Doula earns national honor

Fond du Lac Lake Superior Chippewa Band member and doula Tammy Dixon has been named the recipient of the prestigious Tribal Trailblazer award at the National Breastfeeding Conference and Convening, which is taking place this week online.

“When a woman is in labor, she is at her most powerful state, it can help having a doula there to reassure them that their body is doing what it needs to do,” Dixon said. “Being a part of this special time in their lives is magical and an honor.”

After Dixon had her own birthing and breastfeeding experience, she knew she wanted to help others with theirs. Over the last 12 years, she has worked to inform herself about modern medical practices and how they intersect with cultural traditions that help expecting mothers ease anxiety and create a stronger sense of community.

She started as a birth doula in 1999. “Each birth is exciting, different and each one creates a new family,” she says. “It is my great honor to serve women on that life-changing day. I strive to help each woman have the birth experience she desires.”

She and her husband have a daughter. “Having her has been the most amazing gift of life has to offer. I have experienced pregnancy loss, and at 40 years old I had a high-risk cesarean birth. I believe these experiences give me both compassion and insight for women having a difficult pregnancy or delivery.”

The Tribal Trailblazer award is for individuals of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian heritage who are actively involved in collaborative efforts to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding communities.

Dixon is certified by Doulas of North America and is a certified Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor. Some of her client services include prenatal education, birth plans, labor/delivery support, breastfeeding, and supporting women with pregnancy and infant loss.

“I’m always learning more and more about our Native culture because I was not brought up with that education,” Dixon said. “Participating in Native traditions makes me feel like I am a part of a community and it’s a beautiful thing because I know it’s our cellular memory or something awakening in us.”

Dixon has provided education and support to more than 200 clients. In the future, Dixon hopes that the FDL doula program can provide even more education and support services to expecting families. Those interested in receiving doula services must meet program eligibility requirements at the Fond du Lac Human Services Division. Call 218-879-1227 for information.