Laura Navaquin shares her experience utilizing doula support in the latest episode of Ask the Doulas. She also talks about her work with Nava Consulting and Inspire Her Foundation.
Hello, hello! This is Kristin Revere with Ask the Doulas, and I am so excited to chat with Laura Navaquin today. Laura is the founder of Nava Consulting, LLC, and Inspire Her Foundation. Her background is very inspiring. She’s a mother of two, soon to be three – or did you already have your baby?
Yes, I actually just had my baby in May, so he’s now almost three months old in about a week or so.
That’s what I thought! So I wanted to stop there. And you have nearly 20 years’ experience in the health insurance industry and climbed the ranks to become vice president of sales, leading a successful team. In 2023, you made the bold decision to leave corporate America and fully immerse yourself in personal endeavors. So since spring of 2023, Laura has been instrumental in expanding Inspire Her Foundation, enhancing its community presence, and scaling the real estate portfolio of Navaquin Properties. She actively mentors students in real estate investing, educating them on how to start or grow their portfolio with minimal personal funds through creative financing.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Laura is a passionate advocate for pursuing dreams and encourages others through speaking engagements and various conferences. Laura firmly believes that mindset is crucial in achieving success and that nothing is out of reach with determination, the right mindset, and consistency.
Welcome, Laura!
Thank you so much for having me! I’m definitely excited to jump in and have this conversation with you today.
Yes, and our topic is all about the benefits of doula care, since you personally benefitted from birth doula support. As a birth and postpartum doula, I often share the benefits of the support on our podcast and wherever I can speak about it, but it’s nice to have someone who hired doulas so we can hear about your own personal journey about why you invested that time and certainly finances in hiring a doula and how it benefitted you during not only your labor but also in pregnancy and that early postnatal phase.
Yes, definitely. I’ve been fortunate to have been advised to get a doula since our first child back in 2017. It was a friend of ours, or actually within a group, who recommended we got a doula, so we sought out one, and it was a great opportunity to meet various different women within the industry and select a doula to move forward with who we were able to connect with, felt comfortable with, and have her support throughout the pregnancy and of course, during labor and post-delivery.
Yes, beautiful. So it sounds like you interviewed multiple doulas. It’s always helpful to know what was important to you when hiring a doula. Was it more the individual background or more of a gut connection, or the way the different doulas answered questions? I find that it depends on a client’s personality. Some are very analytical and will have ten questions. They’ll ask every doula the same questions and then have a scoring card. Others, like myself when I hired doulas, just go on their gut instinct.
Yes, I would say it was a combination of things. Of course, we had a list of questions that I inquired about with each doula that we spoke to that time around. Similar, too, with my two following deliveries. But I had a list of questions of things that were of value to me and important to consider during the delivery. So I went and worked down that list; that was the first step. Then the combination of that was just who I felt comfortable with. I think there’s some people that you just have that connection, that vibe, with, and of course, delivery and birth is a very intimate occurrence, so I wanted to have somebody that I felt comfortable with overall, especially during the delivery.
Yes. And what was your partner’s role in the doula selection process?
So, again, he as well – I’m the one that met with them, so when I interviewed with them – and I was fortunate for the majority of them to get to meet with them in person over coffee to see how I connected with them, and my husband didn’t get to join those initial meetings. He really wanted me to find somebody who I personally felt comfortable with and was supportive in that regard. Other than that, he as well, with the doula that we selected that first time, Alexandra, he felt comfortable with her and connected, as well, and they worked well with each other, as well.
Excellent. And yes, I find that it does vary. Sometimes partners’ schedules, especially during work days, can be difficult to manage. I made the decision for my family, and then my husband met our doulas once I had hired them. So it does definitely vary based on timing and the stage in pregnancy and the partner availability or interest. Like you said, your husband trusted your choice, and even though he was very invested in being a team with the doula and everyone else, all of the other medical professionals that you were working with in labor.
Yes.
So as far as how a doula supported you, I’d love to hear more about your personal experience.
Yeah, it was a little different from my first delivery and then my two following pregnancies. In my first delivery, Alexandra, the doula that we worked with, she supported us during pregnancy. I would say second and third trimesters, she was providing me with information on breastfeeding. I’m trying to remember back, as well – it was seven or eight years ago. My son is seven and a half now. But she provided information as far as exercising, movement, diet to consider, breastfeeding information to be considering prior, as well as just answering any questions that I had that arose periodically. I would have a worry or something that would just come to mind, and I would go to her to provide me her input and her expertise in regards to certain topics. And that’s how she supported me prior to. And then during delivery, the plan was for her to be with me, but there was a change in plans there because my son actually – during that pregnancy, we were supposed to delivery in a birthing center, and at 36 weeks – exactly 36 weeks, I was driving home from a work meeting, and I got into a minor car accident. Everyone was fine, but it resulted in him flipping breach that day. That last month of pregnancy, I was working on getting him to turn back around, which didn’t really end up happening. We got risked out of the birth center. We found a different provider who was trained and had delivered breach deliveries. We were planning to get to him. He recommended that we labored at home for as long as we could. That being my first pregnancy and delivery, I didn’t necessarily know how long was too long or what was enough time, so I labored at home with my mother and my husband for as long as I thought was the right time, until we were heading to the hospital.
