Meet Valerie Rollo - Instructor & Doula in Waxahachie, TX - Birth Boot Camp® Your Headquarters for an Amazing Birth

I never knew much about the birth world, even when I had my three hospital, induction births. But as a doula in Waxahachie, Texas, I’ve since learned quite a bit. At first, I did all the stuff that is normal to do when one doesn’t have the information needed to do something different. Regular doctor appointments, tests, procedures, and, of course, induction because I wasn’t progressing fast enough. The cascade of interventions happened at all three of my births. While, at the time, I was ok with that, I’ve now learned there is a world full of ways to do all things birth related differently.

Watching ‘Call the Midwife’ is what peaked my initial interest. Then my sister-in-law became a doula with BBC. I chatted with her about what exactly that is and decided to do more research. The profession sounded really interesting so I started looking at how one would become a doula. I looked at several avenues to get certified and BBC stuck out to me because of the simplistic, yet informative website. After discussing it with my husband and praying about it, I jumped in headfirst. I purchased all of the reading materials I needed and became immersed in all of the information I was reading about. There are so many things that I had no idea about because they just don’t tell you. After I became certified to be a doula, I wanted to further my experience and become an instructor; so, I did!

That’s what I get to do; I get to share with people all of those different ways to do birth and I get paid for it!! I get to enter into the sacred birth space of couples and help them keep it protected. I get to teach them what everything means so they can make the best, informed decision for them and their baby. As a mom of four kids, (well three adults and one teenager) choice is very important. Giving kids a choice of what to wear, what to eat, what color to use on the picture, all teaches them that they get to choose for themselves what they like. Somehow, as we grow up, in certain areas, we forget that we have a choice and do what the “higher up professional” tells us. I am here to change that, one couple, one birth at a time.

Awareness in general is what I want to get out into the world. I have found that women really don’t know a lot of anything when it comes to pregnancy and birth. To so many, it’s a medical condition that the doctors know more about than our own bodies do. The more awareness of choice and true informed consent I can get out there, the better.

How I Became a Doula in Waxahachie, Texas through Birth Boot Camp

I chose Birth Boot Camp because of the simplistic and informative nature of the website. It’s simple, short, sweet, and to the point. The colors are AMAZING!! I like that all of the training requirements are to be done first THEN the workshop is held. The fact that everyone taking the workshop is on the same page is nice because then we all know what is being taught.

I was honored to be trained by April Francom and Cheryl Amelang in Dallas November 2021. The training was held at an Airbnb which made things a lot easier having everything all in one place. These two ladies are HILARIOUS!!! They taught so well together, sharing each other’s experience in the different topics talked about. I really enjoyed the hands-on practicing and teaching. We weren’t just lectured to; we were able to do it ourselves. This type of teaching left me feeling like I could go out and teach a class that night.

We went through each class and did all of the activities and discussed the information. I am a visual learner, and the hands-on style of teaching helped me SEE how to do it. Having the two ladies bounce off each other and share their methods, opened up the possibilities of seeing that I can make the classes mine while still teaching the ‘curriculum.’