Serving Mothers with Emotional and Informational Support Through Peace and Compassion Birth Services with Psalms Frye
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of Rochester entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with Psalms Frye, who serves mothers and babies as a doula through her business, Peace and Compassion Birth Services.
Photo contributed by Psalms Frye.
Psalms Frye, local doula and owner of Peace and Compassion Birth Services, was born and raised in Chicago. Throughout her twenties, Psalms worked in sales and acquired a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and master’s degrees in both theological studies and business administration.
Psalms moved to Rochester upon meeting and marrying her husband, who grew up in the area. The two of them soon started a family, now consisting of five children, all of whom Psalms teaches from home.
“I’ve spent the last decade just raising my kids,” Psalms said with a laugh.
Psalms' interest in becoming a doula began while pregnant with her fifth child.
“I have five children and obviously have given birth many times which sparked my interest in birthing and the process for a mother’s body. While pregnant for the fifth time, I became privy to the black maternal health crisis in America and I truly felt afraid for myself and my child’s life.” Psalms explained.
“I became aware of stories of black mothers dying during and after childbirth due to improper care. I dug into the issue and found out that black women are two to three times more likely to die during childbirth. I knew that I didn’t want to end up having a surgical birth again, so I stayed home as long as I could.”
A year later, thinking back on her birth experiences, knowing how helpful a doula would have been to her throughout her own pregnancies, and seeing the need for community education around birth services, Psalms decided to pursue doula training and certification through Doulas of North America and began serving mothers in 2020.
Through her business, Peace and Compassion Birth Services, Psalms works with mothers through prenatal, birth, and postpartum stages of their pregnancies.
“My clients initially fill out intake forms, helping me figure out whether the mother and I are a good fit for one another. Next we go through a prenatal consultation, going through positions and their birth plan. If they don’t have a birth plan, I can help them form one based on their needs and desires. I attend births during active labor, helping mothers be as comfortable as possible, keeping them focused, and letting them know that they aren’t alone. After the birth, I usually meet with mothers a week or so later for a postpartum update.”
Psalms believes that the greatest challenge for local doulas is community education around what they do as well as gaining visibility for their services.
“In the delivery room, there can be so much activity and people pressuring you to make medical decisions for yourself and your child. It can be very overwhelming. The role of a doula in that situation is to know the birth you wanted to have prior to entering the delivery room, and advocate on behalf of the mother to stick to that plan, within the bounds of medical safety of course. Going into prenatal appointments and birth, mothers need to be aware that while medical professionals are there to care for them, they are still in charge of their own bodies. They can advocate for their own needs and give informed consent for medications and procedures.”
Psalms finds much joy in her work with mothers and babies.
“I truly love to serve women, mothers, and babies. I was fortunate to have a lot of support during my pregnancies and I want to be there to serve other mothers with emotional and informational support. Doula literally means ‘a woman’s servant’. Doulas have been around since ancient times; I love stepping into that space and leaving a legacy for my daughters.” Psalms said.
“I also hope to help make changes in the climate around the black maternal health crisis. I want all women, regardless of race, color, or beliefs, to be able to walk into birthing centers feeling empowered and safe.”
As a word of advice to aspiring business owners Psalms said, “Do it afraid. There’s a first time for everything. Trust what you've learned. Trust that you are what the world is missing and do it afraid.”
Outside of her work as a doula, Psalms spends much time with her husband and children. They love hiking and exploring national parks together. She also takes time for self care so that she can best care for those around her.
Thank you for taking the time to read Psalm’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about Peace and Compassion Birth Services by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
