Amanda Dowd, Head of Birth Doula Services

Hello everyone! I’m very excited to introduce myself as the new head of birth doula services for Terra Cotta Perinatal Services! For those of you who don’t already know me, my career path has been a bit of a winding road and I’m beyond thrilled to have landed here. 

I knew by the time I was 19 that my passion was advocacy and supporting people as they navigated life’s changes, and this passion led me to get my Bachelor’s in Psychology from Boston University before earning my Master’s in Forensic Psychology at the University of Denver. I worked in victim advocacy and had the honor and privilege of walking alongside people as they experienced the hardest moments of their lives. Though my passion for this type of work never faded, a very difficult work experience post-grad led me to step away from using my degree for a while. I needed time to heal and recalibrate, and because I never do anything halfway, I did a 180 and moved to Nashville to be a makeup artist. Many people were critical of my decision, but it was exactly what I needed to do: for the first time in my life, I did something solely because I wanted to and not because it was what was expected of me. I dove headfirst into the world of freelancing and spent two years working on photoshoots and music videos. I’ve met celebrities, I’ve worked in style on a sailboat, I’ve talked to some very cool (and very nice!) Musicians, and I even got to travel a bit for work pre-Covid. 

Last summer was a time of transition for me, though, and after a few years of being away from clinical work, I started to feel the pull of advocacy again. I’d had the time and space I needed and I thought about how I could get back into using my degree without engaging in exactly the same kind of work that had burned me out so badly the first time. 

I’m a very spiritual person, and as I was contemplating my next professional move, I started to notice birth work everywhere. I had always found birth incredibly interesting and had a passion for maternal/fetal health, but this felt different: it was like God/the Universe was trying to tell me something. If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably figured out that I’m a firm believer in following your heart no matter what everyone else says, so I did just that! I started researching the birth world and doula work further, and it felt like everything clicked into place: this was it. THIS was how I could employ my passion for advocacy, THIS was how I could provide trauma-informed care, THIS was how I could wake up every day and feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing your work is meaningful and makes a difference in the world. 

Meeting Kat proved serendipitous and further confirmation that I was on the right path. It was clear from our very first long conversation over coffee that we shared the same values and connected on both a personal and professional level. Just as I was ready to launch my full-time doula career, Kat was ready to take a step back form birth work and shift her focus to perinatal support and education. A tremendous amount of thought and planning has gone into the launch of Terra Cotta Perinatal, and I am so proud, honored, and excited to be working with a fellow clay pot as passionate and incredible as Kat. 

So, hello! I’m Amanda, and if you’re reading this as a potential or current client, I am so thrilled to be supporting you. I will probably shed a few tears at your birth (I usually do!) and I will always have chocolate on me if you need a little pick-me-up post delivery. I promise to hold space for all of your fears, hopes, and dreams, and I promise to honor you and your family exactly as you are. I promise to educate, empower, and uplift you, and I promise to support your choices without judgement. 

Welcome to Terra Cotta Perinatal. Kat and I are so excited you’re here.