Shiraya McCain Birth Doula

10/13/2022

I always share Proverbs 16:9 with my clients while we make their birth plan. Babies come when they want and birth doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes we just have to trust the process and take a leap of faith.

Over this past year I’ve been feeling as if that’s what God is asking me to do. Take a leap of faith away from birth work and into the unknown. I’d love to say I have a plan and know my next steps but I don’t have a clue. At the beginning of 2022 God gave me the word NEW and Isaiah 43:19 as my theme. Boy has it been a wild ride! I’ve had to trust Him more than ever to guide me. We as a family have had to trust the process and lean into Him more.

So with that being said I will be stepping away from the doula world. I’m scared and excited all at the same time. I’ve had the pleasure to serve families in the most precious time of their lives. I’ve made new friends and witnessed the miracle of life more than i ever thought I would!

Thank you to you all for allowing me to come along side of you and support you. I promise you touched my life and left an imprint on my heart. I’m still here if you need prayer or a friend to chat with.

I will come out of “retirement” for repeat clients and for those I have spoken to specifically. But other than that these past 4 1/2 years have been a blessing. I thank God for this calling. The great part is I can pick up doula work again when I wish. Off on a new adventure I go. Prayers would be greatly appreciated! 😘

All my love,
Shiraya McCain Birth Doula

08/08/2022

Part 2
I began to have face time calls with them to prepare them for pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Im sure we can all remember our 1st pregnancy and birth experience. We were clueless, scared and excited all at the same time. So when the day finally came for me to travel to be with her, I packed up my car and made the 10 hr journey. I left FL on the 16th of July as she was due the 20th-21st. I spent a week with my mom in NC and a week with Shannon in VA. It was so nice to catch up and hang out as we waited for labor to start. She was so ready to meet her sweet baby boy.

The days came and went and labor still wasn't happening. She had reached 41 weeks 1 day when she finally got the call that a room was available for her induction. We loaded up the cars and headed an hour away to the hospital. Once we got there it took a few hrs to get things settled and pitocin started. She labored beautifully and we did all the things to get baby in the right position. There were some really sweet moments where it was just me and her and I could feel the presence of the Lord fill the room. I sat by her bed, holding her hand and praying silently as she rested. Shannon got to 9cm after 24 hrs of labor and felt the urge to push. Baby was still too high. We tried everything to get him to drop into her pelvis and it just wasn't working. The dr came in and said that it may be good to do a csection.

Obviously that wasn't what anyone wanted the outcome to be but God knew what He was doing. The crazy thing is she started out planning a birth center birth when she found out she was pregnant. God knew how it was going to play out. After some talking, praying and tears, she decided to go ahead with the csection. Next thing we knew we were walking back to look in the face of a miracle, 13 yrs in the making!!! Isaiah Asher Yeatts was born at 10:19 pm on July 29th, 2022. 8 lbs 7 0z and 21 3/4 in. He was PERFECT! The tears and prayers of thanks started again. Shannon did it!! She birthed her sweet boy and the prayers she had prayed for 13 years were finally answered.

The rest of the story is in the comments.

08/08/2022

Part 1

Where do I begin with this amazing testimony of God's goodness? I met Shannon aka "Shanny Fro" in 2006 at Master's Commission in Asheboro, NC. We became friends right away and have been friends for the last 16 yrs. I was even a bridesmaid in her wedding. Her and her husband Josh pastor their own church in VA.

Shortly after Shannon got married she wanted to start her family. Nobody ever thinks its going to be hard or take a long time to conceive. For Josh and Shannon it took longer then they'd like. Year after year and appointment after appointment the disappointment started to build. The text messages and phone calls with her crying asking for prayer. It broke my heart to know she wanted a child so bad and it just wasn't happening. Knowing full well that every time one of our friends posted their pregnancy announcement, it made her sad and the questions oh why to God would continue. While they waited for God to answer their prayers, they decided to start fostering. They took in a 4 yr old boy and eventually adopted him. He is now 16! Last year while they continued to wait they felt the tug to foster more children. Along came 3 bubbly, cute little girls who are sisters. They needed a safe place to grow up and feel the love of Jesus. Little did Josh and Shannon know that their act of obedience to taking in these girls was about to unlock a huge blessing for them. Shortly after they stared fostering, they found out THEY WERE PREGNANT!!!

