ABOUT ME
My name is Aileen Larson and my pronouns are she/her. I have been working with pregnant and postpartum people since 2012. I love everything about pregnancy, birth, the postpartum time, breastfeeding (also called nursing, chest feeding, or body feeding by some parents), babywearing, and most importantly - babies! Before having children I was a 7th-grade English teacher. I love teaching and watching people learn and grow. As a professional birth doula, I have the privilege of seeing families add new members. It’s the best job I’ve ever had!
I serve the Twin Cites Metro Area. I’ve been a certified birth doula since 2012 and have attended over 500 births! I have been to every hospital and birth center in the metro area, and I have also attended many home births.
I am also a certified Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor, a certified placenta encapsulator, and postpartum doula. I have served on the board of the Childbirth Collective and was a Co-Leader of Twin Cities Attachment Parenting International for 12 years. In my personal life, I am a mother to 3 wonderful children and wife to T. J. - the most supportive husband a doula could ever have! I had my first baby in the hospital and had homebirths with my second and third child. I used the Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis program with my third birth & had a wonderful experience. Here's some more info about me and my philosophy:
I believe that childbirth is a normal physiologic process and I deeply trust birth and the wisdom of birthing people. I provide emotional and physical support as well as evidence-based information to my clients. I support my clients to have the birth that THEY want to have. I would be honored to meet with you to discuss your birthing goals.
I am also a certified Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructor, a certified placenta encapsulator, and postpartum doula. I have served on the board of the Childbirth Collective and was a Co-Leader of Twin Cities Attachment Parenting International for 12 years. In my personal life, I am a mother to 3 wonderful children and wife to T. J. - the most supportive husband a doula could ever have! I had my first baby in the hospital and had homebirths with my second and third child. I used the Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis program with my third birth & had a wonderful experience. Here's some more info about me and my philosophy:
- My classes and services are welcoming to LGBTQIA+ families, single parents, poly families, and blended families. I have taken trainings from Cornerstone Doula Trainings on how to support pregnant trans people and nonbinary people and I have worked to make my classes welcoming to everyone.
- I am a fat woman who has birthed three babies - two of them at home! I believe that all bodies can give birth and that someone's BMI should not be a barrier to them getting excellent care or having the birth they want.
- I had my third baby at 41 and I believe that being over 35 should not interfere with anyone's ability to have the kind of birth they want to have. The age of the pregnant person is just one factor in how a pregnancy goes and it is worth noting that people over the age of 35 have always had babies!
- Finally, I have a lot of experience working with people who have experienced trauma, people who are planning VBACs (vaginal births after cesarean), and people who have lived through infertility and pregnancy loss.
- Hypnobabies does a great job giving pregnant people the tools to have the births THEY want to have and I think anyone who takes Hypnobabies is well prepared to meet any challenge that comes up during their pregnancies and births. (Note: although I teach Hypnobabies and believe it is a wonderful program, I work with clients who have done other childbirth preparations courses, so if hypnosis is not for you, that's OK! I am happy to support you through your pregnancy and birth.)
I believe that childbirth is a normal physiologic process and I deeply trust birth and the wisdom of birthing people. I provide emotional and physical support as well as evidence-based information to my clients. I support my clients to have the birth that THEY want to have. I would be honored to meet with you to discuss your birthing goals.