About the Doula

Aemelia Mauldin

I am so glad you’re here to visit my website, learn about postpartum doula care, and find out a little bit about me!

I was born in Scotland but I have lived in the USA since elementary school. I am the youngest girl, and second youngest child, of 7 siblings! When I was little, my family moved around quite a bit, eventually spending quite a long time living on a farm in Virginia. While my parents lived in central VA, I attended Chatham Hall, an all-girls boarding school. While in high school there, I visited and fell in love with Charleston. I attended the College of Charleston and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. Much like many CofC graduates, I loved Charleston so much that, after graduation, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. 

My whole life, I have been drawn to and loved children, especially babies. While at boarding school, I was lucky enough to gain experience taking care of two baby girls for two different families and I absolutely fell in love with the miraculous perfection of babies and the epic resilience & strength of their mothers – I really got hooked on helping babies & their families for life! During and after college, I worked as a nanny and then as a pre-school teacher. I have amassed countless hours of experience taking care of children of all ages, but especially newborns, including babies fresh home from the hospital. I have stayed in touch with every family I have ever nannied for, and I am amazed at the wonderful teenagers the first newborns I cared for have grown up to be!

Since 2002, I am also lucky to have been Auntie Aemelia, and, as of July 2020, I have 5 nephews and 4 nieces, ranging in age from 18 to newborn. It’s been my privilege to help my sisters care for many of their children as babies, and toddlers, and to soak up their wisdom in parenting my own. I am the birth mother of 2 children - a 5 year old boy, and a 3 year old girl. My son was born at home in a birth pool (underwater, like a shark, as he likes to say) with a midwife in attendance. My daughter was born at 36 weeks gestation, after a medically necessitated induction at the hospital. After both of my births, I had the in-home help of my own mother for two to six weeks. She was an absolutely indispensable part of my postpartum recovery. Her loving support, gentle care, and practical household help gave me the opportunity to care for myself and bond with my babies in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. She's my inspiration in many ways, and, although she didn't realize it at the time, she was my introduction to the concept of a postpartum doula. Both of my babies were breastfed exclusively until 6 months, and then breastfed with complementary foods through baby led weaning, until the children self-weaned at 28 months. With my children, I am also an experienced baby wearer and co-sleeper. Without a doubt, there is no way I could be the mother my children need me to be were it not for the wisdom, support, and help I receive almost daily from my mom, my sisters, and many other mothers that I am lucky enough to have as friends.

I have childcare experience with families who chose to breastfeed, bottle feed, formula feed, co-sleep, sleep-train, spoon feed, baby led wean, and all other parenting choices under the sun. I am deeply passionate about empowering parents to educate themselves based on evidence, trust their instincts, and make independent choices for their families. I believe that the quality of the transition a family experiences after the birth of a baby lays the foundation for health & happiness for years to come. I consider it a profound privilege to be invited into a family's sacred space during this transformational time in their lives, and it is truly my honor to play a role in supporting their parenting philosophy and goals.

I am a trained postpartum doula and current DONA member. I have completed the DONA Postpartum Doula course and supplemental breastfeeding course. I am currently undergoing the DONA certification process.