For centuries, women have been the ones to guide, comfort, and support other women through the great transitions of life. Birth, menstruation, mothering, and even death were never meant to be faced alone. These moments were lived in community, surrounded by the wisdom and presence of sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and friends.
Today, in much of the modern world, these transitions happen in isolation. And nowhere is this more evident than in childbirth.
In this episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen invites doulas, midwives, and birth workers into a deep and much-needed conversation: what does it mean to return to sisterhood in birth work? And how can we create sacred spaces—modern “Red Tents”—to support the women who support mothers?
What Is the Red Tent?
The phrase “Red Tent” carries both historical and symbolic meaning. Across biblical, Middle Eastern, and cultural traditions, women would withdraw during menstruation, childbirth, or postpartum recovery into a dedicated space. Far from being a place of shame, these spaces were sanctuaries—opportunities to rest, heal, and be surrounded by other women who understood their experience.
The Red Tent has been popularized in modern culture through novels and oral tradition, but its core meaning remains: a safe, sacred space where women gather, share stories, and support one another through life’s most significant transitions.
Karen explains that this vision has been heavy on her heart for years:
“The phrase in my heart that I have carried with me has been to create the Red Tent… a modern gathering where women could join together, share hearts and stories, and be supported in sacred sisterhood.”
The Call to Birth Work
Karen begins this episode with a direct message to those who feel the quiet tug toward birth work.
Maybe it’s the one who stays up late watching birth videos, mesmerized by the physiological process of labor. Maybe it’s the woman who dreams of one day being in the room when a baby enters the world. Whether it’s a flicker or a flame, Karen reminds listeners that this is not an accident.
“If you have a burning desire to one day be a birth worker and support women in labor, even if it’s just a little flickering flame, this is for you.”
Birth work, she emphasizes, is not just a career choice. It is a calling—one that comes with both profound rewards and real challenges.
The Hard Reality of Burnout in Birth Work
While the desire to serve is powerful, the statistics are sobering: the average career span of a doula is only about two years.
The reason? Burnout.
Birth work demands a unique combination of empathy, availability, and stamina. Being on call 24/7, navigating unpredictable schedules, leaving family events at a moment’s notice, and working within medical systems that may not support physiological birth all take a toll.
Karen shares stories from her own experience and from doulas she mentors:
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The exhaustion of being perpetually on-call
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The struggle to balance doula life with raising children
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The disillusionment of working in hospitals where mothers’ voices are often minimized
This reality is one reason Karen launched the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind—to help doulas not only survive in this work but build sustainable, fulfilling practices.
Birth as a Sacred Design
At the heart of Karen’s message is a conviction: childbirth is not a medical accident waiting to happen. It is a sacred, brilliant design of God.
“Childbirth is a sacred and beautiful thing created by God. It wasn’t meant to be a medicalized event, filled with interventions. God’s design is perfect and brilliant, and we can honor Him through the work we do as doulas.”
This perspective is central to the faith-based approach of the Doula Mastermind. It challenges the fear-based narrative of modern obstetrics and re-centers birth as a spiritual, empowering process.
The Surprising Origins of Doula Evidence
One of the most fascinating stories Karen shares is the accidental discovery of the power of doula support.
In early hospital studies, a person was assigned to simply sit with a woman in labor and take notes. She wasn’t there to give medical care, monitor vitals, or intervene. She was simply present.
The results were profound: women who had this continuous, non-medical support experienced lower stress, fewer complications, and better birth outcomes.
This became the foundation for what we now recognize as the role of the doula.
“She had no fancy tricks, no training. She was simply a woman present with another woman in labor—and it dramatically improved outcomes.”
The simplicity of this truth is striking: sometimes the most powerful support in birth is presence itself.
