Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Rae Brusch. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Kelly has been supporting pregnant and postpartum families since 2018. She has practiced doula support all over the country and has recently returned to her home state of California, where she offers both birth and postpartum doula services and childbirth education. She is a trained Cornerstone Doula, a full spectrum, intersectional doula training to learn how to support all birthing people and their communities. In addition to learning birth anatomy/physiology and how to provide physical comfort measures, we are trained in implicit bias, birth, and reproductive justice, trauma-informed care, and informed decision-making.
Additionally, Kelly has her graduate degree in Counseling, is a certified yoga teacher, and has advanced training in maternal movement for optimal fetal positioning. She is passionate about educating families on the birthing process and how to help babies get into the best possible position for birth.
Kelly lives in Vista, CA with her husband and two daughters who were both born with the support of loving doulas!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Doula work is incredibly rewarding, but it’s not for everyone! Living a life “on-call” can be challenging for anyone – but especially as a mother to two young children. I had to wait until my children were a bit older before I could offer birth doula support (I started on the postpartum side, where you are not “on-call”).
My children and partner know that when I am called to a birth that I may be home before sunrise, OR I could be home a day or two later. They know I may miss special events, holidays, or birthdays. We cannot travel outside of a 2-hour radius when I am on call. Doula work impacts the whole family.
How we cope with this is by having a strong support network and community. I also take time off from being on-call a few times a year and that is when we can plan travel.
My family is the best! They support me 100% and they are happy to have a mommy that is so fulfilled by her work and who is helping other families grow and feel supported.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Hi! I’m Kelly, a birth doula serving North County San Diego.
A doula is a non-medical support person you can add to your birth team. People hire doulas for all kinds of reasons, some of them include:
– to support them in their goal to have an unmedicated birth
– to reduce the chance their birth will end up in a cesarean
– to help make a labor induction a better experience and to reduce the amount of interventions used during birth
– to act as a patient advocate in a hospital setting
– to educate them on their birth options before going into labor
AND SO MUCH MORE.
Multiple randomized control studies have found that the presence of a trained doula benefits everyone. The studies have consistently shown that doula care is associated with shorter labors, less use of epidurals and other pain medications, lower episiotomy rates, and as much as a 50% reduction in the C-section rate. Research has also shown better clinical outcomes for both the birthing parent and the baby (including fewer admissions to neonatal special care units, better breastfeeding rates, and better family bonding). A doula also provides care for the birthing person’s partner and other family members, assists busy hospital staff, saves money, and greatly increases a birth person’s overall satisfaction with their birthing experience.
My birth doula package includes 3 prenatal visits, attending your entire birth through the first 1-2 hours after your baby is born, and 1 postpartum visit within a week after birth. I also offer private childbirth education classes.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I am the oldest sibiling of 3 and was always drawn to the helping profession. I was the friend that people came to with their problems and secrets 🙂 I was always fascinated by the human body and the reproductive system from a young age – very curious about how babies are made and enter this world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kelly-rae.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/doulakellyrae
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/doulakellyrae
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCAFtCYZzYY7qRFEKT8BgyUg
