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

Alright, Jay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

There was one conversation that got me started on my birth work journey, in my opinion it was a defining moment not only in my career but in my life as well.

In 2014, I was attending a local medical college working on my bachelors in EMS after having been in EMS for eleven years with eight as a Paramedic. For context, it is worth noting the typical “life span” of a Paramedic is 5 years. As part of my degree, I began working on a large independent study, on Obstetrics, in an effort to broaden my knowledge about all of the many issues I was never trained on in Paramedic school but could realistically see in the back of the unit. One of the aspects I incorporated into the study was an interview with a Male OB and a Female Midwife. I specifically chose to interview the Midwife, because much like a Paramedic they delivered babies outside of the hospital setting and could relate to dealing with issues and complications in the field as opposed to the controlled hospital environment. I asked both providers many of the same things, but while the OB kept blowing off my questions or actually asking me “why do you need to know that?” the Midwife spent a long time and brought out many models to fully answer all of my questions.

One question in particular I was very interested in was “do you believe that there is a Gender bias in Obstetrics?” the OB’s take was simply “there a hundred other OBs in this city, if they aren’t comfortable with a Male provider, there are many other Female providers they can go and see.”

What the Midwife said, will stay with me for the rest of my life: “I don’t care what gender you are, if you can do the job, and do the job well that is all that matters”

What that Midwife did not know at the time was that I was becoming burnt out from being a Paramedic and was actively looking for a change. This statement in conjunction with all that I was learning about Obstetrics, highlighted for me a very real and valid pathway forward. Within a year I had become a Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator, and two years later I got accepted into Midwifery school at the Midwives College of Utah.

Jay, 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?

Growing up in a family of Doctors, I was always fascinated by the human body but more specifically the healing arts. Being able to use your brain and hands to be able to help people really made a profound impact on me. Ironically, my entry into the healing arts led to me becoming the very first EMT and then Paramedic and now birth worker in my family! I honestly believe that my truest life’s calling is helping those in need. Which is something that was obvious to everyone except me until I got into birth work, lol.

I provide a number of services to my clients, but education is the underlying connective tissue between everything I offer. I wholeheartedly believe that knowledge is power. Fear comes from the unknown, the unexpected, the scary black abyss of not knowing what’s next. Knowledge obliterates fear. Regardless of what service I am providing, I want my client to feel educated, but more importantly empowered by that education to ask the questions, advocate for their opinions and needs, and be able to achieve the experience that they want.

As a Birth Doula, I provide 2 prenatal and 2 postpartum visits in addition to being on call in the weeks before delivery. I also tailor my services to each client, and so I can add in childbirth education, CPR, or formulation of a birth plan in addition to other client specific needs within their package, for no additional cost. Secondarily, because of all of my medical training, I can help translate the “medicalese”. this helps answer client questions about things they were told by their provider, they didn’t understand or were unsure about, particularly about why a test was being done/what it means etc. Ironically, I have also gotten compliments from many providers because my clients will ask them questions, and they appreciate having well informed patients! During labor and birth, I am with the client from start to finish helping them stay in the right mindset, labor and push effectively, and helping to advocate for their wants, wishes, and needs.

As an Educator: I offer a number of courses, from First Aid and CPR to Child Birth Education and breastfeeding/newborn care. Chances are, I offer the course that my client needs, and If I don’t, I probably know someone who does! I have also created the curriculum for my CBE course, and I am easily able to tailor it and the videos used towards my client’s needs. As I stated earlier, education is a big part of everything I do with my clients, so anyone who works with me will get to enjoy some aspect of this offering during their time as a client!

My work as a Doula is encompassed by a simple acronym: E.A.S.E.

Doula’s Educate, Advocate, Support, and Empower.

In addition to education, I wholeheartedly advocate for your needs and wishes in the birth room, and in conjunction with your partner, help enforce your birth plan. Simply I will do what I can to help you achieve the birth you want and support your wishes.

I support not only you but your partner during the entire late pregnancy, birth and early postpartum process. Additionally, as a Male Doula I have a unique understanding of both the needs and questions of the pregnant person in addition to their partner. This allows me the ability to equally communicate with both sides, which is often something the partner is not expecting. One of the most common fears the partner has about a doula is having their place being taken in the birth room and at least with me that is the farthest thing from the truth. I am actually well known for getting partners more hands on and involved in the birth process than they may have been previously!

I empower you, by giving you the tools to not only fully understand your care, but be in charge of it! I want you going into the birth room, feeling empowered to ask the questions, make the requests and voice your wants and needs. For many people, pregnancy, birth and postpartum can be overwhelming, but there is an inherent power in understanding the process and voicing your questions, comments and concerns that eliminates those feelings of anxiety.

I have spent my life helping those in need, first as a Boy Scout, then as an EMT/Paramedic, and now as a birth doula and Childbirth Educator. I can think of no better way to help my fellow human, than to help a new life come into the world. Being able to be in the room, as someone who might go on to do great things, takes their first breath, and watching the parents see their baby for the first time, is incredible no matter how many times I have seen it.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

First and foremost, you need to have a passion for helping people. births can often be long and monotonous; you sometimes do not have a chance to eat or go to the bathroom. when you’re on call you may have to miss important events, birthdays, weddings, etc.

Secondly, you need to have a strong stomach. Birth is messy, you will experience a wide variety of bodily fluids, smells, and sounds. As the Doula you need to be the strong one in the room, especially when the client and/or her partner may be freaking out, therefore if you throw up, pass out, etc you not only won’t be able to support your client, you may actually scare them more.

Lastly, you need to be a self-motivated, self-starter, there is no one perfect formula for running/growing a doula business. You have to be flexible, motivated and willing to build a company from the ground up. With my company, The Great Northwest Doula Service, I quite literally built it from scratch, to the point that I had never built a website before, created a Facebook business page, write out CBE curriculum, contracts and paperwork, etc. I had to teach myself these things, and it is constantly a work in progress. But going back to the first point, If you have the passion, you’ll find a way to make it happen!

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely and without question! I have the honor of being present for the greatest event life has to offer! I truly love what I do and they say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.greatnorthwestdoula.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChe9ux7Nnnmrz0JteRPB41A
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-great-northwest-doula-service-san-antonio?osq=the+great+northwest+doula+service
• Other: Better Business Bureau: https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/san-antonio/profile/doula/the-great-northwest-doula-service-0825-1000199250 Meela: https://www.hellomeela.com/listing/jay-rodriguez/