Hello and Welcome!
Hello and welcome to this little corner of the internet dedicated to empower couples on their parenthood journey by sharing evidence based research alongside the doctrine of Jesus Christ. We are so happy you are here!
We are the Kennards and are extremely passionate about helping families know their options and feel confident throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, the postpartum period and beyond!
By way of introduction, we wanted to give you the chance to know who are the people behind this project!
Janessa Kennard
I graduated with her Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Family Studies. After working for various non profit organizations in Utah County and internationally, I realized the significant impact of what goes on in the home. If parents felt confident, educated, and empowered, the outcomes were incredible! When preparing for the birth of our first son, we took a childbirth education class (huge shout out to The Curtis Method!) and it left us feeling empowered and ready to rock this whole labor and birth thing! (Seriously. If you are pregnant, please look into it. Lauralyn is remarkable!)
We genuinely felt incredible about labor itself, and without going into detail here (I may share that at another time) there were some unfortunate things that happened in our labor and delivery (the way nurses treated us, 'hospital policies', etc.) that Luke looked me square in the eye and said, 'Our next baby needs to be born out of the hospital.' He had this innate daddy intuition that told him that birth is beautiful, sacred, and best left untouched for better outcomes for the whole family. This is a family centered event that is completely life changing for us and it seemed like it was just another day on the job for some of the hospital staff we encountered.
Afterwards, having this yummy and beautiful newborn, I unintentionally became a birth junkie (started off by listening to ALL the birth podcasts I could find, going to the library and reading all the books I could get my hands on, etc.) I was then thinking I needed to start something to raise my voice for women and families for their birth journey but didn't know where to begin. I was asked four important questions that made me really think. What makes you sad? What makes you mad? What is something you could talk about all day long? What is something your friends and family already come to you for advice? Quickly my answer to all of these questions was BIRTH. So there it started.
It was October 2018 General Conference and I had the distinct impression that I needed to start working and it would be something birth related. I took that as becoming an ultra sound tech. (I love the company Save the Storks. If you haven't heard about them, LOOK THEM UP! What started out as someone with an ultra sound machine in the back of a van, has exploded. They set up shop in front of abortion clinics and ask women if they would like a free ultrasound. When these moms see their babies, listen to their heart beat, and feel that connection to this living soul, the numbers of abortions went down astronomically.) As I further went down the road of looking for ways to get there, I then stumbled across a Doula certification course. I thought, why not? So I started my training to become certified as a birth doula in November 2018. I completed it (since it was online and I was going at my own pace) in February 2019. I then started to have friends ask me to be there doula right away for their births. I started an Instagram account and connected with expecting mothers whom I had not previously met and they hired me as their doula. I still think the work as a labor support doula has to be the most incredible job in the entire world! Being invited to the most intimate and sacred space for a family, experiencing labor with the mom, guiding her through comfort measures and positions that would help baby, nourishing her with words, food, and water, and just holding space. It is a job like no other because time stands still and all that matters in this world is this family working to bring this baby earth side. It is remarkable.
Now that I currently expecting our daughter very soon, I have put a pause on accepting labor support clients but still want to do something with families in the birth community. That is where Luke comes in clutch.
Luke Atticus Kennard graduated with his Bachelors in Technology Management and currently works as the Field Operations Coordinator at Loveland Innovations. He loves to fly drones, learn the ins and outs of new technologies and processes and is on a level technologically speaking that I don't expect to ever be. He has a very logical approach to all things in life and is definitely a fixer. Example, our garbage disposal stopped working (who else has experienced this in their home? The water can't go down, the smell gets bad. It's awful!) and instead of getting frustrated, he decided he would fix it himself. No prior plumbing experience or anything. Just the patience and innovation (and access to YouTube videos) to get the job done. And he did! He has done various house projects on his own because he finds the joy in figuring it out. He has a very sound mind and looks for efficiency in all he does. He always wants to challenge to process and look for different ways to do things, and since we had gone through "the hospital system" with our first, his encouragement for us to look for other options is really what pushed us out of our comfort zone and into the hands of competent, experienced, educated, and respectful home birth midwives.
This is why his "there has to be a better way" mindset has blessed me on our birth journey. He hates it when someone tells him "that's just what we do". WHY. Why is this a standard procedure? After taking the Curtis Method and being trained as a daddy doula, he completely ROCKED at being my support person in our labor with our son. He did not leave my side once, providing all the glorious counter pressure, snacks, water, positive affirmations, massage, the whole shebang. That experience really brought us closer together as a couple as we worked hard together to meet out son and become parents.
