Meet Lyssa Zawalski | Postpartum Doula

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

Hi Lyssa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
To be ever so frank, Postpartum care and support in the United States is abhorrent. Birthing people are mistreated, under-diagnosed, under-resourced, and gaslit. As a country, we are sorely undereducated about how a birthing person’s body works, about what extraordinary things happen to bring a child earth-side. For example: Did you know that human milk is a uniquely concocted every single time based on the properties of the babies saliva as it reaches the nipples? Mammary glands are able to identify what vitamins or antibodies a baby needs based on their spit alone.

For acting as a literal portal between this world and the cosmos, birthing people are severely mistreated. My story was no exception. After 60 hours of labor and a traumatic birth, I found myself quickly developing PMAD (perinatal mood and anxiety disorder) symptoms. Once home from the hospital, my husband’s job immediately sent him away for weeks at a time. I ended up being diagnosed with postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum OCD. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I lost my shine for a really long time, and I cannot emphasize how many parents find themselves sitting with that same pain. I promised myself that, once I was able to grow love around my grief, I would find a way to invest in the postpartum community. Once I found postpartum doula work, I knew I had found my entry point. And so, Nook was born.

I feel that it is deeply important to note that colonization, white supremacy, and capitalism have caused our collective birth and postpartum trauma. I cannot forgive our country for how they treat parents (especially parents of color, and parents who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community), for how they abuse birthing people, for how our medical system routinely denies care and coverage to so many. We deserve so much better. We will take care of each other.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is called Nook and I provide postpartum support to birthing people and their families. Postpartum doula support can include infant and postpartum education, sleep and lactation support, light house-work, sibling transition support, relationship transition support, meal prep, etc. I specialize in birth-12 weeks old, but prefer starting with my families before baby arrives if possible. I provide postpartum planning sessions that allow families to have real, sometimes hard discussions before baby comes to help mitigate the imbalance in emotional, physical, and mental labor that is often symptomatic of parenthood. All of my postpartum services are in-home, but I can also offer virtual postpartum support if needed. I have a wide network of providers (therapists, pelvic floor therapists, OT, etc) across the state, allowing me to plug my clients into a web of care immediately.

My philosophy is: my primary client is the birthing person and my secondary client is the infant. My services are specifically tailored to give holistic support to the birthing person as they are the one who has been transformed. I aim to root our time together in true self-care. Yes, we will make sure you get to take a shower alone. But to me that is not self-care, that is hygiene. I consider self-care a guided restorative yoga practice tailored to your body’s needs (I am a certified yoga teacher), a 30 minute warm foot spa with a gentle scalp massage, a quiet sit outside with some art supplies to put to paper what you might feel inside, a guided meditation that will lead you to a restful nap while I snuggle baby or get some meals prepped, a walk on your favorite nature path while your babe is safe at home with me.

It matters how we feel during postpartum, it matters who shows up and how we are treated. It is something we will carry with us forever. It is my ambition to provide moments in a birthing person’s postpartum where they feel seen and safe.

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?
A week long trip! Where do we start?! In no particular order, here are some must see/do/eats for me:
– RMNP and Estes Park
– Alpine Lake hikes (too many to name!)
– A drive up Kenosha pass, especially during peeping season
– Snowshoeing in the front range or nearby ski towns
– A jaunt around Pearl Street in Boulder, with a special stop at Into the Wind (because WHO doesn’t love a kite shop)
– A meal at any of the following spots: Kawa-Ni, Super Mega Bien, Daughter Thai, Wildflower, Spuntino, Makizushico, Tokyo Premium Bakery
– A long leisurely bike ride down the Platt path or Highline Canal

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?
My best friend, Alice, is one of those people you meet and immediately know that they are the nectar of the Earth. I am not sure where she came from, but she is truly made of magic. Alice held me together during postpartum. There was one very dark night where I decided the only solution to my pain was to end my life. As I left my home, baby in tow, I drove by her house. Something clicked and, instead of executing my plan, I went to her. She took me in and nurtured me, held my baby, until I was safe enough to go home. She never let a day go by without reminding me how important I am, how much it matters that I am alive, how there will be a day when all of this pain has found a new form that wouldn’t hurt so viscerally. I wouldn’t be here without her, and I also wouldn’t be the woman and mother I am today without her.

My husband, Aaron, has been my love since I was 15 years old. He has seen me in my every form. He is the kind of man that bathed me after birth because I was too sore to move my body, the kind of man that will put himself through whatever it takes to make sure his family is well cared for, the kind of man that treats women in his life with the deepest respect. He is a true partner, and I am so grateful for his love.

Website: https://nook-postpartum-doula.squarespace.com/

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