Allyce Riemenschneider
“I think the confidence came from my mom. She taught me that my body was designed to give birth and that it was a natural part of life that should not be feared. I remember laying my head on her soft stomach and feeling comforted and safe. She never judged her body or said an unkind thing about it. I think that’s a huge part of why I was drawn to birth work. I realized women often don’t know how powerful they are and what their bodies are capable of. I want to be there to remind them.
It's always been interesting to me that we prepare for certain things like weddings, vacations, parties, marathons, etc. with the utmost detail and attention. Justifiably so. With birth, so many leave it "up to chance." Or with a "whatever happens" attitude.
Don't get me wrong, there can be unexpected things that come up but why wouldn't we put in our utmost preparation and attention?
More than physical comfort measures, we have to prepare our minds, hearts and souls for this powerful download and transition that will take place.
We have to shed old beliefs, traumas & hurts. We have to work through old patterns we may be holding onto.
Nobody’s story is the same and every birth is totally different, but I try to get the mother to think about what she wants. She might want to deliver under a tree or only have certain people in the room with her. Of course you don’t always get the exact experience you were hoping for, but every time we deliver a baby into the world I grow more deeply respectful of our capacity as humans to work together. In the doula certification course I took they describe us doulas as family advocates. There’s no “you” or “me”. It’s all of us working with the mother to bring this new life into the world.
My happiest moments have been the minutes after the baby has arrived and the energy in the room shifts. There’s so much energy in the room. It’s a little bit like coming down off of a high after a great workout. You’re tired and proud. And happy.
I always wish everyone could know that birth is usually peaceful. It’s not like the movies. Every time I witness a birth I think, ‘unbelievable’. I cannot believe I get to do this as my job.”
To follow Allyce on Instagram you can go here: @allyce_reimer
To contact her for birth doula services you can email her allyce.riemer@gmail.com or visit her site HERE.
