Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Coleman.
Hi Adriana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always loved babies and used to watch TLC’s “A Baby Story” in the summers when I was younger. From that love and interest, I wanted to become an OB/GYN to deliver babies! I started out as a Bio major in college and attended my first birth when I was 18 years old. However, for various reasons, I ended up changing my major to Human Resources Management and went in a completely different direction. I naturally have the skills and temperament for HR and felt it was more of a practical career choice. I graduated from college in 2014 with my BS in HRM and after entering the work force fulltime, felt like something was missing. I began to look up ways to work with babies without having to go back to school because…student loans!
I stumbled upon becoming a doula and attended birth doula training in 2016, postpartum doula training in 2017. I instantly took to postpartum, even before I attended birth doula training! I knew that postpartum was it for me due to the flexibility and sheer lack of education and support provided for new and expecting moms. As someone who’s a planner, I like to know what I’m getting myself into and feel that there is such a tangible gap concerning moms and babies in the immediate postpartum season. Over the years I’ve attended many trainings, seminars and have also become a certified lactation counselor. My initial business idea from 2016 has changed tremendously and evolved into a full-on postpartum support business which I am so overjoyed to share with you all!
I have a heart for babies and a growing passion for everything postpartum! My mission is to make sure moms feel validated, nurtured and cared for in their transitions into Matrescence (the process of becoming a mother, word used to describe the physical, psychological, and emotional changes gone through during the monumental transformation that is motherhood). The Postpartum Nook prepares, educates, supports and provides recourses to moms in their postpartum journey through virtual postpartum coaching, postpartum text and email support, courses, e-books, guides and planners.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal period as the most critical, yet the most neglected phase in the lives of moms and babies. The Postpartum Nook helps normalize the postpartum experience, set realistic expectations, identify needs, gaps and explore options to secure a postpartum support team and create a care plan to help families thrive in each postpartum phase!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! I’ve dealt with a lot of fear and imposter syndrome, which involves feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite your education, experience, and accomplishments. It has been a long, hard road of getting over the fear and anxiety of walking into the unknown as a business owner and entrepreneur, also walking into a field that is fairly new. There’s no blueprint! As mentioned earlier, I took my very first training back in 2016 and am just now launching my postpartum support business in 2021. I finally decided to hire a business mentor, Brandie Bishop of Your Tribe Family Services, who has also been featured in the magazine! Working with her has boosted my entrepreneurial confidence and shifted my mindset. This surely hasn’t been easy, but it is worth it!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is unique in that it specifically and only focuses on Postpartum Care and Support! I am a Postpartum Coach and Certified Lactation Counselor – A postpartum coach is an integral part of a family’s postpartum support system. I partner with moms to discover solutions and resources that align with the needs and priorities of their family. I educate and empower women to feel confident and equipped to handle their role as mom and her postpartum journey. A postpartum coach is a guide, mentor, cheerleader, advocate, safe place and accountability partner. As a CLC, I can provide basic breastfeeding education and general support throughout the lactation journey.
The Postpartum Nook specializes in helping others understand what postpartum is, the different phases, pillars, why it’s so important and how to properly plan for it. There’s such a tangible gap in postpartum care and support from women only getting 1 postpartum visit 4-6 weeks after birth to the lack of knowledge, resources and paid parental leave benefits provided for growing families.
The word postpartum quite literally means after birth. Postpartum ≠ Depression and therefore should not be used as a replacement for “postpartum depression” as they are two completely different things! Postpartum is a beautiful, unique, fragile, joyous, vulnerable time that should be celebrated and planned for! It is a time of great transition for babies adjusting to the world and women (re)entering into motherhood. Because of that families need to be supported, nurtured and mothers need to be mothered and held during this exciting and life changing transition; that’s where The Postpartum Nook steps in!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I believe there will be an increase in postpartum coaching as moms and families come to know and understand what postpartum truly is and why it’s so important to plan for it and have support!
Contact Info:
- Email: ThePostpartumNook@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/thepostpartumnook?demo=false
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepostpartumnook/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepostpartumnook/
