Empowered Birthwork Services, LLC offers full-spectrum doula support to pregnant & newly postpartum parents in the Chicago area. We aim to provide clients with evidence-based, compassionate, non-assumptive & non-judgmental support.
Empowered Birthwork Services - Planning for childbirth
Services in a nutshell
More about us
We acknowledge the huge emotional & physical impact that pregnancy & birth has on a person or family, and are committed to providing dynamic support to families of all kinds.
Empowered Birthwork Services aims to…
- Connect clients with relevant, evidence-based resources
- Celebrate clients’ identity & autonomy
- Provide culturally humble support to clients of all backgrounds
- Expand doula accessibility for all
Birth Doula Support
Empowered provides physical, emotional & informational support to birthing people prenatally, during labor & birth, and immediately postpartum. We are advocates & companions, offering you resources and building relationships with the rest of your birth team to create the most supportive environment possible.
Birth support services include:
- Two 90-minute prenatal visits (in-home or virtual)
- Phone, text & email support beginning at contract signing
- 24/7 on-call labor support beginning at 38 weeks
- In-person (or virtual) continuous labor support
- Immediate postpartum support following delivery (body feeding, skin-to-skin, etc.)
- One 90-minute postpartum follow-up visit (in-home or virtual) within first two weeks
Our team
TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS
Lauren Hansen
Lauren Hansen is a trained full-spectrum doula serving the Chicago area. She moved to Chicago in 2020 after earning her Master’s degree in economics, where she came across health economist Emily Oster’s book ‘Expecting Better,‘ which documents the meaningful impact of continuous labor support for birthing people. She felt immediately drawn to birthwork, and began doula training after finishing graduate school.
Lauren is passionate about creating space for clients to express & process emotions, prioritizing personal autonomy & informed consent. She listens with an open mind and the goal of helping clients realize their true vision & confidence. Lauren is queer-identifying and loves working with clients of all identities & families of all structures.
Lauren has lived in six U.S. states and in her free time enjoys cuddling with her two tortoiseshell kitties, rollerblading on the lakefront trail, and tending to her indoor garden.
*Lauren is fully vaccinated & boosted against COVID-19*
Qualifications & Education:
DTI Full-Spectrum Doula Training, February 2021
Subject matter includes:
- Childbirth education
- Body feeding support
- Comfort measures & pain management
- Navigating induction
- Compassionate cesarean birth
- Postpartum changes in the birthing person
- Postpartum mood & anxiety disorders
- Newborn behavior & care
- Integrating baby into the family
- Cycle awareness
- Birth control options
- Support through loss
- Abortion support
- Fertility support
- Doulas as advocates
- Cultural humility
- Reproductive justice
Chicago Volunteer Doula, August 2021
- Birth & Postpartum Support training
- Birth Justice training
American Heart Association Basic Life Support Program, February 2022
- Infant, child & adult CPR/AED certifications
University of Chicago certificates
- Labor preparation (September 2021)
- Infant & child safety (October 2021)
- Breastfeeding (February 2022)
Testimonials
ADDITIONAL SERVICES WE OFFER
ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS
