Today we’d like to introduce you to Heza Litteken.
Hi Heza, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I knew I wanted to be a doula the moment I learned what one was. The first birth I attended was while I was doing my doula program, I was so excited, but nervous. I hadn’t been present for a birth before. When I was a senior in high school I got to be with my aunt while she labored with her first baby, It was intense. I was very honored that she invited me into her labor space the way she did, and she answered any questions I had about what was happening or what she was feeling, her entire birth team was amazing as well; her nurses were so informative! I learned a lot that night, not just about the process of childbirth, but about how to support someone during childbirth as well, how to be present for them in a potentially vulnerable time. When the time came for me to be present at my first birth as a doula, I had no idea what to expect. I knew it wasn’t like the movies, but I still didn’t know exactly what to expect. I will never forget the palpable atmosphere in the delivery room, the way time feels like it stands still but somehow speeds up at the same time as soon as the baby is born. My favorite part of being there for a birth is being able to see my client meet their babies for the first time, It’s the most magical and surreal thing every single time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t always a smooth road deciding what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do something within the medical industry, preferably the labor and delivery world, but I truly thought my only options were to be the OB or to be a labor and delivery nurse; and neither of those really resonated with me. when I graduated high school I felt pressured to choose something so that I was going to college along with everyone I graduated with, so I enrolled in a phlebotomy program. I graduated the program, and it was a lot of fun, but I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life, so I went back to school. When I went back, I went for Surgical Technology. I did a year and a half of this before I ended up dropping out due to life events. While I was taking my break I did tons of thinking, reflecting and research, My best friend, who’s also a doula, told me it might be something I would be interested in so I looked into it – and low and behold that was it; my calling. I knew it then that was what I wanted to do. Once I got to a stable point where going back to school was manageable, I enrolled into a birth and postpartum doula program ran by a certified nurse midwife, and started working my way to where I am now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Baby Bloom Doulary?
My business offers birth and postpartum services to those who are about to or just had a baby. My services are full spectrum, meaning I offer support from the minute you find out you’re pregnant, to after your baby is born. As a doula, I offer help with building a birth plan so your whole birth team knows your preferences, emotional and physical support throughout labor and delivery by offering pain relief techniques and coping mechanisms, as well as postpartum support after the baby is born and your primary job is bonding with baby. On top of these services I also offer placenta encapsulation, as well as breastmilk jewelry.
With my business I’m most proud of the relationships I’m able to build with my clients throughout our time together. Whether it’s a regular jewelry customer or one of my doula clients that lets me know how much they appreciate my support, I’m just happy that I’m able to be there for my clients during these life milestones.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband has been so supportive, from the minute I decided to go back to school, to helping me take headshots to send in for this interview, he’s always my biggest cheerleader when it comes to my business moves. Being a doula isn’t a “get rich quick” job, it’s more of a labor of love, so I’m very grateful that he’s supportive of me doing something I love and am passionate about, even though I’m sure there’s higher paying gigs out there.
My Aunt Rose for sharing her sacred space with me for her first birth, she absolutely did not have to do that, but she knew I was considering taking medical classes after high school, and she felt it would be an educational and informative thing for me to experience, and it totally was. I learned about the raw, super strength of women that evening, the way our bodies just know what to do to bring life earthside will always be real life magic in my eyes.
My best friend Brittany, my doula bestie. I wouldn’t have even known about this path if it weren’t for her. She was always willing to help me when I was in school, if I had any questions she was there to answer, and she even let me shadow her for a couple of births for some hands on training, which was a huge help! hands on training is the best way to learn when it comes to this kind of work.
Pricing:
- I offer a sliding scale for pricing, so that everyone, no matter their income, has a chance at getting a doula. I believe everyone who’s having a baby deserves a doula.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.babybloomdoulary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baby_bloom_doulary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Baby-Bloom-Doulary-61554676017167/
Image Credits
All photos taken by Heza, submitted with clients permission, baby’s face blurred for protection.
