my mantra
Everyone should feel supported and heard throughout their pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery.
my background
My name is Katherine Smith, I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I am a mother to three crazy kids. I married the boy that I played power rangers with in elementary school. While I have always had the most supportive and loving family when I became pregnant at 19 my life was forever changed.
My heart has always been pulled to the medical field. While being a young mom I was going to college to become a labor and delivery nurse and ended up managing an adult family home for three years which gave me an invaluable amount of medical experience. Then while helping my sister-in-law with her labor it hit me that this is what I’m meant to do. I want to be that support for person without being tied to paperwork and having to follow a hospital’s protocols of interventions.
where my passion drives from
During all three of my pregnancies I felt like I was missing the support of someone that had been through it before. Someone that had the experience to understand my aches and pains. Someone that knew each of the steps along the way and how to reassure me and my husband of the normal process. Someone that could have explained all the different options that came up in labor. To know things to suggest while I was in the heat of labor and had forgotten everything I had learned.
I feel like going through so many experiences through each of my labors without that support has given me such a different take on being a doula. I’ve been through my water breaking, induction, pitocin, failed epidural, successful epidural, spinal, 3 hour of pushing, 5 minutes of pushing, emergency cesarean, a victorious VBAC, large babies, tearing, trouble with initial breastfeeding, nipple shields and big hungry babies. Going through all of these experiences and many more without that knowledgeable support person showed me how valuable having one is. How no one should go through their pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery without someone they can rely on for emotional, physical and intellectual support.
as your doula
I want you to feel supported through each step along the way from the moment you hire me. When I first learned about doulas and I felt like their role is typically focused on labor. Which a big part of the job for you to feel prepared for labor and while going through that you have all the support and information you need to make the right choices for you. While this is a big part of my job as a doula my heart is also into the support during pregnancy. I always tell my clients to contact me about anything and not feel like they are bothering me. Please ask me questions that have come up or you just need someone to vent to or you found some new information and wanted my thoughts. It brings me such joy to answer those texts because I so badly wanted that when I was pregnant. I want to be that support for you. I hope no one feels like they are missing that support for themselves and their partner.
My Core Values
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Supportive
I will give you emotional and physical support throughout your whole journey.
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Inclusive
I provide my service to a whole rainbow of people. Everyone has a right to feel supported during this personal time.
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Passionate
This is more than my dream it’s what I’m meant to do. It brings me such joy to be there for these families.