But I guess we waited a little too long, because we had to divert that plan and go to a local hospital. Even my doula didn’t make it over prior to the delivery. Nonetheless, she showed up and was an immense support postpartum or postdelivery with ensuring that I was okay and all the questions I had. My son was taken to NICU at that point in time, but she was a great support thereafter, and even within the following days and weeks. We remained in the hospital for about four days with him, and then even after we were discharged, would visit us at home to ensure the baby was latching correctly and help with breastfeeding and positioning and the care of myself and baby postpartum, as well.
That is wonderful that you were able to have that support after. It can be stressful after a surgical birth with a NICU baby and having the husband or partner follow the baby to the NICU, and then the mother is sometimes alone. If there’s a doula there, then the doula is able to provide support, come up with a plan for feeding if pumping is needed, if they had intended to breastfeeding, for example. I’m glad you had that postnatal support because navigating the NICU can be quite stressful!
Yes, definitely. Ever since having her with that first delivery, we knew that there was no doubt that we needed doula support in our following deliveries because she was such a help and just calming to me with questions that arose or not knowing what steps to follow or whatever it may be. She was an advocate for us within the hospital, as well, with her experience, and giving us information and comfort. I highly advocate for anyone considering a doula or sitting on the fence whether to hire a doula or not, to make that investment and do it. It’s so worth it.
Exactly. I totally agree. And I feel like every doula practices in a different way. So some doulas will come to your home during labor and then follow you over to a hospital or birth center for clients who want to labor at home. Others arrive at a certain stage in labor, say active labor, and provide support for a certain amount of hours. At Gold Coast, we support our clients at whatever stage in labor, wherever their labor is. So if they’re laboring at home and then head to the hospital, we’re following them. If they want to rest at home, then they let us know when they would like us to arrive, whether it’s in triage or when they’re settled in their room. You had support from your family there and were likely doing well and potentially not knowing, as you said, when to go in or how far along you were. There can be some of that confusion, and some doulas do not begin their call time until 38 weeks to 42 weeks. We’re on call from the moment a contract is signed because we do work with a lot of multiple families, twins and triplets and high risk clients. We found that that alleviates a lot of stress for our clients that may need to deliver earlier than your typical client would.
That’s great.
As far as the prenatal care, you mentioned your doula offered resources in the community or was willing to chat with you if you had any questions. But did you have in person or virtual prenatal visits to prep for the birth and have the doula answer questions?
That first time around, prior to that last month, we had virtual meetings. After she was hired, she had an in-person meeting where she came out. She met my husband, as well. And then every couple of weeks – I think it was every two weeks, we would do a virtual meeting just to go over questions and whatever it may be, up until the last couple weeks. She came out two times to meet with my husband and I, go over questions, gave us some additional information to follow, information on HypnoBirthing and other recommendations that she was making for us that we did that time around. It was a little different in my second and third pregnancies and deliveries. That was when we were in New York. We were now living in Florida, so we knew that we unfortunately couldn’t have the same doula, so we reached out and found one. And I didn’t think at first that I needed a doula this time around for my second delivery. That was my initial thought, and we actually ended up hiring a birth photographer who is a doula. And the experience was so great, again, with her, but it was a little different. We initially did a virtual meeting with her, met her, both my husband and I. And then still prior to the delivery, she did another virtual meeting where she gave me recommendations on what to wear. And this one was little different because we were now doing a homebirth, so recommendations on what to wear, things to consider, being considered for comfort when you’re at home, for resting, for positioning. Even items for my husband to wear, since we were going to have a pool for him to get into if we elected for him to get in, too. Snacks to consider and whatnot. So she met with us virtually to give us all that information and was on call for us at 38 weeks. The experience was very rewarding with her. During the delivery, her presence in just providing comfort with me during my first home delivery.
My third delivery was another home delivery. We were fortunate to have her again along our side as well for the delivery of our son this past May.
