Hey there!
I'm Maggie, a country girl who just won't wear shoes.
I grew up in rural central Virginia and those roots have left my heart most content in the countryside, surrounded by green.
I became a vegetarian after adopting my first hens. They bring me great joy and I am sure to greet and thank them every day for their eggs.
I am a highly sensitive person and a strong empath. These characteristics have potential to be my biggest downfall, but I choose to embrace them as my greatest strengths. Feeling things deeply is my super power.
Music plays constantly in my head and my body is always dancing. Barre, yoga, and Zumba are my preferred methods of exercise and, while I frequently practice solo, companion exercising energizes me!
I value authenticity and relationships above all else. I tend to invest in others whole-heartedly and nothing makes my heart sing more than when others invest back in me.
My home is full of bright colors and intricate patterns. I used to worry that my house was not "grown-up" looking enough, but color makes me happy and I feel comfortable and cozy in my vibrant home.
Photographs are my most prized possession. I was the kid with collage upon collage of pictures all over my room. I still have the homemade "month-by-month" banners from my kids' first birthdays displayed in my home and my eldest is six years old! Photographs allow me to relive the most wonderful, simple and adventurous times in my life.
I graduated from college with epic plans to work abroad, but I fell in love during my last semester and married my best friend instead. We jumped into life heart first and were married within a year of dating and were expecting and purchasing a home within that first year of marriage. We now have two amazing children in whom I find delight daily as I watch them develop into their own unique, creative individuals.
Trainings
Doula Trainings International Childbirth Educator Training (2018)
Birthing Mama Prenatal Yoga & Wellness Birth Professionals Workshop (2018)
The Essence of Birth Photography with Birth Becomes Her (2017)
toLabor certification conferred (2017)
Providing Culturally Sensitive Care to LGBTQ Families with MAIA Midwifery (2016)
Spinning Babies Training (2016)
toLabor Birth Doula-Activist Training (2016)
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss with the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death (2016)
Maternal Child Healthcare (MCH) Specialist Training (2015)
Breastfeeding USA volunteer counselor (2015)
Publications
It's Okay to Not Be Excited About Your Pregnancy on Scary Mommy
"Maggie perfectly embodies and sets the bar for what a doula and birthing advocate should be. Not enough stars in the world to rate my experience with Maggie Williams!!!" -Aaron H.
A more complete story
I studied at the University of Virginia, double majoring in Global Development Studies and Sociology, with a concentration in African Studies. While my degrees did not focus solely on the birth world, I have always found myself drawn to the maternal and infant health aspects of my fields of study. It was when I first became a mother that my passion in life revealed itself.
After birthing a sweet boy at our local Martha Jefferson Hospital, I found myself happily drawn into the world of birth and babies. Inspired by my breastfeeding relationship with my son, I sought an avenue in which to support other nursing families. I became a Breastfeeding USA volunteer counselor in summer 2015. I offer lactation support to my community at no cost.
When becoming pregnant with my daughter, my husband and I decided that a home birth would be the best option for our family. We had a beautiful, transformative experience birthing our daughter at home. Deeply appreciative of the great support I received from my midwife and the midwife assistant, I realized my calling. I was to provide the same love-filled support to other expecting families. I was to become a birth doula.
Given my lifelong love for photography, my interest in birth photography developed organically throughout my first year of birth work. I regularly relive my daughter's birth by looking through her birth photographs and feel empowered when doing so.
I find birth work to be soul satisfying. I am deeply moved by the strength of our bodies, the incredible love of partners, and by witnessing sweet babies’ first breaths.