Meet Your B. Birth Services Doula: Brittany Credit

Meet Your B. Birth Services Doula: Brittany Credit

What do you do at B. Birth Services?​ I would consider myself a jack of all trades here at B. Birth Services. I work as a birth and postpartum doula as well as an encapsulation specialist. I also share duties with Beth as an office manager, social media and marketing manager. Pretty much you name it and I do it, well except massage, that's all Beth!

Where did you grow up?​ We moved around northwest Ohio a lot when I was younger but most of my childhood was spent on a small farm in Alvada, OH. After middle school we moved to Tiffin which was practically the big city compared to the farm.

Where do you live currently? ​We currently live in the small college town of Tiffin, OH. I went to high school here and my parents still live in the area so it only made sense to move back once we started a family.

Who makes up your family?​ Myself, obviously, and my wonderful husband of six years, Thomas. We have three boys which mean the world to me. They are Thomas III who is 4 years old, Ulysses at 18 months old, and Ewan our youngest at 3 months old. We also share our home with our two Oriental Shorthair cats Ralphie and Calamity Jane.​​

Favorite books?​ With three kids I don't get to read as much as I used to so I'm probably missing out on some new best sellers. When I did have time to read I enjoyed historical fiction like “The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory and transgressive fiction like the works of Chuck Palahnuik and Tom Robbins.

Favorite magazines?​ I love the homesteading lifestyle so I tend to read a lot of magazines like Backwoods Home, Grit, and New Pioneer. I am never disappointed and learn something new with every issue.

Where will we find you on weekends? ​If I'm not at home spending time with my boys then you can find me outside hitting the trails or working in the garden. I also enjoy sewing but since the little ones have come along I haven't put much effort into that hobby.

Favorite food?​ Mashed potatoes and chocolate, not together though that would be kind of gross. Oh and bacon! Now bacon and chocolate is a combo I could get used to.

Favorite drink?​ My guilty pleasure is Pepsi. I also love sun brewed sweet tea and a nice glass of Pink Moscato.

What’s the most important thing in your life?​ Hands down my family is the most important thing in my life, I would do anything for them.

Why did you decide to become a doula? My first birth was picture perfect but I was unprepared and frightened and left with birth trauma. My second birth started out as planned but ended with a medically necessary induction due to preeclampsia. Thanks to my doula though, my second birth was my favorite and easiest of my three deliveries. Even though my birth plan was falling apart, I felt safe and secure and well supported throughout my entire labor. I didn't know what to expect but she walked me through everything and I knew that I could get through whatever I was faced with. It was an amazing feeling to have my doula by my side encouraging me the entire time. It's that experience that made me want to provide the unconditional support of a doula.

What is your favorite doula trick to use during labor? I don't think I necessarily have a favorite trick but I love the look of surprise from clients when I show up to their birth without a huge overflowing bag of goodies. I really prefer to just use the basics: my hands, my voice, and my head. There isn't magic in my doula bag – in fact it's just a change of clothes and some snacks mostly - but my hands are strong, my voice is soft and calming, and my head is stuffed full of information from the various classes I've attended and research I've read.

What is your favorite memory as a doula? I can't narrow it down to a specific birth but my favorite moment is always when the parents first meet their new arrival. The look in mom and dads eyes as they fall in love with this beautiful new stranger is such an amazing sight to witness. I am so grateful to be a part of that special moment.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us. I love history, I mean LOVE it! Over the past43 % ​ 15 years I have spent my free time as a living historian, or reenactor as some call it, traveling across the U.S. and Canada sharing with others my passion for history. I have displays and accoutrements for an array of time periods including The French and Indian War, The War of 1812, and World War II and have portrayed such characters as a widowed chandler, an apothecary, and a German refugee.

Education and training?​ I love to learn and continuing education is an important aspect of my role as a birth professional. To date I have worked through two separate doula certification programs and have taken countless classes pertaining to lactation management in pursuant of my lactation counselor certification.

2013 – New Beginnings Doula Training, birth doula

2013 – Full Circle Placenta, encapsulation specialist

2014 – Wellstart International, lactation management

2014 – Case Western Reserve University, lactation management

2014 – ProDoula, birth doula

2014 – ProDoula, postpartum doula