Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Graham.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I actually started my career as an attorney. After my first child was born, I realized how deeply this work called to me, and I made a big career pivot. I trained in Los Angeles, where I lived for about twenty years after graduating from MSU. I’m certified as a childbirth educator and full-spectrum doula through Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings. I developed and offered the birth education curriculum for the Long Beach Birth Center. I am a two time apprentice of author and educator Britta Bushnell, PhD, and later served as a Mentor for her perinatal apprenticeship program. When my family recently moved back to Southwest Michigan, I brought all of that experience home with me. Today, I offer private classes on a sliding scale, collaborate as a class facilitator at Rootead downtown and will be offering some free courses at libraries this summer. I offer this not because I’m an expert, but because this is my calling. Think of me as a fellow student sharing my notes; a neighbor standing at the end of the driveway telling you about my work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I had the challenge of apprenticing online during Covid, and only certain cohorts managed to stay connected. I am friends with some of these perinatal professionals to this day, but I can’t help but think of the deeper connections that are to be made in person. Consistent with guidelines, I then offered my education series online. The upside was getting to reach more people this way; the downside of virtually gathering is the lack of community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to think I provide deeper opportunities for meaning-making and partner connection than your basic birth education class. I create a space where we can talk about the emotions involved in birth and postpartum, not just the physiology. We can discuss what birth as a profound rite of passage may mean for your relationship to your self-image, partnerships and friendships, career, and household. We can explore the messy middle that exists between the person you once were and the person you’re becoming.
In the lineage of professionals who have shaped my career, I am proud to say I have more than one story-teller. Story telling is somewhat of a lost art, despite the opportunities it offers for universal connection and understanding, deep introspection and reflection. This is another unique offering in my class series. Clients of mine hear more than one story, more than one reference to myth. These metaphors help us to better understand the cycles of growth and change we experience during seasons of birth and postpartum. Not to mention the act of gathering around a candle (or campfire) is an intimate, comforting activity that we often do not engage in during adulthood. It’s a real treat!
Support partners, whether they are spouses, friends or family, are not just welcomed but specifically included in my courses. Each question posed is to both participants in the couple, because partners deserve meaningful support and preparation. Clients get the opportunity to reflect on their intentions, their rituals, their expectations and their relationship to one another during the course of our time together in addition to experiencing embodied birth prep in a private suite.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Empathy, altruism, and above all, resilience are the most important qualities for my work. “Success” is an interesting concept in my field. Community work does not often have the same linear progress we’re taught to expect of most businesses. Ultimately, my goal is to reach the people who could benefit from what I have to offer, which is unique to our area and offered on a sliding scale. Whether it’s one family in a private course or talking to doulas in training, I like to think each of these interactions and connections is a mini success in itself. All the better when my work contributes to the village of support pregnant and postpartum families need to thrive.
Pricing:
- Tier Three – Well Resourced: these clients pay at the highest level, appropriate to their income.
- Tier Two – Average Resources: these clients pay a reduced fee, recognizing their average income.
- Tier One – Resources Needed: these clients pay only what minimum-wage would cost during the class hours, making this tier the most affordable of all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.birthingexpectations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthing_expectations
