Daily Inspiration: Meet Emily Kirchner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kirchner.

Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I feel like this whole story started when I was a child. My mother passed away just two months before my seventh birthday, leaving me and my younger sister and me, and I wonder if that’s the reason why I always thought I wanted to be a mother. When other children were answering the question “who do you want to be when you grow up” by saying they wanted to be a singer, or a scientist, or an actress, I’d always say I wanted to be a mom. And with some jobs I had when I was a teenager, I always ended up doing something around children. This is also how I moved to the US from Poland in 2013 – I was an Au Pair here in Georgia. The same area I’m still at, actually.

I got married in 2015 and became a stepmom to a then 4,5-year-old girl, who I still am still in touch with. Now she’s 16! In 2016, I had my first baby girl, and that experience completely changed my world. I gave birth at a hospital in Fayetteville, which wasn’t a traumatic experience by any means, but it did leave some feelings of loss and disappointment. I knew that there was something missing. So, I started learning more about the whole process of pregnancy and birth, and when I was pregnant with my second baby, I decided to give birth to him at home and did it differently this time around. That was an amazing experience! It was an extremely demanding and intense labor, but at the end of it, I got my son. I was in awe of what I was capable of. I had a feeling of such an accomplishment! I couldn’t believe what I did all by myself. I caught him by myself and brought him up to my chest all by myself, too. That experience showed me that the direction I started going in with my learning about the process was the right one.

But it wasn’t until my third baby, who was born in Bali, Indonesia, that I fully realized that this was my path. Living in Bali for almost a year, two months of that being pregnant and the rest postpartum, I learned so much about how it’s done in a different culture. I’ve learned that, for example, rates of postpartum depression out there are very low. A huge part of it is the fact that women are treated so differently when they’re pregnant, during labor and birth, and then postpartum, than the way things are done here. It’s not to say that people here don’t care, no. It’s more about their beliefs that tell us that babies are divine creatures, and so mothers have to be treated in a special way. They get so much support throughout the whole process, it’s truly incredible. I gave birth at home, and this labor was much faster. Still very intense but also very fast. I again caught the baby and brought her up to my chest by myself, which is an amazing feeling. And during my postpartum, I allowed others to take care of me. I stayed in and around the bed for around 40 days – the way women there do it. I made sure I ate healing meals and stayed warm – while holding my baby most of the time.

I then knew that I wanted to bring that experience and knowledge back to the US to help other women feel the same. To let them know that they CAN have an amazing experience during birth and postpartum – even if very intense and hard at the same time – and I wanted to help them achieve that. Women are so vulnerable during pregnancy, birth, and especially postpartum, when they’re quite literally open – and the society tends to forget about it. We need to give them more grace, love, warmth, and support. And that’s what I do.

I went through training with a midwife in Bali. Then went through a mentorship with a different midwife when back in the US. I got certified then. And now I’m in additional training because there’s never too much knowledge to have! I’m a Birth & Postpartum Doula. I offer pregnancy support, hands-on birth support throughout the whole labor and birth, and postpartum help, including overnight support (“night nurse”).

I believe that women deserve the best care they can get. They deserve to have the best experience during such a life-changing event like childbirth. They need to feel that they accomplish something amazing, something they didn’t think they’d be able to do. Right now, a lot of women don’t believe in themselves. I never say that I empower them because they already have that power within. I like saying that I help them get to that power and feel it again. Or for the first time, in some cases.

In addition to my regular pricing, I offer a sliding scale for those who struggle, are on Medicaid, Medicare, or other government assistance. I want to be able to be there for women in need.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I struggle with the business side of things – in today’s world seems like you can’t have a business without a social media presence. So I’m working on that, but it’s such a saturated space. Fortunately, I have quite a bit of experience with this side of the whole thing. I had to learn basic design stuff, and other things like this. Even though there are some challenges, I’m still really enjoying what I’m doing. I feel like I change women’s lives and tha’ts great feeling.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m most proud of the fact that I am a truly empathetic and warm person. I am able to hold space for the other person without any judgment, unnecessary questions, or unsolicited advice. I’m there for the women, their babies, and their families. I’m able to truly give myself to them in a way that they need because I know how important it is and how needed it is in today’s world. My business name is Ever Bloom Birth – because it’s about blooming in life, isn’t it?

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I found that the best way to do so is to either meet people in person or to contact them directly. I’m still learning this skill, and I have some more ways to go for sure. But I think that those would be my first steps, as people tend to be more responsive when they actually see your face, your smile, and can look into your eyes.

Pricing:

• Whole Pregnancy & Birth Package – $1,500
• The Experienced One Package – $800
• Postpartum Doula (Day Time) – $30 per hour
• Night Nurse (Overnight) – $45 per hour
• Childbirth or Postpartum Prep Classes – $150

Contact Info:

• Website: http://everbloombirth.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/everbloombirth
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/everbloombirth

Image Credits
Kash LaHue