Exploring Life & Business with Suzanne Lee of Simply Postpartum, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Lee

Hi Suzanne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I came to discover the doula profession during my pregnancy with my son. My husband and I moved to Durham for work a few years before. Knowing we would be new parents in our mid-thirties and not having friends who had babies I knew I would need some help! I investigated what help was available to me and discovered the profession of postpartum doulas. I hired one while I was pregnant and as it turned out, I ended up having a challenging pregnancy and birth and a baby in the NICU for 10 days. I was so glad I could call my doula who gave me encouragement and support by phone in the hospital and at home in person. I felt so supported by my postpartum doula that I later decided to become one myself. I have gone through training through both DONA International and CAPPA as a Postpartum Doula, trained in Mental Health First Aid, HUG Your Baby, and trained with Postpartum Support International in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders where my passion is to focus on families affected by this.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I faced quite a few obstacles on my journey to become a Postpartum Doula. But they are really opportunities for learning and growing. All the workshops in the world cannot prepare you for real life challenges and how to deal with them. I am grateful for the network of doulas in our area whom I lean upon and also now mentor from time to time. Each new client poses a new challenge for the best way that I can support them. Getting to know a family and their home and baby quickly are important to the work I do. Doulas’ jobs are to work their way out of a job! So it’s important to get in there and connect with my clients so they can benefit from the support I can offer them. When we do face challenges together that are out of my wheelhouse, I stay connected to other providers in the area that I can refer them out to, whether that is a IBCLC for feeding help, or the UNC Womens Perinatal Mood Disorder clinic for a referral, a new moms or dads group or a pelvic health specialist. It’s my job to support the full spectrum of postpartum recovery.

As you know, we’re big fans of Simply Postpartum, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I named my business Simply Postpartum from my own need to simplify my life. I had previously been co-owner/founder of a thriving birth support business in our area. After a few years I realized that managing a large bustling business was not where my heart was. It was simply in providing postpartum support to a small number of families at a time. I left the business and took a break and began to dream of what I wanted for myself. Simply Postpartum was born out of my need and experience of the needs of other clients who know they need help, but feel too overwhelmed to make a big commitment to time or money. I provide shift by shift support with open start and end times for the clients. They seem to appreciate that since sometimes things go better than they imagined, which is great! I also like the flexibility to work small and have a better work-family balance for myself.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
First, I credit the doulas of the triangle area. We offer so much support and advice for each other through our Facebook group and in person. When we need a resource or want to learn about a new topic knowledge is generously shared. I also want to credit my husband, I call him my doula! This work can have unpredictable hours 24/7 and he supports me by picking up where I have to put down to go to another family. Without his partnership, it would be hard to do this work, raise a child and keep a home going and our animals cared for.

Pricing:

• $40 per hour day or night

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simplypostpartum.com
• Instagram: Simply Postpartum