Meet Shannon Sweeney | Full-Spectrum Doula & Childbirth Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shannon Sweeney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shannon, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew coming out of receiving my Bachelors degree in public health and preparing to take my birth doula training that the next logical step was starting my own business. I think at times my thought process wavered between being confident in my ability to do this by myself and feeling completely overwhelmed about how and where to start. But, I knew how important this kind of care work is; I was determined to get myself out there and start supporting people through their pregnancy and birth experiences, and that is precisely what I did! Though of course, it did take some time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To start from the very beginning; I graduated in 2018 from Keene State College in New Hampshire with my Bachelors of Science in Health Science on the Community Health track with a specialization in Health Promotion. It was in this program that I isolated my desire to become a birth doula and after obtaining my degree I completed my training that same summer and started attending births a few short months later. By August 2019 I was a certified doula with DONA International. Since then, I have completed both postpartum doula and childbirth educator trainings with BADT and certified as well. I have taken and received a certificate of completion for Evidence Based Births “How to Help Families Get Evidence Based Care.” Currently, what I am most excited about is beginning my retrain with BADT in their online, 12-week Full-spectrum doula course. After its completion, I will be a dually trained birth doula! Getting to this point in my business has not always been easy and there are still moments where doing this work in remote areas of Wyoming poses challenges. For example, there are just a handful of doulas between Cheyenne, Laramie, and Medicine Bow; all areas within my service area. During Wyoming winters, traveling to clients is probably our biggest challenge due to weather and road closures; which is why having a reliable back-up is so important. If I can’t make it to Cheyenne because it’s not safe to drive or the road is physically closed, having those backups within the area is so important so my clients aren’t left without valuable support.
The lessons I have learned along the way as a birth professional and business owner are to value your time; value your craft, your skills and your knowledge. There are always opportunities to learn more, to become a better care provider. Boundaries are also important. Take the time off you deserve to rest and rejuvenate; always being on call is not sustainable! I want people to know that as a birth doula; I am there to support you in how you want to birth, in the setting where you feel most comfortable, but especially in the moments where things are hard.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, first I would take them to my two favorite places to eat here in Laramie; Sweet Melissa’s Vegetarian Café and Thai Spice! I would show them my favorite hiking spot, the Falls in Curt Gowdy State Park and we’d probably grab a drink at Front Street Tavern when we get back in town. Walking around Downtown Laramie is also a must. Being downtown is always a wonderful time! There are so many small businesses to visit and so many things to see!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I started my journey as a birth doula in my home state of Massachusetts. I have my DONA trainer, Tara Campbell, & the team at Birthing Gently to thank for helping me get involved as a birth doula with the volunteer program and as a staff doula. Big thanks to Hope Ouellette for always being there to answer questions and provide a listening ear for the tougher support experiences. I also have Sabia and JB at Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings to give a thank-you to for providing such a wonderful and comprehensive foundation as a postpartum doula and childbirth educator, and a future certified full-spectrum doula! This type of community work would also not be possible without the support I get from other doulas, educators, and birth-workers in Wyoming; we rely on each other for back-up, support, and just general encouragement. Thank you to my past, current and future clients; you are the reason I do this work and why I love it so much. Finally, thank-you to my family, and especially my Fiancé, for always supporting, encouraging, and reminding me that I am good at what I do. Your support keeps me going on the days where doubt creeps in!

Website: https://thelovelydoula.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingdoulathings/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmsweeney/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thelovelydoulax/

Other: DoulaMatch: https://doulamatch.net/profile/20884/shannon-sweeney-birth-doula-c-pd-badt-c-cbe-badt Email: thelovelydoula@gmail.com

Image Credits
Business Headshot of myself : Danielle Kent Photographer & Doula