Hatilie Lemke, DONA trained postpartum doula
hatilie@gmail.com
(307) 413-1258
 | Raised in Jackson, I love playing in the mountains, hiking all summer long or skiing throughout the long winter. The mountains have motivated every career I have ever embarked upon, from river guiding and ski instructing, to teaching Kindergarten, First and Second grades at the Journeys School and now working with mothers and families as they begin their new adventure as parents in the presence of the majestic Teton range. My husband, Dustin and I travelled to Tibet and Nepal to explore the Himalaya and came back with a little mountaineer growing in my belly. With the compassionate help of birth doulas, Rachel and Liz, and midwife, Theresa Lerch, Tate Tashi Lemke was born on July 6th, 2008 at St. John’s Medical Center.
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Tate’s birth brought about a huge range of emotions from utter joy and bewilderment to exhaustion and sadness over the huge responsibility that was now a part of our everyday lives. I suffered from insomnia and the baby blues for several months after Tate’s birth and I craved and greatly benefitted from the help of my mother, my friends, and my various health and wellness practitioners. The baby blues caught me off guard; I never thought I could be so sad over something so wonderful. This experience motivated me to seek training in helping moms and families during this momentous postpartum period. During my training as a postpartum doula I learned that 85% of women experience varying manifestations of the baby blues or depression after childbirth due to a combination of hormonal imbalances, new sleeping patterns and simply adjusting to a new life with a newborn. I don't post this statistic as something to be fearful of, rather I hope that it provides solace for those who have had similar experiences or that it alerts families to the realities of bringing home a newborn. The good news is that the blues go away with time and support and the joys of being a parent of a beautiful child take over. Now, Tate is a charming and spirited little dude who loves being outside in the mountains just as much as his parents. My goals as a postpartum doula include: helping mothers and families get the rest and support that they need to be able to enjoy their baby’s first few months of life, helping mothers gain confidence and be successful at nursing/feeding their newborn and providing families a variety of resources to make parenting a pleasure.
Recently, I completed
a 45 hour course to become a Certified Lactation Counselor.
Breastfeeding is such a wonderful gift for both mother and baby, but it
doesn't always come easy for everyone. The key to success is early
support. It is my goal to help women feel confident with breastfeeding
early on so that they may focus on healing their bodies and loving
their newborn. Not everyone chooses to breastfeed their baby and in a
few cases, there are woman who cannot breastfeed their baby. I want
every family to feel supported and confident about their infant feeding
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