Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gigi Vera Vincent. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gigi , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

With every client, I see the same expression cross their face once they’re shown an easier way to hold their baby, to feed their newborn, to change a diaper. It’s the face that says, “Ok, maybe I can do this.”

Recently, I arrived at my clients’ home; I could hear their newborn screaming from the driveway, so I could imagine that the parents felt overwhelmed. I held their baby while instructing them to take a few moments to themselves: take some deep breaths, grab a drink of water, sit in silence on the porch.

Once they came back, we spent time speaking about the morning and previous evening. We examined what was making them feel anxious and how they were responding, and we tried to imagine how their baby was feeling. Next, I showed both parents new ways to hold their baby and strategies for bringing calm energy when everyone felt like it was too much.

After we had their baby wrapped up in dad’s arms, both parents began to cry. They said they had been fighting and felt defeated, but holding their baby, starting to understand their baby, they knew they could do it.

These moments of parents gaining confidence and learning how to care for themselves and their baby are my “why,” and what keep me motivated.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I first heard of the term doula as a teenager when I was present for my sister-in-law’s births; while many think of doulas and automatically think of home births in bathtubs, I saw doulas providing support for hospital births – even cesareans. Then, after experiencing the process of birth and postpartum when I had my own children, I knew I wanted to advocate for parents during such an emotional and impactful time.

As a doula, I am an educator and an advocate for my clients. I teach childbirth education, focusing on guiding clients as they figure out what their dream birth looks and feels like. There are so many decisions to make when it comes to birth – from where to deliver and what labor positions feel right to what medications and interventions a client wants. So, with no judgment, I give evidence-based information about having a baby.

During pregnancy, I also strive to teach clients about creating the coveted “village.” Anyone who has had a baby without family nearby knows that it’s not easy to find the village, so I empower clients to make their own village – maybe with loved ones or maybe with people that they hire, like a doula.

Now, my passion lies in providing postpartum support. We focus so much on the birth that we often forget about what we’ll do when we bring a baby home; we assume that we’ll figure it out. Often, we don’t, and we spend hours googling or reading online groups for answers.

As a postpartum doula, I provide education – how to carry your baby, feed your baby, wear your baby, change your baby’s diaper, and more. I also provide rest – I can take your baby while you eat a nourishing meal or take a shower or a nap. And, I provide healing – through ancient practices, like Ayurvedic postnatal abhyanga, Malaysian Bengkung bellybinding, and herbs for teas and baths. My goal is to work myself out of a job – leaving clients feeling confident about weaving their baby into their lives.

And, for those who cannot easily access a doula – I have the Ready for Baby podcast, where I share evidence-based information about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first began working as a doula, I was sure that if people just learned more about what a doula does, they would immediately want to hire one. That if I could just explain the scope of what I do and the amazing support I provide to the skeptical parter or mother-in-law that I would convince them. That if I could just sit down with every Obstetrician and show them the facts about birth and postpartum, I would make them see the light.

I approached many networking conversations with this attitude (and, yeah, ok, sometimes I still do.) And it didn’t work.

It took me years to realize that every person is bringing their own experiences with pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the medical system to our conversations. Those experiences can make them biased against doulas, and no amount of convincing on my part can change their minds.

Now, I realize that there are so many people in the world who need and value the work of doulas. I can only do my best work and hope that their biases will fade in order to see the wide scope of a doulas work and how important they are for birth and postpartum.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I was never one of those parents that, during pregnancy, said they would never let their child (fill-in-the-blank,) watch television before two, sleep in my bed. I could go on and on. And as a doula, this approach has helped me to succeed.

There are so many ways to be pregnant. To give birth. To care for and raise a child. As a doula, it’s not my place to tell people how to do it because I don’t have all the answers. Instead, I view myself as a guide, empowering people to figure out their own way.

In my former career as a teacher, I took this same approach. I can’t force people to be ready to learn or do the work. I can provide all the tools and hold their hands while they figure it out.

So, the many trainings that I have taken – for baby wearing, lactation education, postnatal healing, and more – have all helped me fill my tool box with options that I can present to clients as they navigate the world of babies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.asimplehome.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_simple_home/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigi-vera-vincent-b8591b22b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuwV1YQHNlh_XjK4quQl3g
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fgDe7jLc0gzAVD9aUgtHX?si=9ceded5978b04c70

Image Credits
The Good Light Club https://www.instagram.com/thegoodlightclub/