Navigating New Beginnings

Andrea Denali is a resident of Hillsborough and works as a doula for her community. She provides emotional, physical and informational support for pregnant women and their families. After having a positive experience with her labor and delivery nurse during her own pregnancy, Andrea decided to dedicate her life to caring for families throughout their experiences of pregnancy and birth. As Andrea puts it, “doula care is often viewed as a luxury, but I think it is the most basic past of the birthing experience.”

Andrea visits families in their homes to provide support throughout mothers’ pregnancies, and she is present in the hospital during the birth. She guides parents through these experiences and provides strategies to ease the process of labor for mothers. Outside of these appointments, Andrea teaches birthing classes at various clinics in the Triangle region to prepare soon-to-be parents for what is to come. She also offers services such as placental encapsulation, creating supplements that can help mothers in their recovery after birth. Navigating birth can be a scary process for any parent. Due to compassionate care from people like Andrea, navigating these new beginnings can be a positive and supportive experience for parents.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to finish this project. I had to return to my home of Australia, but I enjoyed documenting my experience in the bush. You can view a movie of that time below.