There are days I feel like Velma Kelly from Chicago in, "An act of Desperation."

I totally get what she was trying to tell Roxy!

It’s true, I simply cannot do it alone. What can I not do alone you might ask?

Well, everything.

Specifically serving clients. I do wear a lot of hats as a professional & business owner. It’s taken me about 3 years to discover which hats fit the best.

You mean I don’t try to do everything? Gasp!!! You would be correct!

Why?

Well, I’ve discovered that when I try to do too much of anything I tend to suck at everything. Like missing tiny details that are important to my clients because I’m trying to be a birth doula, sibling doula, everyday doula, postpartum doula, lactation specialist, placenta encapsulator and boss lady.

When Riverfront was born I was trying to do it all on my own. I didn’t want to fail my clients. I’m so thankful the clients I had in this discovery process were very understanding and very supportive. One of my client’s straight up told me, “Sondra, you can’t be superwoman. You need more people.”

WHAT??

Me?

Need people?

After I thought it through, she was right. I want my clients to have the best experience possible. If I’m overly worried about everything else, I truly cannot put my best into the service I provide. I knew my clients needed more people. The more people they can connect & bond with in this journey is so important. They feel they have more people cheering them on & they have different experts to ask questions.

Admit it, when you are feeling vulnerable it’s always nice to have more people reminding you of how amazing you are and what a fantastic job you are doing.

Let me paint a picture for you.

You are in labor & you call your birth doula to let her now you need her support. She meets you at your home or at the hospital & she supports you through the entire birth process. She even stays a couple hours after you have the baby. She’s there to walk your partner through how to pack up your placenta & put on ice. You are so thankful you have that bond with her during your birth & you will never forget it.

Your partner calls your placenta encapsulator to tell her they are taking the placenta home while they run home to get your favorite blanket that you forgot, because you were so excited your water broke. They tell her you should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow & you would like her to come over around 6pm to start the encapsulation process.

The next day rolls around and you get to go home! You get home at around 12pm & your birth doula comes to welcome you home & introduce you to your postpartum doula you hired to help out for the next 2 weeks. You are sad to see your birth doula leave, but you know she has another mother to support & you know that mom is going to love her too. She left you with an amazing postpartum doula who immediately gets you a drink & finds you a cozy spot to get comfortable so you can feed your new little bundle of joy. She steps into the kitchen to get dinner started & reminds you that the placenta encapsulator will be here around 6pm.

The afternoon is blissful & you feel loved & well cared for. The encapsulator arrives & greets you with congratulations. She goes into your kitchen & cleans everything & gets your placenta out to process. Your postpartum doula & encapsulator are both there. You have TWO people caring for you and your family & you feel so special. The encapsulator has the placenta processed and is ready to leave for the evening and she will be back tomorrow morning to finish it up around the same time your postpartum doula’s shift begins.

First day home, AMAZING!

They both come back tomorrow to perform their jobs. You express your concerns that you want to make sure your baby has a good latch. Your postpartum doula calls the office & you schedule an in-home lactation consultation. She comes to see you a couple hours later. Your doula is still there so she is folding laundry while the Lactation Specialist is going over things with you. She reminds you that you are doing a great job & gives you some information on what to expect over the next few days. She lets you know she is always available if you need her.

CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE!

This is why I am so thankful to have an amazing group of people to work with. I can’t do all of that by myself! I’m trained and or certified to do it, but I just simply cannot do it all alone. I’m going to support you all the way, so don’t misunderstand me on that. I’m going to support you so well, I’m going to have specific people handle your specific needs & make sure you have the best experience possible.

That is what it is all about to me. You don’t have to worry about a single thing because we have all your bases covered & we have a team who will care dearly for you & your family.

I’m so glad I don’t have to do this alone, and you don’t have to do it alone either.

Authored by: Sondra Rodocker