We recently connected with Carlie Didericksen and have shared our conversation below.
Carlie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?
As a doula, almost every birth story contains a heartwarming moment. From mom in shock and awe saying, “I did it” to watching the moment parents meet their brand new baby. Each experience warms my heart and the pride I feel for each family can’t be explained. My work is not about me at all, but about the parents working and striving towards a positive birth experience. It’s about the redemption, the healing, the empowerment that each woman feels as she brings her child earthside. I often look back on the births that held healing for my clients. The births that brough them peace and comfort after a previous experience that left them disappointed. Even when labor is hard and birth isn’t exactly how they expect or want it, I often hear the same sentiments expressed, that having support and education was a game changer in their birthing experience. It’s those moments that warm my heart and humble me. Women supporting women; it’s what has been the norm for centuries, and having doulas during pregnancy through postpartum, is what is bringing that village mentality back, especially the support. We need each other.
Carlie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Carlie Didericksen, wife to my best friend, mom to four daughters and a baby boy on the way, and a passionate advocate for birth and mental health. I’m the owner of Simply Sacred Births and have found my life’s purpose in becoming a doula. My heart and soul goes into my work. Cultivating relationships with all those I have the honor of working with is important to me. Each and every client holds a special place in my heart. I know how sacred the birth space is and I stress to all I interview with that they must find the best fit for them. Birth is all about vulnerability, connection, and safety. Finding the right birth team is important and it is a complete honor to be invited into that space.
I love helping families become empowered with knowledge and support. The journey from conception to postpartum is such a sacred and transformative time. Helping parents understand all the options presented during pregnancy through postpartum is crucial; the more you know, the more empowered you can feel in making the best decision for your care.
I am here to support you in whatever birth journey you choose to embark upon. As birth can often be an adventure, I am there to help provide evidence based information and make sure you are informed and empowered. I believe in your ability to trust your intuition and will support whatever decisions you feel are best. I specialize in helping parents have positive birth experiences after traumatic or negative experiences. I am also certified in supporting parents looking to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean. I also offer support in breastfeeding, mental health, and birth education.
I like to also stress that doulas DO NOT take the place of dad of the partner with you. I always say, “Doulas are for dads, too.” I’ve helped dads feel more involved by teaching them the coping and comfort measure techniques before labor begins. Helping them understand what is going on during pregnancy and the birth process is also extremely important, as well as expressing to them what they can expect during the postpartum and recovery phases. I’ve been able to support dads at births by allowing them to get some rest, eat food, and comfort them in times of uncertainty. A doula is a support for the whole family.
I truly believe that everyone deserves to have a doula. There is evidence and research to show that having a doula for birth lower cesarean rates, increases positive birth experiences, lower use of medical interventions and pain medications, and increases chances of spontaneous birth.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I truly believe my passion for supporting parents and my love of people has been the biggest factor. I truly put my heart and soul into what I do and I absolutely love those I work with. Trust, connections, and vulnerability are extremely important to birth. I take that very seriously and strive towards those intimate and trustworthy relationships with my clients.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Having a network of other birth workers to support you is crucial. Birth can be unexpected and messy. There are traumatic births and even death unfortunately. Utah is extremely lucky to have such a tight knit and supportive birth community. We back each other up, we are there to talk to when times are hard, we network, train and help each other. I’ve noticed that we are truly a community that uplifts each other with very little, if any, competition. It’s been so important to me as I’ve been in the birth field for 2.5 years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simplysacredbirths.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/simply.sacred.births
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simply.sacred.births
- Other: tiktok: @simplysacredbirths
Image Credits
Carlie Didericksen, Simply Sacred Births Danielle Wilstead, Wild Oak Birth