Meet Hannah Underwood

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Underwood a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I’ve found my purpose in the people around me. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, and my story is living proof of that.

In the summer of 2024, my partner Leah and I moved to Clayton, NC. While we had talked about moving out of Raleigh eventually, it wasn’t on our immediate radar. But when Leah’s sister, Amber, found out she was pregnant that spring, everything shifted. Amber and her husband decided to buy their first home as they prepared for their little one. We knew we wanted to stay close, so when Amber fell in love with a house in Clayton, we were thrilled to discover another home just nine doors down that we loved too. We both put in offers and both went under contract.

Fast forward to September. Wanting to get more connected in my new community, I joined a local book club called Booked in Clayton. Little did I know, this decision would change the course of my life. Five women in the club were pregnant with their first babies, all due between November and January. As I listened to their birth stories unfold, I realized three things:

Childbirth is profoundly unpredictable. No matter how much you prepare or don’t, you can’t know exactly how it will go.

Advocacy and education matter. Expectant parents deserve to know their options, and this kind of support is often missing.

Mothers need to be mothered too. The focus so often shifts to the baby, but the mother’s well-being is just as important.

These realizations ignited something in me. I became fascinated with learning everything I could about pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. I listened to podcasts, read books, dug into research articles, and spent time on forums reading birth stories. At first, I was driven by a desire to be prepared for my own future children, but I quickly realized I wanted this knowledge to benefit anyone who crossed my path.

That curiosity led me to doula work. I learned about the role doulas play and the difference they can make, and even though it felt like a huge leap, I knew this was my calling.

At the time, I was firmly planted in the corporate world, deeply unhappy in a job I had been in for years. I had been longing for something more but didn’t know what that was until now. I knew being a doula meant being on call, so I couldn’t do both. I made a plan: take the training, prepare as best I could, leave my job, and fully commit.

And that is exactly what I did. I completed my birth doula training through DONA International in March 2025, followed by postpartum doula training through CAPPA in May. On June 3rd, I left my corporate job. Less than a month later, I attended my first birth on July 1st. It was an incredible, life-changing experience that confirmed I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Doula work is not easy. It is emotional, demanding, and often exhausting. But it is also deeply fulfilling, beautiful, and transformative, both for the families I support and for myself. I have never felt more aligned with my purpose.

Looking back, I’m so grateful for every step that brought me here, the move to Clayton, the book club, the people that were put in my life, and the courage to leave behind what no longer served me. Each leap has led me closer to this calling, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the founder of Hannah Underwood Doula Co., where I serve families in Clayton, Raleigh, and surrounding areas. I offer both prenatal, birth, and postpartum support! I truly love that I do and am incredibly honored to have families place their trust in me.

I’ll be attending various local vendor markets over the next few months including Clayton Harvest Festival (October 25th) and the Grass Hopper Farms market! I’m so excited to connect with the community, and provide information, support, and a love for doula work.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The desire to learn, empathy, and determination. These are the three things that brought me to where I am today. I truly believe if you’re following a path that’s it’s meant for you, you’ll have the qualities you need to achieve and even surpass your goals.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Taking a step back. Remembering nothing is forever. We often get so caught up in the right now, we forget to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. While some things we go through can be unfathomably painful, there is always a lesson to be learned, a quality of ourselves being developed, or a step being taken that will get us to the next purpose we’re meant to fulfill. It can be so hard to think this way when you’re in the midst of a storm, but it is truly so comforting when you allow yourself to take a step back. And of course, in true doula fashion, don’t forget to breathe.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hannahunderwooddoulaco.com
• Instagram: @hannahunderwooddoulaco
• Facebook: Hannah Underwood Doula Co.