Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Espey-Mueller.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 1997, I found myself the single mother of two children under 3. I had married young and realized that the marriage was not healthy or safe. I needed a job to support my children and I landed a nurse tech position at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. The hospital offered me a position on the skilled nursing unit and set me up on a program that would pay for me to complete nursing school while working at the hospital. Soon I would be asked to take a position on a new floor designated for Hospice, or end of life, care. Nobody else was interested in the position, but I knew I had to do it. I felt like I was on Divine assignment.
There were 8 beds, that I split with a registered nurse. I was a struggling single mother, a recovering battered woman, and, now, and end of life guide. It was the most amazingly beautiful and heartbreaking thing I have ever done. Every day, I went to work and I watched people die. I provided them with comfort and dignity. I made sure they and their families knew what to expect and that they were not alone.
Fast forward 2 years and the unit closed due to funding, and I was left jobless. I floated around the hospital for a while as needed, but I knew I needed something more secure.
With time on my hands, I decided to take a training offered by DONA (Doulas of North America) to learn more about childbirth and labor support. Sitting in the session I realized that Doula work was very similar to Hospice work. It was all about education, comfort & dignity. It was about helping a person transition with support and security. It was appealing to think I could change from a death guide to a birth guide…. but I wondered, ” Who hires Doulas?” and could I really make a living as a doula?
Shortly thereafter I took a position working for an OBGYN, still at Baylor University Medical Center. The practice was a faith-based practice that offered encouragement, education, and experience to me on the gynecologic and obstetrical side of medicine. While working at the doctor’s office I met the director of Parent Education at Baylor and she offered me a job at the hospital in education. I worked there for 8 years as the assistant coordinator of Parent and New family education, as well as, the lead childbirth educator. It was truly one of my most favorite and rewarding opportunities.
Throughout the time I was working at the doctor’s office and the hospital in education, I began taking clients as a doula. At first, it was one or two a month until suddenly I was getting 10 and 12 calls a week for doula services.
I quickly had to decide what I truly wanted to be when I “grew up”. I quit working at the OBGYNS office and eventually left the hospital to concentrate on being a full-time doula.
I was afraid at first to rely solely on myself and my ability to run a business, but I knew it was what I was being called to do.
North Dallas Doula Associates came to life. I asked other doulas to join me to form a practice and we began to build momentum and very soon became the BEST in Dallas.
Now, I have been practicing as a doula for going on 19 years. I have attended well over a thousand deliveries throughout DFW. I have attended home, birth center and hospital births. When I stop and think about all the babies who have come earthside and all the mothers I have seen born, I can’t help but be thankful that this is my story.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Truly, I feel that this work fell into place and happened without obstacle, because I believe, it was meant to be. The challenges I faced had more to do with the Doula label and people assuming that all doulas had the same beliefs and philosophies. Physicians and nurses quickly found that I was a valued and needed part of the team and was not there to cause friction. It is very rare that I encounter care providers who are not welcoming of labor support services from a doula nowadays. It is truly my goal to support the birthing team that the family has chosen and in turn give them a supportive and full circle experience.
Please tell us about North Dallas Doula Associates.
My business is my baby. It was born from the fire within me and the ashes of my ancestors. I did not become a doula to make money, I became a doula to fulfill a mission to support women and foster a sisterhood that was lost with our great, great grandmothers. The name ‘North” has little to do with location and more to do with guidance and what I consider my True North. True North, to me, represents a personal destiny that cannot be denied or altered. No matter where you are your arrow will always guide you in the direction of your true path. So, the name North Dallas Doula Associates, also known as NDDA, came to be and our logo is an arrow to represent direction, guidance, personal journey, and alignment.
North Dallas Doula Associates specializes in supporting women as they embark on one of the most important journeys of their lives, which is motherhood.
We offer Birth Doula services, Postpartum Doula services, placenta encapsulation and prenatal education.
I also offer birth professional business coaching, professional speaking engagements and professional level training’s and workshops for birth professionals, nurses, and physicians.
NDDA is the most award-winning and experienced practice in Dallas and has won Best Doula in Dallas 4 times and Best Childbirth Class in Dallas in 2017. I direct and facilitate Parent Education at Medical City Dallas Hospital and work closely with other area hospitals to help train and develop workshops for nurses.
I am incredibly proud of the team I have working beside me and look forward to many more years of serving beside them!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from childhood will always be blamed on my sister, Priscilla. I am the woman I am today because I was first a sister.
Being her sister taught me about unconditional love and acceptance. It taught me about loyalty and grace. I truly believe sisterhood to be the foundation of my business and the reason why women choose NDDA and join our tribe for a lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: northdallasdoulas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthDallasDoulaAssociates/
- Website: www.northdallasdoulas.com
Image Credit:
Lauren Manry
Katie Englebert
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