We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deidre Baker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deidre below.

Alright, Deidre thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

Well, when I went off on my own 5 yrs. ago I did look back at what I had done in my career over the last 15+years and one of those defining moments for me was being a part of the birth of my nephew. It is still one of the most beautiful births I have ever been a part of. I get goosebumps and teary eyed thinking about that day.

I lived in the middle of the rocky mountains in beautiful Colorado. The closest hospital at the time was a good 30-40 minutes away, this was no big deal as my very pregnant sister in law had chosen to birth at a birth center just outside of the Denver metro area. This would be a 1.5 hr drive and depending on the weather could take us much longer. She had started having mild contractions the night before and by 5 pm they were progressively getting stronger. I finally got the call that they were loading the van. We were all going to be staying at a hotel a few miles away from the birthing center and there we would stay until my SIL was in Active labor. My SIL was amazing the whole car trip to the hotel. Her contractions were coming pretty regularly and we were about 30 min from the birthing center. Two contractions later and she was in full blown active labor and we headed straight to the birthing center and skipped the hotel.

Upon arriving at the birth center the midwives ushered us right into the room my sister in law had chosen which was almost like being in a cabin in the middle of the woods. There was a queen size log bed, and a large birthing pool in the room that was filled with warm water and was ready for our laboring Mama. She chose right away to get into the pool as she was now feeling lots of pressure and felt ready to push. We got into the birthing pool (yes, I got in the birthing pool too.) and I have never in my life seen a woman go so deep into herself. Between contractions I rubbed her tail bone and squeezed her hips. After the fourth push out into my hands came a beautiful sac with a beautiful baby boy in it. I quickly pushed him up into his parents arms where mama broke the sac and this amazing little human took his first breath.

Being born “en caul” occurs in less than one in 80,000 births. This was my first experience as a Maternity Massage Therapist and my first birth as a Doula. What a rush that was.

Deidre, 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?

My name is Deidre A. Baker, owner, massage therapist, and certified Labor Doula at Relaxing Point Massage. There are those moments… quiet, magical moments, that are precious and profound all at once. I believe that when we bring ease and comfort to another soul, something inside ourselves shifts and we step into an experiential way of walking in this world. This moment happened for me at one of the toughest times in my life. At 16, Massage Therapy revealed itself to me during ongoing treatment for my Mom, who was struggling with Multiple Sclerosis. After watching my mother suffer for years struggling against Multiple Sclerosis, I got to witness firsthand as massage and acupuncture provided relief that dozens upon dozens of medications and injections could not. So, immediately after high school I dove headfirst into the world of therapeutic massage. After graduating High School in 2004, I knew becoming a Massage Therapist would be one of the most rewarding ways to open the doorway to a new way of healing. I attended The Denver School of Massage Therapy. I completed 815 hours of training, a cadaver lab and 90 days working in a hands-on clinic graduating in the Spring of 2006.
In my nearly twenty years of experience in this field, starting in Colorado and moving to Arizona, I have worked with a wide variety of medical professionals including: medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, doctors of Chinese medicine, athletic trainers, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists and nutritionists. I have always provided specialized care and customized treatment plans for my clients needs. It was in 2019 though, when I started my own business and began working alongside an acupuncture practitioner specializing in women’s health and fertility, and witnessed the benefits and need for that type of work, that I began specializing in fertility and pregnancy massage, reconnecting me to the passion for that aspect of my work that I had developed so early in my career. As a mother myself, I have experienced the struggle with infertility and can relate to women in the journey of fertility and pregnancy.I believe in holding space and providing a safe environment, in which people can be heard, have their concerns addressed, and be treated with dignity and respect, during a time that by its very nature, leaves them feeling particularly vulnerable. I support the entire journey from helping with fertility for conception through postpartum, with massage techniques specific to each stage. Fertility massage to help with conception, Prenatal Massage to relieve the common aches and pains during pregnancy, Stimulation Massage, which at 39 weeks of pregnancy, MAY help induce labor, and Postpartum Massage to help ease pain and stress following delivery. I completed my certification as a Labor Doula to provide emotional and physical support to mothers during labor and delivery. The magical transformation that begins with the onset of labor and culminates with the birth of your baby is an unparalleled experience. It is riddled with excitement and drizzled with apprehension. It is also an area I have found to be lacking in support and education, where women experience lack of choice about where, how and with whom they give birth, and disrespectful care, including procedures performed without consent or outright bullying to insure compliance, rather than understanding that a woman is the expert on her body and her baby, and must be involved in informed decisions about her care in respectful collaboration with her care providers, being treated with humanity and respect, even when the woman makes a decision that may not be what a care provider recommends. As a Doula, I provide emotional, informational, physical and mental support to women and their partners during the prenatal, birth and postpartum periods, so that women know their options and have the tools to advocate for themselves. At Relaxing Point I will help to ease all of your worries and assist you in navigating everything with confidence, to ensure that you experience a positive and safe birth whether at home, in a birthing center, or at a hospital. You deserve happy memories of your birth experience. I have invested hundreds of hours into continuing my education, learning new modalities, and developing techniques and treatments all my own. Drawing from this expansive and integrative well of knowledge and experience is a big part of the reason I am able to deliver enjoyable and effective treatments customized to each client’s needs, that often produce more real world results in fewer treatments. Massage is much more than a career; it’s a passion, a life’s pursuit, for me. The Doula aspect of this work is very fulfilling to me personally, and I would be honored to support any Mama on their journey. The connection and relationship with Mamas and their babies is something special to me and I love being a part of bringing those new lives into the world.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building and maintaining relationships with other providers and my clients.

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

I treat everyone that comes in my treatment room like they are a member of my family and my family only gets the very best! This has led to growth through word of mouth and a very loyal clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: relaxingpointmassage.com
• Instagram: RelaxingPoint
• Facebook: RelaxingPoint

Image Credits
P.S. love, Mommy Doula Services-Latisa Ratliff Kaylee Michelle Photography-Kaylee Fialkosky