Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Brogdon
Hi Julia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When my husband and I found out we were expecting at the end of 2015.. we were shocked! Thrilled, but shocked. We had only been married about a year and a half and were just not expecting to start our family this soon. However, we trusted God and knew that if it was His time, it was the perfect time. A couple of weeks after finding out, we lost that precious little life. We were devastated and confused and heart-broken. Through the process of this loss and the providers that I saw, I felt cared for and seen in my grief. It was so comforting to be prayed over by my midwife, and for my doctor to sit down with us and genuinely tell us he was so sorry. I knew throughout this process that God was calling me to walk with women through not only the pain and difficulty of loss, but also the joys of pregnancy and motherhood!
About 6 months later I started the process of becoming a doula. I had some friends that trusted me enough to support them and I am so grateful for them. Almost a year to the day of finding out about our first baby.. I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. Although I had many fears to face, it felt different and we were so excited. I have had 3 children in the last 7 years, and supported many women through the many emotions of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.
I am so thankful for this journey that I have been on over the last 8 years, Jesus has been with me every step of the way. I could not have gone through any of it without Him and He carries me through the tough days and the days filled with joy. He is my best friend and everything I do is for His glory!
Julia B
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not always been easy, or smooth. However, the Lord has made it easier for me by confirming that this is what He wants me to do. I have learned a lot about working with many different types of people. Everyone has different expectations and trying to meet them for every individual can be absolutely exhausting. Although I do believe I am gifted to be friends with just about anyone, I still am uniquely me. When I feel the most drained, it is when I am trying to be something that I am not. I’ve learned (and am still learning) that I am always called to be genuinely me. And that it’s ok if not everyone feels that I am the right doula or support for them. All I can do is love people the way the Lord has taught me and live to please Him above all.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work as a Doula in the East Tennessee area. I specialize in supporting couples in their journeys of pregnancy, birth, & postpartum. I am specifically known in the area for my faith and incorporating that in my work as a Doula. All 3 of my births were so important to me and grew my faith in ways I never could have imagined.
I am most proud of the friendships that I have built over the years and the families and sweet babies that I have walked with. It is such an honor to watch these families grow and get sweet texts and calls when another little one is on the way! My clients are truly my people.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband and my children are my biggest supporters! They cheer me on, and pray for me when I have to be at a birth all night. I am on call at all hours, which does not make it an easy or predictable job. I also could not do it without my mother in law! She watches my children anytime that I am called in for a birth, and every week when I have prenatal & postpartum meetings. She also genuinely cares about my “girls” and is always checking in and praying for them. My teacher & mentor that truly taught me everything I know, is Connie Bach-Jeckell. She coaches doulas in the East TN region and she is such a blessing to me and so many others!
Pricing:
- Doula Package $1200
- Nesting/postpartum help (priced hourly)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myjoyfulbirth.com
- Instagram: myjoyfulbirth
Image Credits
Julia Brogdon. Karrigan Willoughby.
