BYOK BOSS BABE: Lila Silver

Here we are for another round of #BOSSBABE. Today, I’m featuring Lila Silver, certified doula and boss babe who is running her own business. We explore what it takes to become a doula, some tips for those who are soon to be or currently are pregnant, and her thoughts on being an entrepreneur. Grab a booch and read on!

BECOMING A DOULA

For those of you who don’t know, a doula is someone who is trained to assist a woman during childbirth and subsequently provide guidance thereafter to the family. Lila describes it as providing non-medical support to women throughout pregnancy and the labor process in the form of comfort, emotional support, and other resources.

She started her journey back in 2014. She got her certification through an organization called CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and underwent various components including written tests, in person childbirth and breastfeeding courses, and evaluations from doctors, nurses and parents alike.

Sounds challenging? Lila was definitely meant for this career.

“Pregnancy and birth has just always fascinated me. A woman can grow an entire human being inside of her and then bring it into the world (and keep it alive with just her own body for the first 6 months). I wanted to know as much about that as I could! The human body is designed so perfectly, it’s such an incredible thing!”

Breaking it down a bit more, everyone has something called the MTHFR gene which produces an enzyme in the body that is necessary for properly using vitamin B9. Some people however (estimated half the population) have a MTHFR gene mutation, which means they have a reduced ability to convert folic acid into a usable form.

Everybody needs folate, it’s good for brain development and muscle growth, and for preventing anemia, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, certain cancers and more. All women should be getting around 400 mcg (micrograms) (or 0.4 mg) daily, but pregnant women need twice as much, about 600-800 mcg. Pregnant women need folate to prevent neural tube defects (like spina bifida) from occurring in their babies.

Because of the risk of the MTHFR gene mutation, taking supplemental folic acid isn’t actually beneficial and could possibly be harmful. When unusable folic acid is taking up space in the receptors where real folate is needed, defects (midline problems) can happen in babies, such as spine problems, brain problems, and tongue tie.

You can’t change your genes but what you can do to minimize any potential for problems is take care of your gut. That means eating fermented foods full of probiotics, like sauerkraut & kombucha (HELLO THATS NOT A PROBLEM HERE!!), avoiding environmental toxins, and not taking folic acid. Just be sure to get the folate you need from your diet, so lots of leafy greens, asparagus, liver, beans, and nuts/seeds. Lila advises if you still feel like you’d like to take a supplement, talk to your doctor and ask about a natural folate supplement, like methylfolate.

 

VITAMINS

“I really believe it’s so important to get all of your systems really healthy before you get pregnant, so that it’s easier on your body and you have a good base line to start growing that baby. Vitamins are a great way to do this. For conception, Vitamin D helps the body create sex hormones that affect ovulation & hormonal balance. It’s important to take a supplement for this, especially if you live in a cold climate where you may not necessarily get a lot of sun exposure.”

Lila also recommends Vitamin C for conception because it improves hormone levels and increases fertility in women with luteal phase defects (where your uterine lining doesn’t grow properly) which can happen if your ovaries don’t produce enough progesterone. Iron is also very important as a lack of it can cause anovulation (absence of ovulation) and poor egg health. Just remember, you should only take vitamins on a doctors recommendation, and only ones that are made specifically for pregnant women.

“Like with anything, especially when you’re pregnant, I think it’s important to do your own research and find what feels right for you. There’s no one size fits all. What works for one, won’t necessarily work for another. Take in all the information you can and then do whatever you feel is best for you! Because it’s your body, and your baby, and only YOU get to make that call.”

“Though it has it’s ups and downs, I’ve never felt like someone who could do the whole ‘go to university, get a fancy office job right out of school, get a 401k, retire and then enjoy your savings’ thing, not that there’s anything wrong with that. And you can totally be a boss babe if you go that route. But it’s not me. My path is a bit more unconventional. I’m also lucky because my partner is doing a similar unconventional thing and he really encourages me. When I decided to become a doula, and then start my blog, I knew it would be hard and take time to grow it, which I’m still in the process of doing. But it feels very right, I know that I was made for this.”

There you have it BYOK readers, the journey of becoming a doula, some pregnancy tips, and what its like to be a #bossbabe! To contact Lila Silver with more information, email at lilasilver92@gmail.com or check out her website www.silverbirth.com.