Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodie Fratantuno.
Hi Jodie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
For most of my life, my jobs have been in the entertainment industry. I was an assistant to CEOs, actors, writers and was doing some house management and event planning. Right before the pandemic, I decided to make a bit shift and turn my love of caretaking and assisting to the specific role of helping families with new babies navigate this new transition. I began my journey as a postpartum Doula and have not turned back since. Doula, the Greek word for helper, is just that. We are an extra set of hands and offer nonjudgemental support while helping new families feel supported, cared for and loved. My skills as a home chef are put to good use, making comforting home-cooked meals for the new family. I am trained in Newborn care, so I offer assistance with all things “new baby”, while making sure the new parents are getting the rest and care that they need too. Sometimes we cry together, laugh together and get to know the new baby together. It is a job that brings pure joy to my heart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Covid, as it was for many, was a challenge for me. I had just become certified at a postpartum Doula and then the world shut down. What was difficult was that people really did still need help, even more so as they were so isolated. Many families were not able to fly out and help our their loved ones and they often relied on me, masked up, to help them and support them. It was a scary time, where we were all taking chances, masking up and being as careful as we can but recognizing that everyone still needed support. Challenges were figuring out how to do all of this safely.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a postpartum Doula. The Greek word for Doula is “Helper” and that is exactly what I do. I help families as they journey though life’s transitions, in particular new babies. I am well versed in lactation education, vegetarian and vegan home cooking, nursery setup/ organization, newborn care, sibling integration, and guidance on how to navigate this exciting and often challenging time. I am a shoulder to cry on and arms to offer up a hug. I am someone who can show you how to swaddle your newborn and make sure that you are getting the some rest so that you are your recovery is on track. I will fix a warm pot of soup and put the dishes away so that the new family can bond with the baby.
I am most proud of my own career pivot so late in life. I knew that I had all of these skills in my wheelhouse and that I was a natural-born caretaker. I just needed to figure out the best way to utilize these skills and help those in need. With my own two children in college or off to college, I knew that I needed a career that I could grow old with. A career that values a woman’s age and longevity and a career where I am doing my job by working myself OUT of a job. I think that I am a natural-born empath and I can relate to what these families are going through. I value connection and love to see new parents flourish.
What sets me apart from the others it the fact that my offerings include gourmet cooking. It is not only a hobby for me but a life force. Food is love and cooking is a way for me to show love. If my client mentions that their Grandmother made the best Chicken Soup, I will often make a pot of soup, in their home, with the delicious familiar smells wafting through the house. This helps to remind them that they are cared for, their ancestors are here with them and that they are being nurtured. I love doing batch cooking, where I spend hours prepping and making food for the week. Salads, grab-and-go meals and frozen dinners. Anything to make the lives of the new families easier.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
There is a small-knit community of Doulas here on the westside and I enjoy working alongside them. I wish that everyone had the benefit of coming home from the hospital with a Doula and I wish that insurance covered more of my services so that everyone had the opportunity to help. I often work on a sliding scale and offer free services to those in dire need.
Contact Info:
- Website: petuniababy.com
- Instagram: petuniababydoula
