Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Ibarra.
Hi Rachael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My journey into the birth world began in 2013 with my own pregnancy; there were so many unknowns to navigate as a pregnant person and I very quickly discovered how little I actually knew about the birthing process and my body in general. This was initially a stressful discovery to make, but then when I realized how many choices I actually had, the concept quickly switched from stressful to incredibly empowering. Personally, midwifery care in a birth center felt like the best option for me and my baby, so we made the switch pretty early on in my pregnancy. I learned so much from the incredible midwives and birth workers I got to know throughout my pregnancy, and I had an absolutely amazing birth experience that ended with a water birth and my beautiful son being born into my own hands.
I had no reason to believe my postpartum would be any more difficult than I was initially anticipating; I expected the first couple of weeks to be a struggle and I thought we were prepared for that. Unfortunately, I was not ready for the various hurdles we encountered postpartum from tongue and lip ties to malnourishment and insufficient weight gain for my baby to my diagnosis of Insufficient Glandular Tissue, which was confirmation that I personally would never be able to exclusively breastfeed my baby. All of these discoveries within the first week of my baby’s life in addition to being exhausted from childbirth itself contributed to a rocky start to our postpartum lives, and it was incredibly difficult to recover from. I suffered from undiagnosed PPMD, or postpartum mood disorder, for over a year before seeking treatment because I didn’t understand what PPMD’s looked like. I thought having a PPMD meant you weren’t bonding with your baby, but I was in LOVE with my baby, so I convinced myself I was fine and that I was just feeling the effects of being an overly tired and stressed new parent. This led to many more difficulties before I finally sought treatment and was able to have a better understanding of both myself and my healing process.
So, really my desire to become a doula came from both sides of the spectrum – to not only strive to provide the same amazing birth support that I was provided in order to help others feel empowered, respected, and understood, no matter their method of birth or how their baby joins their family, but to also help with providing the education and resources new parents and families need to navigate the big day when baby arrives, as well as all of the other days that follow. My clients are never alone and I stress to them that they can call me any time they need me, no matter how long ago their baby was born. It took me over a year postpartum to seek help; I’m sure there are many other people in their postpartum season who make these realizations later as well, and if that happens to be one of my clients, I’ll be there with the support they need.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a large community of birth workers in the DFW area, as well as incredible care providers both in and out of hospital, that provide me with an amazing network of people to work with, learn from, and connect to in ways that sometimes only other birth workers truly understand. Birth work can be demanding in so many ways, both physically and mentally, and the fact that our own families usually end up paying the price for that is a huge struggle for many of us. I’ve had to be very diligent about reserving specific days off each week so I can use that time to be more present with my family. Of course, babies have their own schedules so sometimes I end up working on my days off as well, but that just comes with the territory of working within this field. Yes, birth work is demanding, but it’s also wonderfully rewarding and fulfilling. As a doula and childbirth educator, I’m able to support each client and family in the way that works best for them and to also be a catalyst for generational changes. Should my client’s children decide to have children of their own someday, they’ll likely come to their parents for advice on the matter and their parents can respond by encouraging them to seek out supportive and knowledgeable providers who respect their choices and opinions, which makes all the difference in one’s birth experience. I absolutely love what I do, and while it can come with its own set of challenges at times, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing and I’m so grateful for each client that entrusts me to walk alongside them on this incredible journey.
