Breanne Cain bebo mia Be Brave Award Runner Up

My name is Bre, my pronouns are she/her. I come from a big family and am the middle child of seven children. I was born and raised in North Dakota. The day I graduated high school I packed my bags and moved to Salt Lake City because of the snow and mountains and all the outdoorsy stuff. I didn’t plan on staying long but I ended up meeting my husband here. Fast forward 10 years and we now have a quirky little home, a spitfire of a daughter who just turned seven months old, and two loyal, massive dogs named Kita and Guinness, and yes sometimes we let them sleep in our bed. 

Over the last few years, I have felt deeply drawn to birth work. I knew I wanted to get certified as a doula and start my own business but financially we just couldn’t make it work. After selling our home to get out from under a considerable amount of debt, having a heartbreaking miscarriage, living in my mother-in-law’s basement for two years, and busting my butt at a retail job to make ends meet we found out we were pregnant. I had my daughter in February right before Covid hit. In the months following I was passed up for a promotion, my family leave was revoked due to Covid, and I had to try to navigate working retail during a pandemic with no childcare. After months of feeling defeated and exhausted, I had had enough. I quit my job, started my own small business doing birth films, and applied for this scholarship. I thought it would be a long shot but I wanted my daughter to see me fight and work for my dreams even amidst resistance and heartache. I can’t flipping believe I got it. I can’t believe that I get to sit here and tell you all about my story and how I ended up here. 

I wanted to get certified with Bebo Mia because of their commitment to approaching everything with an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and intersectional lens. I know I have a responsibility to educate and inform myself to facilitate inclusion in my business and be a part of the change that is desperately needed in the field of reproductive health. Bebo Mia is the place to do that. I’m also caring for my daughter full-time, juggling a new business, overwhelmed by laundry, and battling Postpartum Depression. Being able to get certified online at my own pace is essential for my success in this program. I’ve only just started and am blown away by the inclusivity, resources, knowledge, and support that the Bebo Mia team provides. I feel connected which I didn’t quite expect on an online platform. I feel like I can be me and it is an incredible community where I can learn and grow. 

The biggest reason I am passionate about becoming a doula is so that I can provide access, resources, and support to my clients so they can in turn make educated decisions and experience positive birth outcomes. There is a lack of access to evidence-based education in order to make informed decisions surrounding the conception, delivery and care of a child. The system is broken and the responsibility lies on health care providers and birth workers to help educate and provide options to those giving birth. I want to be a part of a new way forward. A way that cultivates equality, empowers, and listens.

After the program I plan to work with those expecting and provide birth education and labor support. I also have hopes to continue my education and be certified as a midwife assistant. Then I would go on to get my CNM so I can help people through their journey of fertility, birth, and postpartum as a midwife.