Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Gross.
Hi Heidi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband & I got pregnant with our first child when I was 19. I was the first of any of my friends to have a baby. I was so scared of the “fear” culture surrounding birth in the United States that I went completely in the other direction & decided not to research or look at my options for anything surrounding the pregnancy or the birth of my son. I wanted to have a natural hospital birth- but because of my lack of education, I was unable to advocate for myself & be educated on comfort measures, labor positions, pain relieving techniques, or labor itself. Therefore, I was taken advantage of by my provider & had traumatic labor & delivery with a host of maternal mental health issues afterward.
I was first introduced to the idea of being a doula when I researched doulas after the birth of my son, Damian. The hospital birth experience that I had was something I decided I never wanted another woman to go through. I was passionate about finding a way that I could help empower others to have a positive birth experience. Soon afterward, one of my best friends hired a doula for her baby’s birth, and I could see firsthand the difference the support of a doula made. I was so amazed that the next day, I decided to attend the International Doula Institute to receive my certification as a Certified Birth Doula.
Before I received my certification, I went to school at Whitworth University and graduated with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Teaching English as a Second Language. Because of my Spanish language background, I love that I can reach clients who can speak both English and Spanish so that I can support and advocate for them in their native language. I am now a successful birth doula in Warsaw, Indiana, and the Greater Fort Wayne. I am passionate about helping women have educated, empowering & supported births, and I offer support postpartum to encourage fewer maternal mental health issues. I currently offer two prenatal appointments, support during labor & delivery with the use of a TENS unit, and one postpartum appointment. I am also a Certified Prenatal/Postpartum Fitness Instructor & am currently pursuing maternity & birth photography to add to my business.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
Running my business has been more of a struggle than I anticipated. I first got my certification & originally started my business in Washington State. Soon afterward, however, we moved cross country to Indiana when I was pregnant with my daughter. Upon coming to Warsaw, I had expected to find an established doula community that I could join & receive support & backups if needed. However, there are very few doulas that serve Kosciusko County consistently. I discovered that virtually no one knew what a doula was or why a doula is so essential- therefore, I dedicated most of my first year to making connections with local businesses & educating the community. During that time, I gave birth to my daughter in a wonderfully empowering & redeeming home birth with my husband, midwife, doula, and birth photographer present. It was a night and day difference in my birth experience & only made me more passionate about helping others achieve a supported birth. Then, I was learning to be a mother of two while starting & continuing to run my own business. It has been hard to find time to juggle all of the responsibilities of being a stay-at-home mom, breastfeeding, taking care of my mental health, homesteading, and continually educating myself to be able to offer more options for my clients. It is hard at times, but so so worth it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Natural Doula?
As a doula, I advocate for your birth goals and provide physical, emotional, and informational support during the entire childbearing journey. Most importantly, a doula is there to help achieve birth goals and educate you on exactly what is happening to your body and the care received during labor and delivery while teaching you to advocate for yourself. We are there to advocate for your rights and your wishes during labor and delivery to help you achieve the best birth possible. Many women find that with a doula, they can receive care that is not only safe, but they are able to have a birth that is empowering and supported. Doulas can provide a safe space for their clients while giving birth by controlling who goes in and out of the room: the lighting or smells, which can be controlled with aromatherapy.
As part of my services, I provide up to two 90-minute prenatal appointments to discuss the vision for your birth, and we will work together on a plan to achieve that vision. We will also discuss pain management, practice labor positioning & Spinning Babies techniques to get the baby in the best position for birth. As well, I provide breathing & relaxation techniques, so you feel fully informed and prepared to conquer your labor and delivery. During labor, I provide 24-hour on-call service starting at 37 weeks until you go into labor, where I will stay with you as an advocate & support person with around-the-clock care until the delivery of your baby. I will create a calm atmosphere during labor with lighting, birth affirmation cards, candles, aromatherapy, essential oil rollers, and music. We will also do pain management techniques with a rebozo, frequent labor positioning, Spinning Babies for optimal baby positioning, breathing instruction, and massage. I am also a Certified Prenatal/Postpartum Fitness Instructor, which means I can help teach clients how to prepare for birth, exercise safely, and heal postpartum with their new baby!
Along with two prenatal appointments, support during labor & delivery, & a postpartum appointment, I also include the use of an Elle OB Labor TENS Unit. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and provides a drug-free kind of pain relief that runs off of the “Gate Control Theory,” which says that your body is going to pay attention to what is the loudest. Therefore, your pain perception will be muted if we can distract you. The TENS unit sends small, safe electrical pulses through gel electrode pads that pass through your skin and into your muscles and tissues. This gives a gentle tingling or buzzing sensation, and the intensity of pulses can be increased or lowered based on the pain experienced. My clients (myself included) have received incredible pain relief while using the TENS unit during labor.
I am always in the process of educating myself, and I am currently almost ready to launch a new segment of my business- maternity & birth photography! I am so excited to offer a chance to capture these precious moments in time where they can be saved & looked at fondly forever.
What characteristic of yours would you give the most credit if you had to?
Listening and empathy are key characteristics of my business as a doula. I need to be able to listen & empathize with clients, whether understanding a previous birth experience, planning for a new one, or literally in the middle of giving birth. I pride myself on being so in tune with a client and what she is feeling at that moment during birth that I can suggest new ways of movement or comfort positions to ease contractions. An important part of my business is the role of the significant other/primary support person. I know that I will never understand a client as well as their significant other, and I strive to help others use their emotional connection together to assist through labor. I teach partners how to support mom beforehand, and at the moment- I acknowledge that I will never replace that connection & do not try to. Instead, I build off of it, and my clients experience overwhelming love and support from the people they have chosen to help bring their babies into the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: naturaldoulabirth.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thenaturaldoula
- Facebook: facebook.com/thenaturaldoula
Image Credits
Michelle Glenn Photography & Birth Services
