My sister Tracy and I started a small business called Informed Birth Choices in 1996 just after I had taken a Beginning Midwifery course from a local midwife, Noreen Walker. Our company provided doula support and childbirth education to our clients. Unfortunately we had to part ways because of my now ex-husband and his control issues. We chose to own two separate companies, mine newly renamed Mother Care.
Mother Care grew and expanded slowly at first, then picking up speed as we moved into the 21st Century. I provided the same services and expanded into a monthly magazine, a birth catalogue and prenatal/birth photography. My having two children during that time slowed down the services aspect but the birth catalogue kept growing and growing. The newsletter fell by the wayside when we moved to another city (transferred because of my ex-husbands job) but I moved to writing for other birth industry periodicals. My sister Terri and I had joined forces with the photography and she is a truly gifted photographer. I knew that my ex-husband would make it difficult so I asked her to start her own company and I would refer to her, no way for my ex to interfere. She started Terri McKinney Photography which took off and far surpassed our expectations.
Rosenthal Perinatal College was born along with my fourth baby. I had been teaching for other certification organizations and knew that I wanted to provide more than what they were. Our certifications not only are through an accredited post secondary institution, they provide a comprehensive education and a continuing support system for students. We will be relaunching in April, watch for us!
By then the catalogue portion of my company had grown so big I couldn't keep up. As a home-based business, I ran it all from home. I couldn't afford both retail space and childcare for when I was 'at work'. My ex-husband wouldn't allow me to bring an 'employee' into 'his' house so I didn't have a choice. I sold the catalogue, a very sad day.
We moved to Spruce Grove after that and the College did well but I wasn't able to go back to doula support with four children, too busy and too expensive for childcare. Two years later I filed for divorce and put my businesses on the back burner as I dealt with courts, custody issues and working two jobs to pay for child support.
A new decade dawned, five years had passed, and I was approached by two birth professionals who were students from my college. They asked me to start working in birth again, to assist them in their birth journey, to join forces and work together. I contemplated this for six months before deciding as I had to complete a few things before I could dedicate myself to this again.
We are now working hard on bringing Mother Care back, but in a much larger way. We have renamed it Labours of Luv by Mother Care and Rosenthal Perinatal College will once again be teaching and mentoring students. We are launching in April, watch for us!
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