Hidden Gems: Meet Laurie Vance of Postpartum Paradise

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Vance.

Hi Laurie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Laurie D. Vance comes to Midwifery naturally…..
Since the birth of my first child in 1983, my passion, interest and support of the childbearing cycle has grown right alongside my family of 12 children (5 of whom were home births). I earned my first credential in 1996, Certified Lactation Educator from UCLA’s Extension Program. Supporting human milk feeding (breast/chest feeding) led to me attending people at their births to avoid common birthing practices that complicated the initiation of lactation; ie- standard separation of infant and mother. I have three doula certifications- 2 in birth and one on physiological support in the postpartum. I completed the CPM- the national credential for community based midwifery, in January 2023, then obtained my Michigan License in April of 2023. I added Certified Community Health Worker-cCHW in the Fall of 2024. Each credential enhances my decades long personal experience. With each passing year and decade, we continue to see a rise in infant and maternal mortality and PMAD’s; Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders. I have begun focusing on serving as many mother/baby dyads as possible in the first 6-12 weeks after birth. This is an opportune time to not only lessen, or completely avoid, PMADs, but to also rebuild community connection and support.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
OH mY!!! Um, not so smooth!! I have taken two different sabbaticals from the clinical training for midwifery in order to keep a healthy work-life-still have 5-3 children of my own to care for balance. Also, the current pathway to the CPM is challenging to find placements for clinical training. I have needed to travel to different states for various lengths of time to gain the skills, knowledge and wisdom needed to obtain the CPM. But all of the challenges have only proven to strengthen my resolve to keep at it, and do what I can to make the journey less tumultuous for others after me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Postpartum Paradise is the newest offering to fully round out providing support, education and stability during the childbearing cycle. We specialize in nutrient dense food packages that are easy to prepare. We either cook in your home, or provide frozen options for use at the clients convenience.
What makes Postpartum Paradise different is that we include “Community Education Showers”. These events use the baby shower concept to help prepare the home for the newborn phase while also cooking and sharing some of the foods our service provides.
Another aspect that sets us apart is that for EVERY food package ordered; we provide the same package to under-resourced families.
We have intentionally set up our business model as a multi-layered approach to solve some of the foundational problems that new mothers and families face in todays society- disconnected from neighborhood/community support, over pressured from social media to “be perfect”, and a lack of multi-generational wisdom.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I beleive the best way to find a mentor is to meet with multiple people who have experience in the areas you want to grow. Need to understand basic business practices? Check out the local Small Business Network, or agency’s like Women’s Resource Center in Grand Rapids. NETWORK!!! Find opportunities via the Chamber of Commerce. Meet people and see who you have placed in your path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://withlasava.com