Teia
Trained Labor and Birth Doula
Aloha!
My name is Teia Kalime, and I’m so excited to support you in your pregnancy and birth.
I was born on Oahu but spent most of my childhood in the Marshall Islands. In my culture, women play an important role; We are the ones who bring life, nurture and carry the weight of our families. We honor women and believe it is vital to provide continuous support throughout a mother’s journey.
My middle name, Kalime, is the Marshallese name for the purple naupaka flower. The naupaka is a resilient plant that grows along the shoreline. Marshallese use its leaves for herbal baths to strengthen and heal the mother and child after birth. You, as a mother, are much like the naupaka; Thriving in the toughest conditions, resilient, healing and nurturing from within.
When I served in the Marine Corps I was injured and relieved of military service. I, as do many women in the military, experienced mistreatment from my medical officers. I felt unheard and dismissed. This drove me to speak up and advocate for myself and others. During this period in my life a lot of things were unknown, so I turned to my faith. I reflected and was patient in His guidance. He used my negative experience with the medical side of the military and I felt called to be a voice to remind women of the power their bodies hold and to trust in themselves. In combination with my cultural background and having supported my mother when she had my youngest sibling when I was a teenager, I felt His new call to service is to support women during the childbearing year and to be a Doula. I know I am meant for this path. Though I’m not a mother yet myself, my goals are to ensure that every mother feels safe and heard, to hold space and empower her. I am looking forward to supporting you on your journey!
As a first time momma, I was so nervous about birth. Having Teia as my doula eased so much of that anxiety and helped me feel so supported. During my pregnancy she taught me extremely useful techniques for labor prep, and was always so kind and supportive. I genuinely felt like she was there for me on a personal level and I valued that so very much. And the doula tea meetings were so helpful when learning what to expect and how to manage certain aspects of early parenthood. When the big day came, Teia helped me labor at home for as long as possible and then accompanied my husband and I at the hospital, where she helped me with numerous techniques that allowed me to have the birth I wanted. She massaged my back, provided me with tools such as a birthing comb/heating pads, and guided my husband through ways he could help me manage the pain. She brought a humidifier with essential oils and honey sticks and fig bars for me to eat to keep my energy up (which was so considerate). On top of all of that, I didn’t even have to explain my birth plan to the nurses because she was already on top of it for me. This was a huge worry of mine because my birth plan was very important to me and Teia stepped up to advocate for me. She was just so thoughtful and organized, and offered words of encouragement that I really needed to hear. Everything went so smoothly and I keep saying I don’t think I could’ve done it without her help. She was so grounding, supportive and just a wonderful person to be around in general, and that’s exactly who I needed in my hospital room. So much love to Teia and her team.
Tayler C.