Hello ladies. It's been a while since I've been around these parts. I've been very busy this past year starting a new job and getting my doula business going. I'm currently the Community Outreach Coordinator for Healthy Tomorrows in Lincoln Parish. My program is through the North Louisiana AHEC. We offer free prenatal, postpartum, breastfeeding, and parenting education to low-income (medicaid) families in Lincoln Parish. We are just like Healthy Start but with different funding sources (hence the different name).

I've also started my training with DONA and have attended my first certification birth in Shreveport. Things are starting to pick up as word is out that there is now a doula in Ruston. I have been in contact with a few doulas in Shreveport and Monroe but 2 are currently pregnant and not taking clients. I am about to launch my website at the end of the month. It still has some work but I would like to get some feedback. I still have some kinks to work out with the layout and font sizes and such. I'm starting to add more "local" links and resources and would like to include Statewide updates and information. Please take a look and let me know what you think. I'm always open to honest feedback!

Deep South Doula Services

You can also find me on Facebook at Deep South Doula and Twitter at DeepSouthDoula

I just attended the CIMS forum in Austin, Tx were I got to hear Ricki Lake speak about her upcoming follow-up release to the Business of Being Born in March. I also heard several other great speakers that really renewed my passion for making the changes necessary in North Louisiana. (CIMS speakers and programs) I met women from The Big Push for Midwives, Orgasmic Birth, and so many others. I also had the extreme honor of meeting and talking 1-on-1 with Henci Goer and Penny Simkin while waiting for our rides to the airport that Sunday. They are both very interested in what is going on in Louisiana and concerned about who is going to take over their roles in the next generation of birth advocates. Henci signed my TWGTBB "You Go Girl" after talking with her for 20 minutes. I also met Amy Romano of Lamaze and Science and Sensibility.

My other goal for this year is to get an ICAN chapter started for North Louisiana. I have contacted the current president and regional coordinator. I've already gotten comments on my website from women I've never met who have had an "unnecesearn" so I think we would be able to get it up and running fairly quick. I know y'all have started one down south and would love to hear more about the start-up process and maintaining the group.

That's all for now. My kids are looking for me...lol. I look forward to getting back in the loop with this group. I want to be able to get something cooking for North Louisiana like y'all have going on for South Louisiana.

Namaste'

Brandi Doucet
"Deep South Doula"

I forgot to mention that I also met Nicole Deggins from Your Birth Right at CIMS as well. It was an amazing 2 days!

Brandi,

I just had a second to look at your site, but I love it! Congratulations!

Thanks so much! It's chock full of info and I haven't even added much about VBAC, Breastfeeding, Cloth Diapering, Attachment Parenting, and a whole lot more. It will continue to be a "labor of love" (pun intended).

Oh wow! I didn't even know you were up there! I'm originally from Monroe and they desperately need more natural birth options there. Huge props to you and u hope only the best for you and am praying for huge growth for your biz!!!

Love the site!! It is so awesome to have someone up north with the passion and the means to get things going up there!

I love all the links on the site, some really great stuff, and so user friendly. I would love to have a link on our about pages. ONE OF THESE DAYS I am really going to finish working on updating and reformating them!!!! one day...sigh...


Anyway props to you and I look forward to working with you to get the word out.

Hey Amy! I was about to contact you. I've been caught up in the NIH VBAC conference the past two days. I wanted to see if you have a logo of some sort for me to use to link to LNB. I'm adding the Louisiana Association of Midwives as well. If you have any other links for Louisiana/MS that you think would be valuable send them my way.

I'll continue to stay in contact with y'all down south.

Brandi

Your site is AWESOME! So cute!!! I am trying out one on webs.com. Where did you "get" yours?

Hooray for doulas!

Jb

Mine is through WordPress. It's taken me a while to figure it out. I hired a student from LA Tech to get me started and a few people from Twitter helped me out. I still have a lot of kinks to work out with font size and such but I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Let me know of any links that would be good to add.

Namaste'

Brandi