At bebo mia, we believe cost should not be the reason someone cannot access excellent doula training. Through our doula scholarship program, we have awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships to help aspiring doulas access comprehensive education and build meaningful careers. Our live online doula training prepares students to support people through fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and loss while working toward their full spectrum doula certification.
Meet Khailie: Our 2026 Birth Justice Award Recipient on Advocacy, Informed Consent, and Becoming a Doula
Hi everyone! My name is Khailie, and I am extremely grateful to accept the Birth Justice Award and excited to join the Maternal Practitioner Support Program for September 2026.
From Houston to Denver: A Journey Into Motherhood
A little about me: I was born in Houston, Texas, raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and relocated to Denver, Colorado with my family in 2019. Shortly after moving to Denver, I met my partner and became a mother to my amazing daughter in November 2022.
When a Birth Plan Is Dismissed: A First Birth That Raised Questions About Informed Consent
My journey toward birth work began with my own first birth experience. During my pregnancy, I worked as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant at an OBGYN clinic located within the same hospital where I planned to give birth. Working alongside providers gave me an opportunity to learn about pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum through the lens of Western medicine. I was grateful for the providers who supported me, but I also heard many patients share their birth experiences, which encouraged me to think deeply about what I wanted for my own birth.
I created a birth plan centered around having a voice in my care. I wanted to labor in the tub, have intermittent monitoring when possible, and have delayed cord clamping. Unfortunately, many of my wishes were dismissed or discouraged. I was told that delayed cord clamping had no benefits and that I could not keep my placenta. I was also made to question my ability to have a natural labor because I experienced pain during cervical checks. Ultimately, I agreed to Pitocin and delivered my daughter naturally eight hours later.
Although my partner and mother were present, none of us truly understood how to advocate for me or navigate the healthcare system. That experience left me with many unanswered questions about informed consent, advocacy, and the ways birthing people can feel powerless during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. It took me some time to accept my experience.
Learning About Obstetric Violence, Holistic Birth, and Birth Advocacy
After my daughter was six months old, I returned to work and eventually entered the field of Functional Medicine. There, I was introduced to more holistic approaches to health and learned to look beyond symptoms and consider the root causes of health concerns. I began researching holistic birth practices, informed consent, obstetric violence, and birth advocacy. The more I learned, the more I understood that many of the frustrations I experienced during my first birth were not simply personal, but that they were connected to larger issues within the maternal healthcare system. I felt that somehow, I could help change that, whether that be through a Western lens or a Holistic one.
I attended a two-day doula workshop, hoping to turn what I had learned into something meaningful. I wanted to support mothers and birthing people in understanding that their voices matter, that they have choices, and that they deserve to be informed participants in their care. Most importantly, I wanted to provide support to people from underserved communities, particularly Black women and other people of color who are too often overlooked within the maternal healthcare system.
Preparing for Birth Without a Doula
Life eventually brought my family to Las Vegas, where we relocated at the end of 2024, therefore putting a pause on my goals of becoming a doula. In February 2025, I became pregnant with my second child. This pregnancy brought excitement, but it also brought fear. I did not want to repeat my first birth experience.
My partner and I did not have the financial ability to hire a doula, so we prepared ourselves. We researched comfort measures, breathing techniques, advocacy, and different ways we could work together during labor. I created another birth plan and had intentional conversations with my provider about what I was and was not comfortable with. This time, I felt more informed, more confident, and more prepared to advocate for myself.
An Unplanned Home Birth: Precipitous Labor and a NICU Stay
Fast forward to the end of my third trimester. A few days after touring the hospital, I went into precipitous labor at home while my partner was at the DMV. I was alone with my toddler and our cat when I realized my baby was coming quickly. I was scared, but everything I had learned throughout my pregnancy came back to me. I trusted my instincts, created a calm environment, got into a warm bath, and focused on riding through each contraction. I felt as I was in between my physical and spiritual self, allowing all of my emotions, sensations, pain, and fear flow throughout me. It was the strangest two hours of my life, and til this day I haven’t come across a set of words that can best describe what happened to me. I ultimately delivered my son at home on my own, with my partner arriving shortly after his birth.
I delivered my placenta, my partner cut the umbilical cord, and we went to the hospital afterward. While I was physically doing well, my son needed to spend two days in the NICU because of low oxygen levels. Those two days were emotionally difficult, and I initially blamed myself. Thankfully, my support system and my OBGYN reassured me that this could have happened regardless of where I gave birth.
What Empowered Birth Really Means
My second birth was very different from my first. Not because everything went according to plan, but because I felt empowered by what I had learned. I trusted my body. I understood what was happening. I knew how to respond. That experience reinforced something I had already begun to believe: birth support is not about guaranteeing someone a particular birth outcome. It is about making sure that they feel informed, respected, supported, and empowered throughout their process. I feel the Birth Justice Scholarship aligns deeply with this.
Why I Want to Become a Doula for Black Families and Communities of Color
When I discovered Bebo Mia and learned more about its mission and commitment to the birthing community, I immediately felt connected to the work. I see this program as an opportunity to take my personal experiences, self education, and passion for advocacy and turn them into the knowledge and skills necessary to serve others professionally. I want to learn from experienced practitioners, build meaningful relationships within the birth community, and develop the confidence and foundation to provide evidence-informed, compassionate, and culturally aware support.
I also want to become a doula because I know what it feels like to enter a birth space unsure of how to advocate for yourself. I know what it feels like to have questions, preferences, and fears but not know how to communicate them or whether they will be respected. I want to be the person who helps another birthing person understand their options, ask questions, recognize their rights, and feel confident making decisions about their own body and birth.
My long-term goal is to work as a full-spectrum doula serving people of color and other underserved communities. I want to help bridge the gap between families and the healthcare system by providing continuous emotional, physical, and informational support. I want my work to be rooted in respect, informed consent, cultural awareness, and the belief that every person deserves to be heard.
Every Birthing Person Deserves to Be Safe, Respected, and Informed
I do not believe every birth needs to look a certain way. I believe every birthing person deserves to feel safe, respected, informed, and supported, regardless of how their birth unfolds.
My first birth showed me why this work is necessary. My second birth showed me what education, preparation, and trust in oneself can make possible…deep trust I never felt I had in myself before. Now, I want to take those lessons beyond my own experiences and use them to support other families.
I am deeply thankful for this opportunity and eager to continue this journey with a community that shares my commitment to empowering birthing people. Thank you again for believing in me and for providing me with the opportunity to grow into the birth worker I hope to become.
If becoming a doula has been on your heart, there are two ways to take the next step. You can apply for a bebo mia doula scholarship or register for our full spectrum doula training, offered live online every March and September. Whether you hope to become a birth doula, fertility doula, postpartum doula, or work across the full reproductive journey, there is a place for you in this work.
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