Hi, I’m Dez Weyburn.
This page is a little about me and my work. I’m so glad you’re here!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss
This quote from a children’s author fits my life perfectly! It’s funny how much a single word in a book has changed my life.
If I could go back and tell my teenage self that one day I would be attending births for a living, I probably would have laughed. My plan at seventeen was simple: marry my sweetheart, major in music education, and teach high school or college level band. Well, I did one of those things! And started college as a music education major, but that’s when life threw a wrench in my plans. Or rather, I threw a wrench in my own plans.
“Doula”
I found out I was pregnant in 2012. I excitedly started reading everything I could get my hands on about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum. During my reading, I came across the word that would change my life forever: “doula”. As I learned more about birth and doulas, I became fascinated. Even after giving birth, I kept reading books about pregnancy.
In 2013, I attended my first birth. It was a marathon labor and I came home to my baby daughter completely exhausted and yet exhilarated. It was the kind of feeling I had only had before while sitting in the middle of a concert band as the music swelled to its apex, but it lasted longer. It’s a feeling I can’t ever find adequate words for, but I get it after almost every birth I attend.
History and Training
Since that first birth, I have taken multiple trainings, including bereavement trainings. I took part in a breastfeeding training and a training I feel was pivotal in how I doula: Birth Monopoly’s “Know Your Rights” course. I worked for three years at Babies R Us, taught classes, and learned a ton about baby gear, all while helping so many new parents celebrate their babies. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to take the Comforting Touch, Spinning Babies, and Rebozo training. I relish every opportunity to add to my skill-set.
In the past nine years, I have attended births in many forms. I have been to full term births, preterm births, and first and second trimester births. I have experience supporting cesarean births, water births, high risk inductions (with and without epidural), and low risk births (with and without an epidural).
In 2022 I had a first- a client whose labor went so fast I missed the birth! While I wish I could have been there, our prenatal preparation had left my client confident and prepared, and I definitely helped make up for it in postpartum care! This uncommon situation made me even more confident in the way I work with my clients at our prenatal visits.
Who do I work with?
It’s rare for me to turn a client down because I truly believe that everyone deserves the loving and educated support of a doula. I particularly love working with clients who want to take charge of their own birth experience, especially when they’re nerdy like me. That doesn’t mean they have to know everything! I just love working with people who are willing to learn.
I love helping people find their own confidence, especially helping the non-birthing parent feel competent in their support role. My partner was my rock, especially in my second birth, and I really needed to see that during the birth process before I had to lean on him during a rough postpartum experience.
Postpartum Wellness
My experience with postpartum depression after my second child was born pushed me into a different sort of reading. I studied a lot about perinatal mood disorders. Leaders of the local postpartum group asked me to join them as a facilitator in 2016 (check for it on my resources page). I have met so many incredible people through that group! Perinatal mental health is so important to me. I always encourage my clients to build a postpartum plan as well as a birth plan.
Special Considerations
As someone who was a young mom myself, I have a passion for working with teen parents and clients choosing to place their babies for adoption. I also have a passion for inclusive birth work and love working within the LGBT+ community. I came out publicly as bisexual in 2021 and was on the committee for Davis County’s inaugural pride event in April 2022. So many opportunities have opened up since then and I will always be grateful for the friends I’ve made these past years. Living as my authentic self has blessed me in so many ways!
What’s New?
I recently became a Licensed Massage Therapist. This past year has been a whirlwind of reading and studying everything from the history of massage to pathology, business ethics to anatomy, and more! I’ve learned so many ways to support clients both in the massage room and in their births, and my doula and massage skills really go hand in hand. If you’d like to schedule a massage, you can find my rates and availability here.
As I settle into life as an LMT, I’m slowing down just a bit on continuing education, with just one training (Birth at Every Size) for the rest of 2023.
And after that- who knows? Maybe I’ll do some more reading!