Fredericksburg Parent

October 2021

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22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • October 2021 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING a PERSPECTIVE Knowledge can be a valuable antidote to the anxiety many women experience as they move through the physical and emotional changes brought on by pregnancy, and as they anticipate childbirth. But wouldn't it be better to get answers from a trained individual who can draw upon the experience of many different births than to keep typing queries into Google? At A Mother's Perspective Doula Services, education is the foundation of the compre- hensive support services this trained team of doulas provides to women during the prenatal, birth and postpartum phases of life. As our October Expert, Dani Keller, a labor and postpartum doula and childbirth educator, talks about her approach to educating women about this exciting and important phase in their lives. Q. How did you decide to become a doula focused on childbirth education? DANI: I'm a mom of four. I have always been passionate about supporting and empowering women during pregnancy and childbirth. My children are older now—my youngest is 16—so I am at a point in my life where I have more time to devote to this passion. I have some medi- cal issues that have made it harder for me to provide the active physical support that doulas provide to birthing women, but I wanted to continue the work of helping empower women through this process. Education was a natural fit, because I also teach GED classes. My work as a doula has taught me how important childbirth education during pregnancy is. During childbirth, there is only so much time to relay important information that can help a woman cope with what she is experiencing and be aware of her options. The more we can educate women before childbirth, the better-equipped they will be, wherever they choose to have their baby. DANI KELLER A labor and postpartum doula and childbirth educator Mother's

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