In one of my prenatal appointments with my doula for this pregnancy, Luke asked where he could contribute in the birth community as a passionate dad. He can't really be someone else's doula and such, but wanted so bad to have his voice be out there for other dads to know their options. Around this same time, we both talked about how great it was for our relationship to work towards our home birth. We would take time every night to practice counter pressure, read more about birth, watch birth documentaries, etc. Luke asked if once our daughter is here, we can have another common goal to work on. It was then that I realized instead of focussing all of my efforts and energy into my doula business, we can do something TOGETHER. He has such a unique and powerful perspective as the father and protector and that would be invaluable!
So the ideas just started to come. Hosting workshops, classes, and really spreading the word. We have felt the guidance from our Heavenly Parents that THIS is a significant way to further the plan of salvation.
Today in Sunday school we talked about how Satan works to deceive, distract, and to discourage us. Couples thinking about starting a family, expecting couples, and couples with young children must be Satan's biggest target to deceive, distract, and to discourage because they are doing SUCH an important and vital work for Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness! Thoughts of fear, scarcity, and inadequacy surrounding pregnancy, labor, birth, and parenthood DO NOT come from God! These are little (but powerful) ways that Satan can dissuade worthy and competent couples to put off childbearing or to bring down parents who are in the trenches of starting their parenthood journey. PLEASE REMEMBER that fear NEVER comes from God. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made of perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) So think about it, the FEAR to start a family, the FEAR of discomfort in pregnancy, the FEAR of the selflessness required of parenthood, the FEAR of labor and birth (thank you society and Hollywood for magnifying this one) etc. etc. DO NOT come from God.
If you can identify that those thoughts and feelings are coming from Satan, you can have the power to KICK HIM TO THE CURB. It is exhausting to live a life where fear has taken the reigns. Even if it sounds like positive or productive fear. "Is my baby okay?" "Am I doing enough as a mother?" "Am I doing this right? I really don't want to mess up." Guess what... God does not instill those kinds of thoughts in our minds either.
As we embark on this journey together, we want you do know that the foundation this whole idea is built on is the doctrine of Christ! Because of Him, we can feel confident, joyful, and ready to receive the blessings God has in store for us. You are doing an AMAZING job and we hope you can tackle the challenges ahead of you this week with BOLDNESS and PEACE.
We are the Kennards and are extremely passionate about helping families know their options and feel confident throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, the postpartum period and beyond!
By way of introduction, we wanted to give you the chance to know who are the people behind this project!
Janessa Kennard
I graduated with her Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Family Studies. After working for various non profit organizations in Utah County and internationally, I realized the significant impact of what goes on in the home. If parents felt confident, educated, and empowered, the outcomes were incredible! When preparing for the birth of our first son, we took a childbirth education class (huge shout out to The Curtis Method!) and it left us feeling empowered and ready to rock this whole labor and birth thing! (Seriously. If you are pregnant, please look into it. Lauralyn is remarkable!)
We genuinely felt incredible about labor itself, and without going into detail here (I may share that at another time) there were some unfortunate things that happened in our labor and delivery (the way nurses treated us, 'hospital policies', etc.) that Luke looked me square in the eye and said, 'Our next baby needs to be born out of the hospital.' He had this innate daddy intuition that told him that birth is beautiful, sacred, and best left untouched for better outcomes for the whole family. This is a family centered event that is completely life changing for us and it seemed like it was just another day on the job for some of the hospital staff we encountered.
Afterwards, having this yummy and beautiful newborn, I unintentionally became a birth junkie (started off by listening to ALL the birth podcasts I could find, going to the library and reading all the books I could get my hands on, etc.) I was then thinking I needed to start something to raise my voice for women and families for their birth journey but didn't know where to begin. I was asked four important questions that made me really think. What makes you sad? What makes you mad? What is something you could talk about all day long? What is something your friends and family already come to you for advice? Quickly my answer to all of these questions was BIRTH. So there it started.
