Dear *|FNAME|*,
Last week was immensely enriching. I had the privilege of attending both a training session with Empty Arms (https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/) on the supportive role of a doula during pregnancy loss, and the New England Rural Health Association (https://www.nerha.org/) Conference in Groton, CT.
** Post Script for October Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness
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This past week at the Empty Arms (https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/) training was deeply informative and inspiring. We focused on the crucial moments when a family needs support following a loss, and learned about an established system that can make all the difference.
This system involves partnering with hospitals to create an on-call network of peer support. These local parents, who have also experienced loss, are specifically trained to:
* Sit with and provide a safe space for parents actively experiencing loss.
* Ensure essential follow-up care is arranged.
The training felt like a perfect, powerful continuation of last month’s theme, and it highlighted how much more impact is possible. I’m thrilled to share that I will be working with the WOMB Initiative (http://www.wombinitiative.org ) team to replicate this vital Empty Arms (https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/) model in the three local hospitals serving the North Country of New Hampshire and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (but be patient, this will take some time to bring about).
In the meantime, immediate support is available through three sister organizations: Empty Arms (https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/) , Empty Arms Vermont (https://www.emptyarmsvermont.org/) , and Empty Arms of Bangor (https://emptyarmsbangor.org/) all offer online support for all parents who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss.
https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/
** “The Doula”
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Changing subjects, I had the best time at the New England Rural Health Association Conference (NERHA (https://www.nerha.org/) ). For two days, I sat with and learned from incredible people who are passionate about bringing better healthcare options to New England’s mostly rural communities.
When I signed up, I truly didn’t know what to expect. My logical brain feared I’d encounter agenda-pushing professionals who wouldn’t appreciate a doula’s perspective. To my surprise and pleasure, I found the complete opposite was true! While the conference focused on general healthcare, not specific maternity work, there was certainly passion for birth and postpartum care. In fact, I quickly became known in every conversation as “The Doula”.
** The Business Financial Moment
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The most fun and telling moment happened when I chose to attend a business financial management class. Why? you ask. Because I felt drawn to it. Though logic told me I could always learn more about business financials, instinct pulled me in.
During introductions, I stated my profession, and the presenter immediately responded, “I think you are in the wrong class.” I smiled and insisted, “No, I’m in exactly the right class!” His presentation, while geared toward hospitals and clinics, was less about budgeting and more about mindset. I took pages of notes and knew I had to return for part two.
On the second day, he greeted me with a big smile: “Here comes The Doula.” At the end, when offering connection, he added, “And I know I will be hearing from The Doula.”
** Connections and Validation
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The connections continued outside of class. I spoke with many professional women who are also mothers, including one who is currently pregnant. Another shared her passion for studying postpartum depression (https://postpartum.net/) and instantly recognized the strong benefits of postpartum doula work. I even spoke to a father whose wife is currently struggling with PPD—he left realizing how seriously she needed immediate support.
While a few people were unfamiliar with what a doula does, those were thankfully the exception. Mostly, I heard two statements: “I wish I had known about doulas when I had my babies,” or, “I had a doula and I am so glad I did!”
In the end, “The Doula” connected, collaborated, comprehended, and coached researchers, non-profit organization members, business representatives, and individuals.
In this and next week’s newsletter, you’ll get to meet some of “The Doulas” of New England through a fun and interactive contest.
** Contest Details
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I’m so excited to announce the start of our three-part contest! You could win a free 20 oz YETI Rambler (a $35 value) or a beautiful, handmade mothering necklace and earring set (a $25 value).
** How to Win
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This week’s newsletter and next Saturday’s will feature short introductions to fellow doulas.
* Pay Close Attention: Each bio will include a special tidbit of information.
* Save Your Newsletters: You’ll want to “star,” bookmark, or print this week’s (November 8th) and next week’s (November 15th) newsletters. You’ll need to refer back to them!
* The Quiz: On November 22nd, I’ll send out a short quiz based on these special tidbits.
Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered into a drawing to win either a YETI Rambler (1 recipient) or handmade mothering jewelry set (2 recipients)!
I hope you have as much fun learning about these amazing doulas as I’m having putting together this engaging activity!
** Meet some Doulas!
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The word Doula originates from ancient Greek, meaning “a woman who serves”. Today, a Doula is a professional dedicated to serving and upholding a woman’s inherent power and wisdom. Trained to facilitate the discovery of the goddess she is, a Doula provides holistic emotional, physical, and informational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and the transformative early postpartum period.
