Meet Niki Brown, CD(Dona) | Birth Doula, Birth Photographer, & Childbirth Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Niki Brown, CD(Dona) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Niki, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I decided to start my own business as a birth doula after attending several births free of charge as a ministry to laboring mothers and couples who wanted coaching and birth support; I received overwhelming feedback from these clients, as well as medical practitioners, about how beneficial these services were!

I knew I was passionate and gifted at what I did, but for some reason I had the mindset that if I loved doing something then I shouldn’t get paid for it – weird, right?! Work SHOULD BE doing what you love and are good at, AND getting paid for it!

I never thought I’d find myself as a single mom supporting and homeschooling 3 children, but when that season came it made the decision to start my own business an easy one! Owning my own business and working from home allowed me to continue homeschooling my children while still earning an income.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In my practice as a doula I have a long-term vision for couples: I don’t just want to get them through the difficult moment of labor and delivery; I equip fathers to support the laboring mother in ways that enhance their relationship and prepare them to be invested dads moving forward. I do as much coaching towards the dads as I do the moms! The feedback I hear again and again from men is that their marriage or relationship with the mother was made better because of our counseling and prep sessions beforehand!

I also focus a great deal on postpartum counseling to ensure that the birth story this client goes on to tell is an empowering, positive one – even if it wasn’t her Plan A kind of birth. My counseling background is an enhancement to what I’m able to offer clients who’ve experienced trauma previously in life or require a little extra support in the aftermath of her birth journey.

As a photographer throughout this process I capture the story of her birth journey in pictures that show the couple laboring together and the emotions of meeting their baby for the first time as well as all the bonding in those first couple hours afterwards. These photos become a treasure even to women who were initially unsure as to whether they would want to see themselves in such a difficult process.

I spend a great deal of time preparing my clients and building relationship with them beforehand so that when we step into the labor process together everyone feels safe, peaceful, and familiar with one another.

The ripple affect of birth cannot be understated; therefore I go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that my clients’ mental, physical, and emotional health is made top priority both during and after the birth!

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?
Durango is a fabulous place to visit! My favorite activities are hiking the local trails in the summer and skiing at Purgatory or sledding at Molas Pass in the winter! I love dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon on a Saturday night, enjoying live music or having a drink and some delicious food at The Pour House, Chimayo, or East By Southwest!

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 have to give a shout out to my dear friend and first client, Kayla Hardt! We were out in the middle of the desert in Moab when she started experiencing labor contractions and I jumped in eager to support a birth, even if it ended up being in a travel trailer! Although she didn’t have her baby in the desert that day, she intuitively sensed I had what it took to provide a better birth experience than what she’d previously had and asked me to be her doula for the birth of her third baby! That became the door that unlocked this unrealized potential in me, which has now resulted in a thriving business that brings empowerment and joy to my clients as well as myself!

Website: www.durangodoula.com

Instagram: Durango Doula

Facebook: Durango Doula

Image Credits
All photos are credited to Durango Doula, except one image, which is watermarked Melanie Ellison Photography and was gifted to me with permission to use.