Inspiring Conversations with Amanda Dodson of Oceanside HypnoBirthing & Doula Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Dodson.

Amanda, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The journey of becoming a doula begins with my purpose. A purpose that I was not fully aware of or even the smallest interest in.

We were an active duty Marine Corps family and stationed in Texas at the time with orders to move to California. Once we were able to get settled and I found myself revisiting the idea of becoming a birth doula. I didn’t know much more about that work other than what my friend had shared with me. I decided to take the plunge and enroll in a doula workshop.

I was definitely on the fence about all of this birth stuff during and after the workshop. I had a hard time absorbing a lot of the information and how I could even see myself fitting into that community. I’ve not ever been familiar with a sisterhood type of bond. It was a little strange being around women who were very connected with one another and just seamlessly fit into that mold. I felt like an outsider, but deep down inside all this sparked my curiosity and definitely gave me some things to think about.

After my training, I guess it wasn’t quite a season to begin working towards the certification between moving back to Texas for a bit then returning to Oceanside, CA. In 2009, I really felt a tugging on my heart to get back into the swing of things. I was able to reconnect with my trainer and take her workshop again. This is the pivoting point and God strategically placed that particular group of women in that workshop as connections and future growth in my doula career but become a childbirth educator. I joined Operation Special Delivery, as a volunteer back in 2010 and before I knew it, I was initiated into the work as a birth doula.

We got orders to come back to Okinawa and this is where I truly feel like my story really begins. After spending seven years before on this island and having my oldest two be born here, it was like our second home. I was excited! I had some experience under my belt with doula work and am ready to begin providing services in Okinawa.

It didn’t take me long after arriving to realize there was not much in place for doula services. I met a woman who was doing some work here as a birth doula and had a small group where those interested in this birth work would meet. Here, I met a couple of ladies who would become a piece of the puzzle in creating a foundation for information and support to families.

It didn’t take me long to start acquiring clientele. Three months after being after landing in Okinawa, I had my first doula client. I was excited to not only start this journey here but I also had high hopes of reaching out to the hospital where my kids were born 15 and 12 years ago.

I think I may have taken the hospital off guard when I began taking information up there and leaving it at the nurse’s station and sharing more about what a doula does. Work began to pick up to the point where I was taking 2-4 clients a month. I know God was looking out for me because not once did any of my births overlap. This was interesting because at the time there were only 3 birth doulas on the island including myself.

Our community was growing, and there was starting to be more of a need for birth doulas in Okinawa. I was desperate for help as the need began to grow and I wasn’t able to fill all the requests for birth doula work. This compelled me to reach out to my doula trainer from California, and she wholeheartedly agreed to come over and host the first-ever DONA birth training in Okinawa. At first, I did not think too many people were open to doula work but was overwhelmed by the response.

From 2011 to 2017 we started the Japan Birth Resource Network, opened a facility in Okinawa called the Birth Education Center of Okinawa, and established the Military Birth Resource Network.

Our time in Okinawa was coming to an end and we had orders to return to the states. Landing us at Camp Lejeune, NC. The transition was a difficult one. After being overseas for so long, I did not have the easiest time readjusting to the new area. The hospitals were different and reestablishing a business at a new location took time.

It always seems to take a year to even feel like the new duty station is home. It was an emotional time as my kids had to transition from a school where they knew everyone to a civilian school where they knew no one. It was a complete 180. They struggled a lot.

It took about a year to start picking up clientele again. But I am happy to say that after 4 years of being in NC, amidst all the major life changes and pandemics, my doula business is thriving. I am working hard along with many others to help make changes for military families and advocated for doula support.

Who knows where the next few years will take us. I have some ideas I would love to build on since my husband finally retired from the USMC and we do not have to move anymore.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
In life, there are always going to be ups and downs. I am a problem and solution type person. If there is a problem, then we need to find the solution. It may take time, but when it’s right, it will all come together exactly how it is needed to. Be patient, and don’t give up.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Oceanside HypnoBirthing & Doula Services?
I provide labor support and childbirth education for expecting families.

As a birth doula, I am trained and experienced in childbirth. I provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth. I accompany you during labor to help ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience.

As a doula, I do NOT make decisions for clients or intervene in their clinical care. I strive to provide informational and emotional support while respecting your decisions.

What does success mean to you?
Success is achieving set goals and making a way for others to learn and grow. I always ask myself, when I die, what will my legacy be? Will people know me by the fruits I produce?

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.oceansidehypnobirthing.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/oceansidehypnobirthing
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OceansideHypnoBirthing

Image Credits
Sarah Pekins Photography