The days I birthed my own four children were the four most authentic experiences of my life. In short, my children birthed me.
My first child was a planned home birth. I ended up transferring to a hospital where my daughter was born via Cesarean Birth due to her being breech. The journey of her birth, and the lessons that revealed themselves in the years after, were intense and incredible. Her birth led me to doula work.
My second daughter was born at home. She was my unassisted VBAC, a breech baby nonetheless. Those initials encompass a multitude emotions and assumptions and ideas for many people. For me, they simply mean I took the opportunity to see how deeply I could trust my body and the mystery of birth. And to always surrender. She was born into her Daddy’s hands. This birth healed many parts of me and for it I am beyond grateful
My son, welcomed in 2010, was also born at home. He was my first vertex (head down) baby and his birth was a fast and furious monsoon. His birth journey rained down upon me such perfect renewal and invigoration. In the early hours of June, as my husband received our baby, I learned I had a son. And he truly is my Sun.
And in December 2013, I welcomed my second son into my own waiting hands (in our bathtub) while his siblings and Daddy looked on with jubilation. During his birth, I experienced moments of profound peace and connectedness and moments of losing my breath and of wishing to grow gills. He has completed our family circle.
My kids remind me to embrace silly and to expect great things of love. They are my steadiness in this often-chaotic world.
My Birth Work Experience
For those who want to know more professional information, I served as Vice President of the Arizona Birth Network for five years (2007 – 2012). I am very proud of this local non-profit organization that was birthed into being by two of my best friends. During this time, I had the privilege of hosting a podcast where I interviewed Pam England, Barbara Harper, Suzanne Arms, and Polly Perez, all internationally recognized experts, authors, and advocates in the field of childbirth. You can listen to two of the interviews here: https://soundcloud.com/leigh-ritchie-steele.
I am also the creator “The Holy Work of a Doula” (page under construction) an online doula course and offer my services as a doula, birth consultant, and childbirth educator.
While I was officially trained as a doula through DONA and through Nurturing Hearts Birth Services, my hands on training was with home birth midwives. For those chances to see birth unfold without intervention, and in their own time, I am forever appreciative.
I had a long and successful 10+ year career as a doula, in partnership with the incredible midwife and doula Jennifer Hoeprich. Together, we spent many years supporting clients through the Phoenix valley, learning the ins and outs of the birth world. I also apprenticed as a midwife’s assistance for a few years. I witnessed over 150 births, in all settings, and each of them left an imprint on my heart.
In 2015, I “retired” from doula work in order to dedicate intentional time to my family. Not a day went by that I didn’t miss birth work, but I knew I was called to do the work of being in reverent service to my four children.
But I’m heeding the call to come out of retirement and return to birth work in the fall of 2025. I cannot wait to meet the mothers and babies that I’ll have the deep honor of serving.
Sacred Desert Birth Services 