Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Breach.
Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Danielle!
I am a wife, mother of five and the Co-Founder of Mother Rising Women’s Studio. I am a Birth and Postpartum Doula here in the Cleveland area. I also teach infant care courses out of our studio in Chardon.
My story really started all the way back in my formative years. I struggled academically and with my self-esteem. So, when I got pregnant in high school, it was incredibly important to me to learn as much as I could about pregnancy, birth and raising an infant. I wanted to get it right. I wanted to prove that I could do this. Be a good mom and not fall victim to the stigma.
Not only did I read and learn as much as I could on the topic but I truly fell in love with all things pregnancy and birth. It was fascinating to me. When I decided that I wanted to have an unmedicated birth, I felt like a lot of my peers and the adults around me mocked me and thought it was an impossible task. That was, until I enrolled in a childbirth class at my local hospital. This is where I met Linda, a childbirth educator and Doula. I had never heard of a Doula before but I was intrigued. With her education and encouragement, I was able to achieve the natural birth that I was looking for.
After graduation, I had decided to attend nursing school while I was working as a Patient Care Associate for Lake Heath. I loved my job and the people that I worked with. However, it was obvious that nursing wasn’t as nearly hands on as I had thought it would be. Your shift ended and often times, that was it. You never saw the patient again. At one point, I had started teaching part-time for grant funded program called TPP (Teen Pregnancy Prevention.) This is where I met my good friend and now business partner Shauna Rich. It didn’t take long for us to realize how much we both loved the birth world. When a doula training came across our emails one day, we were sold.
At first, we backed each other as doulas. After a few years, Shauna’s love for teaching pulled her from the doula world into teaching childbirth education. This is where Mother Rising was born. We thought it would be fantastic if local families could benefit from having access to not only pregnancy and birth resources, but the continuity of care by having their team work together to support them. We nestled down in in our studio in cozy Chardon, Ohio and celebrated 10yrs there this year!
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Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been tons of learning curves along the way. I try to embrace them as much as possible. Although it’s easier said than done.
Initially It was hard to find clients. I would say my first year doulaing, I only had three clients the entire year. Every year it would double though. Three, six, nine, twelve etc. On top of the slow growth was the challenge of being on call and long hours. It’s not uncommon for a first baby to take 12-24hrs. Trying to work and be on your feet while setting up meetings and running the actual business is very challenging and I have always felt blessed to have Shauna by my side to help with a lot of that. I frequently crack the joke that- I know birth but running a business, not so much. I’m not really joking though! There has been a lot of moments of failure in learning to manage a business but I am a true believer in the saying- we learn from failure not success.
Aside from the challenges of business is the fact that birth is a very personal and spiritual moment to witness. Yes, most of the time it is joyous and positive but not always. Not every birth goes as hoped and planned. It became apparent to me early on that it was important to address any traumatic or stressful births with a therapist, not only to protect my inner peace, giving me the ability to continue the work, but to make sure I don’t carry any of those experiences or emotions into the next person’s birth.
We’ve been impressed with Mother Rising Women’s Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My primary work is both as a Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula. I assist families in finding evidence based information to help them prepare for their birth allowing them to play an active roll in the decision making process as well as care for baby. Some of my families choose to birth at home and some at a hospital. Some prefer physiological birth, while others may choose an epidural or a cesarean birth. I support all of them. I’m with them during the planning phase, during their birth, providing physical and emotional support and simply hold space for them to ask questions so they can make the best decision for themselves and their baby.
Many of my clients like to have postpartum support after baby is born. I love being able to take over day to day tasks to allow a new mother to rest and bond with baby. It can also take a lot of the weight off of their partner, particularly if they have to go right back to work. I offer a hand with light housekeeping, meal prep, feeding support and infant care so parents can rest as well as sibling care. I’ve even walked the family dog! Mother Rising offers a variety of classes from Childbirth Education to Infant Care and CPR. Shauna is a Licensed Therapist, specializing in maternal mental health. It’s a service that is truly needed and we have been very exciting to include it to our services offered.
As far as what sets me aside from others? It’s hard to say. Firstly, I’m not one to toot my own horn. We have a lot of fantastic doulas in the Cleveland area and we all support one another. I could say that what makes me good at my job though is that I truly love what I do. I’m passionate about it to a fault really. Yes, there is a website and credit card options and fancy online options, but underneath is just a human who cares. A woman who stays up at night worrying about her clients and their babies and cries at their births and loves to catch up over coffee at one year birthdays. It’s never just a job to me. These families are forever in my heart and on my mind. I’ve saved every card, birth announcement, baby photo and holiday card that I have ever received from a client!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I find that it’s so important to follow your instincts with anything you’re doing. I tell my clients how important it is to follow their gut with birth and their baby and I have to follow my own advice. Sometimes there will be a business decision to be made and I’ve learned if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If something feels off, it probably is.
When I am meeting with potential client, it’s important for us to both feel a good connection. Birth is such a personal business-One these parents will never forget, so I want to be sure that they have a positive experience working together. It took me a while to realize that I may not be every persons cup of tea, and that’s ok! The client need to find the doula who is the right match for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mother-rising.com/
- Instagram: @motherrisingcle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motherrising
