08/03/2024
Appreciate this write up-from Megan Rose who invited me to be the first featured provider with North Coast Integrative Network ✨
Dear Friends & Neighbors!
We are pleased to bring you our first monthly provider spotlight from the Integrative Care Network Directory. We hope this helps you learn more about and connect with local care providers.
Let us introduce you to Bree Libertad!
Bree is a birth doula. If you have never heard of this type of care provider, a doula is someone who works with expecting parents to provide prenatal care, support during the birthing process, and care and support following the birth (postpartum care). Doulas are not medical providers but offer support that medical providers do not often provide, such as comfort care, counseling, and planning for birthing and postpartum-related challenges. One example of this type of care is how Bree will discuss the client’s sensory needs and preferences and figure out ways to address these needs throughout the birthing process. These are things a parent-to-be may not think of independently and can greatly improve their experience.
Bree explains how support during and after the birthing process has a measurable impact on parental mental health, parent-child attachment, and family connections within their community. There is a lot of talk about the need for more mental health support in our community, and Bree’s services provide a window into a type of support we don’t often hear about but that can have a huge impact at this tender and formative time of a child’s life.
Bree has worked in family services for nearly 20 years! Bree holds a Master's in Special Education from the University of Oregon and has worked as an early intervention educator. In addition to completing training as a doula and postpartum navigator, Bree completed a graduate certificate in Infant and Toddler Mental Health through Portland State University in 2023. Her work in early childhood services has led her to consider how to make the most impact on children and families, which she believes is in the prenatal time period.
When asked about a challenge Bree has faced in her work, she shared that she has noticed some resistance from parents in accessing support. She believes this could stem from the belief that we should be able to get through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period all on our own. She passionately believes that we were never meant to have these experiences in isolation. It is her hope that, over time, more people will realize that it’s extra important to receive care during this life-changing time.
Bree’s favorite quote is:
“I never change, I only become more myself” by Joyce Carol Oates
She loves this quote because she recognizes how much we are altered by the experience of giving birth and/or becoming parents. Ideally, it can bring out the best in all of us because everyone has the potential to grow into the role of being a parent with the right support.
Integrative & Complimentary care services are sometimes, but not always, covered by medical insurance. If you or someone you know is interested in accessing the support of a doula and can’t afford to pay out of pocket, here are some suggestions:
1) Ask your primary care provider or your insurance provider if insurance covers it (Medicaid and MODA plans do offer some doula coverage) or if they know of any funding opportunities
2) Inquire with your employer if they have funds to support integrative care services (e.g. wellness grants)
3) Inquire at the Department of humans Services or other local non-profits to see if they have funding for doula services
4) Give doula services as a gift to an expecting mother
Find Bree & her business, which is called “Eclipse Birth,” in the North Coast Integrative Care directory www.northcoastintegrativecare.com or email her at eclipsebirth@gmail.com
The North Coast Integrative Care Network is a resource for healthcare organizations, healthcare workers, integrative care providers, local businesses and schools, and individuals seeking to learn about or find integrative / complementary care practitioners and opportunities.
