Giselle Edwards, Portland Doula

I began attending births as a doula in 2021, I have supported 150+ and I love being in the birth room. The first birth I attended was in 2011 and I had been invited by my friend, it was wild to witness the uncertainty in the air, the work this mom put in and the cry when the baby came and seeing the grandma’s pure joy seeing her daughter bring her grandson into the world. I was gobsmacked. My two children’s births were so different from each other I was again completely surprised in the birth room. I had always thought a doula was a crunchy position, but after going through birth I realized birth support is so needed.

While deciding to become a doula, I knew I would have my own way of supporting. I knew I wanted to support birth in hospitals, and advocacy was a top priority. I hear so many times,” you don’t know what you don’t know,” and I want to be the support to help bridge that gap. Both in information before labor starts but also in the moment. I think birth is a crazy time, and both the most once in a lifetime experience for your family but also one of the common pieces that all humans have been part of to get here. I want to make it easier by helping you understand the “hard” and empower you to know what support helps you get through this crazy hard thing.

I feel so lucky to act as the role of doula for your birth support journey. This role to me means I get to know you at home on your couch and know what your world looks like, and then help translate this to the birth. That means working through hospital expectations, advocating for you to keep the process authentic to who you are, and working in collaboration with the team of providers you may or may not be meeting for the first time that day. Birth is challenging every time, I look for the moments to give you and your partner a feeling of ease, and to find the laughter and joy. There will be unknowns, my hope is having me in your corner, you can navigate this process with courage and openness.

I have grown up in Oregon, but spent 11 years around the country in Illinois, Montana, New York, and California before returning to the PNW where I started my family. As my children enter double digits, I’m so excited to help with your newborns. In my non doula time I run my kids around to all their activities and get over emotional at every performance and game, I try to catch standup comedy shows with my husband (the early show please) and putz around in my basement ceramic studio and try to get outside when it’s sunny and collect some rocks.