Meet Kristen Mason

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristen Mason. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristen below.

Kristen, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

When I first started doula work, I kept thinking “How am I allowed to be here, in this space? Am I ready for this?” I think a lot of it came from how little training you need to do to become a doula in the first place and the fact that my certification came from an online group, so there was no hands-on training. When I moved to Missouri, I immediately set out to make connections and meet other birth workers, which is how I got introduced to Birth It Forward. They have an amazing community that openly shares and values knowledge with constant free continued education that we practice on each other. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, I didn’t even realize the imposter syndrome was gone! It was and is such a great feeling.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a student midwife with Sacred Song Midwifery, the Executive Director of Birth It Forward, and a practicing doula and childbirth educator. Everything about these amazing roles is inspiring! Through Sacred Song, I am learning to love and respect birth on a whole new level. Birth It Forward provides such incredible and needed support to growing families. From the monthly Mother’s Closet events where we give away gently used clothing and baby care items, to our Doula Academy, to our sliding scale and no-cost birth and postpartum services for those on WIC, there is so much that I hold close to my heart.
We are always hosting new events! We are excited about our upcoming Birth-I-Con Conference on August 24th and 25th teaching on amazing topics including “When Birth Meets Bereavement”, “Substance Abuse in Pregnancy, Birth, and Early Postpartum”, “Perinatal Mood Disorder Signs and Symptoms”, and so much more. Missouri has one of the nation’s highest maternal mortality rates, with all mental health-related deaths being found to have been 100% preventable. Women of color are 3x as likely to die within one year of birth, and women on Medicaid 10x as likely. This is why Birth It Forward was founded and what we will keep fighting to prevent.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I would say being adaptable, hungry for knowledge, and passionate about helping others were the biggest traits I’ve needed in my journey as a birth worker. If you have these qualities and want to start in birth work, I say go for it! You are needed! There are so many growing families in our area and not nearly enough people to support them. Start by joining birth work groups, develop relationships and learn what area of birth work you are interested in. If you are drawn towards doula work, give Birth It Forward a call! Check out the Missouri Doula Association for free continued education and constant event updates. There is so much that can be done right now if you have the grit to get started.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My village has been amazing. I have a husband who takes his role as a parent very seriously and steps in any time I need to drop anything to run to a birth. My best friends at Birth It Forward are my constant cheerleaders and resting place. I am surrounded by people who are driven and support drive. There is no way I could do this on my own.

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Image Credits

All photos were taken by Birth It Forward

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