Instagram story viewer> @bigcatbirth> Posts

𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍 ✿ Asheville 𝖣𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖺 ᯾ 𝖣𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖺 𝖬𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗈𝗋

@bigcatbirth

6.6K

followers

3704

following

Let’s be friends!
✨Taking the guesswork out of birthwork for new doulas
🦋350+ families supported
👇🏼Cocoon Doula Mentorship open for enrollment!

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Lots of new faces here these days and I got some new head shots (thank you @scribblepie !!) so I figured I’d re-introduce myself. 🌷

Hi, I’m Evan! I use she/her pronouns. As yall know, I’m a doula & mentor. 😌 Birthwork isn’t something that we stumble upon, but something that we’re pulled towards. For me, the pull was strong and its never stopped. I’m pulled towards it for the connection, the impact, and the care that I bring into each and every birth. This work is wildly hard, tests me constantly, yet I know it’s where I’m supposed to be.

I’m deeply rooted in Asheville and Appalachia is my forever home. I grew up on the ocean and miss it all the time, but the rivers, lakes, plants, flowers, people, and animals here are my home and my family.

I’m a projector, enneagram 2 (like, a lot of doulas I’m sure!), Leo ☀️ Aquarius 🌙 Virgo ⬆️. I love talking to people, public speaking, teaching, and helping people blossom. It’s why I am truly obsessed with mentoring new doulas!

Right now I’m really into learning about attachment and thinking about those first tender moments of a humans life, and the impact that our own birth and the birth of our children have on each of us. Lots of ideas and thoughts percolating here 🌀

I see birthwork as a form of activism, and am wildly passionate about creating an inclusive and safe as possible space. I deeply believe that trans rights are human rights, that every person has a right to exist, that borders are made up, and that Palestine should and will be free. ❤️‍🔥

Thanks for sharing this virtual space with me! I’m glad you’re here, and want to know about you, too!

And at the end of the day, IG is just a snapshot. I’m a real, messy, human trying to figure it out every day like the rest of us. I’m epically grateful for so much, love my partner and our cats, am wildly freaked out by the state of the world and our circus gov’t, am constantly trying to manage anxiety, and typically wait too long to eat 🤪 taken in Asheville, North Carolina by @bigcatbirth

275

16

a year ago

Imposter syndrome is so common for new doulas, but don’t let it take over. Here’s how to quiet that voice and crush imposter syndrome ⬇️

🌸 Separate outcomes from your worth. We are there to support, and can’t guarantee a specific experience. Promising our clients a certain birth because of our presence is not realistic, and sets up an imbalanced expectation. Yes, we have a big impact. But we cannot correlate our presence to a specific outcome.

🙇🏼‍♀️ Know that it’s ok not to know. Simply your presence is supportive, you don’t need to know everything. One of the best things we can tell our clients is “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out for you”. This builds trust and growth for everyone!

📝 Keep a log of kind words from clients and other doulas. Every text, note, email- save it and look at it when you’re feeling unsure! We have such high expectations of ourselves, but I promise that you’re more impactful than you think. Reading these notes can help you feel confident when imposter syndrome strikes.

🤫 Mute other doulas that you’re comparing yourself to. It’s not mean, it giving yourself grace. Comparison is the thief of joy! If you find yourself late night scrolling and feeling not enough, hit that mute button.

🦋 Debrief after births and find your people. Cocoon Doula Mentorship is designed to help you overcome imposter syndrome through real life connection, debriefing after births, and getting feedback, advice, and support. I got you!

Doors for Cocoon open til Sunday! Let’s overcome your imposter syndrome and get you in the birth room, paid well, and CONFIDENT! ❤️‍🔥 DM me if you’re curious 😘 by @bigcatbirth

112

5

10 days ago

Wait, stop scrolling! Especially if you’re a new doula.

I know there’s a lot of text on this post, but you’re going to want to read it.

And if you’re already in Cocoon, I’d love to hear in the comments what your favorite class is!

The classes are the unsung hero’s of Cocoon Doula Mentorship. I talk a lot about how awesome the community is (because, it is)- but the classes are where the magic really started.

Imagine this: a growing library of pre-recorded classes, all 20-45 minutes long. Bite size to fit into your day, your drive, cooking dinner. PACKED with completely game-changing advice, resources, and education. Your doula practice will never look the same. Your confidence as a new doula will go from 🪫 to 🔋.

Classes include:
💻 How to be seen on social media & website SEO
🤰🏼 Interview & prenatal skills
📝 Contract and client resource templates
🏥 Induction & intervention navigation
💸 Creating an LLC and self employed tax tips
🍃 Herbal support for the full spectrum
👼🏼 Optimal fetal positioning
👏🏼 Hands on support skills
🎒 What to bring to births
🪫 Burnout prevention
❤️‍🔥 How to be a strong advocate
❤️‍🩹 Understanding vicarious trauma

And honestly, so much more!

It fills in the gaps. The classes are created to help you see the complexity of this work, starting a business, being a doula- and to feel prepared for every layer that unfolds.

If you’re a new doula, fresh out of a training, or have been practicing for years and ready to get support. Let’s chat.

Just a couple spots open in Cocoon, and doors open til Sunday.

