Hi Reader,

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Okay, to be honest, I’m not in the print magazine and the article isn’t about me, but my name was in People Magazine!

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It’s an article in their online magazine on May 11, 2025, about celebrities who chose home birth. My celebrity clients, Genevieve & Jared Padalecki, have talked publicly many times about their experiences with home birth, using a midwife, and having a doula (I was their doula for all three of their children). So I wasn’t surprised their story was included in the People article. I was surprised that my full name (and that I was “wonderful” as their doula) was printed.

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Note: Normally, doulas do not divulge who their clients are to protect privacy, but since my clients freely talk about their home birth and that I was their doula—and they’ve given me permission to use their names—I’m doing so here.

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Here’s the People magazine article.

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And here’s one of Gen’s YouTube videos talking about her experience, including commentary by her midwife and photos of me supporting her in labor.

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Sure it’s fun getting widespread acknowledgement from people who are adored by millions, but more important is that I got to know these truly wonderful people. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Gen and Jared are the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. But here’s the funny part of the story: I didn’t know who they were (famous or otherwise) when I met them.

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Gen and Jared came to my childbirth classes in their first pregnancy and were so kind and friendly to the other couples, they created an exceptionally close group. They asked me to be their doula after class, and we met a few days later for our first meeting. Yes, I noticed we were meeting at The Four Seasons, one of the most expensive hotels in Seattle where they were staying. But I hadn’t owned a TV for ten years and didn't really use social media so how was I to know who was famous or not? When they mentioned that Jared was “working on set” in Vancouver, BC, I figured maybe he was a stage hand (sorry, Jared!). When he said he’d “have his driver whisk him to Seattle” if Gen went into labor before he was scheduled to arrive, I thought to myself: Uh, stage hands don’t have drivers. After our meeting, I rushed to my car, Googled their names, and found out they were stars on the hit TV show Supernatural.

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Of course, knowing who they were changed nothing about how I thought of them or how I worked with them. They were so down-to-earth, and kindness and generosity seeped out of their pores. I loved seeing their love for each other and getting to support that love. And then watching them as parents as their family grew.

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It’s been 13 years since their first baby was born and yet I still hold a special place in their hearts. That’s the power of doulas. We show up for people, meet them where they’re at, help them through whatever they are experiencing, and love them for who they are.

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If you want to have the kind of impact in someone’s life where they still call you “wonderful” 13 years later, be a doula. It’s the only role where you can be a helping professional without hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars of schooling, set your own schedule, and make a positive impact in people’s lives.

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Curious about the doula role? Join Doula Magic: An Introductory Course for Healing and Helping Entrepreneurs, a live 3-hour course on June 25, 2025. How much does it cost? For those of you on my list, it’s FREE! Use coupon code DOULALOVE to register here. (Want to share this with a friend? Please give them this link and not the coupon code above.)

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What I'm listening to, reading, and watching:

I just started a new part-time job this week! I wanted to get back into a clinical setting and closer to supporting patients, and I’m thrilled to be doing that along with my writing and teaching. But because of my training hours, I’ve had no time for reading and watching so I don’t have any recommendations for you this week.

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Let me know what you thought about this email or if there's anything special you'd like to hear about in the coming weeks. Just reply and I'm on it!

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Thanks for reading,

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Carrie

Author, So You Want to Be a Doula​​

​​​Website​​​​

​​See all past issues​​
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P.S. More doula courses await you here. Check out my whole catalog of doula courses, including:

​Becoming a Birth Doula (WA State Approved training for only $197!)

​Placenta Encapsulation Training​

​Advanced Postpartum Support​

​Develop Your Soulful Doula Self​

​Starting Your Doula Business​

​The Doula Success Formula: Five Simple Steps to Getting More Clients​

And books on choosing the right doula career for you.