We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Richardson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

As a full spectrum doula, I actually started off supporting birthing parents. At the time I started supporting my first pregnant parent, I was working full time as an early childhood educator at a center here late 2019.. I had spoken with the director of the center & was offering my birth doula services soon after my training. The director sent a center-wide email telling teachers, parents, staff, etc that I would be willing to offer my birth doula services. One day while working with the infants, an older sister of one of the kiddos I had worked with in the past asked me if I could support her during her birth. She was maybe a few weeks pregnant. And I said sure! After that, I hadn’t seen her or heard from her & assumed she had changed her mind. Then one day, several months later, she stopped by again asking, “You ready?” And I’m like ‘Ready for?” lol By that time she was 5 weeks due & wanted support. So, I still agreed. We talked a little about birthing plans. And I showed up on the day of her induction. Over the next 2 days, I supported with many things: comforting while she was getting an epidural, made she sure was hydrated, answered questions by my client and her Mom, offered physical comfort measures (counter pressure along her low back in between contractions & taught her partner to do them as well, advocated for her when her contractions got so intense she couldn’t speak, etc. I spent 2 days in the hospital & on that second day, her babe was born in the wee hours.

Through that experience, I learned that I have the wit, grit, spiritual resources and support that I need to do this work. I’m thankful that my client had the best birthing experience.

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey! *chuckling* I’m Andrea Richardson. I’m passionate about many things: birth work, pleasure work, pregnancy and infant loss, grief/loss work, death work. And I love to support folx who are experiencing many life experiences. As a certified Full Spectrum & Reiki Practitioner in Saint Louis, MO, I help support best birth outcomes for Black families, help Black womxn and femmes prioritize pleasure in their everyday lives, help parents who have lost infants and toddlers grieve after their loss, and support people grieve. Many of the work I do comes naturally due to having many planets in Scorpio. I’m naturally obsessed with birth, rebirth, pleasure and death. And have the capacity to help support & hold all of these.

While supporting during births, I took a pregnancy and infant loss training course in 2020, as well. I understood that some pregnancy and births end up in losses and I wanted to be prepared for that. I also wanted to support families preparing for that, as well. After my training, I supported Black families who knew that they would experience stillbirths. It’s important that as a doula who supports live birth, I understand that families suffer with pregnancy and infant losses, too, such as miscarriages, abortions, stillbirths. That I emotionally, spiritually and physically support during pregnancy, birth or release and postpartum (after birth or release) I understand that those kinds of losses that families tend to keep to themselves, but as a PAIL (pregnancy and infant loss) advocate, I help them heal–through finding resources (like grief counselors and support groups for loss), holding grief circles to release their pain and grief (that’s apart of my death doula work, as well), through spiritual rituals of healing, & treating them as a postpartum families. (holding space, meeting some of the emotional needs that they have, cooking warm meals, activating my community to support my clients financially so they don’t have to worry about that as they grieve) .I’ve been supporting clients both in person & virtually.

In January 2021, I took a training as a s3x doula/intimacy coach through the National Black Doula Association after I saw a friend had finished her training. After finding out information, I signed up. I know that Black families, Black womxn may want to know how they could gain or regain pleasure after birthing, during postpartum. I also understood that so much of our pleasure as Black women and femmes have been denied, ignored, etc. And I wanted to support us– regain and live more pleasure-centered lives, whether partnered or not. Since the panini press (pandemic) I’ve been working virtually, one-on-one with clients, doing consultations. I’ve also been teaching about Pleasure Mapping, which is a mindful practice to uncover what feels good to our bodies.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As a business owner, I’ve had to learn how to learn how to ask for what I need & know that I’m supported. Ask for funding from my communities, ask for support/advice, ask for mentors to hold me accountable, ask for peers to hold space. We live in a capitalist society that teaches us that we have to figure things out on our own as individuals, ‘pull ourselves by our bootstraps’, be ‘self-made’. believe that resources are limited/scarce. Those things aren’t true and harm people (not to mention they are ableist, as well)

Every step of the way, I’ve had to depend on my communities (just like they can depend on me) for love, support, funding, mentorship, accountability and I’m a better business owner for it. As my communities help me grow, I’m pouring into them, as well. I’ve had to ask and know I’m supported.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

A few things: high value offerings, client testimonies & word of mouth marketing.

Contact Info:

• Website: wombcarewomxn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wombcarewomxn/ & https://www.instagram.com/sensualsweetcoaching/