by Lisa Moore photos by Meredith Jones Photography

For as long as Heather Evans can remember she’s wanted to birth a child. At age 19, she read Spiritual Midwifery, a classic book about natural childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, and it made a powerful impact on her.

Today, as a trained birth doula, Evans has helped numerous couples through the childbirth process. A doula provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and after birth. Studies indicate that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

Evans recently finished training as a Midwife Assistant with Ina May Gaskin and is now pursuing a Certified Professional Midwife certification. She has been trying to conceive the past few years and throughout her continued research felt a yearning to become a doula.

“I instantly felt a calling to it and knew that this was a way that I could be around that mama energy and be a part of the miracle of birth,” says Evans. “I feel very honored to be a part of such an empowering moment in a family's life."

She stresses that women who opt for intervention or have a cesarean birth are just as amazing and beautiful as women who have gone natural. However, she thinks women have lost their right to choose the birth they want and wants to remind them of their choices and to take birth back.

Evans has faith that she will birth her own child one day. In the meantime, she is passionate about being a part of so many positive transformations into motherhood.

“Most of the mothers I've watched give birth naturally are on an absolute high, the energy in the room is undeniable,” states Evans. “The mother becomes so confident after the birth. She's tapped into the most powerful life force and is part of it, not just a witness.”

Through her work, Evans empowers a mother by reminding her of her inner strength. “To watch a woman reach into her whole being and birth her child naturally is like watching a goddess come into her own.”

To learn about doulas visit www.dona.org. For information on Evans visit www.dedicateddoula.com.