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

Leah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

In my practice, I challenge what women are being told every day about their bodies and how to birth their babies. Is there a giant liability to liberating women to face the fears looming over them by the medical society? Yes, it is an enormous risk, and yet, I do this work by helping women reignite their intuition and return to the wise women within.

Leah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My brand is about liberation. Sanctioning women to make embodied decisions in their childbearing years and reclaiming femininity through gentle, informed care, bodywork, and empowered birth. Women with body literacy knowledge can proudly impact their wellness and future generations’ well-being. With knowledge of the feminine body, we can restore health and fertility, reclaim vaginal birth, and bring harmony to the mental welfare of new mothers.

It was my birth journey that opened my eyes to the prenatal/postnatal care being offered to women. I had an emergency hospital birth with my son in 2006, and I stayed in the hospital for 3 months after him being born. I was a young mother, naive of birth, and had not yet developed my voice of advocacy as most women have not at 20 years of age. I believe the generic care women receive in the hospital does not honor any woman’s initiation to motherhood; in fact, it constantly beats her intuition down and convinces her that she does not know how to care for her infant—the “knowing” of how to mother is inside every woman who is bonded to their baby. Fast forward to 2014, when I was assisted in my living room by a midwife to deliver a healthy 9-pound baby girl in a water-filled tub. The following postnatal days were spent cuddling my infant at home, in the safety of my bed, with the people I loved the most, my older children and husband. The birth of my daughter was a stark contrast to the medically assisted care in 2006 with my son in the hospital. What is missing from modern-day healthcare is intentional awareness of the bond of mother/ baby first as the care priority.

It is said you do not get into this work by chance, but you are called. I got into this work after years of being a stay-at-home mother. Longing to find my soul’s purpose, I stumbled upon the Artists Way by Julia Cameron. The pages of rediscovering myself through the Artist Way shed light on this path of healing women. I always knew women-centered care was a part of my legacy, but the book helped me dream of navigating my way there. I took my first fertility certification in 2019, followed by a doula certification in the spring of 2020, the beginning of many certifications since that time. I offer a range of services for women from pre-conception through postpartum. My practice emphasizes holistic health care rooted in wise and ancient traditions of fertility and birth. It is every woman’s birthright to understand her body. I offer a mix of traditional and modern solutions to achieve natural pregnancy and primal birth.

I am most proud of my desire to learn and provide a service to women unique to Western health care. I have taken several out-of-country trips to learn from Indigenous healers like Dona Rafaela and Naoli Vinaver. I learned Mayan abdominal massage from Rafeala and traveled to Brazil to learn traditional midwifery from Naoli Vinaver. Revering a native-rooted model of feminine care is at the center of my work. I love traditional medicine, and reviving this forgotten care for women is integral to my job as a full-spectrum doula.

I’ve completed many apprenticeships here in the States to learn to assist in home birth, Mercier Therapy, which involves adjusting the pelvic bowl and manipulating the ovaries for natural conception, and period coaching school, which helps women troubleshoot menstrual cycle issues. My drive to learn and be mentored to give back to my clients creates a heartfelt experience and non-conventional approach. I plan to practice in a way that is a sanctuary for women seeking alternative solutions throughout their child-bearing years.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Getting out there and creating networks with other women who are professionals in like-minded fields. In the beginning, most of my work was done by referrals. Taking free opportunities to teach or talk on subjects and word of mouth, happy clients send more clients!

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

My first year was slow, and I felt like things would never pick up. I used the slow times to build education resources and teaching materials, write contracts, and take additional classes. Not giving up on your dream and celebrating all the small wins is essential in those first few years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leahroshelfellers.com
• Instagram: leahroshel_fellers

Image Credits

Larissa Payao
Leah