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

Renelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

My path to becoming a HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator wasn’t one I had anticipated during my early years. Originally aspiring to be a teacher, life took an unexpected turn when I found myself pregnant with my first son during my second year of massage school. This life-changing event sparked a deep interest in understanding the physiological changes in a woman’s body throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

My journey into motherhood was a mix of excitement and fear, but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as positively as I had hoped. Despite diligently reading recommended books and preparing for childbirth, I felt unprepared, disempowered, and like my knowledge and understanding of my own body were disregarded during my birth experience.

Then… the pandemic happened when my oldest son was 7 weeks old. Being at home, with a newborn, during a pandemic had its own challenges. But it also led me to evaluate life and what I wanted my career to look like. I randomly came across the HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator and signed up, took the training and started teaching classes (online) right away.

Little did I know that I would become pregnant soon after. This time, I hired a doula and had a beautiful empowered HypnoBirth. Parents in my classes kept asking “Are you a doula? Will you be our doula?” So, during my second ‘mat leave’ (it’s not really a mat leave when you’re a mompreneur), I took the doula training and started supporting birthing couples.

Being new in the world of birth can sometimes be daunting. It can feel like you’re inexperienced, and that no one will ever hire you as a doula. Three things that helped me overcome these challenges were:
1. connecting with other doulas in my community and leaning on them for mentorship and support
2. doing weekly (and even daily) mindset check-ins with myself, and journaling, using affirmations (and even combining the two with a process called PSYCH-K)
3. hiring someone to help me develop my brand

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Ok, maybe I answered part of this in my last answer!

I am Renelle and I am the owner/founder of Birth & Blossom.

Birth & Blossom exists to take care of mothers by providing holistic support and empowering knowledge for all aspects of motherhood from pregnancy. birth, and beyond. The heart of Birth & Blossom is that every mother would receive what she needs to feel confident in her parenting decisions, surrounded by other women who care for her and her children.

I provide childbirth education, doula support, massage therapy and craniosacral therapy for infants.

As I move into my second year of business, I am once again shifting some of my services online. I have been receiving requests for support from parents who are not local to where I live (Saskatoon, SK), so I have decided to expand my reach by shifting some services online. Stay tuned for Birth & Blossom 2.0!

I love supporting women who
– have experienced anxiety, birth trauma, or are lacking a support system as they experience pregnancy
– are passionate about personal growth, manifestation, learning about parenting and pregnancy, and tapping into better ways to live
– are motivated by meaningful desires (to be more present with loved ones, enjoy her hobbies more, feel better in her body, build a resilient mindset)

Can you talk to us about how you funded your firm or practice?

I am sharing this story because, those who know me, know that I love manifesting. And I also love helping others manifest their dreams.

I also want to preface this by saying that you don’t need a lot of capital to enter the world of birth work.

I was in a place where I felt like I was running 2 businesses – my massage business and my HypnoBirthing/doula business. I say this is how it felt, because I had 2 websites, 2 instagram accounts, and it was becoming a lot. So I wanted to rebrand and really create something I was proud of, a business that could grow with me.

I had found this brand workshop in Saskatoon, and I inquired about it, but it was out of my budget. So, I said to myself “It’s ok. The funds will present themselves when the timing is right.” And I let it go. It wasn’t long after that the workshop host emailed me saying someone had dropped out of the workshop, and that they wanted to offer me a spot at a very reduced fee. I signed up! It was meant to be, and this workshop brought a lot of vision and clarity to my business.

But after that, I knew it was time for a rebrand – to work with a designer and to really hone in on the direction I wanted my business to take. Once again, the price tag was a little out of reach. This time, I put ‘Birth & Blossom’ (the name I had picked for my business) on a post-it on my vision board. Once again, I let it go and said to myself “The money will show up one day.”

Weeks later, I received a card in the mail out of the blue, from my grandparents, with cheque in it for a sum of money that covered the cost of this rebrand.

Some call it luck, but I share my story because things often seem out of reach, but the truth is: the Universe always has your back and is conspiring in your favour. Anything is possible.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think success as a doula involves a holistic approach that encompasses both the professional and personal aspects of your role. It’s about building meaningful connections, continuously learning, and making a positive impact on the birthing experience for your clients.

A few things come to mind:

Empathy and Compassion:
Success as a doula often hinges on the ability to genuinely connect with and understand the emotions of the families you support. Cultivate empathy and compassion to create a supportive and comforting environment, helping moms feel safe, heard and supported.

Flexibility and Adaptability:
Birth can be unpredictable, and being able to adapt to different situations is key. Flexibility allows doulas to navigate various birth scenarios and provide continuous support.

Self-Care Practices:
Supporting others can be emotionally demanding. Doulas should prioritize their own well-being by practicing self-care regularly, ensuring they have the emotional capacity to offer support to their clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.birthandblossom.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthandblossom

Image Credits
All of the photos: Tammy Zdunich ( The Happy Creative )