We have a team of AMAZING doulas at Transitions, and we think you will love them too! We will connect you with the doula who you are interested in, or who best fits with personality or needs. You will have the opportunity to interview them to make sure they are the perfect fit as your primary doula, and you can feel confident knowing the rest of the team is along the way to help when needed! We are here to support you and provide seamless transitions in services and care packages designed specifically for you!
Doulas
Renee Forred
Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Education, Lactation Support
Renee Forred is the co-owner of Transitions: Doula & Life Services. Renee formerly owned Bloom Birth Services, but she saw the need for the community to have an agency model of care, so she teamed up with Kelsie to fulfill the need!
Renee spent several years in social work before she found her true calling as a birth doula in 2016, when she founded Bloom Birth Services & Design.
Since then she has been certified as a birth and postpartum doula, lactation counselor, and HypnoBirthing educator. Renee has supported over 100 families in the great endeavor of childbirth, and she has a true love of nurturing families as they make their way through the newborn and postpartum period.
Renee is certified through Childbirth Professional International (CPI) for birth and postpartum doula work. She is certified through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) for lactation counseling. She is certified through HypnoBirthing International as a childbirth educator.
In continuing her education, Renee has taken special interest in Spinning Babies as a way to better support her clients understand the physiology of pregnancy and birth.
Renee lives in Sioux Falls with her partner, four children, and dog. Renee believes that birth and postpartum are unique to everyone, and experiences to be had (not just something to get through).
Abbie Hotz-Jones
Birth Doula
Abbie Hotz-Jones is a birth and bereavement doula, and a massage therapist. While in massage therapy school, she experienced first hand how physical touch can be so beneficial to individuals, but in particular pregnant women. Switching focus to prenatal massage only opened the door wider for a passion in birth work!
Abbie is certified through Stillbirthday as a birth and bereavement doula, receiving special training to support birth in any trimester, with any outcome. She is also trained in reflexology, acupressure, Reiki (energy work), and prenatal/postnatal massage. She is working towards completion of Spinning Babies training to really bring all of her knowledge together to make for an easier birth for both mom and baby.
As a birth doula, she is there for physical and emotional support during your pregnancy, labor, and postpartum experience. As a bereavement doula, she provides all of that same support for the family experiencing loss. This support can be given during your pregnancy, or after. This also includes Rainbow pregnancies, a child born after the loss of another. These pregnancies can be especially difficult, but so incredibly special!
Abbie realized the need for both of these support services after having her own children, and having to say goodbye too soon to one of them. She strives to support and advocate for women so they can achieve their dream birth experience, however that looks for them.
Emily Rude
Birth and Postpartum Doula
Emily Rude is a birth and postpartum doula providing care to families in the Sioux Falls area. Sharing the knowledge and resources she has gained, she aims to empower families with the tools they need to make informed decisions regarding their birth and family needs.
Emily’s heart is rooted in serving others. Coming from a career in her family’s bakery, started by her mother in 2009, she developed her lifelong leadership skills, as well as her passion for serving and supporting people no matter the circumstances.
She is certified through Childbirth Professionals International (CPI), and is always searching for opportunities to further her education in the birth field.
Each family’s journey is different, and deserves to be honored. As a doula, Emily provides physical and emotional support to the birthing person during the transformative period of childbirth and postpartum, working alongside the partners to empower and support them as well.
Emily lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, son, and Olde English Bulldogge named Luna. Emily’s spare time is spent with her family, enjoying reading, gardening, and watching movies together.
Haley Vanderpol
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Haley is a birth and postpartum Doula providing care to the Sioux Falls and surrounding areas. She has been a nurse for 18 years and currently working part time in the surgical towers providing preop and recovery care to clients of all age ranges. Haley strives to provide individualized compassionate care to each client, fostering a positive and empowering experience.
With a passion to encourage and serve others, Haley brings that calm, comforting atmosphere during the birth and postpartum journeys where every person feels supported, empowered, and heard. She is certified with childbirth professionals international (CPI).
Haley is married and has 3 children. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, cheering her kids on in their sports, boating or just a great night at home with a fire pit or popcorn and a movie.
Kelsie Thomas
Birth Doula, Placenta Encapsulation, Elderly Cargiving
Kelsie Thomas is the founder and co-owner of Transitions: Doula and Life Services.
After graduating from the University of South Dakota in 2015 with a Bachelor of Health Science, minors in biology and studio art, Kelsie trained to be a birth doula at the Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations at Bastyr University near Seattle, Washington. She is certified through DONA international and Association of Placental Preparation Arts, Childbirth Professional International (CPI) and has additional training through Spinning Babies.
Personal experience as a caregiver and patient, professional experience within a private-practice physical medicine and rehabilitation office, and formal education contributes to Kelsie’s unique and comprehensive understanding of the doula role as it fits within the healthcare team. She brings a wholistic perspective to healthcare navigation and healing, and has a passion for healthcare literacy and patient caregiving.
Kelsie believes in the power and benefits of doula role when navigating major transitions, especially when it comes to natural processes such as life and death within a system of disease care management. To date, she has worked with over 100 birthing families and has over four years of elderly caregiving experience.
Kelsie believes that working to nurture and empower an individual, allows for support and enhancement of the family unit, and cultivation of a community.
Ashlyn Solorzano
Postpartum Doula
Ashlyn is a doula currently specializing in postpartum who works with new parents during the fourth trimester. Always an advocate, Ashlyn’s goals are to work with new parents and prioritize the most important needs for parents and baby. She aims to make the postpartum experience something to cherish forever.
Ashlyn believes that new parents need to be cared for and supported while they heal from birth and start their parenting journeys. She aims to instill confidence and ensure that new parents feel validated.
Ashlyn is a helper and care-taker by nature. She has always worked in healthcare in various capacities; whether caring for the elderly or people with developmental/ physical disabilities to working in sexual health and wellness.
Ashlyn has completed coursework through Childbirth Professional International (CPI) for birth and postpartum work. To further help the families she supports, she is also currently continuing her education in babywearing and sleep training.
Ashlyn lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, 4 kids and Corgi. When she isn’t playing super mom or supporting clients she can usually be found curled up with a book.
Kenya Poppenga
Birth Doula & Photographer
Kenya is a birth doula and birth photographer supporting families in Brandon, Sioux Falls, and other surrounding areas. Incorporating one or both of these services is a treasure to have, and she believes every birth should be supported and photo documented.
Kenya started photography in early 2018. After having her first daughter and capturing every tiny moment, her spark for being behind the camera grew. She felt the need to capture these precious moments for every family. Kenya then dipped her toes into birth photography early 2021. This changed the photography for her completely. This pregnancy, final push, first breath, will all only happen once. She believes a birth is much like a wedding. It only happens once, it deserves to be documented and remembered.
Kenya's love for doula work began after photographing her first birth. Standing behind a camera and seeing birth from a different perspective than her own, really pushed her to become a doula. Birth is such a vulnerable, raw, yet beautiful life experience. Kenya's goal is to educate families, make them feel empowered and confident through the journey that is pregnancy and birth while being that extra hand and extra voice.
Kenya completed doula training through BEST in 2021 and began supporting families through birth later that year.
Kenya lives in Brandon, SD with her 3 young children, fiancé, and 2 fur babies.
When she isn't behind a camera, editing, or supporting families, she enjoys spending time with her own family and making memories.