DM me a 🦋 and let’s chat! by @bigcatbirth

56

17

12 days ago

A spot opened up in Cocoon! Y’all- don’t sleep on this opportunity. There are 2 spaces open for new doulas to join this mentorship experience and take their practice to the next level in the coming months.

I’m leaving doors open until the end of this week! Then, closing and focusing in with the doulas inside. Not opening up again until 2027.

If any of this sounds like you, shoot me a message. Let’s take the guesswork out of birthwork and build the doula practice you’ve been dreaming of. ☁️🦋✨🧡 by @bigcatbirth

67

0

15 days ago

Doors closing soon for Cocoon! And not opening it up again til 2027…

You could figure it out alone, or you could have an experienced and successful doula supporting you every step of the way 😉

Shoot me a DM and let’s see if it’s right for you! Xo by @bigcatbirth

225

6

17 days ago

Buckle up, buttercup 💛

Doula work is a ride, and we’re not meant to do it alone.

This is why I created Cocoon Doula Mentorship 🐛

To fill that gap between training and working as a doula. To turn your passion into a sustainable, long lasting, practice.

Curious of our community is right for you? DM me a 🦋 and let’s chat! by @bigcatbirth

88

2

18 days ago

When you care deeply about this work, it’s really easy to say yes to everything.

Every client. Every opportunity. Every person who needs you.

But sustainable birthwork requires boundaries, too.

Checking in with yourself, knowing your capacity, and making space for your own care isn’t separate from community care. It’s part of how we keep showing up.

How do you protect your capacity in this work?

🎧 Listen to the full episode with @bigcatbirth or comment PODCAST to start listening.

#DoulaLife #BirthWorker #DoulaSupport #CommunityCare #BurnoutPrevention WombsOfTheWorldPodcast by @bigcatbirth

50

2

19 days ago

It’s true. I really want you to succeed. 🫂🥲🥰🦋

There are 2️⃣ spots left for new doulas to join us in Cocoon! Have questions? Send me a DM! by @bigcatbirth

52

1

a month ago

I’ve been updating my contract 📝 over the last decade as I have more and more experiences as a doula, that I want to be prepared *just* in case.

You don’t want to be figuring things out in real time during every new situation. It’s such a relief to know that you’re prepared- and so are your clients.

Add these 3 things to your contract, like today!

🌪️ A natural disaster clause. If Hurricane Helene taught us anything, be prepared. It’s the only time I’ve ever had a client not able to have a doula (me or my back up) at her birth. I’ll never forgot that feeling! Have your refund policy or plan in place for if you miss a birth for this rare but unfortunate event.

⏳ An hour limit when you can call in back up. Everyone’s hour limit is different, and honestly you can choose not to use it. But having it in place brings such peace of mind when you need to tap out and your clients needs fresh energy.

🏃🏼‍♀️ Refund policy for fast births, cesareans, loss, and late cancelation (like, a client moving). Hint: no refund for precipitous births or cesareans!! Everything else, you get to choose what and if a refund feels good to you. It depends on a lot of factors, but a non refundable deposit is always a part of a contract.

🦋 Did you know that when you join Cocoon Doula Mentorship, you get access to ALL of my contracts and resources that I share with my clients? It’s seriously a wealth of knowledge and a huge weight off of you to have to figure everything out.

Doors for Cocoon are OPEN now! Shoot me a message and let’s see if it’s right for you. ✨ by @bigcatbirth

224

27

a month ago

I see you, because I am you.

When I took a doula training in 2016, I remember thinking - I can take care of other people AND get paid?! I’d spent my entire life wanting everyone around me to be happy, comfortable, taken care of. I spent years during and after college volunteering at various organizations all centered around caring for women, helping people feel safe, offering support.

When I found doula work, I felt like everything made sense. Finally, I found a career path!

It was true, but has also been a long and complex journey. I feel grateful, that 10 years in, I am still here and learning every day how to show up for others without losing myself along the way.

I want to help you do the same.

I want to help you build a successful business and know that you deserve and need to get paid for your work. Because this work is as hard as it is beautiful.

I want to help you be comfortable being seen, as who you are, and know that your dream clients want a doula who is fully themself.

I want to help you create systems so that you can do what you love- support birth.

I want to talk you through challenging experiences, what you learned, and what you want to do next time.

I want YOU in Cocoon! If you’re a new doula (1-3 years in), and this sounds like you. DM me a 🦋 and let’s chat. ♥️ by @bigcatbirth

95

2

a month ago

It happens. We’ve all probably done one of these things at some point in our career. We’re trying to be as supportive as we can.

But are you under preparing your clients and accidentally taking their power away?

Let’s not do that!

Here are some simple reframes for how to center your clients in their experience.

What would you add? taken in Asheville, North Carolina by @bigcatbirth

131

2

a month ago

There’s about a million reasons to not advertise free doula support - but this is a big one. Charging fairly is one of the simplest ways to reduce burnout and be in this work for the long haul.

I could talk about this ALL DAY. Want to see the inside of my brain and access my free worksheet, How to Set Your Prices? Comment PRICE below! 💸 taken in Asheville, North Carolina by @bigcatbirth

102

18

2 months ago