We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Krisha Crosley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Krisha, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I had an 80 hour birth!! If you don’t know how long 80 hours is…that is 4 days!! 4 days of consistent 5 minute apart contractions. Days in, I was wracking my brain on how am I going to help this baby cross her finish line naturally…I finally asked the husband, “do y’all have a rolling pin in your kitchen?” He replied “YES”.
I used the rolling pin to roll out her muscles in her legs and pelvis area. She started saying “ohhh that feels so good. Don’t stop.” Her tones of labor and body movements started to change. Thought to myself ‘Was I on to something?’ It was working so I kept doing it. Taking turns with her husband rolling out her muscles and body tissues through every contraction. At 79 hours she was spontaneously pushing!! 1 hour later she birthed her 10 pound 2 ounce baby!!
In doula training, we are trained to provide comfort measure support physically, mentally and emotionally through the birthing process. We are educated in providing resources to expecting families so they can make educated decisions about their birthing experience, know the stages/phases of labor and support the family in what they desire for their birthing experience.
This birth changed my perspective on childbirth. I became a full believer a woman’s body is created to birth her baby and will stretch just enough to have her baby!
I had used all my doula training techniques; I am an advanced skill set birth doula, I have many techniques. I had to think outside the box!! Dug deep, many years back into my biology degree, my athletic volleyball career being a Division 1 athlete and applied those skill sets. I was able to figure out the biomechanics of the body to help this mom achieve her natural birth experience with a true “BIG BABY”!! Baby crossed her finish line nothing but natural!!
I realized, I can TRAIN expecting moms for birth!! My TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshop was born. I started taking natural birth expecting families who desire a home or birth center birthing experience. I observed their movements during the natural birthing process. I came up with exercise, stretches and movements for expecting moms to practice the last month of pregnancy, based on what their body was already doing naturally during labor.
This lead to midwives asking me “Why are your moms birthing so fast? What are you doing?” My reply “training them for birth.” My training program was working! Babies are in more optimal position for birth, reduction in labor hours, moms “in shape” to give birth and willing to work through the birthing process. They had more endurance and stamina to hold themselves up and change positions during labor! AND they stepped up to the starting line of their birthing game day with confidence!!
I started holding TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshops monthly at the Fort Worth Birthing & Wellness Center, 3 years ago. Training expecting moms and their support person in the natural birth process. They learned exercises, stretches, movements, techniques, comfort measures to condition their body and mind for natural birth. The support person learned how to be an active supporter through the process. They left my workshop with a training program to practice daily the last month of pregnancy.
Then 2020 temporarily stopped the in person workshops. I started holding virtual group workshops monthly and then added virtual private workshops based on requests for those who wanted a one on one with me.
Here I am 3 years later, still training expecting families for their desired natural birth experiences. I resumed in person workshops at the birth center monthly at the beginning 2021. I added private in home one on ones in the DFW area to train couples upon request, I still train virtually to families all over the world!!
That one birth changed my life. That one birth changed the way I doula. That one birth changed the way I see the natural innate birthing process women are blessed with. That one birth has lead to countless expecting families across our planet achieving their desire natural birth experience through my workshop. Thank you to the couple that help me make these amazing changes!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have been married to the love of my life for over 25 years. We met in Austin, Texas and now reside in DFW, Texas area. We have 2 young adult kids. We are a very athletic family and all we know is athlete. I played Division 1 volleyball on a full athletic scholarship back in the 90s and have a Bachelors of Science in Biology.
I became a birth doula in 2013 after realizing I would be fired as a stay at home mom when my kids turned 18 in 5 years. I decided I would help other parents with growing their families. My passion in life is to help others.
I spent 5 years getting experience as a birth doula in all different environments. I fell in love with home and birth center environments and moved my doula practice to accommodate expecting families who desired the same. The last 3 years I have put a lot of time, study, observation, attending births, training families, mentoring other doulas into expanding my doula practice and workshops. I am currently focused on expanding my TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshops to as many expecting families as possible across the world.
My TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshop has grown very fast in the last year!! All my TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshop options are on my website trainforbirth.com.
2021 I started training birth doulas in my area TRAIN FOR BIRTH style. 2023 I will be releasing my virtual TRAIN FOR BIRTH workshop for birth doulas. I have requests from doulas and midwives all over the planet wanting this incredible training about natural birth based on what they see on my social media platforms. Shortly to follow a TRAIN FOR BIRTH certification program for birth doulas to be certified in this advanced skill set. There is only 1 me! I am working as fast as I can to satisfy all the requests.
My passion lies with first time moms and women with a heart of an athlete who desire a home or birth center birthing experience. I will train you like an athlete for the one day you step up to your starting line of your birthing game day to labor your baby across your finish line with confidence. My unique style of education with demonstration has been positively acknowledged by many. I really appreciate all of your positive feedback, beautiful birth stories and cute baby photos.
Join my social media family on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok for the latest positive birth stories and videos to help you achieve your desired natural birth experience, @serenitylifedoula.
Train your body, Train your mind, Labor you baby across your finish line. -Krisha
How did you build your audience on social media?
CONSISTENCY!! You have to be consistent with posts, videos, comments and answering messages EVERY SINGLE DAY!! My first video went viral 3 weeks in of posting videos and content daily. I went from less than a 1000 followers to 10k followers in 3 weeks on IG. I have multiple viral videos on all 3 platforms 1 year later. Tiktok I grew to over 100k followers in less than 6 months. One video went viral and landed me an interview with BuzzFeed last year which grew to more followers.
Post content that speaks to your followers. Post content that speaks the TRUTH about your professional expertise. I branded myself based on what I like and decided I would attract people just like me. People would comment how they enjoyed my videos because there was silent. All the others videos where loud and then they see my videos which caught their attention. Based on my followers feedback, I grew to silent videos totally by accident!
Listen to your followers. Provide them what they want to learn and hear from you in your own unique way. Be true to yourself and true to your followers. Become an opinion leader in your professional expertise.
Be consistent! Be unique! You are the captain of your passion, so create it!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Demonstrating my expertise and knowledge. I am a firm believer the more knowledge you have on a subject the better educated decisions you will make about that subject. I am constantly studying my profession so I can turn around and educate expecting families. There is a lot of knowledge about childbirth to weed through for the truth. There are many more births I still need to experience to grow more.
As a doula, I have demonstrated my doula skill sets at births. Midwives have seen my doula skills and the results from my skill set. My doula families obtain their desired natural birth experience and then share with expecting families they know. Word of mouth travels fast!!
My videos are out for all to see on social media. Everyone needs to know the real, raw truth about childbirth. What we are conditioned to see on a regular basis in the movies and TV is not reality. It is ACTING! I am working on bringing up the awareness of the innate birthing process and overall lowering the cesaeran rate in our country. The only way that will happen is educating more and more expecting family on the truth about childbirth. Everyone deserves to know the truth and observe it with their own eyes to see if that is the truth for them.
I will continue to keep putting my education out there for all to see as an option. Those who find interest in my professional expertise will become followers and word of mouth encouragers to others.
Overall the positive feedback from those who have trained with me and their positive birth stories!
Contact Info:
- Website: krishacrosley.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/serenitylifedoula
- Facebook: facebook.com/serenitylifedoula
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/krishacrosley
- Other: tiktok.com/serenitylifedoula
Image Credits
no professional photographers pictures are used.