We recently had the chance to connect with Maggie Docking and have shared our conversation below.
Maggie, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I just joined an advanced adult tap class. And it’s a reality check – FUN – but it’s a challenge to teach my brain to remember this kind of dance again!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Maggie Docking, and I’ve been serving families as a doula & birth photographer for almost seven years. I’m passionate about supporting women, babies, and families through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives—birth. I believe deeply in protecting the birth space, honoring the process, and ensuring that mothers feel empowered and confident as they step into motherhood.
My goal has always been to provide holistic, well-rounded care. In addition to birth support, I’ve recently expanded my offerings to include resources like pelvic floor physical therapy sessions, lactation consulting calls, organic postpartum nutrition support, and even a thoughtfully curated tote bag filled with products designed to make labor and the postpartum period a little more supported and nourishing.
What makes this work special to me is knowing that the way we enter motherhood matters. Our own birth stories stay with us forever, as this is one of our biggest life-moments, and I want to make sure the families I serve feel seen, supported, and strengthened in theirs.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think bonds are broken when people feel judged, unseen, unheard, or unsupported—especially during vulnerable moments. In birth, if a mother feels dismissed or like her voice doesn’t matter, that can create lasting wounds and distance, even with the people she loves most.
What restores those bonds is presence, listening, and true support. When a mother feels safe, respected, and cared for, it not only strengthens her confidence but also deepens her connection with her baby and her partner. As a doula, I see my role as helping to protect that space of connection so families can start their journey together feeling empowered and united. This comes through advocacy, learning the client so I can help her have her particular wishes respected, and helping walk families through options in labor when things come up. Being able to give pros and cons to choices and options is so important, and mothers want to be able to choose their way through their birth rather than feeling out of control or like she didn’t know why things happened the way they did.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Well, the hours aren’t great! 😉 Birth work can be challenging—whether it’s a super long labor, being awake through the night, living life on call, or holding space for families when birth gets really tough. There are definitely moments of exhaustion and intensity.
But at the end of the day, I get to witness a miracle every single time. Being present as a new life enters the world and watching a mother step into her strength is something that always cues the tears! That privilege is what keeps me going!
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think some of the biggest lies in the birth world are the ideas that birth has to be rushed or controlled to be safe. In many hospital settings, families can feel like they’re on a timeline that’s more about policy, insurance, or efficiency than about the natural rhythm of birth itself.
The truth is, our bodies are designed for birth, and with the right support, patience, and trust in the process, it can unfold beautifully. Birth is the only time you are walking into a hospital when nothing is actually wrong with you. I’d love to see birth treated as such. I have so much respect for the providers who genuinely care for mothers and babies, but I also believe the larger system can sometimes overshadow that care. My role as a doula is to help protect the birth space, slow things down when possible, trust the process and remind families that they have options and that their voices matter.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’d say I’m definitely doing what I was born to do—though before this, I was actually a graphic designer! (which I also loved!) Looking back, even that work had pieces that connect to what I do now. I spent time directing photo shoots and shaping the feel of products, and today I use photography to capture one of the most profound moments in a family’s life: the birth of their child. Those images become reminders for a mother of her own strength, and a legacy for her child to see what a respectful and empowering birth can look like.
I also had a family member I greatly admired who worked in honoring the end of life. In many ways, what I do feels parallel—holding space, protecting dignity, and bringing care to sacred moments. Now, I get to offer that kind of presence at the very beginning of life, and I truly believe this is the work I was born to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mdbirthservices.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdbirthservices/