Fast forward to to 2020-2021 where Shannon came across a Napro doctor who literally changed her life. They both got tests done and Shannon had a surgery to set her up for the best possible chance to conceive. We always talked that once she got pregnant Id bedoula. I'll never forget the day I got the text with a positive pregnancy test picture from Shannon. I was driving to a postpartum visit and had to pull over and call her right away. As soon as she picked up I screamed with joy and stared crying. It was finally her turn to have a child of her own. We cried together and thanked God for what He had done.

Part 2 is posted ☺️

05/13/2022

Every May I add another year of experience under my doula belt. I’ll never forget when my husband asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I just had our 3rd child and never knew what a doula was. Little did I know I was already being a doula to friends and family just not attending the actual birth.

Now here I am 4 yrs and almost 25 families later and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. At least not any time soon 😉 I will never take for granted all the families that invited me into one of the most intimate times of their lives. Some multiple times! Of course all glory to God for this calling and bringing me the clients that He knew I needed.

I’m also thankful for the connections I’ve made with other doulas, midwives, drs and nurses. With each year that passes I gain more confidence to keep going and try new things. May I never stop growing and learning. So with all that said I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who encouraged me, bought crafts I made so I could raise the money to take the course, referred me to others, loved me through my weaknesses and seen more in me than I saw in myself. The list could go on but please know I’m grateful and the future is bright! Here’s to many more years of doula-ing🥰

04/26/2022

I had the amazing opportunity to be featured in the Orlando Voyager Magazine. Click the link to read the interview.

http://orlandovoyager.com/interview/community-highlights-meet-shiraya-mccain-of-shiraya-mccain-birth-doula/

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shiraya McCain. Hi Shiraya, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers? My journey to be a birth doula started in 2018 […]

03/24/2022

Not sure if you’ve noticed or not but I have done some rebranding/updating to my business. There is a really cool story behind why so let me share…

For the last few months I’ve been drawn to daisies for some odd reason. I’m not one for the cutesy wootsy styles as my aesthetic whatsoever! I kept feeling drawn to the flower so after I did some rebranding and updating I thought “Lord there must be a reason you are drawing me to this”

I headed to Google to see what significance daisies had and this is what I found…
••Daisies symbolize childhood innocence, simplicity and joy.
••Daisies can also be used to symbolize beauty, love, and fertility, along with motherhood, childbirth, and new beginnings.
••They are also associated with Mary, Jesus’ mother, in the Bible.

Y’all I was blown away, speechless and brought to tears bc of what God was doing. A simple flower that means so much and is associated childbirth, how perfect is that?! I had no clue until I was done designing everything. I added the bumble bee as well bc it is a sweet symbol my gma has used for me since I was a baby. I was her bumble bee and she was the lady bug 😊 I’m thrilled with this change and know that this wasn’t a coincidence. God you are so cool and I can’t wait to see where you take me in my doula business.

I’d love for you to check out my updated website as well smbirthdoula.com

03/15/2022

Posted • Hormonal changes in pregnancy aren’t limited to the female body, men also go through a myriad of shifts.

⋒ Oxytocin - the “love hormone” - spikes when dads hold and interact with their baby, especially skin to skin.

⋒ Testosterone levels typically drop, making dads less prone to risk taking behavior and more ease with nurturing his newborn.

⋒ Prolactin is a hormone that is best known for milk production but there is research that shows fathers have it flooding through them too. Fathers with higher prolactin play with their babies in ways that are beneficial for their babies’ learning and exploration. They also seem to be more responsive and sensitive to infant cries. In other words, this ancient hormone unlocks the paternal instinct and makes him a better dad.

Human men are among a select group that provide direct care for their offspring—only 10 percent of mammals do so. (Orangutans, seals, elephants and sea lions are members of this nurturing elite.)

Also, they may not be mammals, but shout out to the real MVPs of fatherhood, SEAHORSES. 😄

📸

02/23/2022

Dear Jesus loving birth worker,
Have you questioned whether or not you should incorporate your faith into your birth work? Are you scared that you’ll lose client’s bc of your faith? Don’t be afraid!

