DOIC Member Spotlight - Meet Johanna Tomlinson

Doulas of Iowa City members bring a wide variety of trainings, skills, and experiences to their work with families in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and surrounding communities. We're excited to highlight our member doulas through this series.

Today, meet Johanna Tomlinson of Nested Mama Prenatal & Postpartum Doula Support.

Services Provided:
Prenatal & Postpartum Doula Services, Childbirth Education, Breastfeeding Education, Infant Sleep Education and Consultations.

Three things about Johanna outside of her doula work:
I love hiking and am happiest when exploring the outdoors with my family. I also love lasagna and science fiction movies.

How long have you been supporting families?
I often joke that I've been doulaing for family, friends, and the occasional stranger for a long time. As a business, Nested Mama is now in its second year.

When did you first know you wanted to work with families in the time around birth?
Before I became a doula, I was an academic and taught classes exploring women and children of the past. One I became a mother, I realized how many of my passions were relevant to the present day. When my little ones became a bit older, I felt ready to make the jump into supporting families.

Three words that describe your approach to working with families?
​Heart-centered. Trust. Joy.

 What clients say about working with Johanna:
"Johanna is an extremely kind, gentle, and peaceful presence. I feel as though she truly enjoys everything she does for mamas, even picking up my used nursing pads and putting them in the laundry! You can feel the joy she has for caring for people in their postpartum time of need and it puts you at ease - particularly if you're someone who has a hard time asking for help or feel guilty having others do things for you. She's so authentically happy to help, it is refreshing and relaxing. Johanna is also incredibly easy to talk to and non-judgmental if you have any motherhood questions while she is there." - Becca D.

Anything new you are excited to share about your business?
I'm currently enrolled in a Fertility Specialist Certification course. I'm so excited to support parents on their journey to grow their families.  Look for classes and consultations to be available in mid-2019.

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Looking to connect with Johanna and our other members? You can learn find all our member businesses on our homepage or join us for our next Meet the Doula Event.