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It Takes a Village to Raise a Child – with Lorna Phillip a.k.a. Birmingham Doula
On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Lorna Phillip, or as she’s better know, the Birmingham Doula who has recently started Black Mamas Birth Village – a group for black pregnant women. Lorna talks about her business background and explains what it is a Doula does as well as the challenges she’s faced as a black entrepreneur.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- I’d worked in health for a long time and had two children myself, but I didn’t realise before working in a children’s centre how important people’s birth experiences were to them. They either didn’t feel supported or felt let down by the system, I heard about doulas and decided to train to become one. Doula’s support people during pregnancy, during those first few tricky weeks of having a new-born, I teach hypno-birthing to relax people very deeply for the birth, I run anti-natal courses and am a massage therapist.
- It’s hard work, we make it look glamorous on Instagram, but there’s some things about it that aren’t very glamorous. If you’re not into “birth goop” – bits running out of women – if you’re not into late nights and overnights, being awake for over 24 hours on the job – we don’t work in shifts, if that labour runs into 14 hours you can’t go home, though sometimes we work in couples – sleeping in the back of your car.
- People do drop out of doula-ing very quickly with burnout because they struggle to make it work for them. You have to have a certain amount of heart but also hustle – business sense. A lot of people come into it wanting to help and not charge. How are you going to sustain yourself if you don’t charge and don’t charge your worth so you can live too.
- Black Mamas Birth Village came off the back of Covid as black women are almost five times more likely to die in the perinatal period (just before childbirth), during childbirth and right after childbirth. It’s an informal place black pregnant women and women with small babies can sit and breathe, we do first aid courses, talk about what’s happening in their lives. We’re already at 103 women.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I want to help people have better birth experiences.’
‘Being self-employed is hard, there’s no monthly salary coming in, it’s down to you and you only. But, if it doesn’t feel like work, and it’s your passion, it’s not a job.’
‘How much [money] do you need to make your life work? I factor in my own self-care into my fee so I can look after myself so I can look after more people.’
‘It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to raise a mother.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lorna is mom to two grown-ups, born in 1989 and 1993 and grandma to two gorgeous bundles born in 2016 and 2018. She had two very different births and single-handedly raised two amazingly wonderful young people
More Black women than ever are seeking out doula support for their births. To ensure that as many Black women as possible feel supported, Lorna has created a new online community called Black Mamas Birth Village where she offers information and support for pregnant Black women and mums of new born babies.
The Village is a safe space for Black women to sit a while and breathe whilst sharing information and tips for pregnancy, birth and beyond.
On the launch of Black Mamas Birth Village this year, Lorna’s 1st goal was to welcome 100 Black Women into the Village; we are now at 111 and growing!
Lorna has also included a fillable birth plan that can be downloaded for all Mamas to be.
Lorna is also a doula mentor and co-facilitator for Abuela Doulas for whom she helps train new doulas and guide them on their doula journey as they gain experience.
After spending 30+ years supporting parents and their children – first as a nursery nurse in the 1980’s and more recently as a deputy manager of a SureStart Children’s Centre – coordinating family health services, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, teaching infant massage etc; Lorna found her life’s purpose and became a doula.
As a birth and postnatal doula Lorna has supported many, very different births and although she’s passionate about all births, VBACs (vaginal birth after caesarean) and positive birth experiences after previous traumatic births are the ones that make her heart really sing. Observing a woman coming into her own power, overcoming fears whilst still allowing herself to be vulnerable is one of the most powerful and emotionally charged experiences that anybody could have.
She says: “I don’t profess to be a ‘birth geek’, I’m told it’s my experience and reassuringly calm and confident nature that moms are drawn to.”
CONTACT INFO:
Email [email protected] IG https://www.instagram.com/black_mamas_birth_village/ FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/blackmamasbirthvillage
Website - https://birmingham-doula.co.uk/
Instagram - @birminghamdoula or @black_mamas_birth_village / https://www.instagram.com/birminghamdoula/ https://www.instagram.com/black_mamas_birth_village/
ABOUT THE HOST
Danielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner.
Since 2006 Danielle has provided brand design and marketing support for clients including Škoda, Gtech, UK Biocentre, UK Mail and GIRLvsCANCER Danielle is committed to helping brands that want to have a positive impact on people’s lives. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.
