About Birth Essential...
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Hi. My name is Abbey Robinson. That's me in the photo above when I was pushing my 4th baby down, a VBA3C. (I have a complicated history...ask me about it if you like.)
I became a doula in 2001 after the birth of my second baby by unplanned cesarean. I had another unplanned cesarean after an attempted homebirth in 2005... and my VBA3C with an amazing OB (and a doula) at Denton Presbyterian Hospital in 2010. You might think that finally having a baby naturally after 14 years of trying, and 3 failed attempts, that the actual vaginal birth was my greatest accomplishment... I did leave my sister a voicemail declaring "I just had a baby! OUT OF MY VAGINA!" ... but it wasn't. The revelations that came to me in the following months surprised me and made me incredibly determined to share my knowledge with others. I felt what I learned was too great to keep to myself. When I decided to go back to doula work, I approached it from an entirely different point of view. I realized that the more women try to control the details surrounding their births, the more disappointed they seemed to be! Let me explain... I have always had some trust issues. I like to be in charge. I thought the more I learned, and the more I knew, the more I could control during the birth process. What I actually learned was how crucial it was to trust my birth team, my OB, the people I allow in my birth space... I had to completely let my guard down. I had to let go of the little details surrounding HOW my baby was "supposed to" arrive. I ended up having a few interventions that I never would have planned on but because I was able to shift my way of thinking and had an open mind, those things ended up not mattering. What mattered was that I was supported. I felt the love in the room give me strength to overcome those things. I was empowered simply by the presence of the people who were there with me. The magic was already in me, I just needed to feel safe and fully supported for it to do it's work. No matter what your experience entails... interventions or not, what you will remember most is how you where treated. Did you feel supported? Did you feel that your team really wanted what you wanted? While you can't control exactly what happens during your birth, you can control who you let into that sacred space. What if the journey is different than your expectations... who will you choose to support you through that? This is a career and a passion for me, not a hobby. My only agenda is to provide exceptional support to each and every client. I've been a doula for nearly 18 years. I believe in this. I believe in you. When friends ask me what I do for a living, I respond with "I get paid to love people." I do and it's true. There's a special magic that happens with a birthing family allows me to be a part of this incredible and intimate journey. In order for this work to be sustainable, doulas have to support each other and trust each other in the same way we do our clients. It's not something we can do alone...at least not for long. We need support and we need to support each other. As a solo doula, I couldn't maintain the energy it took to give my clients what they needed. That's why we need the team at Birth Essential! (and just FYI, we were formally Fort Worth Doulas!) I hand pick each doula that works with me. I make sure that we all have a single goal in mind; to give the best possible care to your family! My clients and my partners are my most valuable assets and I only trust doulas for you that I would trust for myself. I can't wait to share Birth Essential with you. We care and it shows. |