About Doula Linda & Childbearing Year Resources
A little background about me. I became pregnant with my 1st child at the young age of 16. At that time in my life I married, bought a house, and birthed a beautiful baby girl. All in a 6-month time frame. At the age of 18, I birthed another adorable baby girl. Then again, at the age of 21 I birthed a robust baby boy. 5 decades later and those adult children have gifted me with 9 fun loving grandchildren. Now, I feel blessed to have 4 great grandchildren, and more coming soon. I really can't say enough about how much I love this time of life.
This doula journey came along and claimed me sometime during the early 1990's. Even though, the first homebirth I attended as a supportive friend happened in 1976. That was my introduction to midwifery outside of the medicalized setting. It was thrilling and from that point on I was hooked on all things birthy.
The pathway to doula work began while I practiced as a massage therapist. My massage work primarily focused on pregnant clients. In those early years, 1990's, I simultaneously certified with Doulas of North America (DONA), trained in Birthing From Within Childbirth Education, and as an International Infant Massage Association (IAIM) instructor. From there I became obsessed with learning more about all things birth. To date, there has never been an end to keeping up with consistent continuing education.
As long as people continue to make babies, I am prepared to be in their living rooms, at their kitchen tables or meet them where they prefer to share childbirth education sessions. When clients choose me to be their birth doula my doula bag is always packed and ready to scurry out the door to provide compassion and support for the new family.
Education - Training - Experience
- National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage (NCTMB)
- Doulas of North America (DONA) Birth Doula Training - Cheri Grant
- Doulas of North America Doula Teacher Training, RNC
- International Association of Infant Massage Instructor (IAIM)
- Body Therapy Education Bodywork for the Childbearing Year
- Body therapy Education Advanced Perinatal Massage
- Pre and Perinatal Massage Doula Workshop
- Labor Support Course Seattle Midwifery School
- Advanced Perinatal Issues Seminar Series Penny Simkin & Carole Osborne
- Doula Training Workshop - Debbie Young
- Birthing From Within Childbirth Educator Training Level 1-2-3
- Birthing From Within Mentor Certification Program
- The Impact of Trauma on Childbearing -
- Penny Simkin, PT, CD(DONA) & Phyllis Klaus, MFT, CSW
- ICEA Childbirth Educator Program
- Labor Support Strategies the Old and the New
- Spinning Babies Workshop - the early years - Gail Tully
- Spinning Babies Breech Basics - Gail Tully
- Spinning Babies Posterior Solutions for an Easier Birth - Gail Tully
- Spinning Babies Resolving Shoulder Dystocia - Gail Tully
- Spinning Babies Workshop Iowa City
- Postpartum Support International (PSI) PMAD Components of Care
- Postpartum Support International (PSI) Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Family to Family Workshops
- Nurturing Women Doula Training Workshop - Dawn Brus &
- Morphology and Miasms Workshop
- Microbirth Microbiome Courses
- Birth Monopoly Know Your Rights Courses
- Herbs for the Childbearing Year Workshop
- Internatioanl Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) Leadership Training
- ICAN of the Quad Cities Chapter Leader - Current
- Peanut Ball Training
- Birthing the Future - Barbra Harper
- Breech Without Borders Breech Pro
- Breech Without Borders Breech & Twin Master Class
- Community College Development and Continuing Educaton - A&P I, A&P II. Chemistry, Microbiology, Sociology, Psychology, Medical Terminology, Human Growth & Development, Ethics, and more.
- Childbearing Year Resources (CYR) - Owner
- And too many birthy conferences to mention!
Is a doula a midwife? Video short by 60 Second Doulas