Get to Know Your Doula!
About Wakarusa Valley Doula
Welcome! I'm Brooke Eskilson-Patterson (she/her), Certified Birth Doula and owner of Wakarusa Valley Doula. I provide personalized support to expecting parents during pregnancy, birth, and the immediate postpartum. I help pregnant people and their partners prepare for and have positive births so they can start their parenting journey off on the best possible foot.
Why I Do What I Do
I believe:
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Positive birth is about making informed decisions and feeling seen, heard, and supported throughout the process.
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Positive birth benefits birthing people, babies, families, and their communities.
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Doula support significantly increases the birthing person's chance of having a positive birth.
My Story
My interest in birth began early. My mom gave birth to me and my two younger brothers at a freestanding birth center and always talked openly about her experiences. I soon learned from friends that being born somewhere other than a hospital wasn’t “the norm.” I wanted to learn more.
As I got older, I came to believe strongly that people should have the right to make informed choices about their own bodies. In college, I researched the history of American obstetrics for an anthropology paper. While modern medicine has the wonderful capabilities of reducing suffering and saving lives, I concluded something of value had been lost through the medicalization of birth. Birth should be something a person does, not something that’s done to them.
The birth of my first child was challenging. While it wasn’t the experience I'd hoped for, it set me on a path of incredible growth and discovery. I learned that positive birth wasn't necessarily about where or how you gave birth (although those factors can be important). It was about making informed decisions and feeling heard and supported throughout the process. Because of my own birth journey, I wanted to help people have births they felt great about. I knew that as a doula, I could focus on the birthing person's emotional needs and support them in finding their own way through the challenges and joys of becoming a parent.
In September 2012, I began my birth doula training with Childbirth International (CBI). In January 2013, I started my business: Mothers Matter Doula Care. I earned my birth doula certification from CBI in January 2014. In 2020, two years after realizing our dream of moving southwest of Lawrence, KS, I decided to change my business name and logo to reflect the beautiful rolling hills of the Wakarusa Valley we now call home. The name change was also the result of my expanded awareness that not all pregnant people identify as mothers, and the desire to be more inclusive and welcoming to people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me. I can’t wait to learn about you! Check out my birth support packages or schedule your free consultation. I’d love to hear how your journey has brought you here, as well your vision for your baby’s birth day and beyond.
Credentials
Certified Birth Doula
Childbirth International (CBI), January 2014
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Communication Skills
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Physiology in Labor & Birth
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Postpartum Physiology
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Breastfeeding Physiology
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Birth Doula Skills
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Rotational Positioning™ Technique for Optimum Fetal Positioning
Breastfeeding Counselor (In Progress)
Childbirth International (CBI)
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Communication Skills
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Breastfeeding Physiology
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Breastfeeding Counselor Skills
Certificates of Completion
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Spinning Babies® Workshop, May 2015
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Rebozo Workshop with Gena Kirby, July 2015
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Supporting Survivors in the Perinatal Period, Resilient Birth, 12-week course, Oct. 2021 - Feb. 2022
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​What is a Survivor?
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Listening to Stories of Trauma
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Racial Trauma in the Perinatal Period
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Power Dynamics in Trauma-Informed Relationships
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Queer, Trans, and Non-Binary Experiences of Trauma in the Perinatal Period
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The Impact of Trauma on Pregnancy
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Birth Support Planning
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Preventing Birth Trauma
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Postpartum Support Planning
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Postpartum Mental Health
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Vicarious Trauma
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When I met with Brooke and told my story, I felt justified. I felt like I mattered. I felt comfortable. I wanted this birth, a planned homebirth, to be a healing experience for me. And she understood that. She helped me all along the way, always answering any questions that I had. She believed in me, even in the dark moments when I didn't quite believe in myself.
By the time I went into labor, Brooke had become much more than a doula to me. She was more like a friend, who happened to be a doula. [...] Thank you, Brooke. You helped me far more than you will ever know. You gave me the strength to birth my baby, on my terms. Read more.
Stephanie, Derrick & baby
Christopher
Home birth
Photo by Christina Marie
Photography
I am very happy that we hired Brooke. My water broke and labor never started. I was given Pitocin and was very disappointed because I thought I would end up needing an epidural to help with the pain. Brooke told me I could do it without if that's what I wanted.
Because of Brooke and her knowledge of pain-easing techniques, I was able to labor without an epidural despite the Pitocin. I cannot recommend her enough! Even my husband, who stated we didn't need a doula, was impressed and happy with her. He admitted the birth experience was much better because she was there. Read more.
