Today we’d like to introduce you to LaToya Rideau.
Hi LaToya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I became a doula at the peak of COVID 19 2021. I was fresh off of a job where I wasn’t deemed “essential”. I was already in a stuck place in life knowing that I wanted to really pursue my passion towards Midwifery, I’d wanted to do so since I was a teen. A utilized the downtime that was quarantined to pursue my birth and postpartum doula trainings. Birth with DONA and Postpartum with ProDoula. I got trained under one of the best in the World, Ms. Nikia Lawson. I was just starting out as a new and independent doula when trying to get over a stump of where to start, I was out in the community under the mindset of
” Just show up & serve”. I found myself up early attending a community breastfeeding event that I had found online close to my house. Taking time to share space with community I found myself in good connection with families and professionals of like minds. There I met my current day mentor Dr Cheryl Edinbyrd; Founder of the Tree of Life Birth, Counseling and Wellness Center. We later came together in connection of values, passions, an intention for our service in the community with other like minds, to cohort a birth team. That was 2022; with my team I have served hundreds of families of the DFW as a birth doula as well as in postpartum, a mentor and life coach, a Birth Assists and as of 2004 officially a student Midwife under the PEP process of TDLR! I run my own service-based business MaDoula Maternal Services, offering services from doula, coaching, child development, nanny care, resource alignments and even after birth care and products. I grow my business as I grow myself in every way. I love pouring into my team and everything we do together and in alignment. We are continuing to do everything we can to service more families of all levels with the intentions to make better experiences outcomes and foundations of strong families of our communities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Define smooth? lol Ohh I have had many of struggles, Most taken his lessons in very much understood as needed. My biggest struggle I find myself having to go back and forgive myself of it’s just not knowing in my youth. Not seeking good guidance and really caring about my plan to a depth at the time I did not know. I was going by the guidance of those around me who did it really seemed my vision when it came to finding my way to Midwifery. With that I found myself being pointed in directions that didn’t align and listening to those that weren’t of understanding of my end goal. I found myself taking on other people’s fears into my everyday decision making. I found myself wasting years going towards paths that others panned out for me. It took time, a growth in wisdom and maturity to finally really understand the power I had in my own story. I struggled with the fact that for me, I had to go against things I was taught in my youth, from how I was raised to think and to manifest. It took deep searches within myself to really figure out who I was and how I wanted my life to be that taking just as much effort to check myself on who I already was subconsciously, checking in with how I moved in my free will, my disciplines and my intentions. I struggled with shedding an old self that did not serve what my future self-needed to become so. Every day it’s breaking old habits and mindsets into what can involve me to a higher thinking and being. a higher Vibration. I’ve had struggles with identity and truth in who I know I am but only due to the self I chose to once ignore. Being in a growing place I’ve learned that mental health and spirituality are one in one. I can’t work on one without the other and with that it brings constant evolution that can sometimes come with a struggle unexpected. I can say yes I’ve struggled or I could choose my words wisely and say that I have been through the trial and error of being human in the grace that I am just that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
MaDoula services is an umbrella. Business formed to serve families in multiple layers of paternal services, such as birth and postpartum, Doula care, nanny, and child development services, overnight care, breast-feeding, placenta services, and more! This work was founded and established for parents to help build strong foundation, structure, and habits that lead toward a strong, confident and well-rounded, family.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Community. Remembering that we are all a part of a body takes us out of thinking that we are alone and are so unique that no one can relate to us. No one can see us or understand us. Remembering community brings us back to knowing that we need each other and together, we are stronger. Honoring each other strength and being vulnerable in our shortcomings can bring us together like puzzle pieces when we take time to care and nurture each other. It makes our family stronger inside and outside of our towns, cities, states and country and how we all mesh. Rooted with love, understanding, and honor of God, togetherness is a source of strength of humanity.
Pricing:
- $80 date nights (4hrs) 3kds
- $25/hr meal prep
- $23/h infant care
- $120 overnights
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madouladallas?igsh=MWN0dXQ1cG03azg0cQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BrGoWKfuL/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Latoya Rideau (myself)
Cheryl Edinbyrd
Kendal Leigh Williams
