Meet Leah Halterman

What should the world know about Leah? 

As it pertains to being a doula I feel like my life leading up to this point was a training-ground for what I do now (I just didn't know it at the time).  I grew up in south Fort Worth and was born at the same hospital, with the same doctor, as my mom. I was a fiery red head with a zeal for life.  I never felt the need to be a follower, I just wanted to do things my way regardless of others' thoughts, rules etc. 

As I became an adult and got married, I found a partner who shared the love of doing our own thing.  Sometimes it was the popular thing and sometimes it wasn't, but we were a team and we marched on together. 

When we got pregnant we knew we wanted to do something different.  Flash forward to 3 children later, all with very different birth stories.  I realized how blessed I was to be supported by the women in my life and to have the birth and care that I wanted.  I wasn't shamed for any of my choices or how any of them turned out- just loved and cared for from beginning to end. 

I began volunteering and helping women who had no support at a local organization and realized that my story was uncommon.  Many, many women had no idea about the options they had and if they made choices different from what their family, friends or even strangers chose they were questioned and made to feel lesser.  One of my midwives suggested I look into being a doula, and even though I had delivered my kids in a large birth community, I had no idea what a doula was. 

I loved everything I learned in my training and I was starting to feel really confident that this was my path in life. When I attended my first birth all of those thoughts were confirmed.  I wanted to walk with families during this time and help them to find their way.  I want families to learn and explore and find their own way through. 

I have been at births where I was the only support person and ones where we've had a room full of love and support.  I have been at home births, at birth centers and at hospitals. I have seen singletons and twins, vaginal birth and cesarean.  I have enjoyed all of those journeys!  I would love for every woman to have someone in her corner when the waves of labor come on.  To tell her she is strong and beautiful no matter what she chooses or how her birth goes.  That she is a mom and she is powerful and that she did it! 

I am Leah- that fiery redheaded doula with a zeal for life! 

I now have 4 kids with me and 2 in heaven and I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart for 10 years.  I am a home school mom, coffee lover and a total foodie.