After difficult births with her first two children, Brittney Torrance of Amissville, Virginia, knew she wanted a different experience with her third child. Starting with the decision to go from a hospital birth to a home birth with a doula.
“I didn’t have a doula for the birth of my first two children, but I had learned the benefits of having one,” says Brittney. “My husband took some convincing at first because he was afraid the doula would cost too much money, or that she would take away from his role. But that’s not the case at all. Doulas are worth every penny, and that’s not the case. take over from partners. They actually help partners get more concerned.”
With her husband on board, Brittney began working with a doula. Over the course of her pregnancy, she realized that not only did she want a doula gift for her birth, but she wanted to become one herself!
“I had our third child at home with my doula, and it was a wonderful experience. Especially compared to my first two birth experiences, which were absolutely horrible,” says Brittney. “I knew many women were having similar experiences, and I wanted to do something to help, so I became a doula.”
Brittney worked full-time as a biologist, which was interesting, but it “didn’t touch her heart.” After a year and a half of training, she was able to change careers and is now a full-time doula. Eliza Wilcox, the doula who helped her birth her third child, is now her business partner! The two run Holistic birth services from Avetawhich serves mothers in Warrenton, Virginia and the surrounding areas.
“It all fits together perfectly,” she says.
Battling Postpartum: Herbal Allies to the Rescue
Brittney’s third pregnancy journey not only fueled her career change, but also sparked her interest in herbal medicine.
“It’s something I’ve always been interested in,” she says. “I truly believe that your body knows best and that we need to get our medicine from the earth.”
Brittney had already been busy educating herself through herbal medicine books and visits to her local pharmacy. But her interest grew as she progressed through her pregnancy and immersed herself in her local birth community.
“If you give birth in the hospital, they usually send you home with super-strength ibuprofen or prescriptions — very intense drugs. There are benefits, but there are also risks,” says Brittney. “With my second child I also suffered from terrible mood swings after giving birth.”
Although she generally tries to avoid prescription drugs, Brittney’s postpartum issues evolved to the point where she was prescribed a drug. It helped with the mood problems, but she wasn’t happy with the side effects.
“There are times in my older children’s lives that I don’t remember,” Brittney says. “It’s like I wasn’t there.”
This time she wanted to get ahead of any postpartum problems. So she turned to her new community for advice.
“Everyone immediately started telling me that I needed the WishGarden AfterEase for postpartum contractions,” says Brittney. “So after I gave birth, I tried it. And I immediately thought to myself, ‘this stuff is magical.'”
Knowing that Brittney also wanted to avoid having to take prescription medications again, her new colleagues also urged her to try WishGarden’s ReBalance tincture, which is formulated to support healthy hormone levels and a sense of well-being after to promote birth.
“I can’t tell you how amazing the ReBalance After Birth Hormonal formula is,” says Brittney. “It’s changed so much for me. This postpartum journey has been completely different than my last one, and I really believe taking ReBalance daily has helped with that. I feel great. I feel like myself, which is great.”
Her only regret?
“I wish I had known with my first two!”
Helping other mothers
Since experiencing them firsthand, Brittney has also started suggesting AfterEase For After Birth Contractions and ReBalance Afterbirth Hormonal to her doula clients.
“I have recommended ReBalance to all my clients, especially those who have already had children and know they are prone to mood swings after childbirth,” says Brittney.
“I also introduced it to one of my clients who was struggling with prenatal blues, which isn’t talked about but is very common. She was at the point where she couldn’t even get off the couch. She started taking it and She started feeling a lot better. She was able to get up and play with her kids again and get out of her troubles.”
Brittney’s own relationship with herbs continues to evolve every day. She has started an herb garden in her yard, drinks herbal tea every day, uses herbal tea products in her doula business, and even makes homemade fruit leather with herbs in it for her children.
“Now I’m that person who always says, ‘Wait a minute, I have an herb for that.'”
Valerie Gleaton is a professional writer and editor. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she also earned a certificate in science and environmental reporting.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, or to sell any product.
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