Olivia Reed, Certified Birth Doula (DONA, ICEA)

I am passionate about providing physical, emotional, and intellectual support for birthing people and their partners during the childbearing years. I’ve been fascinated with pregnancy and birth since I was very young, and I feel deeply called to support mothers and families. I believe that reproductive healthcare requires not only technical expertise, but also a deep, loving respect for individual experiences, decisions, and perspectives on life. 

I completed my B.A. in psychology at the University of Redlands, where I earned departmental honors for a research project that I designed on prenatal attachment. While conducting my study, I learned about helping expectant parents form meaningful bonds with their baby during pregnancy, while preparing for the physically and mentally intense feat of birth. I also worked for a year in a women’s health physical therapy clinic, where I continued to learn about empathic, intuitive, and evidence-based care.

I am a certified doula through DONA International and ICEA (International
Childbirth Education Association). I am also enrolled as a student midwife through National Midwifery Institute, and I have attended numerous prenatal visits, homebirths, and postpartum appointments as an apprentice. I am launching a Volunteer Doula program at Mercy Hospital of Folsom, where I’ve had the honor of supporting a wide variety of moms and families. The hospital volunteer doula model lacks the prenatal education and relationship building of hiring a private doula, but it allows aspiring doulas to gain experience and provides free labor-support services for families who wouldn’t otherwise have known about doulas or been able to afford
to hire one privately.

I attend continuing education courses, seminars, and conferences on an ongoing basis because I love learning about pregnancy, birth, and beyond! I am especially interested in the psychology of birth and the ways that birth has the power to shape a woman’s identity for a lifetime. My goal is for every woman to feel respected by her care team and empowered by her experience.

I am not currently accepting clients, but I am honored to be a member of this wonderful community of El Dorado County Birth Professionals! Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about your pregnancy/birth/postpartum resources in our area.

 Contact Olivia

Email: doula.olivia@yahoo.com