It was October 2018 General Conference and I had the distinct impression that I needed to start working and it would be something birth related. I took that as becoming an ultra sound tech. (I love the company Save the Storks. If you haven't heard about them, LOOK THEM UP! What started out as someone with an ultra sound machine in the back of a van, has exploded. They set up shop in front of abortion clinics and ask women if they would like a free ultrasound. When these moms see their babies, listen to their heart beat, and feel that connection to this living soul, the numbers of abortions went down astronomically.) As I further went down the road of looking for ways to get there, I then stumbled across a Doula certification course. I thought, why not? So I started my training to become certified as a birth doula in November 2018. I completed it (since it was online and I was going at my own pace) in February 2019. I then started to have friends ask me to be there doula right away for their births. I started an Instagram account and connected with expecting mothers whom I had not previously met and they hired me as their doula. I still think the work as a labor support doula has to be the most incredible job in the entire world! Being invited to the most intimate and sacred space for a family, experiencing labor with the mom, guiding her through comfort measures and positions that would help baby, nourishing her with words, food, and water, and just holding space. It is a job like no other because time stands still and all that matters in this world is this family working to bring this baby earth side. It is remarkable.
Now that I currently expecting our daughter very soon, I have put a pause on accepting labor support clients but still want to do something with families in the birth community. That is where Luke comes in clutch.
Luke Atticus Kennard graduated with his Bachelors in Technology Management and currently works as the Field Operations Coordinator at Loveland Innovations. He loves to fly drones, learn the ins and outs of new technologies and processes and is on a level technologically speaking that I don't expect to ever be. He has a very logical approach to all things in life and is definitely a fixer. Example, our garbage disposal stopped working (who else has experienced this in their home? The water can't go down, the smell gets bad. It's awful!) and instead of getting frustrated, he decided he would fix it himself. No prior plumbing experience or anything. Just the patience and innovation (and access to YouTube videos) to get the job done. And he did! He has done various house projects on his own because he finds the joy in figuring it out. He has a very sound mind and looks for efficiency in all he does. He always wants to challenge to process and look for different ways to do things, and since we had gone through "the hospital system" with our first, his encouragement for us to look for other options is really what pushed us out of our comfort zone and into the hands of competent, experienced, educated, and respectful home birth midwives.
This is why his "there has to be a better way" mindset has blessed me on our birth journey. He hates it when someone tells him "that's just what we do". WHY. Why is this a standard procedure? After taking the Curtis Method and being trained as a daddy doula, he completely ROCKED at being my support person in our labor with our son. He did not leave my side once, providing all the glorious counter pressure, snacks, water, positive affirmations, massage, the whole shebang. That experience really brought us closer together as a couple as we worked hard together to meet out son and become parents.
In one of my prenatal appointments with my doula for this pregnancy, Luke asked where he could contribute in the birth community as a passionate dad. He can't really be someone else's doula and such, but wanted so bad to have his voice be out there for other dads to know their options. Around this same time, we both talked about how great it was for our relationship to work towards our home birth. We would take time every night to practice counter pressure, read more about birth, watch birth documentaries, etc. Luke asked if once our daughter is here, we can have another common goal to work on. It was then that I realized instead of focussing all of my efforts and energy into my doula business, we can do something TOGETHER. He has such a unique and powerful perspective as the father and protector and that would be invaluable!
So the ideas just started to come. Hosting workshops, classes, and really spreading the word. We have felt the guidance from our Heavenly Parents that THIS is a significant way to further the plan of salvation.
Today in Sunday school we talked about how Satan works to deceive, distract, and to discourage us. Couples thinking about starting a family, expecting couples, and couples with young children must be Satan's biggest target to deceive, distract, and to discourage because they are doing SUCH an important and vital work for Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness! Thoughts of fear, scarcity, and inadequacy surrounding pregnancy, labor, birth, and parenthood DO NOT come from God! These are little (but powerful) ways that Satan can dissuade worthy and competent couples to put off childbearing or to bring down parents who are in the trenches of starting their parenthood journey. PLEASE REMEMBER that fear NEVER comes from God. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made of perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) So think about it, the FEAR to start a family, the FEAR of discomfort in pregnancy, the FEAR of the selflessness required of parenthood, the FEAR of labor and birth (thank you society and Hollywood for magnifying this one) etc. etc. DO NOT come from God.
If you can identify that those thoughts and feelings are coming from Satan, you can have the power to KICK HIM TO THE CURB. It is exhausting to live a life where fear has taken the reigns. Even if it sounds like positive or productive fear. "Is my baby okay?" "Am I doing enough as a mother?" "Am I doing this right? I really don't want to mess up." Guess what... God does not instill those kinds of thoughts in our minds either.
As we embark on this journey together, we want you do know that the foundation this whole idea is built on is the doctrine of Christ! Because of Him, we can feel confident, joyful, and ready to receive the blessings God has in store for us. You are doing an AMAZING job and we hope you can tackle the challenges ahead of you this week with BOLDNESS and PEACE.
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