•••God has called you to birth work for a reason. He knows He can trust you with such an amazing calling. When I first became a doula I constantly questioned if I should incorporate my faith in my work. It was confirmed to me when I got a call from a potential client looking for a faith based doula who could pray. My faith is a huge part of who I am as a person.

•••You won’t be the birth worker for everyone and that’s ok. You carry His presence wherever you go.
When you walk into a
-consultation
-prenatal meeting
-birth
-someone’s home
-postpartum visit
His presence is there with you. You are called to be the light of the world. Don’t worry if the world doesn’t understand why you do what you do. They aren’t meant to understand. You be authentically you and do what God is calling you to do.

•••Walk in boldness, love and grace and shine your beautiful light to families in your community. God will bring you the right families to serve just follow His lead!

Joshua 1:9

02/09/2022

And just like that I booked my last client for 2022 and my schedule is full! To some it may not look full at all but like I said earlier this year, my 2022 will look drastically different than years before.

I debated back and forth for months if taking time off would hurt my business. I came to the peaceful conclusion that I will be just fine. God brought me all my clients and He will continue to do so when I decide to take on more. This year is a year of rest for me.

Check back often to see if availability has changed or shoot me a message and we can chat.

Thank you to all the wonderful families who hired me to be their doula. Thank you Lord for bringing me those families to serve and love on. It’s hard to believe that in May I will have been a doula for 4 yrs! 🥰

02/08/2022

Posted • “I can’t go around it, I am strong enough to go through it.”

When it comes to birth, fear > tension > pain

So often when we try to escape or avoid our surges we can begin to feel the tension that causes pain, but when you have the confidence - in your knowledge of how physiological birth works - in yourself - and in your birth team - then you can have the confidence to relax and go through each surge that will bring you closer to your baby. 💞

🤰 Have fears about childbirth? Don't worry, it's normal (in a large part due to our culture around birth in TV/movies) Don't wait until you're in labor to address these fears. Take a comprehensive childbirth education classes and talk to you midwife at your next appointment.

01/14/2022

Posted • 💥💥 The state of relaxation of the mouth and jaw is directly correlated to the ability of the cervix and the va**na to open to full capacity.

➡️ Did you know that the jaw and the pelvis are physiologically connected❓

To encourage your pelvic floor and cervix to relax, you need to…

✨ R E L A X Y O U R J A W ✨

🚫 A clenched jaw means tight birth passage muscles and that makes for a harder, longer, more painful birth.

⭕️ An open, relaxed jaw means open and loose birth passage muscles and that leads to an easier birth without tearing.

Holding tension in your face and jaw will directly effect the ease of your birth.

So remember to Consciously RELAX and OPEN during every contraction. Have your hubby help remind you to…

🌺 relax your face
🌺 relax your jaw
🌺 open your mouth
🌺 sink into every contraction
🌺 visualize your cervix opening
🌺 breathe naturally

➡️ Did you know a relaxed jaw greatly reduces your risk of tearing❓

📸……

01/01/2022

Posted • The {F I V E} Love Languages in Labor 🖤

There are 5 love languages…
Let’s look at how these can be expressed during labor!

1️⃣ Words of affirmation aka BIRTH AFFIRMATIONS (I have a story highlight for these)

- You are doing so good!
- I’m so proud of you!
- I love you!
- You can do this!

2️⃣ Acts of Service - these are things your partner & doula can do for you, to help you while you are working through labor!

- Refilling your water! Reminding you to drink between each contraction!
- Offering Snacks & feeding you bites between contractions!
- Fetching things you need/want throughout labor!
- Texting/calling family and friends with any updates you have decided to share!

3️⃣ Quality Time - being together, feeling that presence & feeling secure in that feeling! Labor is typically an experience of quality time, but requires your partner to be engaged!

