Today we’d like to introduce you to Kylee Alejandre.
Hi Kylee, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began my career as a doula after my own childbirth experience proved to be quite traumatic, simply due to the fact that I was not educated on my options and did not have the proper support (though I did have an amazing partner at my side!). While I was in the hospital recovering from that birth, I found myself googling “how to have a better birth”, and that’s how I discovered doulas. At the time, I had finished up my prerequisites for nursing school and I was waiting for the nursing program to begin. Upon more research into what a doula does, I discovered that doula work was my true calling, so I quickly changed plans and began the journey to where I am today. I worked as a solo doula for about a year, and then, with the help of my mentor, I determined that my area was in need of a doula agency. That is how Utah Valley Doulas came to be.
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?
If I’m being honest, it has been quite smooth. I spent many years trying to find the career that called me, and once I discovered doula work was the career of my dreams, it was very easy for me to completely dive into it. I have slowly, but surely, built up my business, and while I still have a ways to go to get Utah Valley Doulas where I want it to be, I truly am enjoying every step of the journey!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Utah Valley Doulas?
At Utah Valley Doulas, we offer a wide range of services, including Hypnobabies Childbirth Education courses, birth doula support, postpartum doula support, sibling doula support, and placenta encapsulation. Here’s a little more information about what you can expect from those services: Hypnobabies is a complete childbirth education course combined with a complete hypnobirthing course. It’s a one-stop-shop to prepare you for your more comfortable and enjoyable birthing experience. We teach these classes in-person in West Jordan and Orem.
Our birth doula support package includes two prenatal appointments during your pregnancy during which we make sure you are informed of all of your options and that we know your specific preferences. We then use that information to write up a birth plan for you, if you do not already have one. We also use those prenatals to talk with you and your birth partner (if applicable) about all of your thoughts and feelings surrounding your birth. This allows us to personalize the support we provide you to your specific needs. Once labor begins, we will be there, in-person, to provide constant physical, emotional, and informational support to you and any loved ones who might also be invited into the birth space. Finally, we will come visit you within the first two weeks following the birth to talk about how you’re feeling about the birth and how you’re doing in the postpartum period. We will provide you with any resources you may need.
Postpartum doula support is all about making sure that nothing gets in the way of your recovery and your bonding time with your new baby. Our trained and certified postpartum doulas are available for both daytime care and overnight care. Daytime care includes assisting you with infant care, sibling care, recovery support, infant feeding assistance, light housework, meal prep, pet care, etc. Overnight care is all about caring for your baby so that you can get the rest that you need and deserve during that crucial postpartum period.
A sibling doula is your on-call, professional childcare specialist for your birth. The sibling doula package includes one prenatal visit during which your children will have the chance to meet and become comfortable with the doula. Your sibling doula will then be on call for your birth and arrive at your home upon your request to maintain consistency and calm any worry your children may have while you confidently give birth to your family’s newest addition. The doula will remain with your children until your additional childcare is able to arrive or until you return home after the birth, if needed.
There are many benefits to placenta encapsulation including assistance with hormone balance, increased milk supply, reduction of postpartum bleeding, increased iron levels, increased energy, reduction of postpartum blues, reduced stress levels, and increased likelihood of a more positive postpartum period. We offer two options for placenta encapsulation: we can pick up the placenta directly from your birth location and return the completed capsules to you 2-3 days later, or we can encapsulate the placenta right in your own home.
At Utah Valley Doulas, we know how special a time it is to welcome a new addition into your family. We know that this is a time of joy and celebration, and we also know that it is a time that can bring challenges and maybe even some insecurities or anxieties. When it comes to pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, the only thing that you can be certain of is that you can’t be certain of anything. That’s where the unwavering support of Utah Valley Doulas comes in. We are committed to helping you navigate all of the twists and turns that come with this experience so that you can simply enjoy it, while feeling completely supported.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see the industry of birth work continuing to grow and become more popular as time goes on. There is a big need for proper support in the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period, and the world is starting to see that that support can be found in doulas. Childbirth education is also going to continue to grow in popularity, in my opinion, because people are wanting to take charge of their birth experience and that starts with learning and becoming aware of all of their options.
Pricing:
- In-Person Hypnobabies Class in Orem – $350/couple
- Birth Doula Package – $1500
- Postpartum Doula Support – $30-$38/hour
- Sibling Doula Package – Starts at $1000
- Placenta Encapsulation – $300
Contact Info:
- Website: www.utahvalleydoulas.com
- Instagram: @utahvalleydoulas
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/utahvalleydoulasllc/
