Your Ultimate Birth Hype Girl
ANGELA CONTRERAS
MY ATTEMPT AT EXPLAINING THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER BEHIND THIS WORK.
I am a Mother taking back my power in a system that was created to keep me at a standstill. I am a doula who wishes there was a real word that could hold all I do in a more magical and realistic way. I am called to this work through the love I have for my people, and all parents who find themselves being called toward a different way of experiencing their pregnancy, birth, postpartum period, as I follow the calls of my ancestors along the way.Â
As a full spectrum doula, I can support many people through many different transitions in life, from birth to death. I am an advocate and a guide to decolonizing your birth, parenthood and everything in-between.
YOUR LOVE NOTES
FAQS
Let's answer some questions you may have
ARE YOU COVERED BY ANY HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY?
Right now there is lots of talk about health insurance covering doula care. I am not covered nor do I plan to be covered by health insurance. This is for many reasons, one is because that is another way to control the care and support I give. Another reason is because regulations on doula care and practice would only make cut access to this work and support for BIPOC birth workers and BIPOC birthers. This is not fluid with the decolonized workflow I practice.
HOW WILL HIRING YOU AFFECT MY PARTNER’S ROLE DURING THE BIRTH?
Your partner still has total say in how much they participate. What are their comfort levels? Do they have a specific vision of the type of support they will be giving the birther? These questions and more will help us plan and prepare to work together for the birther. We are a team.
BUT I THOUGHT DOULA'S ONLY SUPPORTED "NATURAL" BIRTHS?
This is something that many people are mistaken about. Birth is birth, and someone having an epidural could use just as much support and advocacy as some opting out of meds and interventions. The term "natural" doesn't to make sense when applied to birth because no matter which way the birth occurs it is natural, your body created and supported a baby, that is natural. I make sure when describing a non medicated, intervention free birth to use the term, "physiological birth" This is more centered on the body being able to birth the way it knows how without unnecessary medical intervention.
WHAT DOULA TRAINING DID YOU STUDY UNDER?
I chose to take the Dynamo Doula Training, created by Angela Gallo. With so many options available I made sure to choose the training that best aligned to with what I want my work to be centered around. Dynamo Doula training offered that for me. The training includes more than just birth support education, it was the most diverse in all the knowledge and self growth being offered and teachers that were involved as well. I am very proud to be a Dynamo Doula. I have also attended and completed Lucia Echeri's Mexican Birth Practices and Rebozoz Uses 3 week workshop, which has brought me back home in ways I didn't know I needed. I am very greatly for being able to learn under Lucia.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIRTH SUPPORT AND POSTPARTUM SUPPORT?
Birth support is support throughout the pregnancy and then leads up to support during the labor and birth of baby. Postpartum support involve support after the birth. Postpartum support is not spoken about enough, this support is critical for many families, it can make the difference between a healthy transition into parenthood or a difficult one. Both birth support and postpartum support involve physical and emotional aspects of work. They are both equal in importance for the birther and baby.
FEATURES
I have completed the best and most in-depth doula training in the world, Dynamo Doula Training, under the highest paid doula to date Angel Phoenix Arsenal (Angela Gallo), I have been featured in Local collective websites like SDVOYAGER.com, and have just recently completed a workshop ran by Lucia Echeri, A renowned Indigenous doula from Mexico.
During this pandemic I sought to find a way to provide support to people who really needed it and started my Baby Bundles project, here in San Diego. With the help of this wonderful community, I was able to provide baby Bundles to 8 postpartum families, I cannot wait to see what we can do next year.
My first feature! I was so excited when SDVoyager approached me. This article explains my why. The reason I feel called to this work.
I was trained under Angel Phoenix Arsenal, her doula training is still the most in depth, life changing doula training in the world. I was a part of the historical first cohort, and with the very last cohort graduating this year, Dynamo Doulas are a rarity. I was also hired by Angel herself to provide student support and manage the Dynamo Doula Training Instagram page, along with a team of 3 other brilliant women. Dynamo Doula Training will forever be a huge part of my work, Dynamos are not the same as your average doula. They have not only been trained under the highest paid doula on record, but have been provided with revolutionary training in self growth, advocacy in and outside the birth world, and full circle doula training, this means I am trained to provide support in birth through death.
In April of 2020 , I felt called to support postpartum families that had found themselves more isolated than ever, the pandemic didn't just threaten your physical health but the isolation combined with a new little one could prove to be mentally detrimental for many parents in our community. So I aimed to help, in way that was safe yet full of love. I reached out to the San Diego community leaders and small business owners, along with my coven of Dynamo doulas from around the world. With their help I created baby bundles not only filled with my own love, but the collective healing energy of so many amazing people locally and internationally. While curating these bundles I made sure to make supporting BIPOC small business owners one of my top priorities when purchasing items for these bundles, I ordered from 4 BIPOC small business for each bundle. I also made sure to support BIPOC putting them first to receive the bundles, and that's what was done.Â
At minimum each bundle had, a pack of diapers, 1 loved cloth diaper, box of menstrual pads, 2 packs of wipes handmade soap or high quality store bought soap, herbal teas or tincture and a custom essential oil roller.
Upon delivery I also opted to either buy them flowers or a nice Starbucks treat. This was the first of I hope many more years of organizing this beautiful event. If you or someone you know is interested in donating to my project contact me, I would love to work with you.
