Our CEO's Story about Why DMV Birth Doulas, LLC was formed!

Welcome! I'm sure you've been wondering who I am and how did I form one of the DMV's Top Childbirth Agencies! What I will tell you is it hasn't been easy on this journey. Today on the blog, I will discuss my story and what encouraged me to form DMV Doulas, LLC.

My name is Nikita Johnson. I am a Certified Obstetrics Surgical Technologist, Certified Patient Care Technician, Certified Birth Doula, Certified Phlebotomy Technician, Labor Coach, and Certified Nursing Assistant with six years of relevant experience in Maternal-Infant Health. I've worked in Labor & Delivery as an OB Surgical Tech before becoming a certified birth doula. An OB Surgical Technologist is a Surgical Technologist specializing in Obstetrics & Gynecology, assisting OB Doctors & Midwives during surgical procedures such as Cesarean Births, D&C's, Vaginal Tears, and vaginal deliveries. I received an associate's degree in surgical technology from the Baltimore County Community College in Baltimore County, Maryland.

While working on Labor & Delivery, I learned how to understand EFM (electronic fetal monitoring), the process of natural labor & birth, birth with the use of epidurals, and the many interventions that take place. As my years of experience progressed, I began to see the black community's disparities regarding pregnancy and childbirth. Black families were not fully educated and prepared about the labor and birth process, leaving them to rely on their OBGYN doctor and care team's advice and suggestions. I would hear the OB doctors talk about how they would instead do a c-section rather than wait around for a laboring mother to give birth that was admitted 16 hours ago. One particular day, we had an emergency c-section patient who was an African American Female. She was there for a medical induction that turned into an emergency c-section. She continued to bleed out after hours and hours of labor with the use of Pitocin. The nursing staff had no idea how to work a rapid transfuser as the doctor, and I focused on stopping the internal bleeding from the uterus. Four hours later, the mother ended up in the Intensive Care Unit for one week without seeing her baby or her husband. This day changed my life forever, and I knew I no longer wanted to work in an environment where black women would not be safe, and I could not advocate for these mamas comfortably without repercussions.

December 09, 2018, I parted ways from the systematic racist healthcare system. I started my doula training online with International Doula Institute while working as a Medical Assistant and doula for an Independent Obstetrician & Gynecologist in Maryland. In March 2019, I quit my job as a Medical Assistant and decided to considerable risk to pursue my passion and career as an Independent doula and launched my doula agency, "Johnson & Associates Doula of Women's Health." I worked as an independent doula a year before partnering with other doulas in the DMV community.

As our business partnership and work in the community grew, I felt it was necessary to take my business to another level. There wasn't a community of doulas in the DMV that had our passion, background, and experience. I knew our community needed us, and our collective would be beneficial. I'm a person who believes in continuing my education, which explains why I have so many credentials. I looked into attending an in-person doula training. I had my eye on a black doula trainer in Charlotte, North Carolina, whom I met through the National Black Doulas Association Membership Group. Her name is Kira Kimble. It was something about Kira that stuck out to me, and there were lots of similarities. In March 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I took yet another risk and flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, to "Train with Kira."

After leaving her training and being under her mentorship for six months, I was able to rebrand my agency and run one of the DMV's First Black Owned Doula Agencies servicing tri-states DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Parts of Central Pennsylvania.

DMV Birth Doulas, LLC is a Full-Spectrum Doula Agency in Owings Mills, Maryland, AKA Baltimore County, Maryland, offering pregnancy & childbirth services, lactation, breastfeeding support, and postpartum support services, bengkung belly binding, chef services, photography, and post-op services. Our doulas are fighting against maternal mortality through advocation, education, and empowerment. When hiring us, you hire an entire team to ensure you receive all-inclusive doula support. We address the disparities within the community, from labor and birth issues to various breastfeeding disparities. We are known for our experience and knowledge within the community and we are built on passion, purpose, and priority. We specialize in unmedicated births, medicated births, planned cesareans, VBAC's and more. If you are interested in hiring a doula, DMV Birth doulas are the agency to trust! Contact us Today! www.dmvbirthdoulasllc.com.