Big News: I Co-Founded the Heart of Maine Doula Training!
Okay, I have to tell you all about something I've been working on behind the scenes.
If you've talked to me for more than five minutes, you've probably heard me gush about how much I love mentoring new doulas. There's nothing like watching someone go from "I think I want to do this?" to showing up at their first birth like they were born for it (pun very much intended). And honestly, I get asked "how do I become a doula?" constantly — at parties, in my DMs, from clients who caught the birth-work bug after I supported them. It's a lot of people!
For a long time, my answer was kind of a bummer: "Well, there's a training out of state... or an online program that doesn't really get what it's like here in Maine..." Not exactly inspiring.
So a few of us decided to just build the thing ourselves. Say hello to Heart of Maine Doula — a brand new, full-spectrum doula training program made right here in Maine, for Maine folks. I've teamed up with two amazing co-founders, Laurie Wood and Jillian Hollis, to bring this to life, and I truly couldn't ask for better partners in this.
Why I'm Doing This
My own doula journey kicked off back in 2013, after I had two totally different birth experiences and realized just how much good support changes everything. Since then I've trained as a birth doula, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and lactation counselor. I ran a doula practice down in New Jersey, turned it into a co-op, hit the road for a while as "The Nomadic Doula" (yes, in a converted school bus, yes it was as chaotic and wonderful as it sounds), and eventually landed here in Maine, where I now run Rooted In Birth.
Through all of that, mentoring has always been my favorite part. But mentoring one person at a time on my own was never going to be enough to actually move the needle — especially with birthing services shrinking across our state and so many families left without real support. Maine needs more doulas. Not just more people wearing the title, but doulas who are genuinely well-trained, well-mentored, and part of a real community as they grow.
That's the gap Heart of Maine Doula is here to fill.
So What Do We Actually Do?
We're a full-spectrum training program, meaning we don't just teach labor support and call it a day. We cover the whole journey — fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, even loss — because that's the real, messy, beautiful scope of this work.
And training day one is just the start. Here's what comes after:
Ongoing mentorship — nobody gets a certificate and gets pushed out the door alone. New doulas get paired up with experienced support for their first births and beyond.
Continuing education — this work never stops teaching you something new, so we're keeping the learning going for doulas at every stage.
Community — honestly, this might be my favorite part. Doula work can be so isolating, especially out here in more rural areas. This is a place for Maine doulas to find each other and lean on each other.
As co-founders and facilitators, Laurie, Jillian, and I get to pour everything we've each learned over years of this work into shaping how we train the next wave of doulas serving families across our state. Feels like a full-circle moment, honestly.
Why This Matters (Even If You're Not a Doula)
If you're a family reading this and not a future birth worker — this still matters for you! Every well-trained doula out there is one more person who can show up for a birth, get a new parent through a rough postpartum week, or just be a calm, knowledgeable presence when the system feels rushed. With maternity care access getting harder in parts of Maine, growing a strong doula community is one real, tangible way to help fill in the gaps.
If You've Felt "The Pull"
And if you're someone who's felt that little tug toward this work — maybe you supported a friend through her pregnancy, or your own birth changed something in you, or you just can't stop thinking about it — there's finally a path for you right here at home. No need to travel out of state or settle for an online program that doesn't get Maine. You can train, get mentored, and grow with people who actually understand this work in this state.
What's Next
We're just getting started, and I'm honestly so excited about where this is headed. If you're curious about the training, upcoming cohorts, or what full-spectrum doula work looks like day-to-day, come check us out.
You can find us at heartofmainedoula.org.
This has been a long time coming, and it's built on years of births, mentoring, and a deep belief that Maine families deserve real, heart-centered support. Can't wait to see who joins us!
