Nationwide — Teddy Gant Jr., a 30-year-old African American man from Houston, Texas, left his job as a bank security guard to become a certified full-spectrum doula. As a male doula in a field where most birth workers are women, he now helps pregnant women and their partners prepare for labor and navigate childbirth.
Before making the switch, Gant worked as a security officer for as many as 70 hours a week while taking doula clients on the side, according to Today. His wife was still in school, so the demanding job helped support their household. About two years ago, after she graduated and found steady work, he was finally able to leave security work and focus on birth support and massage therapy full time. The career change gave him more time to do the work he had wanted to pursue since he was a child.
Gant’s interest in childbirth started when he was 12 years old. As an only child, he asked his mother how he was born and expected to hear a happy story. Instead, she explained that doctors nearly lost him during labor. His heart rate repeatedly dropped with each contraction and would not stabilize, so doctors performed an emergency C-section before his condition became fatal. He was also surprised by how little information and support his mother had received during the experience. The conversation made him realize that he wanted to have a role in the birth process.
Now, he provides physical, emotional, and informational support to pregnant women, their partners and other members of their birth team. He says male doulas remain uncommon in Texas and that he can count the number he knows on his hands. He has also worked with other male birth workers through a group called “The Bros in Birthwork.” His work has taken on added importance in Houston and Harris County, where maternal health disparities remain a concern. CDC data show that the U.S. maternal mortality rate was 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024, compared with 44.8 deaths per 100,000 for Black women. Harris County Public Health also reported a high number of maternal deaths in the county between 2016 and 2020.
Education is a major part of Gant’s work. He helps clients understand possible medical procedures, what they can expect during labor, and the choices they may face in a hospital. He believes having that information can give families more confidence when making decisions. Filmmaker Lauren Santucci experienced his support while preparing for the birth of her first child and later made the documentary Teddy about his work. She said their sessions helped her understand possible hospital interventions and what to expect during childbirth.
Gant says helping people through difficult and vulnerable moments has always come naturally to him. He describes himself as a “natural protector” and says he has long tried to make sure people around him feel safe. Becoming a doula has allowed him to turn that part of his personality into a profession while helping families feel more prepared and supported before, during, and after childbirth.