Doula Spotlight- Heather Hanning

     

       Tell a little about yourself outside of the doula/birth realm.

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for thirteen years. We have a beautiful 10 year old son together. When I’m not assisting on births I have my own practice as a massage therapist and have been doing so for 11 years now. I live a natural lifestyle and a advocate for holistic medicine. In my free time I’m a soccer mom and love spending time with my family and friends. In addition I love to unwind by spending time in nature; doing things like hiking, camping, taking my dog on walks and  just sitting under a tree. I also enjoy listening to music and dancing.

2.     

        How did you become interested in doula work?

With my son I had an unnecessary cesarean and was left feeling cheated that I didn’t get to experience childbirth the way I wanted. A year later while taking a pregnancy massage class my instructor mentioned something about doulas. I thought to myself Wow! What an awesome thing to do. Around the same time my close friend had just found out that she was pregnant and I massaged her throughout her pregnancy and ended up in the delivery room with her. As I massaged her and felt the way her body was responding to my touch; I realized that I wanted to be a doula. I also thought it would be a great way to make peace with my own birth experience by supporting women though natural childbirth and avoiding unnecessary cesareans. I wish I had a doula by my side.

3.     

      Can you tell a little bit about your training and experience?

I took my first doula training back in 2003 though ALICE which is now ToLabor. I loved it so much I decided to take the workshop again in 2004.In the 34 births I have assisted on I have experience with working with the hearing impaired VBAC and homebirth. I’ve been a licensed massage therapist for 11 years and have taught pregnancy and infant massage at a few local massage schools. I have the honor of speaking at different schools and events about being a doula and the benefits of pregnancy massage. Currently I’m getting my certification though DONA International. Furthermore, I am an aspiring Midwife and am finishing up my pre-requirements to register in a licensed midwifery program by next year. I am ready to take my passion to the next level.

4.       How do you view your role as a member of a family's birth team? 

      Do you have any specific strengths/skills?

My role as a doula changes depending on the needs of the expecting couple. However, for the most part I’m a positive guiding light that creates a protective bubble around them grading them from unwanted negativity. From my first visit on, I am there to listen to their fears and concerns being both objective and compassionate. I am the voice of wisdom and makes sure that the couple is well informed. When labor starts we are a team that is ready for anything and when necessary are able to make educated dictions. Birth is an intimate experience so I strive to be present but invisible at the same time by giving the couple their space and privet time with each other.

As for my strengths and skills, I love to to give my mama massages a few times leading up to labor so I can get to know her body and she can become comfortable with me and familiar with my touch. My super powers are acupressure, energy work and aromatherapy. More so, I use visualization, inspirational mantras and chanting. Of course I incorporate all these things during labor as well. I’m versatile with an open mind and go with the flow. Being asked to assist on a birth is a great privilege and I honor that with all my heart.

5.       Do you have an interesting story to share?

I will never forget the day of Logan’s run. That Day started off with an early phone call from my sister telling me that her water had broken and she would like me to come to her assistance. Although the midwife told her to go back to bed; my sister and I knew that there was a possibility that she was going to go fast. This was going to be her forth baby and she had a history of fairly quick labors. When I arrived at my sister’s house I knew by her moans and the way she was moving that we didn’t have much time to get her to the birthing center. As I was helping her out into the drive way my sister stops cold in her tracks, leans on her knees and tells me that the baby was coming. I take a breath as I look under her gown and there he was coming right at me. I calmly told her that I was ready to catch the baby. I can still remember how easy his little warm body slid right out into my hands. I quickly passed him to the front of my sister so she can see that he was alright. While we waited for the midwife and the paramedics; we had my sister resting covertly on the back lawn as she contently breastfeed her new baby boy Logan. Furthermore Logan is now 5 years old and lives up to the way he came into this world. Last but not least even though I had never deliver a baby before I went with my instinct and I discovered that I am distend to be a midwife someday. It was an amazing experience.

6.       What advice would you give to expecting couples?

The most important advice I have to give is to take a childbirth education class such as Bradley or Birthing Within.. Become your own advocate. Though my experience, being educated about childbirth and your options makes a big difference. In addition childbirth is unpredictable, have a flexible birth plan and be prepared for anything. Talk about your fears to some one that is supportive and try not to feed into all the horrid birth stories that people share with you. Have faith in yourself and trust your body and of course hire a doula.

7.     

       How can families contact you? 

Families can contact me by calling me at (909)838-3840 or e-mail me at gottadoula@aol.com

I would like to add that I believe that every expecting couple deserves to have a doula by their side no matter what their financial situation is. I offer affordable flexible rates and discounts to Bradley and Birthing Within students.

Doula Spotlight- Pati Garcia

1. Tell a little about yourself outside of the doula/birth realm. 

When I'm not working as a birth doula, I'm teaching workshops on women's health, including facilitating self-examination. Frequently I'm invited to speak and present at universities, community centers, and conferences on a wide range of topics related to holistic wellness, sexual health and body autonomy. From home I maintain a private bodywork and somatic sex education practice in Highland Park; offering consultations and bodywork sessions. 
I love to dance and laugh. I'm a DJ by night at a latin pop club in Downtown LA. Swimming and taking baths are my favorite forms of meditation and relaxation.

