Category Archives: being a doula

Not My Baby on Board Part3

Hello friends, and welcome back to another edition of “Not My Baby on Board”. When we last left off, I was going to go through the medical steps involved in becoming a surrogate. While it’s not quite as tough as brain surgery, there are still quite a few steps involved. So without further ado, here we go.

After having Skyped with the intended parents and agreed that we were right for each other, it was time to make sure that this oven was in tip-top shape. One of the steps involved in this was meeting with a shrink and answering some questions to make sure that I wasn’t crazy and really wanted to do this.

I’d been told that these were standard questions but they ranged from “How are your relationships at home?” to “Have you ever thought of killing your spouse?” (My response to that one was a very mumbled “All the time”, followed quickly by “Hmm? No I haven’t”). This meeting was supposed to be in fabulous Las Vegas where all of the actual medical testing and procedures were to take place, but the psychiatrist was on vacation. So rather than being in a nice doctor’s office, relaxing in a nice chair, I had to answer those lovely questions at home with two little ones running around. Apparently a little gallows humor when it comes to my spouse is a plus, because only a couple of days later I was in Vegas.

I traveled with my friend, Doula, and business partner Jenn. It was in Vegas that the medical procedures began, and took a lot less time than I thought they would. These were simple things like having blood drawn and also having saline pumped into my uterus to check for any defects via ultrasound. Like I said, these didn’t really take that long, and I got the results before I flew back out too. Everything was great and we were right on track.

The best part of the trip was getting to actually meet the intended parents. We got to have dinner together, and they were adorable! I can’t tell you much because they are international super spies (not really) but I assure you they are absolutely wonderful and I am eager to help them grow their family.

After arriving home, and being cleared medically, I was tasked with starting all of legal side of things. Much like a game of telephone I started with all my desires for birth and prenatal care and after it gets passed around to lawyers and the intended parents I eventually ended up with a contract. In my case it was nowhere near the standard surrogacy contract and instead, mainly because of my career path as a doula and two previous unmedicated births, I was able to have a lot of natural sway to our plans.

Did I mention how fantastic the couple I am working with is? Onward and upward, things start moving quickly after this step. I’m excited to tell you all about it next time.

Lauren

Working with families has been Lauren’s passion for over ten years. Her tremendous work ethic and devotion to helping parents has made her a must have in the birth setting, postpartum, and beyond.
Lauren serves her community as an educator, via postpartum planning curriculum and as a Labor and Postpartum Doula. She has a certification in breastfeeding counseling and started her training with DONA; being mentored by established Doulas in Colorado Springs. Lauren is now a professional member of ProDoula and a pre-certified Labor and Postpartum Doula. Lauren will be taking additional training in placenta encapsulation and business by the end of the Summer.

Paving the way, Lauren is the Co‐owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC provides the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

Lauren is the mother of two young children, and has been married since 2008. She loves to cook and entertain for her friends and family in her home in Colorado Springs.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com

Turning My Passion Into a Paycheck

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In 2002 I began helping families in their birthing year. They were mostly friends and family, mostly in other states and mostly planning 2nd, 3rd and even 5th babies.

I LOVED it. Unfortunately I did not have the support system needed to begin what I knew would be my career as a doula.

I continued supporting friends and family as often as I could, in any way I could. I was passionate about this work and threw myself into every book, article and YouTube video I could get my hands on.

In 2011 we moved to Colorado and I was able to FINALLY take labor doula training and a childbirth educator training. I walked away from the training feeling even more fire for what I wanted to do, but without any REAL tools to make it a career. It felt very lonely. I reached out to others in my training classes with no real response, and the fire fizzled a little with the reality of working full time and settling into a new state and a new home. I learned a couple of things in each of these trainings, but mostly, it was information I had been teaching myself for the past 9 years. There was very little information about how to get clients other than “put your business cards out at coffee shops” and “join mommy groups.”

My kids are teens/preteens. “Joining mommy groups” filled with toddlers and new mothers made me feel inauthentic and frankly, a little predatory.

About a year and a half later, my best friend, who had also moved to CO was planning her 5th baby. I had been her virtual doula for number 4 and was SO EXCITED to attend my first REAL LIVE birth.

THAT birth rekindled my desire to be a doula and I flew through my certification process. I still felt completely alone in the process, knowing the job itself, but with no guidance or contact with my training organization. I knew I would never certify with this company again. I didn’t know how to run this business and I made a lot of mistakes. I had almost no marketing. I had very little in the way of contracts or business paperwork. I was just floating around, getting referrals from other doulas and doing the job, but without any long term goals.