Insta - @danielleclarkecreative | [https://www.instagram.com/danielleclarkecreative/]
LinkedIn - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative/]
Twitter - @D4nielleCl4rke | [https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke](https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke)
Email - [[email protected]](http://www.danielleclarkecreative.com/)
Website: www.danielleclarkecreative.com
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
View all episodes
By Danielle ClarkeOn this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Lorna Phillip, or as she’s better know, the Birmingham Doula who has recently started Black Mamas Birth Village – a group for black pregnant women. Lorna talks about her business background and explains what it is a Doula does as well as the challenges she’s faced as a black entrepreneur.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- I’d worked in health for a long time and had two children myself, but I didn’t realise before working in a children’s centre how important people’s birth experiences were to them. They either didn’t feel supported or felt let down by the system, I heard about doulas and decided to train to become one. Doula’s support people during pregnancy, during those first few tricky weeks of having a new-born, I teach hypno-birthing to relax people very deeply for the birth, I run anti-natal courses and am a massage therapist.
- It’s hard work, we make it look glamorous on Instagram, but there’s some things about it that aren’t very glamorous. If you’re not into “birth goop” – bits running out of women – if you’re not into late nights and overnights, being awake for over 24 hours on the job – we don’t work in shifts, if that labour runs into 14 hours you can’t go home, though sometimes we work in couples – sleeping in the back of your car.
- People do drop out of doula-ing very quickly with burnout because they struggle to make it work for them. You have to have a certain amount of heart but also hustle – business sense. A lot of people come into it wanting to help and not charge. How are you going to sustain yourself if you don’t charge and don’t charge your worth so you can live too.
- Black Mamas Birth Village came off the back of Covid as black women are almost five times more likely to die in the perinatal period (just before childbirth), during childbirth and right after childbirth. It’s an informal place black pregnant women and women with small babies can sit and breathe, we do first aid courses, talk about what’s happening in their lives. We’re already at 103 women.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I want to help people have better birth experiences.’
‘Being self-employed is hard, there’s no monthly salary coming in, it’s down to you and you only. But, if it doesn’t feel like work, and it’s your passion, it’s not a job.’
‘How much [money] do you need to make your life work? I factor in my own self-care into my fee so I can look after myself so I can look after more people.’
‘It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to raise a mother.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lorna is mom to two grown-ups, born in 1989 and 1993 and grandma to two gorgeous bundles born in 2016 and 2018. She had two very different births and single-handedly raised two amazingly wonderful young people
More Black women than ever are seeking out doula support for their births. To ensure that as many Black women as possible feel supported, Lorna has created a new online community called Black Mamas Birth Village where she offers information and support for pregnant Black women and mums of new born babies.
The Village is a safe space for Black women to sit a while and breathe whilst sharing information and tips for pregnancy, birth and beyond.
On the launch of Black Mamas Birth Village this year, Lorna’s 1st goal was to welcome 100 Black Women into the Village; we are now at 111 and growing!
Lorna has also included a fillable birth plan that can be downloaded for all Mamas to be.
Lorna is also a doula mentor and co-facilitator for Abuela Doulas for whom she helps train new doulas and guide them on their doula journey as they gain experience.
After spending 30+ years supporting parents and their children – first as a nursery nurse in the 1980’s and more recently as a deputy manager of a SureStart Children’s Centre – coordinating family health services, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, teaching infant massage etc; Lorna found her life’s purpose and became a doula.
As a birth and postnatal doula Lorna has supported many, very different births and although she’s passionate about all births, VBACs (vaginal birth after caesarean) and positive birth experiences after previous traumatic births are the ones that make her heart really sing. Observing a woman coming into her own power, overcoming fears whilst still allowing herself to be vulnerable is one of the most powerful and emotionally charged experiences that anybody could have.
She says: “I don’t profess to be a ‘birth geek’, I’m told it’s my experience and reassuringly calm and confident nature that moms are drawn to.”
CONTACT INFO:
Email [email protected] IG https://www.instagram.com/black_mamas_birth_village/ FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/blackmamasbirthvillage
Website - https://birmingham-doula.co.uk/
Instagram - @birminghamdoula or @black_mamas_birth_village / https://www.instagram.com/birminghamdoula/ https://www.instagram.com/black_mamas_birth_village/
ABOUT THE HOST
Danielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner.
Since 2006 Danielle has provided brand design and marketing support for clients including Škoda, Gtech, UK Biocentre, UK Mail and GIRLvsCANCER Danielle is committed to helping brands that want to have a positive impact on people’s lives. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.
Insta - @danielleclarkecreative | [https://www.instagram.com/danielleclarkecreative/]
LinkedIn - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative/]
Twitter - @D4nielleCl4rke | [https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke](https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke)
Email - [[email protected]](http://www.danielleclarkecreative.com/)
Website: www.danielleclarkecreative.com
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.