Today we’d like to introduce you to Joufflie Germain.
Hi Joufflie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey started as a personal story. Nine years ago, I was pregnant with my first child and suffered a miscarriage at 18 weeks gestation. Looking to medical professionals for guidance on why this happened happened, I was left with many more questions than answers. The only response that I received from my OBGYN was, You’re young; things like this happen, and you can still get pregnant. There was no additional support on why my body terminated, what resources there were to help me navigate these emotions that I now had to work through, a by-the-book response in terms of empathy, and very little aftercare support. After this event, I picked up self-up and began learning all that I could about my body. Through this, I knew I had sickle cell trait and 2 fibroids that no one had noticed or failed to inform me of during my pregnancy. Now, I do not say these things are what caused my miscarriage, but they could have been a contributing factor.
Fast forward 3 years later, I’m pregnant with my 2nd. With all that I had learned, the help of my husband, and my team of midwives, I gave birth to my firstborn. I spent so much time teaching my rights, what I could do/ have for my birth, the different options in terms of birthing, the other choices that I could make as a new mom for my baby, holistic manners of dealing with things that come up in pregnancy, my resources postpartum and selecting a team that had a significant amount of empathy. My husband and I spent time tailoring the birth that we wanted and being selective on choices that made me feel more at ease with my birth experience. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will never knock Western medicine because there is a time and a place for it when it comes to birth, but with no red flags in my journey, it had no place in my story.
Everything was perfect when I gave birth to my first son, Elijah. That is until I ended up with a third-degree tear that required me to be transported to the hospital for sutures that were beyond my midwives scope of practice. I must spend 2, maybe 3 hours at the birth center from birth to the time for transport. When I arrived at the hospital, due to logistics and their feelings around center births, it took them 6 hours to suture me and send me on my way. Also, the doctor who performed my procedure stated, “My birth was dirty,” and that is why they did not want to suture me in the labor and delivery ward, hence sending me down to the emergency room. Again, this is another moment when the hospital sector failed to show compassion, empathy, and total care for a mother who had just given birth less than 24 hrs. As well, it is no hidden secret of the high black maternal death rate here in America, and one of my biggest fears was becoming a statistic.
Fast forward a few more years, my husband and I land in Jacksonville during COVID. His hometown and my unknown at the time. I conceived my second child, Massiah, and, with no birth center in sight. Hospitals had Strict policies during that time, which sparked a lot of interest in birth centers. With that not being an option at that time, my husband and I started seeking out options to ensure I had the birth I created and not that which I would be forced into due to a pandemic.
While we would be focused on our labor when that came, we needed someone who could be an advocate in the hospital room to ensure my requests were met. We came across something called a doula- an individual who supports the family physically, emotionally, and mentally and provides resources, advocacy, and information. We dove right in, and in no time, we secured our doula, Heather Rollinson. We did have to go through a few different avenues before I could find a doula of color that I connected with. While we found many, finding a doula of color willing to travel to Yulee was tough. She helped me find not only a midwife who was willing to do a home birth but also that the work I had been doing for years, for myself as well as family and friends, had a name: DOULA! Even then, it was not until the birth of my second son, Massiah, that I decided to go ahead and become a certified birth and postpartum doula.
Seeing his birth was what was needed for God to open my eyes to a portion of why he took me from South Florida and all that I have known to an area of uncertainty. Due to no fault of their own, my husband and I delivered our second child, Massiah, at home with just the two of us in the room, the midwife on the phone, and a gaggle of family on the other side of the door. That day, I understood my assignment and why I called the Jacksonville area home. It became my desire to share with other women how to find their voice, realize what they are truly made of, what our bodies are capable of accomplishing, and be a part of their birth experience and not just a bystander. This world has educated, compassionate, competent, and empathetic birth support. I wanted to make it easier in Jacksonville and Yulee to find a representation of birth support that looks like me. Not too long after the birth of my son, I quit my job as a behavior therapist, connected with some of the most amazing black birth work organizations, began and completed my doula training, and began my work as a doula. I have been a doula for 3 years and have had the opportunity to support 50+ families. In doing this work, I live for the look on the momma’s faces and the energy that transpires when they realize how powerful they are. I want to say that God made the first move in moving me here; my son Elijah taught me how strong of a woman I am. Massiah unleashed the beast into the world, and there is no going back because I love this work too much.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not! Early in my career, I worked for the doula agency where I originally received my certification and quickly realized that my views and theirs did not align. I felt that while I was trained to be a doula, I was not trained to support the minority community. I had to find and connect myself with organizations and find a training that taught me how to support a community that looks like me. Not only that, I also realized that to provide support the way I wanted to, I had to take this journey on my own and not under another’s vision. With that, I ended up completing two doula certifications. Early on, I would lose clients because I had not been a doula for as long as some of my counterparts, but that had nothing to do with my knowledge and skills. I would hang out at the birth centers I knew, just asking people to take their birth for free because I knew what I had to offer was something they didn’t want to miss. I was undercharged for my services not for a lack of confidence in my skills but so that I could have the opportunity to practice my skills. I also had to learn how to run a business. I spent years in the work sector and now had to know everything that went into running a business. I’m not the craziest about social media or care to interact with it daily, so that has been my Achilles’ heel.
We’ve been impressed with Divine Agape Doula Service, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Who we are and What we do
Divine Agape Doula Service is a prenatal, birth, postpartum, and birth-related service company. Birth is a natural and transformative experience that deserves the utmost care, attention, and respect. Our team of highly trained and compassionate doulas is here to provide you with the support, education, and empowerment you need to have a fulfilling and memorable birth experience. Birth is a personal and empowering experience; we aim to help you have the best possible birth outcome. Our doulas are dedicated to creating a safe, non-judgmental, nurturing environment that encourages your unique needs and goals. We are here to empower and guide you so you can focus on what matters – the birth of your baby.
Vision
Our vision at Divine Agape Doula Services is to create a world where every person has access to knowledgeable, compassionate, and empowering support during the transformative journey of birth and parenthood. Every birth is unique and deserves to be honored and celebrated in a safe, non-judgmental, and nurturing environment. Our mission is to empower and educate individuals and families to find their voice so they can be a part of and make informed choices for a fulfilling birth experience. We strive to be a trusted resource and advocate for those seeking support, empowerment, and an addition to their village, now and in the future. We believe in all birthing persons’ rights to education, choice, compassion, and equity.
Experience
Our doulas are knowledgeable in various birthing methods and techniques, including natural birth, medicated birth, cesarean birth, and VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). We have experience working in all settings: birth centers, homes, and hospitals. We understand that every birth is unique, and we are committed to working with you to develop a birth plan that reflects your individual needs and goals. We are certified and trained to provide experience with breastfeeding, newborn care, and postpartum recovery.
Service List
-Prenatal Support
-Birth Support
-Immediate Postpartum support
-Placental Encapsulation
-Postpartum Herbal Bath
-Placental Art
-New Born Care
-Breastfeeding Support
-Birth Prep
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Organizations:
*Southern Birth Justice Network (this organization here is my village)
*National Black Doula Association
*National Doula Network
*Momma Thrive
Books:
-Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy and Childbirth
-Birthing from Within by Pam England
-The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
-Killing the Black Body by Dorthy Roberts
-Mothering the new mother by Sally Placksin
-The First 40 Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother
Apps: Anything and everything birth-related!
Contact Info:
- Website: Divineagapedoula.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divineagapedoulaservice/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivineAgapeDoula
- Other: Google: Divine Agape Doula Service
Image Credits
Joufflie Germain, Dallas Aurthur
