How My Great-Grandmother Inspired Me to Become a Doula

A Journey of Legacy, Empowerment, and Reclaiming Birth as Sacred
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I was born and raised in Malawi, Africa. Growing up, I was surrounded by the strength, resilience, and wisdom of African women—though I didn’t yet realize how deeply that would shape my life’s work.
There’s a saying I love: “You don’t find your calling—it finds you.”
For me, that calling traveled across generations, tucked inside stories, traditions, and the quiet strength of the women who came before me.
I didn’t always know I’d become a birth worker. In my younger years, I saw birth as something purely clinical—painful, unpredictable, and stripped of its power. But something deep within me always questioned that view. And later, I learned why.

A Hidden Story in My Family Tree
When I began exploring birthwork, I discovered something extraordinary: my great-grandmother was a birth midwife in her village.
She had no formal certifications or hospital training, but she carried a lifetime of wisdom, reverence for birth, and the ability to create calm in the most intense moments. Women trusted her—leaned on her—not just for safe deliveries, but for strength, reassurance, and sacred presence.
Without knowing it, she passed that legacy down to me.

A Birth That Changed Everything
Years later, as a Black immigrant mom, I experienced my own birth in a hospital—and it was positive, empowering, and affirming. That moment was significant for me, because I knew not everyone shared that experience. I felt a deep conviction to help change that.
That’s why I created Positive Birth Corner—a space to reclaim birth as a sacred, informed, and confident experience for every family, no matter where or how they birth.
And as the host of the Positive Birth Podcast, I share stories, tools, and truths that empower parents to approach birth with strength and joy instead of fear.

When Purpose Meets Legacy
When I supported my first birth as a doula more than a decade ago, I felt my great-grandmother’s presence with me—steady, calm, and quietly confident.
This isn’t just a career for me. It’s a mission. It’s ancestral. It’s deeply personal.
Every time I walk into a birth space, I carry her spirit, my own lived experience, and years of supporting families through every kind of birth journey.

Full Circle
​I may never have met my great-grandmother, but I honor her legacy every day—through the families I serve, the parents I educate, and the sacred spaces I help create.
Being a doula is not just what I do. It’s who I am.
If you’re expecting, planning, healing, or simply curious—know this:
You are powerful.
You are capable.
You are not alone.
Meet MaryNissi – founder of Positive Birth Corner, host of the Positive Birth Podcast, and doula with a decade of experience supporting families in birth.
Explore services, classes, and resources at positivebirthcorner.com.