Life and Work with Mandy Gonzales

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Gonzales.

Mandy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Becoming a mother was not easy for me with my first son. I was put on bed rest at 34 weeks and gave birth to him at 36 1/2 weeks. He had been under an exuberant amount to stress. He had inhaled meconium as he was delivered; all due to a highly medicated birth. Nurses rushed him away and I didn’t see his sweet face until 5 hours later. Subsequently, he was put on oxygen for three months after he’s born. My postpartum was terrible and lasted a good year.

Shortly after that year, I became pregnant with my 2nd, who was born 21 months after my first son. With my second son, I labored at home then went to the hospital and got an epidural at 8 cm. His birth was great. The nurses did take him away from me for about an hour before they brought him back. I again suffered from postpartum depression and was overwhelmed being a mother of two. As I look back, my postpartum depression was due to lack of support.

And… eight years later, I found out I was pregnant with my 1st daughter. We were so happy to be having a girl. This time I was going to do it differently and hire a doula. I was going to do this birth unmedicated. When I looked back at my 2nd sons birth, I realized if I had the support and coaching I needed I could have done it naturally and unmedicated. I also reflected back on my 1st sons birth and did not want to be overmedicated and have another traumatic birth. During my daughter’s pregnancy, I had the support and education from my doula. I learned hypnobirthing and visualization coping strategies. When I went into labor, I labored at home for a while and then went to the hospital. With the help of my doula, I had her in 3 hours. I was not allowed to push on all fours like I wanted to so nurses made me push on my back. I was painful but I got through it.

Last but not least, I got pregnant with my 4th when my oldest daughter was only nine months (I continued to breastfeed my oldest daughter until I was 20 weeks pregnant). At 28 weeks, I decided to leave my OB because she was requiring me to have a continuous IV – this was something that really bothered me in my three previous labors. So, I went to a birthing center in Englewood and had a successful water birth. I had a 2 1/2 hour labor with my fourth child (and second beautiful daughter). She was born in caul (my water never broke so she was born in the amniotic sac). It was the most beautiful, calm birth I had with all four. I then went home 4 hours later and enjoyed my new baby girl.

Becoming a doula has been in my mind since the birth of my 3rd kiddo. I definitely knew it was my calling after my 4th. It has taken seven years to be able to have the freedom to live my dream of helping other women have a meaningful, joyful birth. I want all women to know they are powerful beings and our bodies are amazing machines. Most importantly, they have a voice and are in control of their decisions during birth. I’m truly living life with joy and happiness doing my dream profession.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Some challenges I have had were balancing family and starting a new profession. I was a stay at home mom for many years and going out and having the confidence to get clients was intimidating. Negative self-talk creeps in from time to time. I have to let that go and get out of my own way. Changing your life is never a smooth road. I’ve come to better understand that change is uncomfortable even if it is my dream profession. That uncomfortable feeling in your stomach is a good thing. I guess its the cliche of the caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Every day, I try to find something positive that I see in the world (it’s not as hard as one would think), especially on the days of self-doubt. It’s hard to not have self-doubt when you put all you have into an interview and the client doesn’t pick you. If I truly look at why, it’s because it wasn’t meant to be for some reason or another. That’s ok! It’s not because I’m not a good doula, it’s because someone else was supposed to be a part of their birth process. I think in my younger years if someone had not hired me I would have quit and made an excuse of why I didn’t have time to be a doula. Negative self-talk was a lot stronger then! Not anymore, I am where I am supposed to be!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Joy Birth Doula – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
A doula is professionally trained to provide emotional, educational and physical support for expectant mamas and their families. I am here to support mamas and families make informed decisions about the birth of their baby and assist with medicated, unmedicated, natural, VBAC and cesarean births. I work with families of all backgrounds, ethnicities and socioeconomic cultures. I believe every woman deserves a doula. I volunteer my time to a local hospital and do sliding scale fees for women who need financial help.

Joy Birth Doula was a dream I had after my 3rd child. I am proud that I made my dream of being a doula come true. To empower and encourage women to use their voice in a vulnerable time in their life is a great honor. To watch women transform into a mother is an incredible experience. It changes her forever and the unconditional love she feels the moment she sees her baby’s face is one of the moments in her life she will never forget. It is pure Joy! What makes me proud to be a doula is someone trusts me enough to share one of the biggest, proudest moment of their life. Watching life come into this world reminds me of the beauty that does exist. When I see that mama has given everything she has because of love I know the world is good.

I don’t know if I am set apart from other doula professionals, but my birthing experiences with each of my children was different and ranged from a very traditional (and medicated birth) to an all-natural water birth – with combinations of both of those scenarios with my second and third births. I will say I am proud to be part of a community of women who empower other women and help them understand we are amazing creatures!

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Reaching out to other birth professionals is helpful. Especially when a situation arises and you need further information and education. Attending meet and greets and learning about all the resources out there for doulas and their clients is very important.

Contact Info:

• Website: joybirthdoula.com
• Phone: 303-725-1322
• Email: mandy@joybirthdoula.com
• Instagram: jot_birth_doula
• Facebook: Joy Birth Doula

Image Credit:
Blomquist photography

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