My business partner Karlye and I started  in October to offer better support for our birth doula clients. Together we can do more, and offer a greater quality of service, than we could as solo doulas. We expanded to include postpartum doula support, bed rest support, placenta encapsulation, childbirth classes, parenting classes, and a postpartum meal service. We now have five affiliated doulas who work with our agency. Admittedly, starting a business that moved beyond sole proprietorship was a stretch, especially while working in a demanding career. I am fortunate that Karlye handles most of the day-to-day operations, and we share a call schedule with clients so I am able to travel for work. We both built this business because we believe in the wonderful and overwhelming rite of passage, for woman and family, during this time of child bearing and birth. It can strengthen families. We want to be the support that families and women especially need at this time. We have no judgment and our job is to help families during pregnancy, birth and through the raw, vulnerable time after the baby or babies arrive. We gladly will hold a baby so a new mother has a chance to rest, step out on her balcony with a cup of tea or take a long bath. We give her that chance to feel like herself again instead of all of the other roles she has in life. Another purpose of creating Gold Coast Doulas was to offer our affiliated doulas the ability to create sustainable work and have a balance with their family life. Being a doula can cause stress on the family as well as the doula. The phone can ring any time. Sharing a call schedule takes some of that stress off, and hopefully allows doulas to do the work they love without compromising other aspects of their lives.

My daughter Abbey is now five. I was overwhelmed after giving birth. It wasn’t the journey that I imagined, but it was meant for me. I was put on modified bed rest at 37 weeks due to pre-eclampsia. My nurse midwife group respected that I wanted a medication-free birth. I had a minor intervention, and birthed my daughter without an epidural or any pain medications. She was in the NICU for four days and I was overwhelmed with scheduled nursing and feedings, and all of the wires connected her tiny body. Luckily my husband was able to calm my fears and give me the confidence to care for her. I was able to continue breastfeeding her with through a lot of support from lactation consultants and MomsBloom, an amazing area non-profit organization. I never experienced postpartum depression, but did experience the less-than feeling.

I left the world of politics after I had Abbey and started a consulting firm. I mainly worked with nonprofits and did some promotional consulting for small businesses. I missed having co-workers and felt like I was dabbling.. never fully present for my daughter and family, and not at the same workload I once had. I found after talking with other moms, especially in the Sacred Pregnancy classes I taught, that many women struggled with the less-than feeling, and I wasn’t alone. How do we really balance all of our roles in our lives and truly feel whole again? Should career come first, or family? I became pregnant with my son around Abbey’s first birthday. I was soul searching and again stepped back from work to raise children. Dabbling in some political trainings, consulting, doula work never, really feeling whole. I loved being a mom,but never felt as good at that role as many of my female friends with children, who seemed to have it all together. We all have our days, though, and a wise friend once told me to give myself grace as a parent. It is advice I still give to doula clients and to friends. We all need grace and we all need support. Women need to have each other’s backs in my book.

My husband now handles most preschool drop offs and dance classes during my busy time. It works for us right now. We are great at switching back and forth between family roles during deadlines. We make a point of being intentional about family meal times and about getting out into nature with the kids. I still feel like they are growing too fast and that I am missing too many milestones, even working from home part of the week. I am a better mom and a better wife and friend when I do things to feel whole. Working does that for me. I recently went on a quick vacation with my best friend, at my husband’s suggestion. My friend and I laughed, explored, ate and caught up on life. I felt like my former self, before kids, for moments… while missing my family at the same time. My cup was filled. We all need that every once in a while without letting the guilt creep in.

Bio: Kristin Revere lives in Grand Rapids with her family while keeping busy with her work as a Vice President of Vanguard Public Affairs and as a Co-owner of Gold Coast Doulas. She has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Central Michigan University and a Master of Management in Marketing from Aquinas College. She is a GVSU Cook Leadership Academy Mentor and is member of the West Michigan Steering Committee for the Michigan Political Leadership Program.

Family Photo: Visionary Images Photography
Photo of Kristin: The People Picture Company