We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Renee Woodward a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Renee, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

As a postpartum Doula, I see many things. Private, up close, and personal. My job is all about creating a safe place and connection with other human beings. Being a night Doula I am drawn into the most vulnerable part of a birthing person’s life. It’s a time of bliss and exhaustion. I’m the person that will contain emotions, calm fears, and provide non-judgmental information during this time. It’s what I do best.

A few years ago a second-time mother hired me as her night doula after getting a referral from a friend and knowing I specialize in breastfeeding. She had had a difficult time breastfeeding her first child and wanted to be sure she was setting herself up with the support and information she needed to be successful.
Night after night I took her baby to her to nurse and answered all of her questions. I validated her feelings and gave her feedback and resources to use when medical needs were out of my scope. One night early on her baby was having a difficult time latching, mama and baby were both crying. I crawled up in bed with her and her baby and supported them both in achieving a deep latch. It was at that moment that she lit up with a smile and understood the difference between a deep latch and a shallow latch. This is why I do this job. That moment created a long-lasting breastfeeding journey for them both. And in a few months, I will be supporting them with their 3rd child!! I love my job!

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

Hello! Thanks for having me on your platform.

I’m Renee Woodward – I’m a certified Postpartum Doula, certified Newborn Care Specialist, and certified Breastfeeding Specialist. I work overnight shifts with families after the birth of their baby. I also teach private in-home newborn care classes and in-person classes at Austin Birth Company.

I say it all the time…I love my job!!

I started down my path when I was 19 years old and took a job in the baby room at a child care center in Irving, Texas. I absolutely loved it–being there for the infants, tending to beautiful babies, and helping them discover the world was a complete joy. I knew I wanted to learn more; luckily, the center had an internship program. I was able to work days and take classes at night to earn my Childcare Professional Certification.

At the same time, I was an aspiring musician–and like many other aspiring musicians in Texas, I chased that dream to Austin. Soon I had a job as a nanny during the day and was playing music at night. It was a magical time in my life and a wonderful time to be in Austin in general. I got to sing and collaborate with amazing performers. I ended up writing songs for movies, recording my own albums, and touring the United States and Europe–but the whole time, I never stopped nannying.

In 2009 I had a daughter of my own and decided to slow down my life in the music world. I kept working as a newborn nanny and went back to school in 2012 to earn my Newborn Care Specialist Certification. I even started teaching newborn care classes, but as much as I still enjoyed newborn care, having my own child changed me. It put me in the shoes of all of the mamas I was working with and gave me a whole new perspective. Suddenly something felt like it was missing from my job, and I wanted to learn how to emotionally support the whole family after birth, especially the mother or birthing person.

So in 2018, I set out to earn my Postpartum Doula Certification. That was the missing piece of the puzzle: There is no greater feeling for me than to help my clients gain confidence in their own parenting, to show them how to care for their newborns, and watch them begin to trust themselves and parent intuitively. My goal is to work myself out of a job. I started working as an apprentice to Ruth Bailey to hone my doula skills–she taught me so much back then about what a mama truly needs, and I’m forever grateful. Since then, I’ve ventured out on my own as Hey Doula Renée, working as a doula and teaching newborn care classes at the amazing Austin Birth Company.

In 2021, I went back to school (again) and earned my Breastfeeding Specialist Certification. It was fascinating! It’s been exciting bringing those new skills to the families I work with. My goal is to always be a student of life and give back all I learn.

(And yes… I still play shows and write new songs) In fact, I’ll be recording my 3rd record in the coming months and will hopefully release it next year! reneewoodwardmusic.com

dou·la: A woman who serves. : A professional trained to provide emotional, physical, and informational support to the birthing person throughout their pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period.

As a postpartum doula, I support families through a major change during the most blissful and exhausting time of their lives. I’m trained to observe, listen and contain. I offer a knowledgeable, safe, and soft place for vulnerable parents to lean into. Every family is different and what works for one family may not work for another. I’m constantly looking for solutions that best fit each family.

I’ve always danced to the beat of my own drum and followed what feels good and right to me. I have taken many risks in my life, from moving away from my family to setting foot on that first musical stage (where my legs shook uncontrollably) to going back to school. What has helped me the most is having a strong support system. People in my life who know my values and what’s truly important to me.

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

As a newborn nanny early on I was very opinionated. Almost believed that there was only one way to raise and care for an infant…this was before I had my own child. I would tell new mothers, how to sleep, feed, and care for their babies not understanding the emotion and connection that was taking place between them.

The birth of my daughter changed me… I made a lot of phone calls apologizing to mamas and explaining that I just didn’t know what it was like.

At this point in my life and career, I have no judgment. Just information and understanding. What works for one family may not work for another. It’s a nice place to be. I approach all situations with love and compassion.

Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?

I just want to tell all aspiring Doulas out there…you can do this!

It does not take a lot of money to begin. There are courses and communities online. Join them. Get involved.

I didn’t have much money initially, so I spread out my certifications and saved as much as possible for my next classes and workshops. I was constantly working, learning, and building. As you work with families you will start getting referrals and building your clientele. Specialize in something related to the field to set yourself apart. I specialize in breastfeeding, some specialize in sleep. Follow your passion and the avenues they take you down.

And lastly, find your people. Surrounding yourself with supportive, honest people who love you is important. Not everyone is going to believe in what you’re doing or hold you up high, but the ones who do–the ones who remind you of your strengths and who are kind and generous even when asking tough questions–those are the ones to keep.

Take pride in your work and your clients will have pride in you!

Contact Info:

• Website: heydoularenee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heydoularenee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heydoularenee/
• Other: reneewoodwardmusic.com

Image Credits
Tori Listoe – Stories Through Tori Dave Prewitt – CapZeyeZ