In the Spring of 2014 I was liking and joining every doula related page I could find when I joined The Business of Being a Doula (BOBD).

My.life.changed.

THIS is what I’d been looking for! There were people in that group FEEDING THEIR FAMILIES doing this work. There were people discussing marketing, contracts, business strategy and legal documents!

This amazing source of information was run by ProDoula, its owners and trainers. I knew immediately that my new certifying organization would be ProDoula.

In October 2014 my new business partner and I signed up for a business consultation with Randy Patterson.

Dare I say it? My life changed again. Plans we thought needed to be 3, 5 and 10 years into the future suddenly zoomed within reach. One call with Randy and we saw how we could make a living doing this work.

In January 2015 we brought Heidi Shulista out to train us as postpartum doulas. In February 2015 we launched our agency. In April, Randy came teach Advanced Business Training, and postpartum doula training. We, along with our two new subcontractors took both classes. Just this week, Heidi came back and trained us in labor doula training.

Not only did we learn the most important hands on skills for our profession, we were trained in how to communicate with clients, how to interview, how to deal with unexpected circumstances, how to effectively communicate and work WITH not AGAINST medical personnel, and how to support our clients in ALL of their decisions about their birth.

Most of all, we created bonds with our fellow trainees. We got to know each other. We became friends and colleagues. We can call on each other with questions, refer clients to each other, support each other and generally be amazing together.

With ProDoula, I have a certifying organization that KNOWS me. They know me by name. They know my face. They know my personality. They know my business. I can call them with any and all questions. I can contact my mentors, or any other trainers any time I have a question and they will respond. This is what makes ProDoula a certification agency for the modern doula and the only certifying organization Colorado Mountain Doulas Agency uses for training.

Jenn Leonard

A passion for helping families to make educated decisions about their families and their birth choices has lead Jenn to become a great source of information for many across the country. She has been educating families on their choices and guiding them to find their own voice in maternity care since 2002.

Jenn is a certified Labor Doula, beginning her studies with CAPPA, taking many additional trainings along the way and is recertifying with ProDoula in 2015. She is also a trained childbirth educator and Postpartum Doula teaching childbirth preparation classes, and also creating her own curriculum for a pre and early pregnancy workshop focused on families who are just beginning to plan for a family, into the 2nd trimester.

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://codoulas.com

Have You Heard About the Doula Revolution?

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On the very last day of #worlddoulaweek 2015 I wanted to chat about something that I just learned about in the last year. It’s called the #DoulaRevolution.

The Doula Revolution is all about revolutionizing the Doula community. Doulas have been around just as long as babies have been born. Back in the day, when we all lived in small villages, Doulas were typically your sisters, mothers and friends. They gathered around a birthing woman during her labor, encouraged her and made her feel safe in their combined knowledge of birth. They stayed with her and helped take care of her other children. They kept the house and took care of her in her recovery. They didn’t necessarily go by the name Doula, but that is the job they were doing.

Today we live far apart, often times not even in the same city with our friends and families. Even when friends and families do live close by, they no longer posses this intimate knowledge of birth. Some have had their own babies, sure, but having your own baby and fully understanding the intimate details of what is normal and what is not is something that comes from experience. It use to come from seeing your mother birth your siblings, from seeing your siblings birth your nieces and nephews and from caring for these people after the births of their babies. It is a lost art, a lost community and that is where the modern day Doula comes in.

The modern day Doula does not live in small villages. She lives in big cities and small towns all across the world. She believes in birth and the human ability to overcome any obstacle put in front of her. She knows birth. She has spent countless time and money getting educated in modern birth. She is a parent, she is a home maker, she is an entrepreneur. She is whatever she wants to be and she provides a much needed service in this world of disconnect and lost village.

The Doula Revolution is about the modern woman. It’s about not only supporting birthing families through the most important transitions of their life, but also about Doulas (mostly women) contributing to their families in a meaningful way.

Being a doula is a profession, not a philosophy. It is my profession. I have continuously earned an income that I am proud of. I am in a relationship because I want to be and not because I have to be and that empowers me. I am self sufficient. My daughters watch me be successful and it sets the tone for their expectations of themselves. I am successful, I do something I love and I am passionate about it. It is honorable and I am proud of it.-Randy Patterson

Randy Patterson, The RocknRoll Doula, is the owner of ProDoula, as well as co-owner of several Doula Agencies around the country.

She is the face of the #DoulaRevolution (a hashtag created back in August 2014 by my mentor Heidi Shulista)…..and all of us Doulas are the heart, beating as one towards a common goal of empowerment.

