"Birth is the Pinnacle where Women discover the Courage to become Mothers." Anita Diamont from the Red Tent
Meet Amy
"Birthing is the most profound initiation to spirituality a woman can have." ~Robin Lim
WHO I AM:
My name is Amy Rubin Vaknin. I am a mother of four, a counselor, an educator, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a woman. My connection with my woman identity is strong, and as I go through life experiences, I realize just how much women need other women to support them through our life cycles.
My Story ABOUT WHY I BECAME A DOULA:
When I got pregnant with my first child, I was clueless about the process of pregnancy, and knew very little about my options for childbirth. As I began to delve deeper into my pregnancy and birth research, I started to educate myself on options. I found a birth center, and became passionate about a birth with minimal intervention. However, at about 31 weeks, I found out that my platelets were too low to have a birth center delivery. So I found myself discouraged, and back in the care of a hospital setting. However, a friend told me about this magical thing called a Doula. If I was going to have to be in a hospital, a doula could help support my birth vision. So I immediately found my doula. After an exhausting, yet empowering 27 hours, I gave birth to a beautiful (and big 9 lbs, 9 oz) baby girl in a hospital, without medication, or any other unnecessary intervention. This was the most exhilarating experience of my life. I feel eternally grateful for my doula, Dante', who supported me relentlessly through my pursuit for my birth vision. And I feel like the way I can express my gratitude most fully is to give this same experience to other women craving this same empowerment through birth.
After my daughter was born, the nurse came into my room and said,
"WELCOME TO THE WARRIOR CLUB!"
And so a daughter was born, a mother was born and a doula was born through my birth story. It would be my honor to be by your side as you make this incredible and soul satisfying transformation into motherhood.
Meet Sky Ruby: the girl who made me mother
Two years after the birth of our first daughter, we decided to go for baby #2. To our very BIG surprise, we ended up with baby #2, #3, and #4 all in one pod! Although this was shocking, it humbled us, and gave me more experience with high risk pregnancy, as well as what I affectionately refer to as a belly birth!
Three Peas in a Pod:
Meet Ava, Avi, & Ari
