Rachel Mans, Doula

08/23/2026

I was there 3 years ago, and then I got to be there again!

This post is 3 weeks late because I've been busy (and maybe I forgot to post it 😬😅), but that doesn't mean it's not important or exciting!

Mama rocked her birth 3 years ago, and she did just as amazing this time! Just like last time, she knew exactly when it was time to go to the birthing center. Just like last time, she curled right around her son as soon as he was born. Her God-given mama instincts are SO strong!

And just like last time, it was a huge honor and blessing to be able to attend her birth & cuddle her baby postpartum ❤️

07/10/2026

This is the foot of a perfect little baby who was birthed last week by someone my husband has known since she was a toddler 🤯 Yes, we're that old now 😭😆

I was not originally planning to be at this birth. But when this baby's Grammy (and my good friend) called me to ask for some advice during labor, I offered to go to the hospital to give them some tips, & Mom quickly agreed. After being there an hour, it was pretty clear that I wasn't leaving. Mom's labor picked up after some positioning work & I was happy to stay to provide extra support!

The doctor, through the nurses, repeatedly asked to add more interventions, but Mom stood her ground & repeatedly said no. Then, a couple hours before the baby was born, Mom & Dad FIRED their current doctor & chose to have the on-call doctor come. 🤯❤️ I was SO proud of them, because it was obvious the original doctor didn't care about the mom's birth plan (this particular doctor is notorious for this).

12 hours after I got there, 36 hours after the induction started, this sweet baby was born into the on-call doctors hands after Mom pushed him out while side-lying WITHOUT any pain meds 🤩 The new doctor was thrilled, so supportive of all of Mom's wishes, & seemed truly excited for the parents. I can't express how proud I am of this young couple & how well they worked together, trusting their God-given instincts, to bring their perfect baby into this world 🥰

07/05/2026

Today is this sweet boy's due date, but he decided to enter the world over a week ago, so quickly that the midwife missed his birth! In fact, I was 10 seconds away from catching him with Dad's help in the hospital- a birthing center nurse walked in with gloves on at the very last second 🤪

His mama had a very long, difficult, and traumatic first birth with his big sister, and this birth was starting off in a similar way: water possibly broken, slightly elevated blood pressure, and no contractions. BUT after lots of positioning work, a little castor oil, and finally a few hours of contractions, Mom had an overwhelming urge to push and birthed him standing up next to the hospital bed within just a couple minutes. 🤯

Mom and baby are doing great, and Dad can't stop bragging about helping catch the baby and how well his wife did ❤️

06/30/2026

This baby's mama is extra special to me- I have been her doula with all FOUR of her babies 🥰

After 2 birth center births and an unpleasant hospital birth, this mama got to have a home birth! Both she and her husband highly recommend it for SO many reasons and the whole family is absolutely thrilled with their new addition!

I was also blessed to have a sweet shadow doula join me! She is a teenager from our homeschool group who is very interested in birth. She came, took pictures, observed her first birth ever, and went from thinking "Why would anyone want to do this?!" during the labor, to "That was SO amazing!!" when the baby was on mom's chest ❤️ I loved watching both my shadow and my client experience their first home birth!

Postpartum visits are always the best, but it's even better when I have known the family for so long and been through so many birth journeys with them 🥰

06/17/2026

I had the privilege of attending these sweet babies' births a few weeks ago- perfect little twins that were born happy and healthy at home!! 😍

I was SO excited when my sweet repeat clients told me they were pregnant and wanted to work with me again! And then several weeks later, she told me she found out they were having twins! 🤯

She had a fast and perfect home birth with her 1st baby, so she continued to plan on a home birth with these twins, too, although her MFM doctor was trying to talk her out of it. But she trusted her body and the facts from her visits (instead of fear) and then achieved a perfectly safe and healthy birth for her boys! 👶👶

I have attended several sets of twins born at home, and it never fails to blow me away! SO grateful for repeat clients and wonderful home birth midwives who take wonderful care of moms & babies 🥰

05/25/2026

🙌🙌

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A doula can GREATLY influence the outcome of a birth (for good or bad!). An amazing doula may be worth more than your provider! You should consider hiring one. She can do a lot to facilitate a better and healthier birth for you and your baby and she should passionately want that for you.

BUT a doula can’t work miracles.

She’s not a magician, a prophet, or Jesus. Hiring a doula is not your guarantee of the perfect birth outcome. Signing that contract means the experience, support, advice, information, and time she is equipped and agrees to give.

⚠️ If you’re choosing a provider who is at odds with your birth plan...

⚠️ If you’re choosing interventions or testing that may compromise your choices...

⚠️ If you’re unwilling to examine your fears or trauma...

⚠️ If you’re expecting her to save you from the work of labor...

⚠️ If you won’t say no to a provider, a nurse, or hospital policy...

⚠️ If you’re expecting her to be your one-stop shop for all your education and research...

⚠️ If your husband isn’t supporting or trusting you...

⚠️ If you’re simply handing your authority and responsibility to her instead of the system...

⚠️ If you can’t set up boundaries with family...

⚠️ If you won’t consider any of her suggestions...

⚠️ If you have very real unavoidable complications...

“But I hired a doula!” isn’t going to fix it.

Even Jesus asks our cooperation and active participation to work in us and change outcomes. A good experienced doula CAN profoundly improve your birth. But she can’t birth for you. She can’t learn for you. She can’t make choices for you. She can’t fix situations outside her control. She can’t guarantee an outcome.

It is incredible joy and honor to be present at a birth. It’s humbling and rewarding when I know I’ve made a difference in a woman’s and baby’s birth and even longterm health. But best outcomes and experiences are when I serve a mother willing to do the work, willing to do the hard things, willing to claim the authority and beautiful birth God has for her.

A doula can do her best to work for Him but she can never ever BE Him.

🤍

05/21/2026

Postpartum snuggles are just so fun! 😍

This boy's mama did a wonderful job with her 2nd VBAC! It was MUCH quicker than her first, and had it's stressful moments, but I, midwife Talia Cruz Whittington, & her nurse all worked together so well to help her navigate the birth, follow the Lord's guidance, feel supported, and achieve another VBAC!

Compared to her 1st VBAC, which I also attended, this one was even better! It was such a blessing to see her have a much quicker birth, see 4 of her families members watch in awe, AND have the exact birth team we prayed for 🥰