About Kaylin

Hello, I’m Kaylin Bartell! I’m a trained (not yet certified) birth doula and lactation counselor. I am a wife to a wonderful husband and stay at home mom to a wild one year old boy. I grew up in Wamego, Kansas and moved to Manhattan as an adult. I provide the option for in home and virtual support, so I am able to support parents in Manhattan, Kansas and elsewhere.

Why did I become a birth doula?

I got pregnant in 2020 during the pandemic and had my son in the Summer of 2021. During my pregnancy, hospital policies were constantly changing, so I said no to hiring a birth doula. I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to be with us in the delivery room. I had planned a perfect birth, and like many, it didn’t go as I had expected. I had planned and learned so much. I learned all of the breathing techniques and comfort measures. However, when labor hit, my husband and I both got so swept up in it that we couldn’t think straight. We didn’t get the support we really needed. Even though my son and I were both safe, I was left feeling like I had experienced a traumatic birth. I wholeheartedly believe that if I had more support, my son’s birth would’ve been a completely different experience. I decided to become a doula to help prepare and support parents through labor, in the hopes of helping others have births that didn’t feel traumatic.

Why did I become a lactation counselor?

I always planned on breastfeeding my children. I didn’t know how important it would be to me until I thought it wasn’t going to be possible. When I was pregnant with my son, I took a breastfeeding class and I watched videos online about latching baby and feeding positions. I thought I knew enough to be successful without a lot of outside help. Unfortunately, that didn’t play out how I had imagined. My son was unable to latch for over 24 hours after birth, and again I didn’t get the support I needed. I was handed a nipple shield without any instruction on how to use it. Formula was brought to me when I hadn’t asked for it, and in the middle of pumping breast milk. I was pushed until I finally gave my son formula. I felt like my body had failed me because I clearly wasn’t able to nurse my baby. I had multiple appointments for breastfeeding services that left me feeling hopeless. I decided I had to be my own breastfeeding support. I was able to get my son’s lip tie fixed, and we’ve been breastfeeding comfortably ever since. I was told repeatedly that my mental health was more important than my son receiving breast milk. I agree with that, but my mental health was suffering because I wasn’t getting support in breastfeeding when I needed it. Support is one of the most important factors in successful breastfeeding, and it can be hard to find. I decided that I wanted to be that support for mothers that wish to breastfeed their babies.

Now that I’ve shared my birth and breastfeeding journeys, I can’t wait to talk to you about how I can support through your own!