Inspiring Conversations with Abby Sumbler of Sumbler Birth Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Sumbler.

Hi Abby, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The experience I had during the birth of my first child is why I became a doula. I hired a doula early on in my pregnancy on the advice of a friend. Through my pregnancy, my doula helped me understand what was going on in my body and helped me talk through some stressful situations. The doula that came when I was in labor (one of my doula’s back up colleagues) was the exact right person to have during my first birth experience. She was a calming presence, helping navigate my long labor. She also fed me while I was feeding my newborn. Literally, she put food into my mouth for me because I had my hands full.

After I had an accident that landed me in the hospital in Florida for three weeks, I remembered, and could tap into, the feeling of empowerment my doulas helped me uncover. I asked questions about my care, and made sure I understood my options. I wouldn’t have known to advocate for myself like I did in that situation if I hadn’t had doula care.

Those two experiences really made me want to get into doula work, so that I could help other people feel as strong and empowered as I did, during one of the most important moments in their lives. I want people to have the best possible outcome for their birth – even when things don’t go exactly according to their plan. I’ve been in 30+ births since I started, and never once has a birth followed the plan exactly. But when people feel educated about the process of birth, and aware of decisions, they have a much more satisfying experience.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Getting Sumbler Birth Services to where it is today hasn’t exactly been a rough road, but it has been a slow road.
I did my doula certification workshop in 2018, and then I realized I had never been a part of a birth I was directly involved in – either being born, or giving birth. I was able to shadow another doula for a couple of births to see what it was like and make sure I wasn’t going to pass out.

I had to do a number of births before I was able to be certified, which I got done between the early fall of 2019 and January 2020. Just in time for doulas to be unable to accompany people into Labor & Delivery because of COVID. I took the time to document my experiences at birth, and read several books about different subjects related to birth. There was also some writing I did for my certification as well.

After finishing my doula program, I decided to expand the breadth of services that I could provide and become a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator as well. That was a more straightforward process: learn, study and take a massive test. But the lessons I learned in that process have made a huge difference in the level of knowlege and servide that I can provide my clients.

At the time I was also participating in Baby Cafe, which is a lactation-centered support group, and I went on to get my Certifiied Lactation Counselor designation as well. So, now I have lots of ways to help growing families!

As you know, we’re big fans of Sumbler Birth Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
A birth doula isn’t just for a home birth, or an unmedicated hospital birth. However and wherever people are having babies, doulas can help.

When people know before labor starts about the process and the decisions they may need to make, they can have a more satisfying experience. That is where childbirth education and lactation counseling come in. My goal is for my clients to feel educated and empowered during their birth.

It’s not a specialty, per se, but I do have experience in bereavement doula work – being with people who are experiencing the loss of a pregnancy at any stage. I feel honored to be able to be with families during those tough times.

I can take several different Medicaid insurances through Michigan’s program for patients on Medicaid to have a doula free of charge.

As a member of the 2SLGBTQIA community, one of my goals is to make sure that all families, no matter how they’re made up, have the support they need from someone who understands and relates to their lived experience.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
By including doulas in Medicaid programs, we are expanding the accessibility to those who may have less support for this transitional, life-changing time. With this expansion, I could see future doula work being regulated more by the State of Michigan, maybe through licensure, for working with Medicaid clients.

There are more kinds of doulas – infertility, postpartum doulas and death doulas, because people need help at these transformational times. Doulas are becoming more mainstream, and I think we will see them used more often and hopefully be covered by private insurances as well.

Pricing:

• Doula package: $1,200
• 6-Hour Private Birth Class: $300
• Lactation Counselor Services: $100/hour

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sumblerbirthservices.com
• Instagram: @sumblerbirth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sumblerbirthservices