Community Highlights: Meet Emily Retzlaff and Lindsey Shigemoto of My Doula Grand Rapids

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Retzlaff and Lindsey Shigemoto. 

Hi Emily and Lindsey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We met in 2019 at a doula training workshop. We went our separate ways but were soon brought back together at a local independent doula meet-up. We started meeting weekly and soon realized we were true doula soulmates. We could continue supporting families on our own or we could bring our knowledge and skills together to better serve our clients and their families. To us, it was a no-brainer! 

We share a passion for supporting families through the life changing event of childbirth. Our unique experiences in life and childbirth have fueled this passion and brought us here, to My Doula Grand Rapids. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The covid-19 pandemic has impacted us just as much as everyone else. We’ve had to navigate hospital restrictions, which have seemed to change daily based on who we asked. We spent our days wondering if we would be able to support our clients in person or prepare them for virtual support. The uncertainty of it all just really weighed on us. We have been fortunate in Grand Rapids to have a birth community that really came together to advocate for doulas being present in hospitals. 

The business side of things was a whole different story. While we are very confident in our skills as doulas, we had a lot to learn about running a business. It was interesting to come together and see what strengths and weaknesses each of us have. We had some growing pains, as any partnership does, but we have found that our strengths really complement each other well. 

As you know, we’re big fans of My Doula Grand Rapids LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At My Doula Grand Rapids our mission is to increase our client’s satisfaction with the birth experience. We do this through education, empowerment, and professional labor support that helps your birth team put you in the center. We strive to be our clients go to support for all things pregnancy and birth. My Doula Grand Rapids was started with the goal of helping West Michigan families have a positive transition into parenthood through unbiased support. The knowledge and support we offer our clients has no agenda. Their goals are our goals and what is right for one client is not going to be right for the next. 

We are sort of a one-stop shop for birth and postpartum support. We offer birth and postpartum support, placenta encapsulation, and birth photography. We also have a podcast which focusses on giving birthing people a space to share their stories and bringing expert interviews to our listeners. We believe that sharing birth stories helps to normalize conversations around birth which in turn helps improve maternal healthcare as a whole. 

We take a shared care approach to doula support, meaning that our clients get 2 doulas for the price of 1. There is always someone to available to answer our clients’ questions or just reassure them when things are going differently than planned. There’s just something special about the doula-client relationship. While it includes a business relationship, it’s also a relationship built on trust and connection. 

The thing we probably most proud of is simply how our clients feel about the support that we offer. There is a lot of judgment in pregnancy, birth, and parenting and we strive to be a safe haven from all of that. We pride ourselves on really paying attention to our clients’ needs and wishes and supporting them without bias. One of the most wonderful things is to see parents go from being unsure about their decisions to completely informed and confident. 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Lindsey – One of my best childhood memories is when I got a skill in gymnastics that I had been working so hard on. Overcoming the fear with the support of my amazing coach is what laid the groundwork for realizing that people can do hard things with coaches who believe in them. I want to be that person for my clients. 

Emily – It’s not a specific memory, but I spent a lot of time at the barn riding horses as a child. My riding instructor really helped to instill a sense of resilience in me. When you fall off, you get right back on that horse. 

Pricing:

• Birth Doula Support – $1050
• Birth Photography – $1050 ($600 Add on)
• Postpartum Doula Support -$30
• Placenta Encapsulation – $250

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.mydoulagr.com
• Instagram: @mydoulagr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyDoulaGR