Meet Kayla! A Full Spectrum Doula & Sexual Reproductive Health Educator located in Chicopee, MA. She decided to become a Doula shortly after her own birth experience, and now she is able to put her high energy and positive outlook on life into the relationships she builds with her clients. Keep reading to learn more about her story and the services she offers!
What is your name! How should people address you?
My name is Kayla Chatterton (she/her)
What is the name of your business? Do you own it, co-own etc.?
The name of my business is Wombanswellness. I am a Certified Full Spectrum Doula, Sexual & Reproductive Health Educator & a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. It’s just me & I own my business.
Where are you located and what areas do you serve?
I am located in Chicopee, MA & serve within 1 hour of Chicopee
And what inspired you to open your business (or get into the field)? How long have you been active in this field?
I was inspired to become a Doula after the birth of my daughter, Daisy. My husband was working at our local Co-Op at the time & we were offered Doula Support by a few different people, at the time I really did not have a good understanding of what Doulas did or how having a Doula could be so beneficial.
After I gave birth I watched the popular documentary “The Business of Being Born” & started looking into what Doulas really did. (Doulas are not just for people who want to have a totally unmedicated “natural” home birth, Doulas support all kinds of births!) I told myself “Wow, I really wish I had a Doula!”. I have been exposed to pregnancy, birth, babies & reproductive health events my whole life, thanks to my amazing mother & other great women in my family who have always been so open with me about these experiences. So coming into this line of work feels very natural to me & I absolutely love to learn about all things pregnancy, birth, lactation, sexual/ reproductive health, menstrual cycles & hormone health. I have been an active Doula for a little over two years now.
What products/services do you offer? Please feel free to go into detail to give a greater understanding of these services!
I currently offer:
Sexual & Reproductive Health Education/ Support: Menstrual Cycle Troubleshooting, Learning Fertility Awareness Methods & how to properly chart & track your cycle to help you conceive or prevent pregnancy, Sex Education beyond what you may (or may not) have been taught in school, how to work on your Hormone Health, & support through any reproductive health events people may go through in their life. This is all done through a holistic point of view & I always suggest my clients also work with their health care practitioner.
Support & Education during Pregnancy, Labor & Birth: I meet with my clients 3-4 times during pregnancy to provide education on related topics & to build a support plan together. During Labor & Birth I am there to support the person giving birth, their partner or anyone else who may be attending the birth, physically, emotionally, & to help advocate for their wishes. If plans need to change throughout the birthing process I am there to help create ease through the transition. I typically stay with my clients for 1-2 hours after the birth & check in again throughout the first week. I happily support all Birth Plans/ Wishes.
Birth Wishing Session: One on one childbirth education where we go over a special “My Birth Wishes” hand out that I have created to educate my clients about their options & prepare for their upcoming labor & birth. Everyone leaves with their very own copy of the book “The Birth Partner”, multiple copies of “My Birth Wishes” to hand out to everyone on your team, & plenty of resources to help you feel more prepared, empowered, & ready to advocate for yourself.
Postpartum Support: I provide Daytime & Overnight Postpartum Support, where I come into the home to help care for the new parent(s) & their baby. I offer practical assistance as well as emotional support, enabling a smoother recovery & increased confidence in meeting the challenges of parenthood. This service includes infant feeding support & referral to an IBCLC if needed, basic household tasks like washing of baby bottles, pump parts & baby laundry, assistance with healing after birth & restocking postpartum supplies, simple meal preparation, caring for the baby so the parents can rest, & teaching newborn care.
Placenta Encapsulation: this is a process in which the placenta is inspected, sometimes steamed or done raw, cut into strips, dehydrated, turned into a powder & placed into capsules for the person who gave birth to consume. Utilizing your placenta in the postpartum time may aid in: human milk production, hormone & mood stabilization, pain relief, energy enhancement, iron restoration, & overall healing. This package includes your placenta capsules, one placenta print, & umbilical cord keepsake. You can also add on a second print, a placenta tincture, & placenta smoothies cubes if you choose.
I also sell handmade Herbal Sitz Baths.
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
There are so many things I love about this job. Helping people to better understand & grow closer with their bodies, witnessing the birth of new life, both of a baby & of brand new parents & family units, helping parents build confidence throughout this new journey in their lives, & working with the Birth community in Western Mass.
What is the most rewarding and most challenging part of your job?
The most rewarding part of this job is seeing people grow more confident in their bodies, feeling empowered to take charge of their health & wellness, helping people have a more positive birth experience, & seeing people blossom into parents.
The most challenging part of this job is seeing how poorly our Maternal Health Care Systems are set up. In America we have the highest Maternal & Infant Mortality rate of any developed nation, & unfortunately it has not seen any improvement over the past 20 years. Black, Brown & Indigenous folks are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy & birth complications due to medical racism & implicit bias. There are also very little family safety nets set up & maternity/ parental leave is often non existent.
What Inspires you? What do you want to achieve in the future?
My family, clients, & fellow Birth Workers inspire me everyday! The strength & resilience of those with wombs, who are constantly flowing through various metamorphosis throughout our lifetimes inspires me. I hope to one day in the future become a Certified Professional Midwife, attending home births.
Tell me a little about yourself personally!
I have spent most of my life in Western Massachusetts, with a few of my younger years spent in GA & VA. I grew up with an amazing mother, wonderful siblings, & supportive grandparents. My family is very important to me. Most of what I enjoy intertwines with my work, I am always finding ways to learn something new, either about hormone health, food, ingredients, low tox living, & holistic health. I feel I am a pretty easygoing, down to earth person & I really enjoy getting to know new people. In the warmer months I absolutely love having friends & family over for food, drinks & watching the kiddos play in our backyard.
Tell me a little about your family life. Are you married, have children, or pets?
I live in Chicopee with my husband Andrew, our 5 year old daughter Daisy, & our dog Zoey. Something personal I have grown to become passionate about is advocating for people who have developmental disabilities, our daughter Daisy has Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disability where 26-28 genes are randomly deleted off of chromosome number 7 at the time of conception. People with Williams Syndrome are often highly sociable, have an affinity for music & are very emotionally intelligent. It is common for those with WS to experience health complications such as Cardiovascular Disease, Developmental Delays, Gastrointestinal Issues, & other health concerns. We have been blessed to have a very healthy, unique child who we love more than anything!
What do you do for fun in your down time?
I enjoy spending time with my family; my mother, siblings & cousins are some of my best friends! Every Monday my husband, daughter & I make a trip out to our favorite farm (Mill Valley in Hadley) to visit the cows & get fresh milk. I also enjoy listening to music, reading books & listening to podcasts.
Anything else you would like to share?
This work is pretty unique in itself & I’m thrilled that you are shining a spot light on local Doulas & other Birth Workers! Something new I have recently embarked in is becoming a Co-Director of the Non-Profit, Green River Doula Network. We are working on proving resources for families & ongoing education for birth workers. Please visit www.greenriverdoulas.org to follow along with us as we build.
You can find more information on her website, Facebook and Instagram.
To learn more about newborn and maternity photography check out my website!
