Doula Katy, pt 1
Hi y’all! My name is Katy Gladwin. This post is just a start, but I’m going to try to tell you who I am, and why I think the way I do.

I grew up in Michigan from the age of 5 and have lived here my whole life (minus a year in Nashville, but that’s an entirely different post). I have 3 little sisters, all of whom are amazing, smart beautiful women who I love dearly. We are all close, and feel very lucky to have them in my life.
I am married to a smart, driven, project and outdoors loving engineer. It’s because of him and his support that I’ve been able to be a doula, continue my education, while also being a mostly stay-at-home/work-from-home mom. We built an awesome house in rural Ypsilanti, which just over a mile from the city center. Building a house from scratch is quite an undertaking, that I don’t recommend taking up lightly. I did not quite realize how much work and thought goes into designing, then planning, then building a home. It took a couple years in the planning phase, but once we got to building, it took shape fast and now, we live in a house that we designed ourselves, for ourselves, in the woods. Looking back, it’s pretty fantastic what we were able to accomplish.

My partner and I have an almost 5 year old son who is, 98% of the time, pretty much the coolest kid ever. He is empathetic, sweet, super goofy, smarter than us both, and an introvert like me. He makes even the hardest days joyful.
I’ve been Doula Katy for 7 years!

Never once have a thought maybe this isn’t the right job for me. I love love love this work! When I was in college, studying and preparing myself for the MCATs, I was so looking forward to being able to help people! I was looking forward to working with people to heal themselves, to listening and learning. I was also dreading the years of hazing and indoctrination that goes along with med school. For many this is just part of the plan to become a doctor, for me, I was worried it would hurt my ability to be critical, to question the systems set in place, not to mention the staggering debt. When I learned that being a doula was even a thing, I was sold! A profession where I get to listen and learn, empower and advocate… I am in!
It was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. While it can be frustrating to see births go sideways in an individual basis, overall, I love this job with all my heart. I love the families I have had the honor of working with. I love the care providers I have gotten to know over the years. I love the nurses I get to work along side. While 90% of the births I have attended are in the hospital, I extra love that I have the opportunity to attend home-births as an assistant as well. This helps me remember that birth works.
I learn something at every birth I go to. A new amazing phrase to use with laboring families, a magic trick to help a swollen cervix disappear, a new medical procedure to talk to mothers about, or a new way to advocate. I take all of this and can share it with the families I work with. Help them prepare and create a vision for a good birth. I’m so grateful!