We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Howard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am usually a very cautious person, any risk I take is usually very calculated and somewhat thought out. When it came to birthwork, I took a huge risk. I quit a pretty stable, although not well paying, 9-5 for the unknown and that’s something I’d never thought I’d do in this lifetime. But doing so and seeing all the opportunities open up for me changed the way I view risk and made me trust in my intuition more.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business began shortly after the birth of my son in 2019. That was my first pregnancy and being a woman, black and a bigger person, I had a lot of distrust of the medical system from past experiences. I did a lot of research and worked really hard toward the birth I envisioned. I was lucky enough to receive midwifery care through my pregnancy but what I was missing at the time and didn’t know was a doula. After having my son I became obsessed with pregnancy and birth and I really wanted to help other birthing people have a more empowering birth experience like I did. It was suggested to me that maybe I should become a doula and once that seed was planted it was something I thought about and visualize and planned out until I had the opportunity to make it happen. Being a birthworker is not an easy job, it can be very heavy work but I love what I do and the families I get to work with.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a Long Beach native I’m always going to big up Long Beach. Any kind of food you’re in the mood for, we have it. We have some beautiful museums like PIEAM and MOLAA. Lots of cool bars, a few nightclubs. There’s so much diversity and life in this city, I just love it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate a shoutout to my amazing partner Keith, if he wasn’t always encouraging me to I don’t know if I would’ve done it. I also want to shoutout my great friend Stevie Merino with the Birthworkers of Color, she’s someone who I know it’s always saying my name in spaces of growth and opportunity.

Instagram: @Lion.Mama.Doula

Image Credits
Photographers Sonja Hammad Brian Feinzimer

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.