Inspiring Conversations with Teresa Estilow of Cherished Bond Postpartum Doula

Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Estilow

Hi Teresa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am the owner of Cherished Bond Postpartum Doula, a company that focuses on empowering new and again parents in their 4th trimester journey. The reason I started Cherished Bond is because of my own postpartum experiences. Protecting my mental health while also physically healing from birthing two baby’s was incredibly difficult to prioritize. It was after the birth of my second child that I felt the need to understand how I could best support parents going through their own postpartum experiences.

While working at a local hospital as a CNA and finishing my nursing school pre-requisites in 2021, I began researching to find out how I could support parents with newborns. After discovering the role of a postpartum doula, I signed up for a training and became certified with Cornerstone Birthwork Training.

In my time with postpartum parents, my passion is in mental health awareness and creating safe spaces to share true and honest feelings about parenthood, the exciting moments and the challenging moments. I love educating new parents about postpartum healing, nutrition, all things infant care, and one of my favorites, their newborns first bath. Whatever the priority is for the parent becomes my priority, and if there is no energy to think, I can come in and just know what needs to be taken care of.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not enough parents know postpartum doulas exist and that we are here and waiting to offer all kinds of support in the 4th trimester. There are daytime postpartum doulas, overnight postpartum doulas. and newborn care specialists. We all have our own unique ways of supporting parents with a goal of making the transition into parenthood as smooth as possible. If I have one piece of advice, it is for parents to look at their baby registry in a different way, and include some sort of postpartum related care on their list.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a postpartum doula offering daytime support to parents with newborns. Each day can look completely different but the areas I most commonly help with are focusing on postpartum healing and nourishment, all things infant care related, infant feeding support and education, light housework, meal prep, traveling to postpartum visits out of the home, and an extensive list of postpartum related specialists who can also help.

I feel that I’m known for helping parents feel seen and heard in their own parenting journey’s. Celebrating the good while also validating the challenging parts. In a society where we are rushed back on our feet and back to work, I help parents find time for rest and emotional nourishment. Time to shower, brush their teeth, or just step outside and plant their feet in the grass. I try to lead with a trauma informed approach, creating safe spaces to share any type of thoughts or feelings associated with parenthood.

I am most proud to say that I took a very challenging time in my life and turned it into something good. I’ve made sure to heal from my own postpartum experiences so that I can meet parents where they are at in their own journey. I want to be accessible to all family types who seek out postpartum support, and most importantly I just want family’s to know postpartum doulas exist.

I am also a childbirth educator in the Tempe area with the incredible Dare to Birth owned by Alex Barr. Dare to Birth childbirth education focuses on bodily autonomy and advocacy in a parents pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey no matter where a person births their baby.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have been incredibly lucky to find other birthworkers who truly knows what it means to build and be apart of a community. We are continually sharing each others information with expecting parents and want to make sure people are supported by someone they genuinely vibe with.

Pricing:

• $40/hr
• 24 hours for $960
• 40 hours for $1,600
• 80 hours for $3,200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cherishedbonddoula.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherished_bond_postpartumdoula/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076443900964
• Other: https://www.daretobirth.com/classes

Image Credits
Kristin Padilla – Kristin Loves Photos