Meet Shadae

We are thrilled to announce Shadae Jenkins has joined the New Beginnings team. Enjoy our recent interview to learn more about her.

Tell us about your background.

Let’s see, I grew up in GA where most things were farm to hand, including babies. At 19 I started working at a hospital and got first hand experience with laboring parents and more. While working in the hospital I got face to face interactions with grieving parents, terrified parents, and joyful ones. I learned so many life lessons from people I will never get to see again and I think that’s beautiful in its own way.  During this time, I even had the opportunity to help a friend through her pregnancy journey (spoiler, she had twins!). 

We are excited to have you join the New Beginnings team. What is your role within the company?

I am the Inclusion and Belonging director. Which means you’ll see me around encouraging open and honest dialogue that comes with listening and understanding from all parties involved. So if you feel there may be something you’d like to discuss but may not have the words for it, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m here to help!

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Why did you decide to become a doula?

It was my friend’s birth that did it for me! Watching her grow and learn through her pregnancy and the trust she gave to me to help really sparked my love for all things birth. I will always be grateful to her and her boys for introducing this work to my life in the way they did.

Tell us about the most impactful birth you have attended.

The most impactful birth had to be September of 2019. It was more of the pregnancy journey and the birth, than it was the birth alone. The client I had, and her mother, put so much faith into my training and my knowledge that It made me shake off all fear or doubt within myself. They trusted me unequivocally and in that birthing room we shared an energy that was full of compassion and trust in one another. There were tears involved, quiet thoughtful moments, laughter, dancing and a fullness that I hadn’t felt at a birth before. That client rocked her birth! And afterwards I got to take a picture of 4 generations for the clients scrapbook!

What advice would you give to aspiring doulas?

1. Trust the education that you’re getting. Ask as many questions as you need to, I know it may seem daunting or unnerving but the information you get back is so valuable and I guarantee it will be needed. 
2. Just remember that like snowflakes, no two births are alike. What may work today for someone, might not work tomorrow for someone else and that is okay! That’s why we have tool bags.
3. Research as much as humanly possible. Things are changing everyday. New studies are introduced all the time. Evidence-based care is so important!
4. And lastly BRING SNACKS! You will get hungry, I swear it!