Meet Kathy Voigtsberger of Whole Heart Birth Experience

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Voigtsberger.

Kathy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My own birth story began in 1980, when my first baby was born in a hospital with an epidural that resulted with a somewhat traumatic delivery. At the time I had no idea how this birth would impact my future.

In 1983, when I was pregnant with my second child, I knew I had to do something different.  I birthed my second baby at home with a Certified Nurse Midwife who was from Scotland. This second birth taught me a valuable lesson that I carry to this day. Birth can be enjoyable and beautiful. To lift my baby up to my chest without any interference was a moment I will never forget! I was hooked. I became a “birth junkie” that day.

I had a third baby in North Carolina in 1985.  It was illegal to have a baby at home. However, I had that baby with another Certified Nurse Midwife at a hospital. It went well, but I had to navigate through the hospital protocols, which was not easily accomplished.

Throughout the following years, I read all the books I could find about pregnancy, natural birth and breastfeeding. I helped many of my friends that were interested in learning about how wonderful a natural birth option was compared to the typical medicated birth. I also attended some of their births. I didn’t know I was actually working as a Doula.

Then we fast forward to the early 90s after I moved to Texas when I met a newly Certified Professional Midwife at a crisis pregnancy center. We had both enrolled to become counsellors for the center. She was looking for an assistant/apprentice; and I signed on immediately! For two years, we worked together; and I learned so much about birth from her. Sadly, she moved away; and my hopes to become a birth worker were put on the shelf. At the time, I was homeschooling my daughters and that was my priority.

Fast forward again to 2006, when my “home-birthed baby” was pregnant with her first child.  She really wanted to have a natural birth like I birthed her. I went to the library to look for some books to read about pregnancy and birth for my daughter. This is where my current story began — I saw “The Doula Book” by Marshall H. Klaus. As I read this book, I knew that was me! I was the Doula!

I chose to work toward certification with DONA International. In October 2006, I attended my required training and childbirth class. On November 13, I attended my first birth as a professional Doula. My grandson, Ethan, was born that day! My trainer, Linda Worzer, was instrumental in encouraging me as my mentor and today my best friend. With Linda’s encouragement, I also worked towards certification as a Childbirth Educator and Lactation Specialist.

Today in 2018, I have attended approximately 160 births, including the births of all 9 of my grandchildren. I cannot imagine any other work as rewarding as my Doula and Childbirth Education. It is a ministry and work rolled into one. I gave birth to three daughters; however, I have many other “daughters” around the Dallas area. Some are even sprinkled over the United States and even in other countries.

I hope to become a Doula Trainer for DONA International in the future.

Great, 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?
The biggest struggle has been to maintain a consistent flow of clients. There have been some years when I have had all the clients I can handle and other years when I have not. I choose to work in a solo practice. I rely on my website, listings with my certifying organizations and word of mouth to bring clients to me. I am not the sole provider for my family so this has not been a serious problem.

My Childbirth Classes serve as a supplement to my income as well. It seems that sometimes I have more students and less Doula clients, and sometimes it is the other way around.

Learning to live the on-call life was new to me. My cell phone is essential for this work, and a car with Navigation is a gift to have! I remember the days of using maps and trying to read street signs in the dark. I have some funny stories about that and driving home from an unfamiliar part of town after being awake for 30 hours after missing two nights of sleep.

Please tell us about Whole Heart Birth Experience.
When I was choosing the name of my business, I wanted the name to reflect my passion.

This work is very personal and a name seemed very important. I also did not want to limit myself to Doula services. I brainstormed with my daughters and a friend of theirs and we came up with Whole Heart Birth Experience.

I attend each birth and teach each class with my whole heart. I love teaching. I put my heart and soul into my clients. I want these mothers to feel empowered with the knowledge of her options and to know that she has a voice in the decisions made for her care and her birth. I deeply try to help each couple draw closer to each other as the mother is supported by her husband. I respect their relationship and work to help this dad feel empowered as well. I want her to look back on her experience 20 years down the road and say to her husband she could not have done this without HIM.

I truly love meeting these couples and genuinely want to get to know their hopes, dreams, and fears. I am a Christian. It is the first thing I state on my website about who I am. (I say this not to turn anyone away who is not a Christian, and I have had many clients who are not religious at all or hold different beliefs than I do. I do not have a problem serving them.) However, if there is one thing you learn about working through a labor with a woman, most all of them at some point with a call out to God for help. I have prayed with many women during their labors and there have been many answers to those prayers to help that woman and her baby be born safely. I only give credit to God for these answers to prayers. I think some of these things set Whole Heart Birth Experience apart.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I am part of an Italian family from Brooklyn NY. We love to eat, laugh and love each other dearly. Today we are spread throughout the United States. When we were living in NY growing up, every Sunday after church my parents, brothers, and I drove to my grandparent’s apartment in Brooklyn for an Italian feast.

After we were stuffed and the dishes were washed, my grandmother took my brothers and I for a walk a few blocks away to an ice cream parlor to have some ice cream. I don’t remember what I ordered, but my grandmother always had orange sherbet. After we walked back to her apartment building, she would take us up on the roof to look at Brooklyn from the sixth-story of her apartment building. Those are good memories.

In early May, we are all gathering in California to celebrate my Dad’s 90th birthday and have a Time of Remembrance for my Aunt Clara who passed away recently. I know my Mom will be looking down at all of us with a big smile!!

Pricing:

• Doula Services are currently $950.00
• Doula Services with Childbirth Education Classes are discounted to $900.00
• Childbirth Education Classes $325.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wholeheartbirth.com
• Phone: 469-585-5468
• Email: Kathy@WholeHeartBirth.com
• Facebook: Whole Heart Birth Experience

 

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