Hello!  Thank you so much for taking some time to check out my Doula Services!

My name is Kristen Snyder, I've lived in the Sigel/Neoga area all my life and currently reside with my husband, my two wonderful sons, and our ever so dedicated pets.  I have been a nurse at Sarah Bush for ten years now with most of my experience in the Emergency Room.  Growing up I was seemingly indifferent about having my own children.  When I welcomed my first son into the world, I truly experienced every single step of the process of a woman finally understanding what unwavering love could be.  I had found my purpose, I was meant to be a mom.  As blissful as I wanted my life to continue to be, that hormone high was the most amazing thing a person could go through, but as fate would have it, my high turned into a low that left me in a shadow of myself for far too long.  

When I finally came out the other side, I only then realized some of the things I had needed help with and had not only no understanding of how to ask, but not even the grasp of what I needed at all.  I was so prepared to not allow myself to follow in this same path with my second son.  I understood my vision better, how to accomplish it, and the tools and resources I could use along the way.  Even still, I was not ready for the immense amount of guilt that was going to over take me about feeling as if I had just replaced my first son, that every time he became upset it was somehow my fault because I had brought home another child.

Again, as time passed and this weight was lifted off of me and I looked back at all I had been through and the struggles I had over come.  All the women who had come through the ER looking for a type of support that we couldn't provide necessarily.  It was at this time did I accept that as much as I loved being a mother, that it wasn't my bigger picture quite yet.  It was to reach out and hold the hands of all of the other mothers suffering in silence, who need a person who can not only help but truly empathize with a person who doesn't always understand what it is they even need.  The process of giving moms a breath of fresh air is a passion of mine and would love the opportunity to make this time of your life as stress free as I can!

"Your Journey, My Honor"

I want this to signify my understanding that everyone's wishes of their parenthood journey are very unique.  To provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to help bring these visions to life.  It is not to persuade what is the 'right or wrong way' but to take your choices and support them in ways that build confidence and strength.  To look back at my own journey, it becomes my true honor to build from my experiences and be able to provide help in such a subjective way that others can look at their journeys and feel only pride and love instead of stress and days of feeling overwhelmed.  A Doula is the only profession where the goal is to work yourself out of a job.  When the goal is to create an environment of accomplishment and independence, it is only seen as success when the commitment comes to an end!

Baby Feet

As this may seem obvious, there is no way around the importance of these tiny little treasures.  Babies have such a wonder to their creation and fill a void you never knew you had.  However it is not talked about enough that not everyone shares this initial joy and that's where I step in and help create a nurturing and positive environment!

Semi colon 

Only recently did I learn the significance the semi-colon can have.  To represent the thought of, 'to be something that could have stopped but decided to keep going'.  After many moments in my past, this really became a part of my life after tragedy struck my family last December.  I carry this symbol with me every where I go to remember the exact moment in my life that finally gave me the motivation to pursue this pathway.  That there are so many out there who need a helping hand and are too afraid or don't know how to ask.  Always ask.  I would much rather help someone breathe than see someone drown.

Sunburst

This one was the best coincidence.  I played around with so many images and none felt right.  I kept coming back to this image. As I asked for criticism from my friends, one particular had the best feedback possible, making this whole image come full circle to me.  This person not only was been a valuable friend for so long, but was tasked with being by my side on the worst day of my life.  Religious or not, I believe that I was put in her presence because she was the only person who could have helped me navigate this moment in the ways that I needed.  Then for her to show me that she indeed has this burst as a tattoo on her arm.  To represent the sun, that even when days seem dark and unbearable, there is always someone to bring light and remember that tomorrow will come if you can just push forward.  She became my sun and all I want to do is bring this collection of feelings to others who need a boost as well.  The whole process of bringing humans into this world is hard, infancy is hard, navigating your new roles as family members can be hard, let someone like myself help lighted that burden for you!