We empower ourselves by creating a living wage for ourselves, by creating living wages for others who work for us in our agencies and by no longer accepting the martyrdom that has all too often been placed upon us by society. We are women. Hear us Roar and watch us support ourselves in yet another service industry where we have been undervalued for far too long.

Jenn Leonard

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com

What Is a Doula?

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This question instantly makes me think of a quote I read about a year ago.

“A Doula is like a trail guide, familiar with the path, she keeps you hiking through the hard parts, knowing the view at the end is incredible.” - Courtney Baca, Open Arms Birth.

Preparing for birth can be compared to planning to climb a 14er (a mountain over 14,000 ft). It’s hard work. It takes planning, determination, endurance, and stamina. You wouldn’t just take off on a climb without any preparation.

A Doula can help you with that plan; being your trail guide through every step in the process. According to WikiHow, there are 11 steps to planning to hike a 14er. For this purpose, we’re going to go with 10 steps and compare it to the role of Doula as trail guide for your birth.

(Prepare your route)-Preparation is key in pregnancy and birth. Prior to, or in very early pregnancy, our PEPP Talk Workshop can help you navigate all your options and help you research how to choose your care provider, your place of birth and, just as in labor, decide which medical options are right or wrong for you.
(Notify someone of your trip and estimated date of return)- As part of the PEPP Talk, we go into depth about how to research your care providers, how to choose your place of birth and who else you want on your team. We can guide you to know what to ask of a provider to determine if you will be getting the care you deserve.
(Gather all your supplies) - A Birth Blueprint is an essential tool to have as you prepare for the journey of birth. During your first prenatal with Colorado Mountain Doulas we will help you navigate all of your options and will provide you with any information you request to plan your beautiful birth.
(Give yourself enough time to complete the trip and avoid hazardous weather) - Prenatal visits also include answers to questions about your specific needs and wants during labor.
(Try to keep a steady pace) - Prenatal visits review comfort techniques, labor positions, and movement to keep you and your partner working together throughout the process.
(Stop and rest if needed) - The last trimester of pregnancy comes with its own set of questions. Your Doula can help navigate late pregnancy options and remind you to rest and conserve energy for the next phase.
(Enjoy the view at the top)- As your pregnancy reaches its peak, your Doula will be there with reminders to listen to your body, be a sounding board for you and your partner about what is normal, and to ease your mind as you enjoy this final stage of bonding before your family grows.
(Observe and return before hazardous weather) - The day has arrived! Your Doula will be there every step of the way to help navigate early labor, and put all your preparation to work. We will come to you whenever you ask and help your partner support you at home, hospital, or birth center.
(Keep a steady pace on the decent)- After your baby has arrived your Doula will stay with you to help with immediate postpartum. We help make sure you are comfortable, and that infant feeding has been established.
(Brag to your friends about your success)- Our Doulas come to your home to check on you and answer any questions you have about your birth experience, your newborn, feeding, and managing your growing family. Our Postpartum Doulas can continue to help as needed to ensure your postpartum transition is the best that it can be, with hands on, experienced, support in your home.

You’ve done it! You’ve climbed the mountain and made your way back down! Spread the word far and wide that birth can be an amazing experience and that your Colorado Mountain Doula was your trail guide along the way.

World Doula Week Blog Hop. http://www.notjustnine.com/#!world-doula-week-blog-challenge/c1j71

Jenn Leonard

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com

Why I Love My State- Words From a Colorado Native

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When I was a teenager, I thought living in Colorado was a curse. My weekends were spent away from friends, far from telephones and social events in favor of hiking the nearby mountains with my family. “When do we get to turn around? I need to stop and take a break!” were the words I uttered quite often. My mother must have gotten sick of it because she implemented a reward for anyone who didn’t complain while hiking (an ice-cold Coca Cola waiting back at the car, genius!). I didn’t understand the gift I was being given as I trudged up the trails all of those weekend hours, but I realize now that it wasn’t the Coke. After living here for most of my life, I can say that I adore this state.

Here are my top reasons I still call Colorado home:

The weather

My favorite thing about Colorado is the sunshine. When I was at college in the midwest, there were weeks where I didn’t see the sun, which was very hard for me. Our winters here are manageable, thanks to the sunshine that melts snow and ice rather quickly. A bad day for me or my children is cured by a walk outside in the bright sunlight. Even when our winter stretches to April or May, we can always count on a gorgeous, blazing sun to warm us within a day or two. When the summers are unbearably hot in the 90’s, there’s always a place to retreat if you drive an hour or two into the mountains.

The altitude

When you live over 5,000 feet above sea level as a Coloradoan, you begin to take on a belief that anything is possible. Traveling to the high points in our state and looking down is an absolutely breathtaking experience, one that can inspire the most uncertain individual to great aspirations. Any time I have left for a hike or walk here, I’ve always returned with a renewed sense of clarity and belief in myself. The altitude here makes us feel as if we are literally on top of the world!

