About Alana

Although I have a very analytical mind and a degree in economics, I find the deep personal connection of doula work most fulfilling. I became interested in doula work after my sister gave birth in 2005, with a less than satisfactory experience. After leaving a job at an investment management firm, some soul searching led me to find that I am very much drawn to helping people--especially in a health-related way--and that I need to be in direct contact with those people. I returned to the doula interest because it seemed to be a perfect fit! I chose to train with CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association), because they have a special training geared towards doulas who intend to volunteer for a program they run, called Operation Special Delivery. OSD provides free doulas to military moms whose partners will not be able to support them at birth due to deployment, injury, or death.

I chose HypnoBirthing for my childbirth education training because family is my highest value, and the HypnoBirthing philosophy is impressive and unique in that it brings birth back into the realm of family values. In today's maternity wards, among monitors beeping, IVs dripping, wires looping, and nurses cheer leading, it can be easy to lose the wonderment and sanctity of the event--the recognition of the birth or expansion of a family. HypnoBirthing's inclusion of prenatal bonding exercises and emphasis on the mom-dad connection are my favorite elements of the course.

The name Mind Body Births reflects my belief in the key role of the mind-body connection in the birthing process. From my training and study in hypnosis, I am convinced that the mind is more powerful than most of us realize. The brain already controls every cell in our body--makes our heart pump, lungs breathe, stomach digest--without us ever being conscious of (i.e. thinking about) those functions. Birth is a perfect opportunity to tap into that part of the brain, what is referred to as the “unconscious mind”. All over the world, women in much less technologically developed countries are giving birth confidently and gently, because their culture perceives birth as a normal, natural, safe event--and we can do it, too!