Personally
Peace and Blessings! I am Raye (the Doula!) It was my own journey of holistic healing (myself) from endometriosis, PCOS, and infertility that led me to my dream “job!” THIS! I’m very passionate about the things I am passionate about– like birth, breastfeeding and holistic healing and living. When I am not doula-ing, you can find me with my toddler, somewhere in nature or figuring out how to take a moment of self care.
Professionally
I’ve been called to the birth world for as long as I can remember. I remember watching “A Baby Story” over and over instead of cartoons as a kid. It was that passion and my love for helping people that led my on my journey to nursing school. In 2014, I was one of the youngest people to graduate in my nursing class! I initially planned to work L & D and become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, but life had other plans. I took a break from hospital nursing in 2016, and worked in public health. It was there that I learned of the maternal health crisis here in GA for black women, and our low breastfeeding rates. A fire began stirring up in my heart. I knew I had to be apart of a group of people to make a change in these statistics. I just didn’t know where to start. After my own diagnosis of infertility, and healing holistically- I was introduced to the term “doula” by my OBGYN. As I was searching for my own doula, I realized that this is what I had been called to do. I knew that I was supposed to be a doula, and my experience as a mother taught me that. When I was only a few months postpartum, I enrolled in a lactation counselor training program and obtained my Certified Breastfeeding Specialist certificate. I then went on to obtain my certification as a Holistic Birthworker. These two certificates, plus my prior knowledge in aromatherapy, herbs, and natural parenting make me “Raye the Doula, your holistic doula from preconception and beyond!”