Today we’d like to introduce you to Britta Bushnell, Phd
Hi Britta, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I was eight years old, my stepmom gave birth to my little brother. While in labor, as her contractions came and went, she taught me gin rummy. When a contraction started, we would pause the game so she could focus until the contraction subsided. I didn’t know then that this experience would be the first of many times I would sit with a parent during labor.
Fast forward to 1994, immediately following the Northridge Earthquake, when I moved to Los Angeles to work at Yoga Works on Montana Ave. After a few years as general manager, I started teaching classes and in 1999, pregnant with my firstborn, my boss, suggested I start teaching prenatal yoga classes. Turns out, I loved working with pregnant folks!
Several times a week I led a group of pregnant women through ninety minutes of stretches, breathing exercises, and visualizations, helping them to leave the class grounded and “in their bodies.” After birth, parents would often come back to the classes, and time after time these new moms would exclaim, “My birth was really intense!”
I began to understand that I was somehow communicating that to do birth “yogically,” parents should be able to simply breathe, relax, and meditate through labor as we had done in class. I never mentioned pain, hard work, or effort. Without realizing it, I denied the very real possibility of facing hardships in labor or parenthood. I was unwittingly rendering these expectant parents underprepared for labor and birth.
By that point, I had given birth to my first child, an experience that was intense, unexpected, and powerful. I knew personally that yogic breathing and relaxation were helpful for birth and parenthood, but also that these experiences required far more.
That’s when I began hunting for a more complete way to support parents on the journey from pregnancy to parenthood.
Since 2002, I’ve taught childbirth preparation classes to groups, couples, individuals, and fellow professionals.
I was initially mentored closely by author of Birthing From Within, Pam England, before deepening my work through a doctoral studies in mythology and psychology (2009-2015). In early 2020, I published my first book, Transformed by Birth with Sounds True.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As someone who has been in this field now for over 25 years, I went through many ups and downs.
Like many who start a small business, I did not have a map for where I wanted to go. Early on, I didn’t even know WHERE I wanted to go! I started by paying attention to what I was hungry to learn and ways I wanted to grow my skills and then let the path unfold in front of me as I grew my classes and my business.
In the early years of my business, I also found it difficult to find a community of fellow birth professionals interested in exploring the aspects of our work that interested me most. I wanted to engage with birth as a transformative experience, a rite of passage into a new identity, and most conversations were about the mechanics of labor and birth. Eventually, I stopped looking for others engaging in these topics already, and started created opportunities for others to join me in the conversation. After that, my sense of community rapidly deepened.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love working with expectant parents as they prepare to welcome their new baby and supporting other professionals in this field is amazing too.
I got into this work to support people as they move through a huge transformational period in their lives. Transformation is my jam! That’s what keeps me in birth work long after my kids have grown and my interest with the birthy parts of birth has waned. To witness people FEEL the power of what’s about to happen for them and to be trusted as a guide for that journey is a profound privilege. For me, it’s the transformation more than the vehicle for that transformation (ie birth) that lights me up and keeps me deeply engaged in this work even after 25 years. Every time I work with an expectant family I sense them on the edge of a life precipice with excitement, trepidation, uncertainty, and hope. There are so few times in our lives when we can know ahead of time that our lives are about to be profoundly changed. Expectant parents feel it coming. Helping them face the changes, not through force and control, but by navigating the unbidden with openness, resilience, and strength, is deep and profound work.
Writing and publishing my book Transformed by Birth gave me the opportunity to reach more people than teaching small groups ever could. I used my classes as a map for the book so that reading it walks expectant parents through an experience of preparation that goes beyond the mechanics of labor and birth. Reading responses from readers about how they were moved by the book touches my heart in profound ways. It brings me to tears knowing I’ve positively impacted thousands of parents at this critical time in their lives.
As for what I do now, I facilitate live and in person classes for first time parents and private in person or virtual classes for those preparing to give birth again. And, coming in 2025 is an on-demand virtual option for my signature preparation course as well. I’m excited for this!
In addition to working with parents, I also run an apprenticeship program for other professionals to learn how to use a rite of passage framework along with storytelling and ritual to help prepare the families they work with before, during, or after giving birth.
And, many couples who have worked with me in my classes return to do relationship mentoring with me, which I love!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I love learning (one of the reasons I went back to grad school at age 39)!
While I love learning from fellow birth professionals and scholars in the field, I am most engaged in learning that is farther afield.
I’m a mythologist so I love stories! The “Let’s Talk About Myths Baby” is a fun podcast and I love retellings of ancient myths (which is a hot genre at the moment so my list is long).
For resilience building, I’m a fan of the work of Lumos Transforms and nurture my own nervous system through the use of their Resilience Toolkit as well as other embodiment work with other teachers.
My personal spiritual practice and growth work is currently being impacted by the work of Eli Buren and Alexandra Roxo as well as Tara Brach (her podcast is a staple).
Eek…I have so many things that help me. The list is too long to share it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brittabushnell.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittabushnellphd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittaBushnellPhD
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britta-bushnell-phd-3062634/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/britta-bushnell-phd-santa-monica-2
- Soundcloud: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/transformed-with-britta-bushnell/id1481926864
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Transformed-Birth-Cultivating-Resilience-Parenthood/dp/1683644069/ref=sr_1_1?crid=217D0C35ZPTYN&keywords=transformed+by+birth&qid=1687210270&sprefix=transformed+by+birth%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Ebbs Photography
