precious bond that comes from producing your child’s food. In a culture that often shames women for doing something so natural, I am so very pleased to be able to give women reminders that this is something to be proud of.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
A resource I use a lot is Evidenced-Based Birth. I listen to the podcast and use their website to ensure that I am up-to-date on all the recent information so that I can help my clients the best that I can!
I am constantly collecting and reading new book that are related to my birth work, creating a collection that my clients also have access too. One of the books that I reference often is The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin.
Using Honeybook to help me manage the business side of things has definitely taken my business to the next level.
Pricing:
- Birth Doula Services (Basic Package) -$750
- TENS Rentals- $75
- Additional Class- $75
- Breastmilk keepsakes- Variable
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bellyblessingsbirth.com
- Instagram: @bellyblessingsdoula
- Facebook: Belly Blessings Birth Services
- Other: Tiktok- @bellyblessingsbirth
