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My name is Amanda Lormand. I am a new mother with new dreams to become a Doula and Birth Photographer. It is my goal to join other women on a SacredDoula retreat in Finland. There I will complete my Doula training and certification program as well as explore more of who I am and connect with other women who hold similar dreams and values.
My journey to finding myself:
Over the past five years, I have struggled to figure out who I am and what my passions truly are. A little over a year ago, I recognized a deep emotional pull I have toward captured moments. Photography quickly became a passion of mine, and though intimidated as I was, I became determined to pursue an education in this feild. A few months later, I found out I was pregnant with my sweet baby boy, Ryan. That was the beginning of my biggeset journey and what led me to discover my biggest passion: Childbirth.
Photography was what drew me in. Shortly after starting my care at Mountain Midwifery Center and working my way toward a natural childbirth, I ran into a few Birth Photography albums. I was hooked. The pure physical strength, emtional energy, and tangible love that charged those photos brought tears to my eyes. When I compared those images to the image of childbirth that our society had put in my head, I realized they were the experiences I was staring at in those pictures that I wanted for myself. That was when my research began.
(Jen, my Doula, helped to support not only myself, but my husband as well)
I began to recognize the struggles that women in the USA face throughout their mothering journeys, starting with pregnancy and childbirth. Women all over this country are pushed into birthing situations, environments, and mindsets that put them at risk, go against their wishes, and lead to frightening experiences. To take it a step further, women are bombarded with stories, movies, television shows, and countless other sources that feed the very common misconception that birth is dangerous, and that the female body is not capable of undergoing a birth outside of a hospital or without interventions.
Through my own experience and research, I have learned how very false this is. While there are certain situations that do require a doctor's help, intervention, and sometimes even surgery, birth as a whole is an incredibly safe and empowering event in a woman's life and I believe that women should be encouraged to view it as such from the beginning. Birthing my baby boy was the most incredible experience of my life and I would do it a hundred times more just to feel the physical and emotional joy that bringing him into this world brought me. Every women deserves to set this euphoric experience as their goal, and not be afraid to do so.
My Goal:
As a Doula, it would be my goal to help women make this happen. I could not have acheived such confidence without my Doula, and I hope to be that support for so many other women. I hope to spread the picture of safe and empowering birth both literally and metaphorically. My longterm educational goal is to obtain a Bachelor's degree in PhotoJournalism. Photography is what opened my eyes to what birth could really be-- what birth really is. I believe I could capture moments to open so many more eyes to the power of birth.
(Jen's physical support was beyond belief)
My first step to achieving this educational goal would be to achieve my short term educational goal: Doula certification. Becoming a Doula is something I have grown exceedingly passionate about through all that I have experienced and learned. It is a job that could financially help me to obtain my Bachelor's degree. But it is so much more than that to me. Being a part of what helps women achieve self empowerment and the love that birth brings is a dream to me. Yes, a dream!! I have found so much joy and passion in looking forward to this and have never felt so sure in myself and my goals as I do now. Becoming a Doula and Birth photographer is my dream, and by funding this trip to Finland, you are helping me to achieve my first goal in living this dream.
What your contrabution will help to fund:
The money and loving support that you send my way will help me to pay for an (almost) all inclusive trip to Findland through the Sacred Doula program.
http://www.sacreddoula.com/#!about-us/c1se
This program is unlike any other Doula certification program I have learned of in my research. It offers the same basic education that so many other programs do and so much more. Just like the other programs, I will be required to complete a reading list, take an exam, attend local birthing and breastfeeding classes, and attend live births. But what this program offers that the others don't is building up my tool base as a Doula. Aromatherapy, acupressure, moxibustion, etc. are all tools that I will be able to add to my bag as a Doula. Furthermore, this is a program that will help me to discover more of who I am and encourage me to be comfortable in my own skin. I will be in an environment that helps me to bond with other women who are going through the same challenges and working on the same goals and encourages me to gain confidence in working with myself and the birthing women I will be assisting as a Doula.
The other part of what you will be helping me to achieve is a trip to Europe. This is ANOTHER DREAM that I thought I would have to put on hold when I had my son. Running into this Sacred Doula retreat was a Godsend to me! Nothing has felt more meant to be. It is an opportunity that will allow me to live out two dreams in one trip. And if you help me raise enough money, I will be able to bring my son with me.
I cannot stress how passionate I am about this path I am on, and how thankful to everyone of you I will be for helping me to achieve my life dreams. But you will be helping more than just myself and my goals, you will be making a contribution to women all over this country and promoting their rights to have the empowering birth experience they all deserve. The experience I had, and that my Doula helped me to achieve.
