Meet the Doula

Hannah Tansel, CD(DONA), LCCE

 

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For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with pregnancy, birth, and babies. In 2024 I decided to do something with that passion and I started my Toledo birth and postpartum doula business. I consider myself blessed beyond measure to have found such a fulfilling career. Working with women and families to help them navigate the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum gives me great joy and purpose. Whether taking a medical or natural approach, I believe every birth is beautiful. I operate under the mentality that everyone is entitled to the birth that they believe is best for their body and baby.

 

As a mom of two, I have a deeply personal understanding of how different each birth and postpartum experience can be. When I had my first baby in 2019, I had blind faith in my care team. I didn’t understand the difference between trusting the process of birth and trusting the systems of modern obstetrics. I ended up with an unplanned cesarean section. It shocked me, and I struggled to make sense of how I landed there amidst the noise of, “At least you and baby are healthy. That’s the most important thing.” Thankfully, I was able to experience the joy of a VBAC three years later with my second baby.

 

I was both humbled by and filled with great happiness during each of my own birth experiences. Through both personal experience and years of professional training and experience I have developed the following philosophies.

 

1. Birth is a natural, physiological, and life event. Birth sometimes requires medical intervention. Birth is not an inherently dangerous medical event that always requires treatment.

2. If you do not know your options then you do not have options. If you do not hold a vision for your birth and create a plan to realize it, decisions will be made for you with variable regard to your wishes. 

3. All families are entitled to accurate and comprehensive childbirth education. Understanding what is happening in your body is crucial to letting go of culturally instilled fear about birth. It can be difficult to make authentic care decisions when you are not adequately informed. 

4. There is not a right or wrong way to birth. Birth is not one size fits all. What is statistically best for everyone may not be best for you. Learn benefits and risks. Make your own choices. 

 

You will remember this birth for the rest of your life. You only get to do it once. A healthy birth memory is not made by having no complications, experiencing little pain, or having a quick labor. Positive birth memories and feelings of accomplishment are built on quality support no matter what cards you are dealt. This requires those around you to truly listen, give you control, genuinely care, and show you kindness and respect. As a member of your birth team, my goal is for you to have the birth you want, no matter what that looks like.