The Struggles Doulas Face Today
As empowering as doula work can be, Karen acknowledges that it comes with unique challenges:
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The On-Call Life
Doulas commit to being available for weeks around a mother’s due date. This means missing birthdays, holidays, or family events—and always keeping the phone close. -
The Business Side
Most doula trainings focus on birth skills but neglect business training. New doulas are often left wondering how to find clients, market their services, and set sustainable pricing. -
Working in Unsupportive Systems
Many doulas describe the difficulty of working in hospital settings that don’t prioritize informed consent, respect, or physiological birth. Compassion fatigue is real when doulas continually witness mothers’ voices being dismissed. -
Emotional Weight
The highs of euphoric, empowering births are balanced by the lows of traumatic or intervention-heavy ones. Without community, the emotional load can feel crushing.
The Sacred Work of Advocacy
At the core of doula work is advocacy—not speaking for women, but helping them find and use their own voice.
Karen explains:
“I’m not there to take over. I’m not there to enforce my will. I’m there to make sure you find your voice and your power. Mama, you are in charge.”
This is where the work becomes spiritual as well as physical. Helping women reclaim their authority in birth is deeply transformative—not just for that labor, but for their motherhood journey.
Why Community Matters: The Red Tent Vision
After years of mentoring doulas, Karen realized something was missing: true, ongoing community.
That’s where the vision of the Red Tent came in.
The modern Red Tent, as Karen envisions it, is a sacred space where birth workers can gather to:
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Be poured into by mentors, midwives, and fellow doulas
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Share birth stories—the highs and the heartbreaks
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Receive emotional and spiritual support
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Honor the sacred rhythms of womanhood
It is not about new-age rituals or superficial bonding. It is a biblically grounded, Christ-centered community where women honor God and one another.
“We are honoring the sacred traditions and the God-designed way that birth was always meant to be a woman’s work.”
Restoring Ritual and Meaning to Motherhood
One of the losses Karen laments is the stripping away of ritual in modern maternity care. Where other cultures built in periods of rest and community support—40 days of postpartum recovery, communal menstruation practices—Western medicine often treats these moments clinically, without meaning.
The Red Tent vision is about reclaiming these practices—not as superstition, but as intentional rest, nourishment, and sacred honoring of womanhood.
The Doula Mastermind: Training with Depth
For those ready to step into doula work, Karen created the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind. Unlike typical weekend trainings, this is a 14-week immersion.
Students learn:
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Physiological Birth: A deep dive into how God designed the body for labor
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Business Training: How to market, find clients, and build a sustainable practice
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Advocacy Skills: How to work with doctors and nurses without conflict
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Community Support: Monthly Red Tent gatherings, mentorship, and sisterhood
One student shared:
“I had already learned so much about birth from taking the Pain Free Birth course, but this training flipped what I thought a doula was on its head. I learned how to support and guide instead of butting heads in a hospital setting.”
The program is not just about information—it’s about transformation.
Answering the Call
At the end of the episode, Karen’s invitation is clear:
“Who is waiting for you to say yes? How many mothers need someone to hold their hand, to simply be present so they know they’re safe?”
Whether you’re already a doula or simply someone who feels that late-night tug watching birth stories, the message is the same: this is a sacred calling.
Don’t wait another year.
Conclusion: Birth Work as a Sacred Sisterhood
The Red Tent is more than a concept. It is a reminder that women are not meant to face life’s transitions alone—and neither are the doulas who support them.
By reclaiming community, honoring God’s design for birth, and stepping into sacred advocacy, doulas can transform not just individual births but the culture of birth itself.
And perhaps, for those who have felt that flicker of calling, the time has come to step into the Red Tent.
Join the Doula Mastermind waitlist: https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/doula-certification-waitlist
Are you ready to step into your calling as a birth worker?
If you’ve felt that flicker in your heart—that tug that maybe you were made to support women in birth—this is your invitation. The Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind is a 14-week, faith-based training that will equip you with the skills, the confidence, and the community to step boldly into your calling. Join the waitlist: https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/doula-certification-waitlist
