She made me sing for my supper, that’s for sure.
Ruby Elizabeth Hennesey, you are one stubborn, determined, curious little girl…..and I loved every ounce of you.
Twice.
Monthly Archives: November 2010
It’s time for another ‘Baby Biz’ feature!
I’m so pleased to introduce you to Robyn Berman of Robyn Berman Doula Services. Robyn is an absolute delight to speak with and a real treasure to the many families who have employed her services!
How long have you been in business?
5 years
What area do you service?
Halifax, Nova Scotia and surrounding communities
What is your website/email address?
Why did you decide to open a “baby” business?
My decision to train as a doula and devote my career to serving birthing women and their families was transformational. Previously I had worked as a sales and marketing manager, and after the birth of my children I knew that going back and working for someone else would compromise the massive shift that I experienced in my personal philosophy. I wanted to give back, to share much of what I had learned as a new young mother with the community at large, and give women a sense of confidence before birth. I visited a good friend who had a baby after me. We shared tips and tricks, cooked meals together, talked about our highs and lows of birthing and the early days of motherhood. After that visit, I knew that I had found my calling.
What is your most popular service and what do your clients love about it?
As a childbirth educator and doula, I work with pregnant women and their partners (and sometimes other children). I would say that my most popular service is providing breastfeeding education and support. Clients love that they have access to all kinds of information BEFORE the baby comes. Nothing teaches a new mom how to breastfeed like a baby in her arms, but you can’t put a price on the CONFIDENCE that a mom can garner from her trusty breastfeeding educator. Studies show that women who hire post partum doulas have greater success with breastfeeding. Clients depend on my knowledge and support, and their passion to breastfeed their babies motivates me each and every day.
What makes your business unique?
My business is unique in many ways. For one, while I work in the area of wellness and health, I treat my business for what it is, my primary source of income. I get to apply all of my sales, marketing and public relations skills to running a business that is serving the birthing community. I just think that is so cool! Also, I am the first certified doula to facilitate an open/drop in breastfeeding group on the Halifax Peninsula. My breastfeeding drop in happens every week (unless I’m away or it’s summertime), and I have been facilitating it for nearly 5 years.
Is there anything about your business that you wish was more commonly known?
In general I just wish more people knew about doulas and how a doula can educate and support the birthing woman and her family. I also wish more women would train and certify as doulas and follow their passion. I feel fortunate that I am able to pursue my passion and devote myself to this work full time.
Thank you Robyn for agreeing to take part in the Baby Biz features…..AND for letting me persuade you to put that gorgeous smile “out there”
I finally had the opportunity to meet Dawn today, after many emails back and forth while she was still at home in Nunavut. She and her husband have been posted North for the last five years, and are now expecting their new bundle, due just days after Christmas!
”I have always felt that although someone may defeat me, and I strike out in a ball game, the pitcher on the particular day was the best player. But I know when I see him again, I’m going to be ready for his curve ball. Failure is a part of success. There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your life. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it. ” ~Hank Aaron
Baseball and babies, an unlikely pair.
Fact is though, Little Miss Ruby Hennessey threw me a curve ball today…and as I drove away from her session, with literally less than 30 frames shot in 3 and 1/2 hours, and only a handful of “keepers” to boot…I couldnt help but feel as though I had failed.
So how do you blog about a failure? Or do you at all? I could easily have just blogged these two images and told you all how cute Ruby is….how she looks just like her big sister Lola….how clearly smitten her parents Marcia & Liam are with her.
It would have been fine, and no one would have been the wiser.
I hadn’t failed at all.
Today was a lesson. A lesson in how I deal with a less than perfect situation … a lesson in patience and humility … and most importantly, in perserverance.
So I’ll be seeing you next week little Ruby…and be forewarned, I’m bringing my A game.
Sophia, Christian and Vanessa came by this weekend for their Holiday session, and I promised a little sneak peek on the blog. We had to wake poor little Sophia from her nap, but she was a trooper, a little shy, but charming nonethelessI’m not sure who she reminds me of, but I commented during the shoot that she was like a little ”sprite”…