Beautiful! Yes, and as you mentioned, preparation for a homebirth is quite different from a birth center or a hospital. What a doula may discuss in a prenatal for a homebirth would be quite different, as you mentioned snacks, the food you wanted to eat after delivery, whether or not the individual wanted a birth tub, as you mentioned. A midwife will often go over all of the supplies to have on hand, but the doula can also provide tips and work as a team with the midwife. And sometimes a midwife might have apprentices or other individual assistants, so it varies on who the individual ends up hiring.
Exactly.
But I love that you had the combination of a birth photographer and doula to be able to capture the beautiful moments of both of your births at home and also be able to support you emotionally and physically, if that camera is not in her hand.
So as far as the support after, you did mention that the doula with your first child checked in on you to see how breastfeeding was going, answer questions you had, support you emotionally. Was there anything else in any of your postnatal experiences that you’d like to share with our listeners?
I would say just emphasizing everything that you just mentioned as far as how our first doula supported me postdelivery, but emphasizing the significance of them being there for you emotionally as well. Having a delivery, especially when it doesn’t go as planned, can throw you off emotionally and mentally, and all those feelings, especially as our hormones shift post-delivery. But for them being there for you post-delivery, and that was significant for me with my first delivery. I ended up suffering from postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, and that was not even necessarily known or diagnosed initially, but her being there, I felt, was a significant help for me in just kind of making me feel at ease and comfortable. I really valued that component of her presence, still to this day. She did so much more, as well, but that impact of her being there for me emotionally and mentally was so significant.
I love it. Excellent. Thank you for sharing. So to pivot a little bit and learn more about what you’re doing professionally, I feel like it is very fitting that you’re in real estate because I find that many of my doula clients are making big changes. They’re either remodeling a home or buying a new home to get ready for, whether it’s baby one or baby four. And sometimes they’re even buying income properties and setting themselves up for just having some additional income and savings and college funds, all the things. So you’re in a career that likely interacts with a lot of families making big changes in their lives.
Exactly, yeah. My husband and I got started in real estate investing back in 2015. I went full time in 2023, but essentially, we are real estate investors growing our own portfolio, but that has since led to helping others get started investing or purchasing their own home, whether it’s their first home or they’re moving to a larger home or relocating, assisting others in accessing capital, finding properties, especially off market properties, so that their savings is more significant there. Especially if they are investing. But helping others navigate that industry, as well, whether for their own personal home or investing endeavors themselves.
Excellent. And I love the mentoring that you do. It’s so helpful.
Thank you.
I feel like it can be overwhelming to look at real estate investing during a time of so many different changes like pregnancy and maternity leave. What tips do you have for our listeners who are going through the change, whether it’s in real estate or in finding a support team, including a doula?
I would say as far as building your birthing team, whether it’s at home, in a birthing center, or in a hospital, just working with a team that you feel comfortable with, sharing your birth plan, even just vocally sharing what your expectations and your hopes are, because your team, I feel, most likely will work as closely to that plan as possible. And just feeling comfortable with them. I think that that makes a world of difference, feeling comfortable with the team that you are laboring and delivering with. And in regards to real estate, whether you’re looking for a personal home, your first home, or moving to a larger home or whatever it may be, or looking to get into real estate investing, I would say that as far as interest rates, don’t let them scare you so much. I think that’s one of the conversations I have with my community so often is that they’re scared with the interest rates, but there are so many workarounds and ways around the interest rates, as well. Ultimately, don’t let them scare you, and I’m always here for you, as well, if you have any specific questions on that and how to navigate interest rates or whatever it may be. Definitely reach out and send me a DM or whatever it may be, and I’d be open and willing to give you any information that I can to help you in your personal circumstances there.
So helpful! Thank you, Laura! So you’ve got two websites. Can you share both of your website information with our listeners?
Yes! One website is lauranavaquin.com. That is where I share some information on real estate investing and just other information about myself and encouraging you to go after your goals and dreams, whether that’s building a real estate portfolio, starting a new career, or being an entrepreneur. And then other website is toinspire.org, and that is a nonprofit founded in 2020, which is a 501(c)(3) which encourages you to go after your goals and dreams by providing skill set training workshops, education, mentorships, and health awareness information. For the nonprofit, we are based in New York but also run events in California and Florida.
Excellent! And you’re also on social media. Any of your favorite spaces to share content?
I would definitely say I’m on Instagram probably the most, both at @lauranavaquin and @inspireherfoundation. I also have more of a general Instagram with @itslauranava.
And we are fellow members of Entreprenista, for any of our listeners who spend time on that amazing membership community. You can also find the two of us there!
Well, thank you so much, Laura! It was wonderful to hear your personal experiences, and congratulations on your recent addition to your family!
Thank you so much! I can’t believe he’s almost three months. The time flies!
It sure does, absolutely! Take care!
IMPORTANT LINKS
Birth and postpartum support from Gold Coast Doulas
