As a doula, my role is to make the transition to parenthood easier for new parents. I do this through supporting parents during the recovery period, helping to discover the family's needs, and providing instruction and resources. My experience with newborns and new families allows me to guide you in this transition, and I will help you feel confident to care for your newborn. While doulas do not take over complete care of newborns, they can be a great source of support and information in this special time in your family's life.
I'm here to provide non-judgmental support and evidence-based information and resources.
about ME
My name is Ivory Schwaberow and I live in Denver, CO with my husband, our two daughters and our dog.
I believe that I was born to do this work, before I even knew it was “work.” I was always the girl with a baby on her hip – I was fascinated with childbirth and newborns long before my time came. When friends and family had babies, I was right there with a hot meal in hand and an offer to help however best I could. To me it was natural and what I believe all parents need. Unfortunately, our society doesn’t value new parents as much as they should, all our focus is on the new baby – but when a baby is born, parents are also born and need our support.
My oldest daughter was born premature in 2008, an experience that forever shaped my life. As I navigated life as a mom to a premature baby, I encountered people along the way who supported me, taught me to care for my daughter, and allowed me to lean on them when I needed help to keep going. My prior career was in engineering, but I found that my true passion lay in caring for others. The experiences in this time of my life shifted my vision of my future and I knew that someday I wanted to work with new families. To pursue this interest, I helped create the first support group for preemie parents at Rose Medical Center. I then began to volunteer weekly in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children's Hospital. As I spent more time with my family and my friends' new families, I realized that I delighted in helping parents become confident in their new roles and I made the decision to change careers.
To me, being a doula means supporting families through one of the most exciting, and hardest, times of their lives. I’m a doula because I believe that every single person deserves to be supported and cared for. Welcoming a new baby into the mix is amazing and overwhelming. I’m here to help you figure out your own journey and make you feel confident in the choices you’re making with the family you’ve created. I want to support you on this journey. I want to hold your hand and stand by you, offer you advice and a shoulder to cry on. No two experiences are the same and I want to help create the best postpartum experience for you and your family.
I trained with The Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association in 2016 and received a Certified Professional Doula accreditation from AlloTribe Academy in December 2019. In 2021 I became a Certified Lactation Counselor through The Healthy Children Project, Inc. I am CPR certified, have attended multiple breastfeeding and sleep classes, and keep up to date on the latest research regarding pregnancy, postpartum and infants.
“Ivory is an incredible doula and person. When my daughter was born she had some health complications and was in the NICU for 32 days. When my daughter was able to come home from the hospital, I was suffering from severe postpartum anxiety and depression and knew that I needed support during the day so that I could be the best mom I could be to my daughter. My own mother suggested I hire a doula and that is how I connected with Ivory. From the first moment I met Ivory I knew she would be an immense help to my family. Starting from day one, Ivory came in and helped me become a confident and less anxious mother to my daughter. Ivory went above and beyond typical doula services including going with me to several Children’s Hospital appointments as my emotional support. After I became confident during the day, thanks to Ivory’s help, Ivory started to do overnights with my daughter so that my husband and I could sleep. During these overnights, Ivory would come in and take over, like she did during the day. My husband and I were able to get eight hours of sleep without having to worry about what was going on with our daughter. I have 100% trust in Ivory and recommend her to any family thinking of hiring a doula. I am more than happy to speak with you as her reference as well.I am not exaggerating when I say that hiring Ivory was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”