** Irene Eastland
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My name is Irene Eastland. I have a passion for supporting women through a faith-centered approach to labor and birth. After my own labor and birth experiences with my 2 children, I realized the biggest impact in my birth stories was how empowered and supported I felt by those around me. My first birth felt challenging and lacked much of the support I truly needed. My second birth was filled with friends, family, my husband, nurses, and even a supportive doctor whom all encouraged and cheered me on. This support, despite having an ending I wanted to avoid, changed how good I felt about the overall birth. This support even healed what I experienced in my first birth. Now my mission is to help women get the empowered birthing experience they desire by providing support, love, and care throughout labor and birth. Fun tidbit: In my day to day life I love reading, which also helps me learn and grow as a doula. I can be reached by phone (802)287-1123, or email [email protected]. Thank
you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you on your journey to motherhood.
** Katherine Kenyi
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I am Katherine Kenyi. I am a wife and mother of five babes. I am a doula and placenta encapsulator. My passion for birth centers around celebrating the glory and power of birth and the way it can enable a woman to tap into her innate inner strength with joy and confidence. I believe that mothers have the ability to make the difficult decisions surrounding birth through access to evidence based research and their own intuition. I want every woman to know that whatever choices she makes to help herself feel safe and confident in her ability to birth her babies are right and should be made without shame or judgement from anyone. My fun tidbit: I delivered bouncing baby twin boys; both bigger than all of my three singleton babies. My contact: (413) 212-9872, [email protected]
** Kailene Jones
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Over 12 years ago, I set out to become a doula—a path that several life-changing events, including motherhood (x3), briefly derailed. In my early years, I attended five home births with the local midwife as a student and birth assistant. In 2019, I supported a lifelong friend as a labor doula during her hospital birth. Then in 2021, I was asked to help found the WOMB Initiative, which has since grown into a beautiful grassroots movement of moms supporting moms from all walks of life. This initiative has helped me fully step back into my doula and birth work journey with curiosity and pure excitement for what the universe has in store for us all in the coming ages.
Doula and birth work are sacred. If nothing else, I’ve learned that much over the past decade. Yet birth itself is far from viewed that way, with the medicalization of labor and delivery. Women have birthed children without hospitals for thousands of years, and even with modern technology, the maternal mortality rate continues to raise concern globally—especially in the U.S., one of the most developed countries in the world, where preventable maternal deaths remain alarmingly high.
I was reminded of this at a conference in Fairlee, VT just last week-a place (fun tidbit) I spent an entire summer as a camp first aid assistant while thinking I was becoming a nurse midwife. During my summer at Camp Aloha in Fairlee, Vermont, I went on countless adventures that taught me one of life’s simplest lessons—home is truly where the heart is. That sense of connection and belonging now guides my approach to birth work every single day.
With that, I will not stand in silence any longer waiting for the perfect infrastructure for doulas and birth workers to thrive. With my eight years of public health experience, I’m helping build a safe, supportive, and empowering community of women and birth workers in the North Country—a place we all need. Contact: [email protected], 603-684-8635
** Emily Piazza
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Emily Piazza (she/her) is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Birth Doula, Founding Director of Vermont Birth Network, mom of 3, (fun tidbit) avid reader and over ambitious gardener. Her love of birth work started when she was pregnant with her first baby over ten years ago. She had a doula to provide that individualized care, attention and support that she desired. It was so helpful that Emily decided to become a doula herself and provide that care for others. Birth work can be hard and lonely at times, and over the years Emily has benefited greatly from having other birth workers to learn from and lean on. Being in a community always felt better! As a dietitian and doula serving clients across the state she found herself connecting clients to other professionals and support and wanted a way to have everyone in one place, so to speak. She co-created Vermont Birth Network to make it easier for families to find support and for perinatal professionals to
connect with each other. In the 1:1 work with clients she finds ways to weave empowerment, attunement, self compassion, and gentle curiosity into their lives to focus on working with and caring for, rather than trying to fix, their body, be it to have a more peaceful relationship with food and their body, bring a baby into this world, or navigate the wild ride of parenting. You can find Emily at www.nourishedjourney.co and www.vermontbirthnetwork.com.
** Next Week’s Focus
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In next week’s newsletter, we’ll share more compelling doula stories and address your most common questions.
First, I want to hear from you: reply to this email with any questions you have about doulas! I’ll be sure to cover popular topics like “What does a doula do?” and “Why should I hire one?”
Before you go, let me remind you of my two distinct Doula Bundles:
* One provides on-call support for your birth.
* The other focuses on helping you prepare emotionally and process your birth experience after it’s over.
You can explore both of these service options using the button below.
Labor & Delivery Doula Bundle (https://app.acuityscheduling.com/catalog.php?owner=33984276&action=addCart&clear=1&id=1855999)