Natalie Winkels, Doula, CBE, Founder of Par Avion Doula LLC

Welcome to Par Avion Doula! My name is Natalie Winkels (she/her) I am a birth doula, child birth educator and an Air Force Veteran. I specialize in home birth and supporting military families. My goal is to help clients achieve their ideal pregnancy and birth.  I aim to do this by sharing my professional knowledge, offering holistic emotional and physical support with expectant parents, and building a compassionate relationship that honors YOUR preferences.

I discovered the incredible impact doulas have through my own three births. As my husband and I began to envision our first childbirth, we took comfort in the idea of having someone to support us in a planned home birth. We sought a doula that would offer gentle support, and respect our choices.  In our search, we were humbly reminded that the decision of who attends your birth is possibly one of the most important decisions you will make. So I share that same sentiment here...your doula should bring forth positive feelings and offer the type of care you find most comforting.  A doula's credentials and experience are essential, however, finding someone you align with is equally important. It may come down to a gut feeling, in fact I encourage you to let that aide in your decision, this is someone you will put your trust in and be vulnerable with.  This is why interviewing several doulas is helpful in finding the right one for you, what might be ideal for one client could be very different for another. I hope my story offers you a start in discovering your own empowered birth experience!

I graduated from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, MN with a degree in French after completing a semester abroad in Paris, France. I completed a Graduate Degree in International Relations from Oklahoma University. I married my high school sweetheart Jon in 2006, and commissioned into the Air Force through ROTC. I began my Active Duty career as a mobility pilot and have served many leadership roles such as a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, a Resilience Trainer and working with Women in Aviation. I currently serve in the United States Air Force Reserves where I am a Gender Advisor and certified with specialty skills to assess and recommend solutions that target meaningful participation, protection and safeguards for the wellbeing of men, women, boys and girls. In short, serving is my calling. We’ve been blessed to reside in England, North Dakota, and Oklahoma before settling in Texas. As we put down roots for our children, we are continuously challenged in our parenting and our marriage. These are our two most difficult and rewarding roles, and we endeavor to grow as a couple, learning continuously through hard work and a sense of humor.  It is gross, hilarious, and full of imperfection.

My reverence for home birth stems from the immense source of personal achievement I gained by realizing there is no “one way/right way” to give birth. As a female service member, I was challenged by the military healthcare system in my pregnancies, I knew I could have the birth I wanted….even if my military health care practioners were not supportive. I chose private midwifery care to guide us as we brought three babies into the world without ever leaving our home. It was even better than I had imagined. I understand that home birth is not for everyone. After much consideration, education and interviewing it ended up being the element I thrived in. It compelled me to open up in ways I can't describe, other than that from then on I knew I wanted to help others achieve a similar sense of support and empowerment, in whatever birth environment they choose is right for them. 

While the majority of my formal education and career has focused on the military flight environment, I can confidently say that it has allowed me to develop strong communication skills, quick decision making, the ability to work in a diverse team and in stressful and high risk environments. These characteristics directly translate to my doula work. It has been through this lens that I discovered my voice for advocacy, my deference for women's achievements in traditionally "male" career fields, and my calling to a role that intersects these disciplines. I absolutely love this phrase, “We have a secret in our culture, it’s not that birth is painful, it’s that women are strong!”

Flying airplanes is something I do , but a doula is who I am.

The connections and relationships I form are what provide me with purpose and meaning.  I care deeply about the emotional experience of birth and supporting women in their shift into motherhood.  At some point I hope to be a full time doula, until then I am weaving it into the mix, along with swim lessons, home organizing, trips to the coast, and family bike rides around Salado Creek and the San Marcos River.