(Jen wiping my head and covering me in cool cloths)
(Tears of joy when holding my son for the first time).
Photo credit: OnceUponArrival Photography
My journey to finding myself:
Over the past five years, I have struggled to figure out who I am and what my passions truly are. A little over a year ago, I recognized a deep emotional pull I have toward captured moments. Photography quickly became a passion of mine, and though intimidated as I was, I became determined to pursue an education in this feild. A few months later, I found out I was pregnant with my sweet baby boy, Ryan. That was the beginning of my biggeset journey and what led me to discover my biggest passion: Childbirth.
Photography was what drew me in. Shortly after starting my care at Mountain Midwifery Center and working my way toward a natural childbirth, I ran into a few Birth Photography albums. I was hooked. The pure physical strength, emtional energy, and tangible love that charged those photos brought tears to my eyes. When I compared those images to the image of childbirth that our society had put in my head, I realized they were the experiences I was staring at in those pictures that I wanted for myself. That was when my research began.
(Jen, my Doula, helped to support not only myself, but my husband as well)I began to recognize the struggles that women in the USA face throughout their mothering journeys, starting with pregnancy and childbirth. Women all over this country are pushed into birthing situations, environments, and mindsets that put them at risk, go against their wishes, and lead to frightening experiences. To take it a step further, women are bombarded with stories, movies, television shows, and countless other sources that feed the very common misconception that birth is dangerous, and that the female body is not capable of undergoing a birth outside of a hospital or without interventions.
Through my own experience and research, I have learned how very false this is. While there are certain situations that do require a doctor's help, intervention, and sometimes even surgery, birth as a whole is an incredibly safe and empowering event in a woman's life and I believe that women should be encouraged to view it as such from the beginning. Birthing my baby boy was the most incredible experience of my life and I would do it a hundred times more just to feel the physical and emotional joy that bringing him into this world brought me. Every women deserves to set this euphoric experience as their goal, and not be afraid to do so.
My Goal:
As a Doula, it would be my goal to help women make this happen. I could not have acheived such confidence without my Doula, and I hope to be that support for so many other women. I hope to spread the picture of safe and empowering birth both literally and metaphorically. My longterm educational goal is to obtain a Bachelor's degree in PhotoJournalism. Photography is what opened my eyes to what birth could really be-- what birth really is. I believe I could capture moments to open so many more eyes to the power of birth.
(Jen's physical support was beyond belief)My first step to achieving this educational goal would be to achieve my short term educational goal: Doula certification. Becoming a Doula is something I have grown exceedingly passionate about through all that I have experienced and learned. It is a job that could financially help me to obtain my Bachelor's degree. But it is so much more than that to me. Being a part of what helps women achieve self empowerment and the love that birth brings is a dream to me. Yes, a dream!! I have found so much joy and passion in looking forward to this and have never felt so sure in myself and my goals as I do now. Becoming a Doula and Birth photographer is my dream, and by funding this trip to Finland, you are helping me to achieve my first goal in living this dream.
What your contrabution will help to fund:
The money and loving support that you send my way will help me to pay for an (almost) all inclusive trip to Findland through the Sacred Doula program.
http://www.sacreddoula.com/#!about-us/c1se
This program is unlike any other Doula certification program I have learned of in my research. It offers the same basic education that so many other programs do and so much more. Just like the other programs, I will be required to complete a reading list, take an exam, attend local birthing and breastfeeding classes, and attend live births. But what this program offers that the others don't is building up my tool base as a Doula. Aromatherapy, acupressure, moxibustion, etc. are all tools that I will be able to add to my bag as a Doula. Furthermore, this is a program that will help me to discover more of who I am and encourage me to be comfortable in my own skin. I will be in an environment that helps me to bond with other women who are going through the same challenges and working on the same goals and encourages me to gain confidence in working with myself and the birthing women I will be assisting as a Doula.
The other part of what you will be helping me to achieve is a trip to Europe. This is ANOTHER DREAM that I thought I would have to put on hold when I had my son. Running into this Sacred Doula retreat was a Godsend to me! Nothing has felt more meant to be. It is an opportunity that will allow me to live out two dreams in one trip. And if you help me raise enough money, I will be able to bring my son with me.
I cannot stress how passionate I am about this path I am on, and how thankful to everyone of you I will be for helping me to achieve my life dreams. But you will be helping more than just myself and my goals, you will be making a contribution to women all over this country and promoting their rights to have the empowering birth experience they all deserve. The experience I had, and that my Doula helped me to achieve.
(Jen wiping my head and covering me in cool cloths)(Tears of joy when holding my son for the first time).Photo credit: OnceUponArrival Photography