Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Feroah.
Ali, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My interest in birth began when I watched the documentary “The Business of Being Born” shortly after graduating from college in 2011. The film was both eye-opening and inspiring to me. I was shocked to learn about the awful state of maternity care in America (we’re spending more money than any other industrialized nation but our outcomes are some of the worst!) and I felt compelled to learn more about birth and women’s health. I spent the next ~1.5yrs reading and learning everything I could about pregnancy and birth, and in June of 2013, I attended my first birth as a doula. I fell in love immediately and knew it was the work I was meant to be doing. After that, I volunteered as a doula at a local birth center as much as possible while also working an office job until late 2014 when I took the plunge to do this work full time. Since then, I’ve attended over 230 births in a wide variety of settings and have also added postpartum doula work and photography (which I studied in college) to my repertoire. My most recent professional adventure was starting a podcast called Birth Kweens with my friend and fellow birth worker, Karly Nuttall. The goal of the show is to educate and empower people about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women’s health topics in a fun and light-hearted way.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey has been full of uncertainty, exhaustion, and questioning whether I’m capable of overcoming the challenges that I’m presented with. When I fell in love with birth work, I was a childless 22-year-old with minimal life experience and no idea how to run a business. (Not exactly the kind of person you think of as being able to support families through the intense and important experience of childbirth!) But I knew on a gut level that it was the right thing for me, so I committed myself completely to making it happen. I educated myself as much as possible and worked tirelessly to gain experience. That work ultimately resulted in me gaining confidence in my skill set as a doula. I made connections in my community, sought out mentors, and asked for help when I needed it. When I felt overwhelmed or unsure of how to proceed (which happened, and STILL happens, a LOT), I narrow my focus to the task that is right in front of me. Big picture change is overwhelming, but just taking the next indicated step and working steadily through your list of goals/tasks will get you there! I feel uncertain all the time, but I just keep moving forward and trying new things. I take breaks when I need them (in fact, planning a big chunk of time to be off call every year has been ESSENTIAL to my success) and try to be gentle with myself and practice good self-care when things get crazy. This work can be uncomfortable and exhausting, but it’s SO worth it! The advice I’d offer to any young woman starting their own journey is to be brave and try not to let the fear of failure keep you from trying. You WILL fail and that’s ok! You’ll learn from it and gain resilience. Do things that challenge you and push you outside of your comfort zone. Remember that you are strong and capable. Sometimes, life is hard (and growth/change are almost always hard), but you can do hard things!!!
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
As a birth doula, my job is to provide expectant families with education and support throughout pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period. We meet a number of times prenatally to answer questions, work through fears, and help them feel as prepared as possible. I’m with them throughout their entire labor and birth, helping to ensure they feel supported, empowered, and informed every step of the way. I go and see them during the early postpartum period to make sure they’re adjusting well to having a new baby and that they have the support they need.
As a postpartum doula, my job is to provide in-home support and education in the first few months after a baby is born. The details of the work are always different because my focus is to meet each family where they’re at and provide whatever support they most need. Oftentimes, this includes education about baby care, postpartum healing, breastfeeding support, and assistance with keeping a household running smoothly after the addition of a new (very time-consuming) family member.
In both doula roles, my focus is making families feel completely nurtured and offering non-judgmental support and information to help them navigate the process of having a baby in the smoothest way possible.
In terms of photography, I do maternity, newborn, family, and birth photos. I love connecting with people in this way and being able to capture some of their most important moments. My goal is always to make people feel at ease in front of the camera and capture their lives in a way that’s meaningful to them.
Lastly, I’m one of the hosts of the Birth Kweens podcast. It’s a weekly show about all things birth and women’s health. It’s equal parts laughing/joking + education about various birth and women’s health topics. My co-host Karly and I have attended over 1,000 births between the two of us so the information we offer is grounded in a lot of practical experience. The show is really fun and casual and listeners get to know us very well. For me personally, it’s been a big challenge to learn this new skill set but such a fun and fulfilling addition to my work.
In all of the work that I do, the thing that I am most proud of is how I strive to show up for every client interaction with kindness, patience, humor, and an open mind. I make genuine connections with the families I serve and I am infinitely grateful to be able to be a part of such a special time in peoples’ lives.
Tell us about some of the women that have inspired you throughout your life.
I come from a family of kind, funny, hard-working women who’ve always supported me unconditionally while also encouraging me to be brave and strive for my goals. My closest friends are intelligent, hysterical, badass women and they inspire me every single day. And of course, there are the infamous change-makers and heavy hitters such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, Brene Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Sheryl Strayed (just to name a few).
Contact Info:
- Website: aliferoah.com
- Email: ali@settingrootsbirth.com
- Instagram: @aliferoahphotography, @birthkweens
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SettingRootsBirth/
- Other: www.birthkweens.com
Image Credit:
Ali Art & Photography, Ali Feroah Photography
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