Truth in Love Interview with Emily Kiser

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That's anchor dot fm. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the podcast. Hey, this is truth and love Podcast thank you for joining the podcast. Thank you for listening if we can ever pray for you, just let us know send us a message on anchor or Whatever podcast maybe you can send a voice message as well.

You can find us on our Just follow the link to the WordPress website and you can send a message an email. Let us know that we can pray for you and Today we're going to be talking about a subject that that interests me when I heard about it and I'm thankful that I have a Representative with me.

I am with Emily Kaiser and I'm currently also with my wife Kelly say hey Kelly. And we're with Emily's husband Jacob. Say hi Jacob. Hello we're glad to have everybody here with us doing this podcast and introducing me more to this service and introduce you to this service and hopefully someone that you know can Utilize this service because it's an excellent service.

What a Doula Does for Mothers and Families

It's called a doula and I was Unfamiliar with the service when I heard about it, but it intrigued me because it had to do with Assisting mothers and it had to do with assisting mothers Who are pregnant?

While they're pregnant during the the pregnancy during the The the birth and also post pregnancy, so so they cover a wide range. They're helping the mother and that intrigued me because we as Christians.

We love mothers. We love children and we want to see them flourish and we'll see them come to the Lord and also what intrigued me about doula was the fact that it was a Greek word and And of course the New Testament The original language that was written in Greek and we have we found that word Doula comes from the word doulos in Greek and we found that word all over the place in in the Greek New Testament.

So it intrigued me to research it not just what the service provides today But also the background of where it comes from. I was doing a little bit of research and I saw that a lady named Dana Raphael in 1969 seems to have coined the the modern phrase and modern usage of the word doula in an Anthropological study she did and she found from what I read.

She found that Having assistance in the in the birthing process in the in the pregnancy helps a successful Helps for successful pregnancy and successful breastfeeding After the pregnancy and and of course it is I think it's been a practice For many many years that a woman would have help especially from a family member of course back in the day before modern technology for modern hospitals from a family member and and it really promoted the health of the pregnancy health of the child and a healthy post Pregnancy, so I want to give Emily opportunity to Tell us a few things about herself and and what she does as a doula.

So Emily Introduce yourself. Tell us who you are and tell us about your your children. Give us their first names and tell us When you first heard about doula and and I'm sure that initial Coming to know or initial interaction with with doula and the doula service probably intrigues you a little bit.

So tell us about how you first heard about it and what interests you in getting involved in becoming a doula.

Okay, so I am Emily Kaiser. Thank you Robert for having me on today and Kelly and Jacob for joining us. So my experience Started when I was pregnant, so I have four children. Braden is our oldest Molly Olivia and Sutton and again, my experience started when I was pregnant with Molly.

She was born perfectly healthy and normal. And then once she was born we had I started breastfeeding and we had some trouble breastfeeding. She had trouble gaining weight. She was losing weight. More than the doctor wanted her and we spent some time lots of pediatric appointments and then we were finally referred to a lactation consultant at the hospital.

And we took some visits there. And then I had to seek other options because we still were not being successful. And so we went and had a consultation with a lactation Consultant and they came to our house.

And she basically showed me How to breastfeed the benefits of it and how to be consistent and how to keep that bond and growing for for Molly and myself. And so once I once I did that I was like, oh, well, yeah, I really like breastfeeding.

I kind of like The bonding experience that I had with her. I like the action of it. I like the personal time that I got with her and God just started speaking to my heart and saying like this is something that We need in our community because you're not the only person who has trouble with it.

And I researched some things and at this point in my life. I was just not ready to fully commit. And so, you know Jacob and I we went on with our lives. We've got two kids now. We got pregnant again. And we lost that baby and that was hard.

Just knowing that That was a child that I was supposed to have. And we just couldn't bring him home. We got pregnant with Olivia. And we were very successful breastfeeding with her and God just continued to work on my heart.

Needing needed to bond with other mothers. Then we got pregnant with Sutton and With Sutton's pregnancy was hard. We almost lost him a couple times. And made me more thankful for Having him. And being able to bond with him.

And then once I had once we did that I was like, you know what? God is still working on me and I need to explore this option. So I started looking and researching a little bit calling colleges going institutes and I found It's the International Dual Institute and they specialize in breastfeeding and birthing dual.

