Check Out Desiree Butler’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Butler.

Hi Desiree, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Desiree which means a long time coming. I am the youngest of nine children and only girl. My Grandmother was the doula before any of us knew what it was. My brothers started having children at a very young age and those babies 👶🏽 some of them needed medical support in order to come home from the hospital. My grandmother and I got certified in respite care, cpr. AED, BLS, Heimlich maneuver all before I was 12 years old.

I decided to attend undergrad at FIU a premed major. I always wanted to be a doctor. I actually never wanted to go in the OB/GYN field I was very repulsed by it. I have seen a lot of young black women giving birth in the hospitals and it made me shy away from that area. While attending school, I learned about anatomy and physiology of the female human body when they came to childbirth and how the statistics and evidence in the books did not match the treatment an outcome received by families. I was so shocked to my core that I ran away from becoming a doctor all together and for about six years, I worked in the accounting field with a science degree, it gives you ability to go into different fields. While I was in the accounting field, I had quite a few friends and family members that were pregnant and just looking for support and to talk about their experiences. I happen to always be the one that was listening. I became very intrigued and confused as to why so many families were given no options and different outcomes when it came to pregnancy labor and delivery journey.

I then decided to pursue education in the childbirth career independently in 2018.

I read and researched scholarly articles and also decided enroll into ICEA childbirth education program.

I noticed a gap in the lack of support for childbirth education teachers and the availability to find instructors to learn from and also the lack of diversity in ICEA.

Which even more made me want to not register with them but learn as much as I could and create my own course to add my life experiences into it. I was interested in Doula work but the community in Atlanta in 2018 was not very welcoming due to legislation Georgia has for maternal care.

I opened my Doula business in 2018 and received a tremendous amount of inquiries for my services but also a tremendous amount of negativity from non-BIPOC Birthworkers because of I was creating an inclusive, safe space. I began offering childbirth education with an intensive homebirth component as well as water birth supplies and birth pool package.

I began receiving inquiries not just in Atlanta, Georgia but traveling all around the world to offer Doula & childbirth education support to families.

In 2020, I became the Vice President of Georgia birth network. I also sat on the maternal mortality board for the state of Georgia. As well as a perinatal mental health counselor for Fulton County.

Once the pandemic hit the Maternal mortality in 2022 surged by 20%. The amount of inquiries for homebirth support exploded. I expand it my doula and childhood education support to on line.

In 2022, I now have over 27 nieces and nephews it has been a great journey to continue to learn but also to bring back this education and support my personal family where it all started from. I am now pursuing continuing education to become a doctor of osteopathy because I am very holistic am I viewpoint for birth is non medical experience for over 80% of birthing families in the US.

My goals are to open my own small hospital that is specifically maternity hospital. To also have a transitional home for pregnant and at risk youth and individuals to provide shelter until families can transition independently.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The main obstacle that I noticed and continue to notice is the gap in diversity inclusion. No autonomy or informed consent when it comes to medical providers supporting families and providing choices. The amount of secondhand trauma that is experienced as a Doula in Birth settings due to race.

Doulas being considered a luxury and not a necessity.

Doulas getting into this profession because they experience birth traumas during pregnancy and labor and delivery wanting to write their wrongs and hurting families in the process as well as not being professional and charging a minimum wage to support the Doula industry.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known as the waterbirth Doula of Atl. I’m also known as the childbirth educator and auntie Doula because I go in the hospitals and provide families with support in the form of advocating an informed consent. I get a lot of first-time moms and vaginal birth after a C-section VBAC families. I am really proud of seeing families deciding to invest in their future and making decisions regarding their support that they want for this major life experience. What makes me different from others is that I’m truly honest and open it’s really hard to be a childbirth educator and Doula because oftentimes, you have an intimidating presence in the hospitals as medical professionals see you as an opposition instead of a team player.

I do not allow birth trauma to occur in my presence because the goal of a Doula is to prevent that and inform the families every step of the way of understanding what is going on. Families have already in an intense situation; they need to have people that they can trust that will tell them their options even when it’s hard to make that decision.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5 to 10 years in the birth Doula and childbirth education profession, I see myself doing a lot more social media appearances. Opening up my own Doula agency with a building. Having an online pregnancy & birth store. Having my maternity hospital up and running. Have a contract with 911 for one families call in Atlanta for pregnancy and birth-related issues they get connected to the maternity ambulance that has specialized birth EMTs.

Taking over the birth world 🌎

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: Pillowtalkofbirth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepillowtalkofbirth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desireebutler88
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/dlbutler0113
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTd5NJn6X/