Today we’d like to introduce you to Atiyya Joseph.
Hi Atiyya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as a doula began shortly after I had my daughter. I was over the moon and completed elated about my birth experience. I started helping friends and family, and even my neighbors create their list of birth goals and get prepared for their birth experience. I didn’t know that this was true Doula work, I was just happy to help and wanted every woman to experience the euphoria that I had. The more women that I spoke to about birth, the more I learned about how negative a birth experience could be. I knew about the statistics with African American women, but I didn’t know specifically how neglected one could be from their care team. The hardest part is that a lot of those women though that it was normal. They were only satisfied to go home with a healthy baby, even though they had experienced so much trauma in the process. I knew I had to get closer to the process. During the pandemic, I really sat down to ponder what my purpose was in life, and how I was contributing to others. Time and time again, God continued to call me into this space. I got my certification, and I got to work. I went from just home planning to being in the hospital setting, sometimes home setting, and even birth center. It truly felt like, I had finally arrived, home! Today I serve women all over the metroplex on their unique journey to Motherhood.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
To be quite honest, it has been pretty smooth. I now know, that the reason for that, is that the Creator was waiting for me to find my way here. However, it isn’t always easy. Everyone’s birth experience is different. Sometimes they go as planned and are absolutely perfect, and other times there are a lot of challenges along the way. It is part of the work, and every experience is for learning and for growth.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As a Doula, I provide physical, emotional, and educational support throughout a mother’s pregnancy, during labor, and post-partum. The moment a mother has decided that she can benefit from Doula support, we hit the ground running to determine what it is that she wants, and how she imagines her birth experience to be. A Brave Birth Doula was created because it take a lot of gut and bravery to be assertive about your wants and needs in environments that may be foreign and intimidating to you. Although we shouldn’t need to dig deep to receive the care that we want, we do! I serve all births and all birth goals. However, I specialize in natural birth support.
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future, I hope to be on the other end of things. I am dedicated to being the change i hope to see. My next step on this journey of being a world changer is becoming a midwife!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abravebirthdoula.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/abravebirthdoula
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/abravebirthdoula