And so I started some classes and I take it completely online. I take it from home and so I was able to be with my kids still work a full career. And then still do my classes on the side. So it was a lot to juggle.

But I felt like it was something that my heart needed. So we continue that and I got my certificates. I am certified With birth doula postpartum doula lactation consultant and Childbirth educator, which is the I can teach classes like at the hospital for new moms or Pregnant moms and that can also teach breastfeeding classes before you go any further.

Can you repeat all those certifications. Because I know you have multiple certifications. I do. Can you repeat all those again? Sure, so everybody knows what what services you offer because.

There's multiple certifications because there's multiple multiple multiple jobs. Yeah, and yeah sure. So birthing doula is I meet with pregnant moms pregnant families and we kind of talk about What their ideal birthing situation looks like like do you want an all-natural birth?

Do you want? Epidural do you are you planning a c-section? How can I best serve you? How can I advocate for you? As a person in your support system. What does that look like for you? And some people know and some people don't and that's a that's something that we explore together.

Figuring out what's the best option for them? I also am certified in postpartum doula, which is Once the baby's born I can come and kind of help with bonding experiences help with just regular Maintenance of the house as you get accustomed to having a new baby into that house.

Whether you've had children before if this is your new one and then also helps with like spousal support because Having the support system built in Makes you more successful. I Am certified as a breastfeeding counselor which is I can help with like positionings if your child is born with tongue tie.

Like what's the best position for that? Can we try different positions to help the baby more successful the mom be more successful? Again building that support system that makes you Or helps you be like if you want to breastfeed for a year.

Well, let's build that up and let's Give you the support that makes you consistent with that. If you're going back to work, how do I make sure that I have enough? Breast milk to make it through the day.

How do I make my supply? Increase. So all of those things are techniques that I I do. I also am certified as a childbirth educator. So that basically means that I teach classes to like groups of people I can do Virtual experiences, which I've done before because of the times.

We don't really allow. We don't are we. Society at this point is not really allowing groups of people. So I've done some virtual experiences. I also offer classes at my house. So like last weekend, I had a breastfeeding class that I did in my house and had some folks come out and we just like games and got to know each other and then we did some experiments of Let's test out.

How should I hold my baby? How should I change a diaper? Because there are lots of people in our society who this is new, right? And so I again I just felt like this was a calling that God had brought me to that said that our society needs People to wrap their arms around new moms.

And and be a constant support and be an advocate for them. And so I just wanted to make sure that they had Everything that they needed all the education. So I am NOT as a doula. I'm not a medical professional.

And that's it. That's kind of a new term, right? So I can't like Treat illnesses or write prescriptions. I can give you medical Information and then you from there need to make your own decision of how you want to labor.

How you want to deliver how you want to feed? How you want a parent? That's all your your decisions, and I don't make any of those for you. But I will advocate for you if this is what you want to do. And then you know, we kind of talk through it.

This is the information that I have. This is some websites that I can give you to look at these are people that can give you a job too. But you have to make those decisions ultimately for yourself, right?

But just building that support system around families. Because family is the basis. For everything that the Bible teaches and everything that we Our family stands for is just building that relationship together.

Doula Versus Midwife

And that was going on next question what you can't do and you you cover that because that's important to know what what you can Do. And then there's certain things that you can't do and you can't give birth like a midwife.

So explain the difference between a doula and a midwife. So a doula is a medical professional. They can you see those in like when you go to ob-gyn Doctors appointments you can you can choose to see those.

Midwife, yes. And a midwife can deliver a child. They can monitor the child from in the womb. They can do like vaginal examinations. They can they can be your doctor essentially. They can write prescriptions.

They can deliver a child. I do not do any of those things. I can I have delivered. But it was an emergency situation like I'm the only one there. So and because I've had that experience three times I Kind of know what that's supposed to look like and I have some.

I have the knowledge of what happens in the body and the anatomy. And but my my primary job is not to deliver a child right. But for the safety of the baby and and mom my primary job is to support and advocate for the mom, right?

Serving Christ in a Secular Doula Ministry

Okay. So obviously I'm coming at this from a spiritual standpoint and you've You've touched on this a couple times already and I would love for you to touch on this just a little bit more. From my understanding Doula the doula services the doula program itself today modern doula is not Advertised or it's not primarily a Christian based organization there's.

