Desiree Dougherty
Bay Area - San Francisco Guide
Pronouns
she/her
Location
San Francisco, Bay area
Education/Certification
Birth doula certification
Prenatal and birth support
Words you live by
Just breathe. In pregnancy and in life, breath is the place where we find our power.
What life experiences led you to becoming a birth doula?
I recognized my calling to birth work through my own journey into parenthood. With my first birth, a birth center transfer for breech presentation that ultimately ended in a c-section, I had to fight to have my voice heard as doctors and nurses made decisions about the care of my body and my baby with little interest in any input from me. With my second birth, my triumphant HBAC (home birth after cesarean), I was belittled and shamed for wanting to birth at home on my own terms. These experiences highlighted a gap between what most providers in our current healthcare system are able to offer and the broad spectrum of support that birthing people need as they navigate the waves of transition that come in pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. This gap is what I strive to fill for the families I work with.
What is your philosophy around birth work? How have your own births informed your approach to this work?
Empower. Educate. Advocate. I believe that birth is an ancient ritual that is passed down through the bodies of birthing people. I work with my clients to access and trust the knowledge found in their own bodies, and to use it to inform their unique birthing process. Through my own pregnancies, I witnessed first-hand the doubt that is cast upon birthing bodies by providers who thought they knew better than me what was best for my body and my baby. It is my highest priority that my clients have access to unbiased, evidence-based information in order to confidently make important decisions, but also that they have full agency to be the ones to make those decisions for themselves and their families.
Tell us what it's like working with you. What would it entail to hire you as a doula?
I like to think of my work with families as a partnership. I am there to support, to offer knowledge and resources, but also to learn from the family and to mirror the strengths that I see back into the birth space. I offer two to three prenatal visits, depending on the specific needs of the family, two postpartum visits, and continuous labor support. Education is a pillar of my practice, as is partner preparation. My work with families entails a broad overview of what to expect through the end of pregnancy, the stages of labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum, as well as hands-on practice of labor positions and techniques. I work with partners to prepare for their role as support person, and to help them understand what is needed of them through the birth process.
What inspires your work?
Community. "It takes a village" is something I always heard referenced about raising children. It wasn't until I had my own babies that I realized it is also about raising parents and families. Community is so important and I genuinely believe that the support that birthing people and families receive from their community in this most precious phase of life can change the world.
What do you do for self care?
Dance! Dance is my meditation, my way of dropping out of my head and into my body.
What are you reading right now?
Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown