Gabrielle Swayze

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

Hello! I’m Gabrielle and I am a birth and postpartum doula. I was born and raised in a small town near Los Angeles, California and moved to Texas to open the first few In N Out Burgers in San Antonio. I met my husband and moved back to California to be more close to my family, but missed Texas- so we are back again! I have a husband, 2 kids, dogs, cats, and chickens. We are very active with our local shelter and almost always have a foster animal, or 3. For 2 years we lived in an RV traveling to 12 states, and we would love to see more. I homeschool my children, and in my free time I love to travel, explore nature, listen to music, and catch up on TV. I have a bachelor’s degree and I am currently going to school to become a Registered Nurse.

HOW DID YOU COME TO DOULA WORK?

After my second child, I realized how important it is to have a village. I believe if I had a postpartum doula, my fourth trimester would have been completely different. There are so many women that don’t have a good support system, even though everyone deserves one. Being able to help my family members and friends who were postpartum has been such a rewarding experience; it led me to seek out formal training in doula work so I could make a career out of helping people.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST OR FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT DOULA WORK?

As a mom, I know what it is like to need support both physically and mentally bringing a new child into the world. Helping someone advocate for themselves during birth, helping their labor progress, and informing them of all their options/rights is an amazing feeling. Those first weeks postpartum are some of the most challenging times for new mothers. The challenges really start to add up, getting to know a new stranger in your home, lacking sleep and energy, recovering from giving birth, laundry and dishes piling up, and so much more. Being a doula allows me to be in their corner, which is very fulfilling. On top of that, I love being able to cuddle babies for a living.

WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIALTIES OR AREAS OF PARTICULAR PASSION?

I am a planner and love doing research. Even though birth is very unpredictable, I love being able to inform parents of their options, advocate for them, and be the calm in the storm. I have experience in creating birth plans, different positions to help labor progress, postpartum planning, newborn care, and breastfeeding.