You know, it's pretty much secular type of thing, right? Yes, so but but as a Christian Do you view this as? Your Christian act of service and how to how do you do that? How do you how do you see that as you?

As you as you bring this service to a mother to a family how do you represent Christ In this service. So how do you bring your Christianity into this doula service?

So let's take a question my um, my business is called by his faith. And I stand on on that That led by faith completely. Because I began this journey. I'm taking that giant leap of faith for me. And I want that to be my solid foundation.

And so once I you know At the beginning when I meet with families I come off by saying first of all know that I'm coming at this from a Christian standpoint. And we always pray together. They know that I Try to make it very clear that what I am doing is bringing faith and bringing love.

Because I again I want them to feel love and I want them to feel the support around them and. So so my my main objective is to teach them that That I am here for you, but in the this is my service to God.

So a good my motto is Esther 414, which is perhaps. This is the moment for what you were Made and and I think this is the moment that I was made for. Because this is my service and being a mom was a moment that I was made for.

And so I want Mothers who are pregnant or new moms to think maybe this is the moment they were made for. Whether the child is planned or unplanned. This was a moment they were created for or disabled or not disabled or not disabled or However, God created that child, right?

They needed that mom right at that moment, right? And maybe the mom needed that child at that moment, right? And so if I if I come at it from that stance, I'm coming at it not secular. I'm I'm completely biblical, right?

Family, Parenting, and the Truth in Love Vision

Right, I think that's so important because. And it's probably not just in our society today, you know, it's been seems to be rampant For so many generations now that the the family is is not important anymore.

Even people who and this is you know, just my opinion my perspective from what I see. Even people that Desire to have children and try to have children even after they have their child. They seem to put parenting on the back burner they they hand their children off to someone else or or they're not focusing on that that life that God has given them and I appreciate what you're doing and bringing your faith into it and and The the importance of the responsibility that God has given them to to be that parent.

So I think I think it's a wonderful service and I appreciate the fact that you are Bringing it with a Christian aspect Christian attitude you bring Christ into it bring the gospel into it. You're sharing your fruits of the Spirit.

This is a service ministry. So Everything that we should be doing as a Christian loving our neighbor sharing the gospel service ministry, you know sharing our fruits of the Spirit that's. You're doing all those things within that service and I know this sounds kind of weird a guy a man talking to a woman about For like a better term of breastfeeding class.

But that's just one aspects of what Emily does but but the dual services seems to be geared more toward women mothers and and pregnancy. But you talk to you know, both.

Mother and father I do. I have Classes that I provide on just spousal support. What does it look like for you to support your wife? For you to support the family. I also do classes for I call them becoming a big.

So it's for children explaining to them what is happening and Kind of to showing them and giving them some responsibility of how can I help mom? How can I help dad around the house? What does this new baby do for me?

Right? I'm not being a big sister. Yeah. Yeah some families You know have I have literature that I give them To help them explain to children. You know kind of where the babies come from and what all happens what's growing in mommy's tummy.

Just helping them Realize kind of what's happening and be able to express those emotions. For some children becoming a big sister and a big brother. That's a that's a big deal and it's a life changer.

And so, you know sometimes sitting down with them playing games Kind of helps them express those emotions. Also gives mom and dad a time where they don't feel like the older child is being ignored. Because now I have to take care of a baby.

And so I'm there that's part of that postpartum service that I provide is just going in and playing with the older child. So they don't feel ignored. But I do like to offer it is primarily for moms. But I do offer services for the whole family so they can still feel that family union, right?

So I hope it I Know it may sound kind of weird again, you know a male talking to a female about Being becoming a mother and the things that a mother goes through. But I hope to do I hope to talk to more people about their profession and I may Hopefully I can talk Emily and maybe Kelly my wife into speaking about their other Emily's other profession.

They're both teachers and and just being about that profession and bringing Christ and into that profession. But today talking about dual and the dual service that Emily does. This is truth and love and we we get it from Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 Where Paul says but speaking the truth in love?

We are to grow up in all aspects into him. Who is the head even Christ and I think that all aspects encompasses all of life and so again, I like what this this ministry that I respect they say all of Christ for all of life and It doesn't matter what your profession is.

It's it's all of Christ for all of life and All aspects. Speaks to our our spiritual life our family life our secular life everywhere we are. We're to grow up spiritually into Christ and and bring him and bring the gospel and bring our service ministry.

