Meet Linnell, BD
Linnell is passionate about empowering women and helping them feel confident and beautiful. She supports the labor, birth, and postpartum process and women going through breast cancer treatment. Linnell shares, “My love affair with birth began in high school with the show "A Baby Story." When I was 19, I got to be a part of my first birth. It was life-changing! And when I got to see and photograph the birth of my twin brothers a few years later, I knew then that I was hooked and just had to wait for the right time to become a birthworker.
While I waited for the timing to be right, I focused on other ventures including photography. While I enjoyed documenting life around me, I was not very focused on photography until Spring of 2018. That's when I bought my first Sony mirrorless camera and took a photography class. I fell in love again and realized that one of my passions is empowering women, maternity, newborn, boudoir. While in my photography class, I relearned how to use a camera and took pictures of anything that piqued my interest - from couples arm wrestling or playing at a park to landscapes and Fresh 48. Then my world fell apart and I set the camera down.
July 2018, I was diagnosed with Stage IIIC Inflammatory Breast Cancer, which is metastatic. I underwent 6 rounds of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy with lymph node removal, 33 rounds of radiation, and a hysterectomy. During chemotherapy, the only camera I picked up was my cell phone. A few days before my mastectomy, I was able to do a boudoir shoot. For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt truly beautiful, especially once I got to see the pictures again. This inspired me to pick my camera back up again and help other women experience the same magic.
I started to really focus on photography after I finished radiation - I was determined to get my power back! In May 2019, I started doing wedding photography in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Before I knew it, I was empowering women with boudoir sessions and cuddling newborns with in-home studio newborn photography. I also started working as a nanny at this time. I cherished the days that I got to spend with my little one and enjoyed seeing her reach every new milestone. When one of my clients, an OBGYN, mentioned how good I would be as a doula, it re-awoke the dream to be a birthworker.
Now here I am combining my passions for photography, birthwork, and empowering not only women, but their partners as they become parents as a full spectrum birth and postpartum doula and birth photographer. I am also giving back to my community by helping other women as they go through treatment for breast cancer as a cancer doula.
I feel that I was destined to be working in this world of birth and postpartum and I am so grateful to have found my calling in life. There is something magical about seeing a baby come to life and supporting the birthing person and their partner as they make the transition into parenthood. I have been taking care of babies since I was nine years old. I started with babysitting and had my first nanny job when I was 14. I love watching and helping with the development of each child and their families. I recognize that parenting can be very challenging. I love helping parents on this special journey and teaching them along the way. I believe in serving my clients where they are at and supporting them as they walk the path that is best for them.
I look forward to meeting you and providing you with support on this incredible journey!”
Packages & Additional Services
Service Area: Colorado Springs to Longmont, Aurora to Morrison
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Consultation (usually around your 30th week)
2 Prenatal (in-between 33-37 week)
On-call from 37th week until birth
2 postpartum visits
Breastfeeding support
Resources for you and your birth partner
Evidence-based information in regards to you questions and concerns
Emotional and physical support during labor
Guidance and support to ensure your autonomy during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
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75 Image Minimum
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35/hour for daytime care | 45/hour for night care
(Minimum 4 hours for daytime postpartum care. Minimum of 8 hours for night postpartum care.)
Postpartum doulas provide service for a family anywhere from a few days/nights up to a few months after bringing home a new baby. Families may choose 1-3 days/nights a week or as many as 5 a week.
Postpartum services
Breastfeeding support
Help with the emotional and physical recovery after birth
Light housekeeping and laundry
Training and assistance with newborn care such as diapering, bathing, feeding and comforting
Light meal preparation
Baby soothing techniques
Referrals to local resources such as parenting classes, pediatricians, lactation support and support groups
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Consultation (usually around your 30th week)
2 Prenatal (in-between 33-37 week)
On-call from 37th week until birth
25 Images
2 postpartum visits
Breastfeeding support
Resources for you and your birth partner
Evidence-based information in regards to you questions and concerns
Emotional and physical support during labor
Guidance and support to ensure your autonomy during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
-
Consultation (usually around your 30th week)
2 Prenatal (in-between 33-37 week)
On-call from 37th week until birth
75 Images
2 postpartum visits
Breastfeeding support
Resources for you and your birth partner
Evidence-based information in regards to you questions and concerns
Emotional and physical support during labor
Guidance and support to ensure your autonomy during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Q&A with Linnell
How do you introduce yourself?
”Linnell She/Her”
What do you do for fun?
”I absolutely love photography, being in the mountains, spending time with my mom and reading.”
What inspires you?
”Helping people and being the best person and doula that I can be.”
What’s your favorite food?
”I love sushi!”
What’s one other thing you want people to know about you?
”I am proud to be a breast cancer survivor! Having cancer completely changed my life. I try to stay positive as much as I can, turn my negatives into positives, and be grateful for everything in my life, even the "bad stuff".