Embracing the Doula Journey: Chloe's Path to Empowering Birth Experiences
I first met Chloe during the PYLV Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, and it was clear from the start that she had a special spark. Over the course of the training, I watched Chloe grow into a confident, inspiring prenatal yoga teacher who brings both skill and heart to her work. Chloe's ambition is matched by her ability to truly listen, creating spaces where people feel heard and supported. Her passion for trauma-informed care shines through in everything she does, and I know she would be an invaluable addition to your birth team. -Angela Reis, PYLV Owner & Founder
Read More About Chloe’s Journey
What inspired you to be a doula?
Just after my 30th birthday, my partner and I decided to try getting pregnant with the help of fertility treatment. I went from appointment to appointment feeling vulnerable and exposed, but also very excited and hopeful. We decided to try a round of Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), but before we could do it, I had to have fibroids in my uterus removed. Fibroids are one of the most common gynecological conditions that affect people with uteruses, and up to 70% of us will develop fibroids during our reproductive years. That didn’t make it any easier for me. The testing and treatment triggered sexual trauma I experienced in my early 20s, and suddenly everything felt fresh and raw all over again. At one point, I was in a paper outfit getting ready for a transvaginal ultrasound, so the doctor could see the lining of my uterus. The ultrasound technician offered to let me put the wand in myself, and I almost cried with relief at her offer–the first time anyone had given me an opportunity to protect myself and my mental health throughout this process.
Two weeks after my IUI procedure, I found out I wasn’t pregnant. My partner and I are still planning for the future and considering how to build our family, but that experience changed me. I worked with a therapist to cope with my sexual trauma using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a psychotherapy treatment that helps people process traumatic memories and reduce symptoms of PTSD. Over time, I’ve been able to improve my relationship with my body and advocate for myself and my reproductive health. I started considering ways that I could do the same for other people, and that’s how I discovered what birth workers do. I decided to become a doula.
What is your background? Training/education?
I was born in Ventura County, California, and grew up surrounded by fields of strawberries, celery, and lemon trees. The college I picked was twenty minutes away from my childhood home, and I studied communication and journalism in the hopes of becoming a reporter for a newspaper. When I realized I wouldn’t be able to move out of my parents’ house on a journalist’s salary, I took a job at a nonprofit doing social media and writing appeal letters to donors. After a few years of this, I moved to Los Angeles where I got a job fundraising at UCLA. My favorite part of working on campus was taking long walks in the sunshine on my lunch break. While there, I earned my master’s degree in business at UCLA by taking classes on evenings and weekends. I focused my studies on nonprofit business, feeling passionate about the social sector where I’d spent the entirety of my short career. In 2019, I moved to Las Vegas to be with my partner and be closer to my best friend. In my current role as a consultant for nonprofits in Las Vegas, I help organizations research, plan, and build capacity so they can serve more clients. In 2024 I completed certification as a full-spectrum doula through Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT). I’m also training to be a prenatal yoga teacher through Prenatal Yoga Las Vegas.
How do doulas help?
One semi-silly thing I heard about doulas while training to be one, is that they’re kind of like the maid of honor at a wedding. A maid of honor’s role is to take care of the bride-to-be, and that could mean a lot of things. The person you choose to stand by you at your wedding knows your hopes and expectations for the big day, stays calm and helps you problem solve when things go off-course, takes care of you emotionally through inevitable ups and downs, and has extra band-aids in her purse for when your shoes give you blisters. Likewise, a doula is a trusted friend, listener, and support system you choose to help you make one of life’s biggest transitions: the transition to parenthood. Your doula can help you think through what birth and postpartum will be like for you, teach you how to advocate for yourself, provide emotional and physical support, and be a calm and reassuring presence during a challenging time in life.
What is it like working with you?
Doula work is heart work, which I think means that we bring our whole selves and all of our experiences to the work we do. My experience as a queer person informs my work as a doula, so I want to support queer and trans people building their families. As someone who has experienced sexual violence, I also prioritize trauma-informed care as a doula, and I want to do everything I can to prevent obstetric violence. I want everyone I work with to feel heard, respected, and understood in the time we spend together. Being a doula and talking about all things reproduction makes me happy, so I hope working with me feels easy, affirming, and joyful.
What do you think every birthing person should know?
I think every birthing person should know that they deserve to feel supported. Pregnancy, birth, and parenthood are transformational and challenging, and the decision to go through those things is brave and sacred. The world we live in doesn’t always treat birthing people with respect, so it’s important to prepare for that and remember what we deserve as we navigate birth.
Connect with Chloe: https://www.instagram.com/chloe_vieira/
