My Journey
My calling to birth work happened early in life. I grew up in Hawaii on the North Shore of Kauai in a small hippy community with the local midwife as my neighbor. This neighbor attended most of the births of my friends and their siblings and the births of both my brothers. We were a small, tight community and as a preteen I would accompany the midwife on her prenatal appointments, taking notes and measuring bellies and playing with older siblings. That sparked my desire to work in birth and instilled an understanding of the physiological rightness of the process and the understanding that birth is a symptom of health. When my first child was born I had planned for a home birth. However, in my 37th week of pregnancy I was diagnosed with a kidney infection and tested positive for Group Beta Strep. I was transferred to the care of an obstetrician and gave birth in the hospital. My first birth and the arrival of my daughter Madeline, blew my world open in more ways than I could have imagined. The sudden expanding and contracting that the universe seems to do when a new life comes earthside, the transformation of my sense of self, the combination of power and vulnerability I felt through the process. I was so grateful to have caring and knowledgeable nurses and an OB who trusted my process and listened and answered my questions of which I had so many!. There was a nurse there who was like a doula to me. Her calm presence and quiet reassurance was so much what I needed to keep me focused and feeling empowered.
My second child was born at home, in a birthing pool in my dining room. With his big sister present, Caspian, my beautiful boy, charged into the world in a hurry and this wild child continues to leap every day into adventure with the same gusto.
My experiences have afforded me the understanding that everyone will have their own ideas of their perfect place to birth , the place where they feel the most safe and know they will be cared for and respected and, the knowledge that, the care a mother receives during labor can change not only the outcome but the experience of that outcome. I hope to support you in being informed of your options and, understanding why you are choosing that environment. The right care team can make all the difference.
My children are now 1 6and 12 and I am finally following my calling and working with birthing families. Being a doula fills me with purpose and I take it seriously and with so much reverence. My calling is to hold up the light for you so that you may see clearly the way you want to walk your path to parenthood. I will support you so that you may take ownership of your experience and come through it feeling empowered and successful.
I have lived all over this wild country and have settled for now in Lafayette CO where I take pride in serving all over our front range community.
Testimonials
The Rogers
10/17/2021
Bethany is a fantastic doula! Not only did she put us immediately at ease with her kind and friendly manner, but she brought evidence-based knowledge to our birth plan, providing dedicated support during our faster-than-expected delivery. She went above and beyond in providing holistic care throughout the pregnancy, cooking immune-boosting soups, providing hydrating drinks during delivery, and baking lactation cookies postpartum. All were absolutely delicious! We are grateful for her partnership in bringing our third baby into the world
S Farias
6/9/2021
Bethany is very skilled, knowledgeable and a dedicated Doula. We highly recommend her to anyone that is searching for a kind, gentle spirited and fun Doula. She will be there to guide, support and bring calm to your most amazing journey. We are ever so grateful to have had Bethany at our son's birth, our first child, and a long birth. We'll cherish the time we had with our Doula for all time.
Erin Marendola
5/17/22
As a first time mom I was nervous and had so many questions during my pregnancy, especially leading up to delivery. I was lucky enough to have Bethany by my side to answer my questions and guide me through this special time! Bethany helped set the tone by doing an initial meet to discuss her vision and practice as well as to discuss my birth plan. We had a plan yet as you know, life likes to change them! I had planned to deliver vaginally yet by 38 weeks my baby was still breach even after all the tips that Bethany had given. A c-section was scheduled - initially I was distraught to hear this as I wanted to have the “full experience” of giving birth through laboring. Bethany assured me that everything would be fine and eased my concerns. Once in the delivery room Bethany was there to calm and center me through massage, and essential oils. She also was great support to my partner. She was by side after our daughter was born to assure me everything went well and walked me through what had just happened. She even took photos which meant a lot. Bethany is a wonderful, caring woman with a deep knowledge and appreciation for what she does. I highly recommend her as a doula. Thank you Bethany for being your support
Jessica and Andrew
5/14/22
We knew Bethany was the doula for us after our first meeting over Zoom! Despite a virtual introduction, we could sense her calming energy and we just connected. We met in person before the birth and she was even more amazing in person. She showed us strategies for getting baby in position and pain reduction techniques to get us through early labor! She made it clear she was there for us whenever we needed her, which is just what you want to hear as a first time mom! Fast forward to 3am when labor started, she was super quick to respond and when I finally needed her 3 hours later, her presence put me at ease. She worked so well with my partner and midwives. I was in my own world, but I knew I was able to do that because I felt so safe and secure. I got the positive unmedicated birth I wanted, and I know having Bethany on my team helped me get that. Bonus: she also checked up on us postpartum with tasty treats and lots of love! We are so happy to have hired Bethany and know she’ll be a part of our story forever.
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Switzer Family
8/10/21
Bethany was my doula for the birth of my second baby, which was a VBAC. She was so supportive of my decision to try for a VBAC and was such a great support person. She came to my house for multiple visits before the birth (including giving me a massage), came to doctors appointments, and was always available to talk through things. During the birth, she offered guidance and advice and provided a sense of calm and control in the room. My husband and I were so glad to have an extra support person during my labor and birth (and to have someone to take photos). I highly recommend Bethany/Sol Mama Doula.
Megan Fridley
5/12/22
Bethany is an incredible doula! She was my doula for my second baby at Rose. With her help and support I was able to have an unmedicated childbirth! She was such a wonderful support person. I had a lot of back labor, and Bethany talked me through different positioning and breathing to help cope. Anytime I wanted to panic and give in to the contractions her calm voice was there helping me through and reminding me of how to breathe. I would absolutely recommend Bethany to anyone who wants someone knowledgeable on how to support mom’s specific needs. I couldn’t have done it without her!
Monica Smith
5/28/21
We had the pleasure to work with Bethany for the birth of our daughter. It was my second pregnancy and I was trying for a natural birth after a c-section. Bethany is such a joy to be around. She is very dedicated and passionate about being a doula. During my last trimester ( all during COVID) she was able to go to 1 appt with me. She was really encouraging and gave me a lot of helpful information and elements including exercises, encouraging cards, reboso, peanut balls… etc. she asked me many questions to find out what I wanted my labor to be like. I was in labor for 38 hours and she was with me almost the whole time holding my hand and making sure I was as comfortable as possible. We worked hard, and I said we because she was very involve in the whole process. After 38 hours things didn’t progress like we expected, I was exhausted and my body was at the limit of what it could handle. I had another c-section but I don’t think and neither the midwife’s believe there was anything else I could have tried to prevent that from happening. They believe mine was one of those rear cases where a C-section could have saved a life. After all that and if I were to be in labor once more I will do it by the hand of Bethany - no doubt about it. After the birth of my baby Bethany was a great support, she brought home made meals and kept in touch making sure I received the support I needed. I would recommend Bethany to any expecting mom.
Stephanie Evans
I didn’t get the birth experience I was hoping for with an emergency csection, I didn’t even get to go into labor! However, having Bethany there as a support was invaluable during my recovery. My partner was busy with our newborn and Bethany was able to attend to me and get me through some very challenging health issues. I know she would’ve been great throughout my labor and if I’m lucky enough to be facing labor and delivery again, I will definitely have her on my team!
Credentials
DONA Certified Birth Doula. Certified October 2021
DONA Postpartum certification and advanced breastfeeding support workshop Completed September 2021
Spinning Babies Workshop April 2022
Birth Breath and Death Perinatal loss Workshop Feb 2022