Life & Work with April Kerwood

Today we’d like to introduce you to April Kerwood. 

April, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always say that my work as postpartum Doula started when my first of 3 younger brothers was born when I was 11 years old. I fell in love with the unglamorous beauty of motherhood by watching my own mom in the day-to-day. It was hard, never-ending, and imperfect but she did it every day with such love and grace. I didn’t grow up with a glorified view of motherhood but I grew up loving it still. The reality of it, the mess and complicatedness was what I fell in love with. So, when I had my own children there was nothing shocking about the day-to-day work. It was a great gift to be able to use what I had grown up witnessing to help other mothers. I was a postpartum Doula and mom coach on my couch for years long before I ever knew it was a job. 

The realities of parenthood throw some of us more than others. But none of us are doing it “wrong“ we just all have different paths. It brings me great joy to help families find their particular “right.”. I started my business when my youngest was a little over a year old. It has grown the way it has because my mission has been to listen to what mothers need just do that. What I do hasn’t changed but how I offer it has. 

I have started working sooner in pregnancy than I did in the past. So many of the road bumps that we encounter postpartum can be alleviated by getting more support and education during the prenatal period. This now includes registry support, a home assessment, birth education, and birth plan prep, as well as a comprehensive baby prep class that includes breastfeeding education I provide as a Certified Lactation Counselor. I do in-home lactation visits that include all of the moving parts surrounding feeding your baby and living a life that brings you peace. I have partnered with 4 local pelvic floor therapist to create a roadmap for pregnancy and postpartum called TheMotherhoodProject. The project includes all the visits listed above and support from your very own pelvic floor therapist to walk you through pregnancy and your recovery postpartum. Covering your mental, emotional, and physical health is what we do. 

Providing normalcy around motherhood and the transitions that encompass it will always be how I move forward. I love this work and these families. 

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?
The biggest struggle in postpartum work is making people aware that it’s available. That it exists. I have never left a conversation about my work with a mother of older children that didn’t then tell me “I wish I would have known there was a you.” I often laugh and say “Me too!” And I mean it. I wish every transitioning family knew that personalized support was available to them and that so many of the things that they encounter can be better. 

We are getting good at saying that parenthood is hard. But so often, first-time parents think the terrible is the hard that we are speaking of. But it’s not. The hard is up here with support. Nothing makes it perfect, but it can always be better. Perfection is a myth. Your reality can be beautiful. 

Validating this kind of work to a medical establishment that leaves much to be desired has been difficult as well. We don’t have a great model for postpartum care in our country and then we simultaneously fail to promote the kind of care mothers need outside of that system. It can be really frustrating at times. Families deserve better. My clients telling other friends that this support is available has been the greatest compliment. This generation of mothers is standing for this lack of care less and less and I am all for it. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I really love the way my personal life path led me to this work. I grew up around babies, I studied education. I have a masters in deaf education and worked at the Ohio school for the deaf before my oldest son was born. I’ve taken care of children in my home. I’ve worked in childcare settings. I learned so much about birth and babies and breastfeeding when I was having my own children. I fell in love with breastfeeding so I became a Certified Lactation Counselor. It was such a natural and beautiful trajectory to this work. All of those things throughout my life have led me to be able to do this work in a way that is specific to me. Every professional will bring their strengths and talents to this work, and we need them all. I am proud of the way I walked through my life doing what I loved every step of the way and ended up here doing this thing it fills my soul. I hope my four children see the passion that I have for this work and it inspires them to gather things along the road of their life that grow them toward people and for the service of other people. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I love doing silly stories on Instagram where I’m talking in my car. So, I can often be found there. My website is in this together doula.com. I love emails and even voicemails. I love working with other members of the community endeavoring to support moms in our area. I open to all of it! There is so much work to be done. Every pregnant person should know that there is support available throughout the pregnancy and beyond that is separate then a medical model. 

Contact Info:

• Email: april@inthistogetherdoula.com
• Website: www.inthistogetherdoula.com
• Instagram: Inthistogetherdoula
• Facebook: Inthistogetherdoula

Image Credits
Big house photo