I wish I had known Colleen when I gave birth to my first child. I believe I suffered from a mild form of postpartum depression while recovering from the major abdominal surgery of an unplanned caesarian birth. Exhausted and a bit isolated, at times I did not know where to turn. No Facebook back then!
The adjustment to parenthood is not as automatic as we think. And although we are socialized to feeling parenthood is “natural” , many times life does not unfold the way we might have imagined. For ourselves, or our children.
And of course each child is different (just when you think you have it all figured out…).
Enter Colleen.
Colleen Laszakovits is a fantastic professional whose mission is to support families during this tender transitional time.
Colleen states: “I have always loved working with babies and so I knew early on in my life that I wanted to work in a field that could help families transition to their new roles and responsibilities as parents.”
I would like all new families to know about the services she offers. Colleen is an expert in many areas as you will read below. We work together to make sure growing families receive all encouragement and services that Tucson has to offer.
Let me introduce you to Colleen.
What is your training and from where?
I graduated from The University of Arizona College of Nursing in 1998 and worked on the Mother/Baby/Postpartum Unit/Newborn Nursery at a local hospital for several years.
While working there I also became certified as a childbirth educator, teen educator and lactation educator through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association). I taught Childbirth Education classes for 13 years.
I decided to add the Postpartum Doula certification through CBI (Childbirth International) to further my knowledge and education in 2013.
What is a postpartum doula?
A postpartum doula “provides evidenced based information on things such as infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, mother–baby bonding, infant soothing, and basic newborn care.
A postpartum doula is there to help a new family in those first days and weeks after bringing home a new baby.” (American Pregnancy Association)
What do you love about your work?
Everything!
I love:
-watching moms and dads grow in their confidence and seeing the adoration from grandparents and the new interest from siblings.
-receiving the excited texts, emails or FB messages from parents with “light bulb moments”.
-teaching, informing and demonstrating techniques and strategies as well as quietly observing the transformations.
I love being a part of the village of support for families.
How/why did you start this work?
I solidified my passion for working with postpartum families after working alongside a health visitor in London. I then did a research paper on how different countries support parents in the postpartum period.
I was deeply saddened by the USA’s lack of support.
I became further determined to start my own business after working as an RN in the hospital and sending numerous new and veteran patients home with little to no support at home.
I wanted to bridge the gap between hospital discharge and the 6 week appointment by going in to the comfort of families’ homes and be a source of information, education and non-judgmental support.
What is unique about your business?
20 years of supporting over a thousand families in Tucson. RN knowledge and experience. Amazing connections & collaborations with trusted professionals to help families survive and thrive throughout their pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, infant care, feeding and parenting needs.
Besides in home or hospital visits, I also do phone consulting for families who are out of town. I love to help families get their house baby proofed for safety.
I am also Adjunct faculty at the UofA, clinical site and mentoring new nursing students. I’m also a published author of healthy pregnancy and childbirth education curriculum.
What are some reasons postpartum women may want to work with you?
Regardless if this is your first or your 6th child, every pregnancy and baby is different and unique. Babies do not come with instruction manuals. It can be hard to navigate all the needs vs wants, myths, advice and opinions of well-meaning family members and friends.
Nothing can completely prepare you for parenthood.
However, having a postpartum plan and support in place makes coming home and transitioning to life with a newborn a little bit smoother.
I come with NO agenda and NO judgment.
Every day is different and my services are individually tailored to meet the needs of your family. I help you succeed from bathing to swaddling, sleeping to breastfeeding, a mother’s physical and emotional needs, sibling adjustments to pet introductions, safety proofing, and going back to work.
My goal is to set you up to SUCCEED with realistic expectations from the very beginning.
How do you feel about Yoga for new moms and parents?
Yoga is a great place to start to help loosen muscles, release tension, and calm nerves. Yoga balances your body and mind. Parents can practice connecting breath with movement and adjust and rebuild pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.
I also love the unique Yoga Tune Up® massage ball work that you offer in your classes and workshops to release tension!
I am a HUGE advocate for self-care! Every parent needs some time for his/her self to relax and recharge. Self-care looks different for everyone, but it should be part of your daily routine as you begin to recover and settle in as a parent.
What is the best way for readers to connect with you, Colleen?
I can be reached via most social media outlets, email, text, website or phone.
FB https://www.facebook.com/YourFamilysJourney/ , Phone or text @ 520-440-8446, Email: [email protected], Website: www.yourfamilysjourney.com (currently undergoing construction)
Be sure to check out my full teaching schedule for prenatal and new family oriented yoga classes, as well as soon to be announced workshops.
Growing families! consult this curated list of resources; local, national, books, and more!