I’m also lucky enough to have extraordinary support in my personal life that allows me to pursue my goals as a birth worker and to help so many others. My husband Ulises is an amazing partner who I can always rely on. Birth happens at all times of the day and night, and my husband stays ready to pick up whatever slack I leave him in our home lives to ensure everyone is taken care of, including my clients. I remember one birth I was attending overnight and into the next day, which was the day of my son’s birthday party, and we went all out that year, too – we rented a gazebo at the park, we were having a bounce house delivered, we had a ton of decorations to set up, etc. Luckily time was on my side that day and by the time I left the birth, I had just enough time to show up to the park right after my son’s birthday party started, and I pulled in to see everything set up perfectly and my kiddo playing in the bounce house and having a great time. Another instance I was with a client overnight on Christmas Eve and got home at about 4 am Christmas morning, and I walked into a beautiful Christmas morning set-up courtesy of my husband and sister, who both worked so hard all night to make sure everything was perfect for my son. After a birth, I need time to recover so not only does my husband hold everything together for our family at a moment’s notice, he also extends patience and grace after I get back home to allow me to rest as much as I need to. It absolutely would not be possible for me to do what I do without my husband’s unwavering support.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a birth doula, I provide support to pregnant folks during every stage of their pregnancy, throughout their birth – no matter what method of birth they experience, be it vaginal or cesarean – and well into postpartum. I work both independently through my own company, Rachael Ibarra Birth Services (www.rachaelibarrabirthservices.com) And within an amazing agency called birth | Fort Worth (www.birthfortworth.com) Where I have the opportunity to work with many other birth and postpartum doulas throughout DFW to really extend our reach and be able to provide support to as many families as we can.
Whether I’m working with a client individually or within the agency, evidence-based care is of the utmost importance. As a doula, I’m here to provide personalized care, love, connection, support, a shoulder to cry on, and an ear to vent to, but I will also provide links to studies, evidence-based research, and other relative information that you need to make an informed choice about your body and your baby.
I am also a childbirth educator and teach two monthly “Your Best Birth” courses through birth | Fort Worth, and I am so proud of the curriculum we share with our students. Our class is ever-changing as we update it regularly based on any new evidence-based information that would be relevant to our students. We discuss everything from pregnancy to birth to postpartum and baby care as well, and also practice hands-on comfort measures, position changes, and various breathing exercises. We educate students about various interventions, and pain management techniques, and even discuss what an induction and cesarean birth could look like so our students are prepared should those situations arise. Education is one of the most important things you can invest in as you prepare to welcome a new baby into your life, and I’m proud to have the opportunity of educating so many new parents and pregnant folks to help prepare them for this incredible experience and what’s to come.
I have a responsibility to my clients to not only love on them and their families unconditionally and without bias but to also meet them where they are in life. I join some clients on their journeys who have done extensive research into their pregnancy and birth experience, and I join some clients who have not had access or opportunity to do so; either way, I’m providing that client with the support that *they* need specifically, without judgment or persuasion in one direction or another. I am not a certain type of doula for a certain type of birth; I support your birth and your way and will do everything I can to help you feel empowered throughout your experience, no matter the choices you make.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I can’t say that I’m a big believer in luck, but I definitely have had some good fortune mixed in with a lot of hard work. I was determined to become a birth worker, and my family and I made some pretty extreme sacrifices to make that happen.
When I decided to become a doula full-time, I was working in property management, and we also lived at the apartments I helped to manage. We changed every aspect of our lives when I decided to quit my job and as a result move simultaneously so that I could pursue my dream of becoming a doula. This is where the good fortune comes in as I am lucky to have a partner who supported me through all of the chaos that comes with making two major life changes at one time; my husband has always encouraged me to succeed and this time was no different. We moved in with my mother-in-law, who is one of the most generous and kind souls I know so she of course welcomed us with open arms, (again, lots of good fortune here because we definitely got lucky with a Buela like her) I attended my certification courses as soon as I could, and I got to work making connections.
This required me to sometimes step out of my comfort zone as someone who’s a more naturally inclined introvert, but the efforts were so worth it as I’ve found my people in the birth world. I connected with Barb Davis, founder of birth | Fort Worth pretty early on in my career, and we hit it off right away. We shared similar views about how birthing people should be treated and about important ways for us as doulas and birth workers to do our best for pregnant folks in our community. Choosing to work with Barb was an effortless decision, so I’d say I was definitely lucky to meet her as well; working with birth | Fort Worth has opened up so many doors for me and has helped pave the way for even more growth within my skillsets.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachaelibarrabirthservices.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/doulegit2quit
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachaelibarrabirthservices
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rachael-ibarra-birth-services-fort-worth?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
- Other: www.birthfortworth.com
Image Credits
Aly Renee Photography
Eva Diana Photography