2. How did you become interested in doula work? 

I had just completed workshop in Women's Sacred Anatomy Workshop where we learned pelvic floor massage and how that tension translates into difficulties during birth.  During our closing circle, one of the practitioners told me she believed I would make a great doula. I was stumped because I had never heard of the term. When she described it, I was even in more shock because I had never thought of being at births. That day I went home and did a search on the internet and signed up for the upcoming birth doula training. 
I had also taken an introduction to Cranial-Sacral Therapy and learned about how the cranium is shaped during the birth process. Which led me to understand how important it is for pregnant families to have ongoing support throughout pregnancy and labor.

3. Can you tell a little bit about your training and experience?

I received my professional birth training from DONA Doulas of North America International. My doula practice is dynamic; it incorporates my shiatsu, cranial sacral therapy, and women's sacred anatomy training. My interpersonal communication skills come from working at a reproductive health clinic and counseling women on birth control options. All these areas of work support me as a doula with a strong sense of reproductive justice, confidence in women's potential and self-empowerment. I trained as a birth doula in August of 2007, in April of 2009 as an assistant midwife through the Farm in Tennessee with Ina May Gaskin and Pamela Hunt, and became certified in Neo-Natal Resuscitation with Karen Strange. Since these trainings I've been a part of 37 births as a birth doula or midwife's assistant. Every time I'm present at a birth I get a deep sense that I'm at the right place in my life, something that I rarely felt at other jobs.

4. How do you view your role as a member of a family's birth team? Do you have any specific strengths/skills?

I view my role as a gatekeeper for the baby. Listening to the concerns of parents without judgement, being able to reflect back to them, offer information from various angles in order for them to make informed decisions, is what I'm best at. By facilitating this process, I feel that the baby(ies) gets a better chance at a gentle, loving welcome into the world.  

5. Do you have an interesting story to share?

The birth that inspired me to leave my 9-5 as a social worker was a life-changing experience.  I had been asked to be the doula just 2 days prior and had my interview scheduled for 3 days later.  I received a call at midnight saying her water broke but no labor. I came in the morning when her labor had come on strong, and before I knew I was in the middle of ahome water birth with midwives. We knew there was a chance this baby was coming breech, mom had prepared herself well and the midwives knew exactly how to handle this variation of normal.  As a doula, I stayed calm and had full faith that this was possible for this mom and baby.  She used Hypnobirthing for most of her labor and by 1p her daughter came through, right butt cheek first.  The entire time I felt a strong buzz through my body that I was not to return to an office job, and this was a normal but nowadays a rare birth. To this day, that birth is a marker in my life. Giving me the knowing that we are so powerful, and we are here to preserve that power. 

8. How can families contact you? 

Families can contact me directly by calling 510-363-0160 and e-mailing me at chuladoula@gmail.com

                                      

Doula Spotlight- Jennifer Lorelei Ortega

Tell a little bit about yourself outside of the doula/birth realm.

I've been married for 13 years, and I have a ten year old daughter and 5 year old son.   By day, I work as an English teacher at a small public high school which is known for its community atmosphere and project-based learning curriculum.  During my time off with my family, I enjoy camping in natural areas, planning hands-on learning activities, reading, and playing word games.  

How did you become interested in birth as a topic to learn more about?

I've been interested in natural birth since I was very young.  I must have been in fifth grade when I first heard of water birth, and I ran to the kitchen to tell my mother I was going to have one.  Later, my mom was pretty concerned when I'd bring home books at 12 and 13 with titles like, What to Do Now That You're Pregnant.  Incidentally, I did not have my first child until I was almost 27.   

How were you shaped by your childbirth experiences?

(I have great hips and bigger breasts)!  Like I said, I always felt like I was meant for pregnancy and child-bearing.  My number one goal for my births was being able to fully experience this life-changing moment without narcotics or anesthesia.  I was able to do this and felt such an amazing sense of accomplishment and pride.  Birth made me truly understand the amazing strength of womanhood.

Tell a bit about yourself as a doula. (training, how you view your role in the birth, goals for families---just whatever comes to mind.)

I'm toLabor trained, and have completed all of my certification births.  I have had positive feedback from every birth I've attended.

During births, I generally try to disappear (I wish I could be pocket-sized) when I'm not needed.  My goal is to create a safe and intimate atmosphere for my clients, to remind them that they are fully capable of an amazing birth, to shrink fear and grow confidence : )

Do you have any specific advice you'd give to expecting parents? 

My best piece of advice is to remind parents of their wedding day.  Often, brides are nervous wrecks before their weddings.  They are inclined to think that everything that does not go according to their plan is a disaster.  But on looking back, they usually feel like it turned out well anyway.

Birth can be like this.  No matter how many possibilities we've planned for, something always happens to surprise us in the moment.   A good birth team should work to keep the new family focused on all the things that are going well, and all of the options that are available to them at each stage of the birth.  This can make all the difference in the way a family feels during and after the birth.

How can families contact you?

My email is ortega.jen@gmail.com.  My phone number is 626-221-7957 although I prefer to connect first via email since I am in teaching or mothering a good deal of the time.