The rugged individuality

Anyone who has lived in Colorado will notice the unique attitude shared by its residents. Some would call it individuality, some would say it is a positivity. I always think of it as a “pioneer spirit”, a determinedness that persists even when things are hard. Growing up, my family would vacation in tiny cabins without heat during the summer. I would relish the thought that I was like all those mountain women who came before me. That attitude is everywhere I look in Colorado, in the determination that our bodies are not lemons- that we can give birth capably and beautifully.

As a birth doula, I support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Colorado women, all women, truly are strong, unique, and determined. I believe in supporting their individual goals as they bring their children into the world confidently, beautifully, and in their own way.

Sarah

Sarah is a birth and postpartum doula who provides services through Colorado Mountain Doulas. She is a La Leche League leader, a volunteer with her local babywearing group, church choir member, and mother to two young children. Sarah enjoys cooking, reading, and music.

http://www.florabirthservices.com

New Journey, New Life

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It’s a wonderful feeling to discover your true calling. It feels like….peace. For the first time in my life I feel like I know where I’m going and I know how to get there. I actually discovered my calling to be a doula about 11.5 years ago when my second son was born but only now after many many huge life changes have I had the ability to follow my true passion.

My second son was born at home in my bedroom in the first house we ever owned with his grandmother, father, and midwife. My doula almost missed it; it went so fast. Grandpa and big brother were in the living room on the couch waiting patiently for the new arrival. The labor was very fast and hard and the most empowering thing I have ever experienced.

The birth of my oldest son had not been a pleasant experience. He was born in a hospital with a rushed doctor surrounded by and engulfed in technology. It was over 4 years before I even realized the full implications of that experience and once I started learning, I couldn’t stop. I was determined to never let that happen to me again.

Initially my reason for home birth was simply that I didn’t want to have pain medication available to me and I didn’t want dangerous interventions available to my care givers. I knew that if I went back to a hospital it would be too easy to have a similar experience. It would be too easy to take the medication. I wanted to stay as far away from that experience as possible.

After the birth of my second son I felt amazing. I felt strong and happy and healthy and ready to conquer the world. I wanted every woman to feel that way about their births. I became addicted to birth knowledge, breastfeeding and anything even remotely related to birthing. I became an advocate for natural birth and I loved it.

My third son was also born at home, in the same bed as his brother and that birth was truly magical. It was easy, slow, fun, and relaxing. My new midwife, husband and two doulas were there with me and we chatted and laughed between contractions. We had a photo shoot during my labor pause at 6 cm when contractions stopped for about two hours. We just generally enjoyed the experience. If I wanted more children, I would totally do that over and over and over again. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.

The birth of my third son cemented in my mind that I wanted to be a doula. I wanted to be surrounded by that magical experience all the time, without actually having more children of my own. Unfortunately, with three little boys under the age of 9, a husband working full time plus and no “village” to fall back on, the life of a doula was not yet within my reach. Being a doula requires being on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week for up to a month at a time and the availability of childcare to coincide with that. Instead, I settled for working part time here and there when it worked for the family. I worked from home as a wellness consultant and volunteered for a natural healers organization in my “spare” time. I spent the next few years “virtual” doulaing my friends across the country. Providing them with research and support even though I could not be there physically.

Fast forward about 6 years and life has completely changed for us. Some things are definitely for the better, some, not so much, but I did find myself with some expendable income and time to take a doula training class as well as a childbirth education class. I was ecstatic! I was finally going to follow my passion! And then, life got in the way again and I became the sole breadwinner in the household. Moving to a new state, getting kids in new schools, finding a new job, dealing with a shady landlord, the timing just wasn’t quite right.

Here I am, two years later, with a flexible job that allows me the time off I need, a 17 year old son who can babysit at a moments notice (he has no choice, bwahahahahaha!), a husband at home and two not so little ones who are pretty much capable of taking care of themselves for short periods.

I joined a local doula organization, started working on my certification and made an awesome doula friend who started recommending my services when she wasn’t available. The first birth I officially attended as a doula was for a very dear friend. It was her fifth baby, and her second homebirth. It was very low key and she really didn’t “need” me much other than to just be there, but it was beautiful.

Today, I am 6 births into this amazing new journey with another little one coming next month. I’m also beginning my teaching journey next month, teaching Early Pregnancy Preparation and it feels like this is right. THIS is what my soul has been looking for and I wake up every day happy to be following my passion.

Be Well,

Jenn

Jenn Leonard

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com