My name is Chandra Stewart. I have been married to my loving and supportive husband, Kyle, for six years. Besides being a doula, I'm a stay-at-home mom to my three young children: Daniel, 4 1/2, Laela, 3, and Mackenzie, who was born at home in September.

In 2004 I worked for a short time at York General Hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant, until becoming pregnant with my first child. In 2005 I graduated from York College in York, Nebraska with an Associate of Science degree. I completed doula training through Doulas Of North America (DONA) in April, 2008. I am currently working on completing DONA's certification process to become a Certified Doula (for more information on what that entails, please visit DONA's certification overview page). I have been involved with Nebraska Friends of Midwives since 2007, and am currently serving on the group's Board of Directors as Treasurer.

My Personal Birth Experiences

My first two children were both born by cesarean section, Daniel for "failure to progress" and Laela because I was told I would not be allowed to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Laela had severe respiratory distress after her birth and had to be sent to the NICU for more than a week. She was put on liquid caffeine and an apnea monitor for several months after her birth. After that experience I became wiser and more confident in my ability to stand up to mainstream birth and its medical mentality. I learned a great deal about VBACs, birth in general, and myself. A little over a year after her birth, I met a doula through Nebraska Friends of Midwives and knew that was what I wanted to do - to educate and support women in an effort to help them avoid the same mistakes I made and the bad birth experiences I had had! I am happy to say that my third baby, Mackenzie, was born at home after a completely natural labor and birth.

I have always had a strong passion for pregnancy and birth, and really enjoy helping families through this wonderful and exciting time in their lives!