local birth doula · online sanctuary
What is undergone in childbirth fundamentally makes two new people: the child and the mother.
That the child is new is clear, but the woman is also made anew, now with a mother’s heart and a specific mission in the world.
Carrie Gress and Noelle Mering, Theology of Home II
Allow me to introduce myself!
My name is Deborah Faith Jones.
I live with my husband and two beautiful children in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
I’m a hopeless book hoarder. We always go to the Red Cross book fair in June and I add to a pile of books that I’m way behind on reading.
I’d like a big family.
I have an MSc from Oxford University in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition. My thesis was on the psychology of language learner motivation.
I enjoy listening to podcasts about birth and mothering, child education, theology and philosophy.
When I have the mental bandwidth I like to write and read poetry, though usually I settle for a quiet moment with a pen and my prayer journal.
In late 2020, I began a childbirth research rampage when I was expecting my first baby. Learning about birth as a physiological process that my body was made for filled me with hope that I could approach my own experiences as a birthing woman with confidence in myself and my baby.
As I continued to learn about pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum while awaiting the arrival of my second born I realised I was preparing myself to share this knowledge base with other women. I imagined becoming a mother to mothers and pondered the possibility of offering myself to them as a birth doula. I let that idea simmer while I gave myself over to the process of bringing forth my son. Once I felt I had adjusted to life as a mum of two I was certain that I was sufficiently serious about being a doula and signed myself up for the Indie Birth Doula Academy which I graduated from at the start of 2024.
One of the elements that Indie Birth is known for is their ‘sacred science’ approach. It’s the balance of BOTH birth science as empirically researched AND respect for the mysteriousness of birth as a rite of passage. This really sang for me because I knew from experience that birth is a transformation of our bodies and our souls. What happens in birth - whether physiological or medically assisted - can be interpreted as testifying to what is going on interiorly. When we are brave with our bodies in birth, we find courage to embrace our new selves along with our babies. My hope is that my clients and their families discover this reality through their own particular journeys. My job is to walk alongside them not as an expert but as a mentor and a team player.
You can learn more about me by reading my first and second birth stories and my early miscarriage story on the blog. I upload new articles regularly about all things birthy and maternal. If you’re interested in my doula services please check out my offerings here and get in touch here.
xo
Deborah
My logo is based on the rose windows from Our Lady of Chartres cathedral in France.
The cathedral footprint represents Mother Mary.
One of the rose windows perfectly matches the size of the prayer labyrinth on the floor which is situated in the part of the sanctuary that represents Mary’s womb. It is said that at certain times the light shines through the window onto the womb space (labyrinth).
When I heard this I knew that this is what I want to be as a doula - the window where the Divine Light shines through to illuminate the sacred path that leads to new life and to celebrate the unique grace of childbearing.