We should not live our lives in two separate worlds a secular world and in a Christian world a spiritual world. It's all of Christ for all of life. And the other aspect of this this dual of ministry that Emily does that in tree me was that was the Greek part the Greek word doula and doulos.

So I want to do a little bit more research in Scripture and how the Bible uses that word doulos in Scripture and I read a read an article from John MacArthur and in his research, he said this studying this word doulos really intrigued him because When he began to study it.

He found from studying multiple. And and all pretty much from my understanding all of Greek scholarship that he studied saw that the word doulos in in the New Testament. Without exception the word doulos means slave and.

But when you see it in the New Testament the the interpreters of the translators they translate it with with different words like Female servant to serve bond servant so they translate it in different ways and the reasoning he said was because.

That there was this negative connotation with slavery in and we're talking about translators going all the way back to the the the 15th century. With the with the Reformation and all. Those translators even saw that negative connotation with slavery.

But when you when you don't translate doulos and it's it's derivatives. When you don't translate it as slave you miss the impact. That the word slave yeah, we have that negative connotation in our in our culture because of slavery and that that aspect of it is negative and and Scripture does talk about that negative aspect of slavery where we are Slaves to sin instead of righteousness.

And so yes, there is that negative aspect. But we we miss the big impact of being a slave to righteousness or slave to Christ when we don't use that language of doulos and interpreting it correctly. So when you have the word doulos, which means slave.

When you have a slave you obviously have a master and and that takes us to Romans chapter 10 verse 9 Where it says if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord He is our master.

You will be saved. So Jesus has to become our our Master and then it leads us to Colossians chapter 3 verse 24 It says from the Lord you will receive the reward of your inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve and they translated it serve.

But it's it's that word slave. You you are now a slave to Christ and Then in Matthew chapter 6 verse 24 It says no one can serve. There's that word again, but to get the impact that we really need from it.

We need to think slave no one can be a slave to two masters for either he will hate the one or love the other or he will hold to one and despise the other you cannot serve or be a slave to God and mammon, it says and then Ephesians chapter 6 verse 7.

It says do not render service. As to me but as to the Lord and in that context, it's actually speaking to a slave household duties, of course in that chapter you have the chapter 5 chapter 6 you have the duties of the husband and wife you have the duties of the parent and the children and then you have the duties of the Slave and the master and in that context it's talking about the actual slave and master role.

But the the The idea is still the same do not render your service as you're doing it to please men but doing it as as you're doing it to please the Lord and Then the last one Galatians chapter 5 verse 13 It says do not do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh but serve one another and I think That verse kind of transition transition us into what Emily does In her profession as a doula and the service that she provides but then also into all of the all other professions.

Do not turn your freedom into an opportunity of flesh but serve one another and there's that word again serve. Which will to get the full impact we become a slave because we are a slave to Christ and We've Our lives are now his he is our master we therefore then serve one another where we become a slave to one another and and What Emily does working with mothers and and working with children and importance of children.

Emily and I have already discussed this you know scripture tells us that Jesus when the children are trying to approach him the cycles try to stop the children and Jesus says to the disciples suffer not the little children to come unto me.

For such as the kingdom of God and then he tells says to us in another place. He says You know, if you want to enter the kingdom of God you must become like a child and so our children are so important our children come from the Lord and And Taking taking your profession.

And and using it for God's glory using it to serve Christ. It's such an important ministry and it's such a good influence to to other believers. And so I want to commend Emily for the work that she does.

I'm thankful for the work that she does. Not just as she is serving mothers not just as she is serving Children but she's doing it doing that as she serves the Lord. So I would say if you if you know anyone that's going to be or wanting to be a mother soon a mother in the future parents in the future if you're a mother now or even if you have already given birth Emily provides services for for all areas of the the parent process even even thinking about it or During the while you're pregnant or after the pregnancy whatever stage that you're in Emily is available to serve you and she'd love to do that and she's gonna do it from a Christian perspective.

Absolutely, and I can. I have a Facebook page. It's called by his grace dual services. I also have a web page. It's called www .emilykaiserdua .com.

And you can also find me on Google and I will try my best to put those links Where they are available to you. So thank you for listening again, if we can pray for you love to be able to do that. Remember that Jesus is King go live in that victory and let's continue to go out there and whatever profession Even if it's just being friends, let's go out there together and share the gospel.

Hope to see you soon.