Hello!
Everything I’ve done over the last thirty years has helped align me with this work. Giving birth to my two sons connected me to my own strength and wisdom and gave me a deep sense of purpose and joy. When my boys were little, my best friend asked if I would support her during the birth of her second son. Having the opportunity to share her birth journey opened my eyes to the work of a birth doula. I had almost completed my certification through DONA but began to see the work was going to be too demanding with two little boys at home and a husband who traveled frequently. I decided to put things on the back burner to focus on my family, but I knew in my heart that supporting pregnant and postpartum families was in me.
When my boys were older, I followed my passion for food and attended culinary school at the Institute of Technology in Roseville where I obtained my certification as a chef. One of my biggest pleasures is caring for people by creating delicious, nourishing food for them. After graduating from culinary school in 2009, I taught a variety of cooking classes and worked as a personal chef. I could feel myself being called toward something else, though, but I couldn’t quite define it yet. I continued to follow my intuition, trusting that I would find my way. I returned to school to attended women’s studies and anthropology classes at Sierra College. The education I received while at Sierra College informs much of my work as a doula.
In 2019, I was sitting on my front porch with my older son who was visiting for the week. A young couple who lives down the street from us walked by with their 3-week-old baby. As we chatted with them, I could feel how stressed the mom was. She was tired and worried that the baby wasn’t breathing. Her anxiety was palpable, and my heart went out to her. I could see my younger self in her, and I remembered clearly what that time in my life was like. A crazy combination of intense emotions: joy, fear, love, uncertainty, connection. Being a new mom felt disorienting and beautiful all at once.
It was in that moment, that all my years spent gathering knowledge and experience came into sharp focus. As I talked with these new parents, I realized that the sacred work of postpartum care was the work I was being called to do. I have been called to nurture and nourish the mind, body, and soul of new mothers, babies, and families.
I started my postpartum doula training in September of 2019 and subsequently received certification from DONA International as a Postpartum Doula. Since then, I have been working as a postpartum doula and personal chef in Placer and Sacramento Counties.
Kate Hall (she/her), PCD(DONA)
