Brandie McGowan
Offers virtual services
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Palm Harbor, Florida
12 years of experience
5.0
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About me

Hi!! My is Brandie and I am a certified birth and postpartum doula. Loving everything about birth and beyond, I went on to continue my education and offer services as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist and Breastfeeding Educator. In my spare time, I spend it with my 3 beautiful grandchildren, going to hockey games and volunteering for my local Hospice organization. It is my personal goal to Empower, Enhance and Embrace the birth and postpartum journey of every birther out there. I firmly believe in YOU being author of YOUR birth story.

Education

Medical Assistant (1994)

Certification and training

Birth Doula - Madriella Doula Network (2021)

Postpartum Doula - Madriella Doula Network (2021)

Loss & Bereavement Doula - Madriella Doula Network (2021)

Breastfeeding Educator - Madriella Doula Network (2021)

Young Parent Support Specialist - Madriella Doula Network (2021)

Placenta Arts Specialist - Womb Wisdom Learning Academy (2021)

Memberships and affiliations

National Doula Network

Tampa Bay Birth Network

Credentials
MCPCD
Specialties
Birth and Lactation Birth Assistant Birth Doula Birth Support Breastfeeding Assistance and Support Breastfeeding Consultation Breastfeeding Support Evidence-Based Care Grief and Loss Home Birth Labor Doula LGBTQ+ Loss and Bereavement Doula Mindfulness Natural Birth Natural Childbirth Newborn Prep Overnight Newborn Care Parenting Support Positive Thinking Postpartum Adjustment Postpartum Care Postpartum Doula Care Support during Labor, Birth, and Postpartum Support in Pregnancy Loss
Languages

English

Accepted insurances
Aetna Simply Healthcare UnitedHealthcare Humana Sunshine Health
Service introduction

I am certified and have experience in the following: Birth Doula (home, hospital or birthing center), Postpartum Doula (days/nights), Loss & Bereavement, Breastfeeding Educator and Placenta Specialist (encapsulation, prints, salves, tinctures and umbilical cord keepsakes).

Packages
Indulgence - Postpartum Doula
*4 Hour minimum required ~ Assist with the emotional and physical recovery after birth ~ Breast and/or Bottle-feeding support ~ Assistance with newborn care such as diapering, bathing, and feeding ~Baby soothing techniques ~Light housekeeping ~Light meal preparation ~Sibling care
$35.00
USD Per hour
Placenta Encapsulation
Placenta is steamed and then sliced, dehydrated, and encapsulated using 100% Plant Based Vegetable Capsules provided in a storage container with recommended instructions. (Upon request, ginger, lemon and cayenne can be added during steam) . Client has the choice of flavored* or unflavored capsules. Flavored capsules are $15.00 extra Our capsules have no preservatives or additives and are always, Gluten and GMO free. Certified Kosher and Halal. Average placenta can yield anywhere from 100-180 pills.
$275.00
USD Flat rate
Tranquility Birth Doula
~ 2 prenatal virtual or in-person meetings (up to 60 minutes) information sessions ~ Birth preparation: birth preferences, positions and tools for you & your partner, to ease discomfort and help with natural labor progression ~ Parenthood prep: baby registry review, nursery organization ~ On-call for labor support beginning at 37 weeks ~ Immediate 1 Golden Hour of postpartum support (if requested). Includes help with breastfeeding latch and skin-to-skin contact)
$900.00
USD Flat rate
Show all packages
Ratings and reviews
Average
5.0
# of Reviews
4
5.0

I am beyond happy that I found Brandie!! She did my placenta encapsulation for me. She picked up my placenta from the hospital and delivered the capsules to my home along with some super sweet gifts. She is very caring, sweet and knowledgeable person with great energy. She helped me with all my questions and stayed in touch throughout my pregnancy and after. If you are looking for a doula or a person to do placenta encapsulation, cream (salve) or placenta art, she is the one!!!!! Will be recommending her to my friends!! Thank you Brandie.

- Alina P.

5.0

Pregnancy is a scary, yet beautiful time in life. The overwhelming joy you get while watching your baby grow inside of you is a feeling that is so hard to explain. It is even more special when that baby growing inside of you is your rainbow baby. And for me, my baby is a double rainbow baby. We had lost the first two pregnancies (Oct. 2019 & June 2020) both in the first trimester. Fast forward to Sept. 2020 and we found out we were pregnant! You can imagine the excitement we had knowing we got another chance at being parents! However, along with the excitement came the anxiety and fear of possibly losing another baby, and that made it hard to stay excited. Sometime late in the first trimester, beginning of the second, we found out about Births and Beyond and began chatting with Brandi. She was and is wonderful. She helped me tremendously by easing my mind of another possible miscarriage, provided resources on how to get through the losses and shared her personal journey with me. She understood that even though I was so thankful to God for allowing me to become pregnant again, she understood how scared I was about losing my baby again. She provided TONS of support on pregnancy, labor and delivery and ways to labor. She helped me feel more prepared for when and how my baby would make his appearance. Fast forward to now, my son was born 5/14/2021. He is a chunky, healthy beautiful baby boy and we are over the moon thrilled to be his parents. He is absolutely perfect in every way to us. :) And being that he is our double rainbow baby, we wanted to do something unique and special to remember the pregnancy journey. We decided that because the baby's placenta was his life support during the last nine months, we wanted to make a placenta print. Brandie made it so special for us, and made the process of collecting the placenta completely stress free. All we had to do was let the OBGYN at the hospital know that we wanted to keep our placenta and Brandie handled the rest. The prints came out beautiful and made a wonderful addition to his nursery. I would definitely recommend Brandie at Births and Beyond for placenta prints and any of her services for that matter! She is an amazing individual who truly cares about her clients and their families! Thanks again Brandie! We will reach out when we are ready for baby #2!

- Ciara R.

5.0

For years I have researched placenta encapsulation but was always hesitant. With my 3rd baby I decided to give it a shot and I was NOT disappointed! I went to BirthsAndBeyond.com and I had the most amazing experience. Brandie made everything about it so easy from start to finish. She answered any questions I had day or night, educated me on the benefits of each product (I didn’t even know so many different options existed) and kept me updated throughout the process. I received the capsules, tincture, salve for myself with lavender and one without lavender for baby, as well as a keepsake print. It was packaged soooo beautifully along with instructions on how to use it all. I know this might not be for everyone but I didn’t think it was for me either until I did it. If you’re an expecting mama with any questions, contact her you will be so glad you did.

- Rachel W.

5.0

If you want the most compassionate, thoughtful, supportive, professional and considerate doula, you found one right here! I initially contacted Brandie for the placenta encapsulation, but ended up having her as my doula as well. I had a home birth and Brandie came over several weeks before the due date. I loved her energy right away! She brought some interesting information regarding birth and placenta encapsulation, affirmations, suitcase full of stuff to help a woman during labor: natural pain management tools, essential oils, snacks , honey sticks, etc. My labor began at 5.15 in the morning. I called Brandie, she picked up right away and came to my place very fast. What a huge help and support we received from her! She helped me find the most comfortable position to deliver my baby and supported me all the way through labor and delivery and afterwards. We still keep in touch because I just love her and her energy. Meeting her was a true blessing.

- Diana S.

Frequently asked questions
Can my placenta be encapsulated if I have any of these:
When should you NOT consume the placenta?
How long have you been a doula?
Are you CPR and 1st Aid Certified?
What areas do you serve?