- if this is your love language, it’s Important that your partner be intentional about reducing distractions in the labor space. (Cell phone, work, etc)
- Silence is okay

4️⃣ Gifts - can you say… push presents?? Gift ideas for labor…

- Your favorite snack/tread
- A robe/gown for birth
- Jewelry ( have you seen the initial collection from )
- A meaningful labor playlist
- A thoughtful letter/note

5️⃣ Physical Touch - often essential for comfort and pain management! (can you say 🙌🏼) However, if this is your love language, it may be important that physical touch come more from your partner than your doula & it’s important that you communicate this!

- Back/body rubs
- Foot massage
- Holding hands
- Dancing/hugging
- Kissing - being intimate
- Hip squeezes - counter pressure

What is your love language?!

✨ Share this post with your partner so they can save these tips!

✨ Share with your doula, they can help support you & your partner better by knowing your love language!

12/31/2021

This is so true! My heart is so full when I help each client.

Dear doula client,
You don’t see this face, because you are staring at a much more important and precious face... but this is what your doula looks like when you’ve finally given birth in all your power. I get a big rush of oxytocin too, and feel a tiny release, that often manifests as tears. I’m happy, proud, relieved, amazed, grateful, honored, and probably a little tired... all that time we spent together working toward this special goal of meeting your baby just balls up into this burst of emotion. I can’t help it! You’ve become so important to me and I’m so invested in you having the experience you’ve dreamed of. Watching you, your partner, and your baby work together to become a new family is always unique and inspiring - how could I not tear up at the sight of such perfect love? Witnessing this transformation feels like falling in love - there is truly nothing more beautiful than a woman in the throes of labor! It is the pure essence of humanity, of life, and of love.
▫️
So, that’s why I make this face when you give birth. Thank you for giving me a reason to make this face 💞And thank you for capturing it!
▫️

12/06/2021

2021 review is in…I’m so grateful for all my clients and everyone God brought in to my life through being a doula. I’m excited for next year and all the new adventures I will be a part of and go on myself.

With that being said this will be my last post for the year as I will be putting my phone down to enjoy life more and be present with the ppl I love. Merry Christmas!!

12/05/2021

Posted • God has given us natural birthing instincts, just as He has all animals. Most animals will give birth at night, somewhere they consider safe and private, and normally they have no complications.

Unfortunately in modern society humans have in many ways become disconnected from these natural birthing instincts because we’ve created a culture of fear around birth (I highly doubt bunnies are sharing birthing ‘horror stories’)... and we’ve also separated women from those private, safe spaces where they might have naturally chosen to give birth, putting them instead into clinical, brightly lit hospital wards where they’re being observed. Very much a ‘man made’ space, as apposed to one our God given instincts would seek out...

Nevertheless! There are lots of things we can do to replicate the feelings of those ‘safe and private places’, even if you’re not able to have a home birth..

You can ask for the lights to be dimmed or turned off. And you can bring in LED candles or fairy lights in your hospital bag.

You can bring a portable speaker or headphones with you and be playing the Christian Hypnobirthing tracks from our app, worship music or anything else that makes you feel relaxed, happy and uplifted.

You can bring essential oils with you. I brought a diffuser and had frankincense oil in there which was beautiful. You can also get essential oil room sprays.

Feeling comfortable and cosy, you could bring your favourite slippers, a comfy T-shirt, maybe a pillow you like.

And this is a moment to celebrate - why not bring your favourite chocolate (or food/drink treat! You deserve it! You’re birthing a human!).

I truly believe God will be with us anywhere, in any environment (even if it’s under clinical bright lights).. But there is a reason most churches use candle light, worship music and incense. By engaging those senses and creating a relaxed and safe birth space, it helps us to welcome Him in 🙏🏻
Ready to step up your birth preparation? Use the discount code ‘WELCOME15’ and get 15% off our Faith-Filled Childbirth Course (link in bio) ❤️

12/04/2021

2022 is gonna look a little different for me. I’ve decided to take some time to slow down.

•i want to be able to travel and enjoy some special days that I sometimes miss. So with that being said if you you’d like a phone consultation for any dates I’m available feel free to reach out. I’d love to come along side of you to help you have the birth of your dreams. (Availability is subject to change so check back often to see if any dates open)

•email: [email protected]
Phone: (336)460-7106
Website: smccain321.wixsite.com

11/13/2021