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

Hi Leah, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I grew up in Seattle, Washington. When I was seven years old, my parents got divorced and my Dad moved to Houston, Texas where he was based as an airline pilot. By the time I graduated high school, I was unsure what I wanted to “do for the rest of my life”. I explored teaching, journalism, and even becoming a flight attendant. I am incredibly grateful my Dad explained how flight attendants are treated and the not-so-glamorous life of living in hotels. My Mom always supported me and would say often, “do what you love and the money will follow”. While taking college courses at the community college, I ended up working for an insurance company that paid my tuition. After 2 years of sitting in a cubicle 8 hours a day, it was clear I needed to pivot. Ultimately, I found my way into the yoga and fitness world and moved to San Diego to start my own business. I am so grateful to both of my parents for giving me the space and time to figure it out, while learning important lessons along the way. Almost 20 years later, I have created a career supporting families throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It’s a dream I get to do this work, and can honestly say, I LOVE it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been working with women, teaching yoga, strength coaching, and nutrition for almost 20 years. When I got pregnant with my daughter in 2014, I decided I wanted to have an unmedicated birth and hired a birth doula. After having an incredibly supportive and empowering birth experience, I decided to become a doula. Whether I’m teaching women how to do pushups or how to breathe through a contraction, one thing remains the same: the power of the mind. Educating women and partners on the physiology of birth and bringing evidence-based research into outdated hospital settings, brings confidence and sets families up to have a positive birth experience. Helping women navigate pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period is a dream I never imagined myself in. It is an honor to walk this journey with my families and I can only hope every birthing person feels the strength and love I felt during the birth of my daughter. When you trust birth and hold space for families, there isn’t much room for fear and anxiety. Using breath work, prenatal yoga, and establishing a relationship with my families creates space for a loving, supportive birth experience.

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

In addition to training and knowledge, community amongst birth workers has been essential to succeed as a doula. Without the mentorship and resources from my peers, this work would quickly lead to burnout. I have been so grateful to call upon the wisdom and experience of other doulas in the community to guide and support my own clients and families. It could be a question about a high-risk pregnancy, or even a middle of the night text during a long birth. I can always count on my doula sisters to respond right away with an informed answer. In the rare case that births overlap, having a solid backup doula on call is essential. Knowing there is someone available to take over in the case of two babies making their way into the world at the same time, creates space to be fully present at a birth.

This community also extends into other prenatal specialists-acupuncturists, chiropractors, lactation educators, and pelvic floor therapists. This work is sacred and I couldn’t do it without my village.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve played sports most of my life. Soccer and fast-pitch softball through high school, teaching yoga and strength training after college, and eventually found my way into running marathons at the age of 30. After completing my second marathon, I started to notice pain throughout my groin and into my hip joint. I tried to ignore it; taking pain medications and getting cortisone shots to mask the bigger problem. At age 32, I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis. It got to the point where I could barely walk without a limp. The orthopedic surgeon sat down and told me I needed a full hip replacement. For someone who lived and breathed movement and exercise, this was devastating news. I was so scared to go through such a major surgery and waited another 4 months before finally deciding it had to be done. The chronic pain I endured for almost 2 years sent me into a deep depression. Everything I loved to do with my body became a source of frustration and resentment. I finally decided to surrender to my condition and found other ways to move and strengthen my body. Boxing and swimming turned out to be amazing replacements for the runners “high” I was missing. After my surgery, I began meditating to strengthen my biggest muscle-my mind. This turned out to be an essential part of having an unmedicated birth with my daughter and a huge tool in working with my clients. My journey with arthritis continues and I try to stay focused on what my body CAN do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zenmamasd.com
• Instagram: @zenmamsd
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/zen-mama-san-diego