My name is Christina Harrell and I am a certified massage therapist, certified doula and mother of two, living in Darby, Montana. I love doing massage, being a doula, and being a mother. I would say I have three of the best jobs in the whole world!

I graduated in 1999 from Starfire Massage School and Healing Center in Missoula, MT. I have practiced full time in Darby, MT since 2001. I am also a Certified Birth Doula. I received my training through DONA (Doulas of North America) in November 2003 and became certified in May 2006. Since my training, I have attended over 10 births, encompassing home, hospital, natural, medicated, scheduled cesarean birth and emergency cesarean birth scenarios.

I also volunteer at the Women’s Shelter and have training specific to meet the needs of abused women and children.

I have had one hospital and one home birth myself. Both of which I appreciate for different reasons.

As a doula, I believe that birth is normal, a natural and profoundly moving experience. As a doula, I help educate women and their partners on different procedures and interventions so the benefits and risks are understood. I provide information and resources so my clients can make informed choices. Working with this information I help my clients to develop a birth plan that reflects their individual needs and wishes. We discuss the usual progression of birth and become familiar with equipment, positions, and techniques the mother-to-be may encounter during birth. I help the partner to be included in labor and birth as much as they would like to be. I hope to be a calm and reassuring presence in the room. It is my goal that a birthing woman and her partner feel the beauty and power that comes with the birth of a baby.

When I first became interested in becoming a doula I knew that birth is a significant rite of passage, but I did not realize the profound effect of emotion on labor progress.

Click for more information about the massage and doula services I provide.