Meet Jenn
Jenn is currently employed full time at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines where she is the Manager of Childbirth Education and Doula Services. She has over 8 years of experience where she has been a Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula for hundreds of families, has taught thousands of expecting parents as a Childbirth Educator, and has provided both Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator Certification Workshop Trainings ffor more than 100 women! She is the owner of Doula What You Love Doula Services Agency.
Jenn Halligan, M.A. Ed, IAT, ICBD, ICCE
Owner, Doula What You Love
CREDENTIALS &
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
Jenn is a mother of four children, one girl and three boys! Maggie (16), Colton (14), Max (13), and Carter (11). She and Eric, who is a Basement Foundation Specialist at BAM Basements in Ankeny, live in Indianola. She is passionate about helping families have the best birthing experience possible by educating them on their several choices. Jenn spends her free time volunteering at church in the nursery and with the local Elks Lodge fundraising and giving back to the community.
She also volunteers on the Count the Kicks Medical Advisory Board. The rest of her days are spent as a chauffeur taking kids to and from all their activities and she wouldn't trade it for the world! If she's not in a birth, you will most likely see her supporting her children at football, baseball, or basketball games/tournaments, jazz band competitions, school plays and musicals, band and vocal concerts, Cub Scouts meetings and events, swimming lessons, and anything you can think of!
* Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Health Education and Coaching from Iowa State University
* Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies/Administration from the University of Iowa
* Certified Professional Childbirth Educator through ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association)
* Certified Professional Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula through ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association)
* Maternal Child Health Specialist
* Count the Kicks Medical Advisory Board
* ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association) Board of Directors – Director of Education and Director of Conferences
* ICEA IAT (International Approved Trainer: training individuals interested in becoming birth doulas and certified childbirth educators)
* Outpatient Breastfeeding Champion Certification
* Manager of Childbirth Education and Doula Services at MercyOne Medical Center Des Moines.
* Infant, Child, and Adult CPR Certified through American Red Cross
* Certified Instructor for Infant, Child, and Adult CPR through American Red Cross
THE PASSION
Jenn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Health Education and Coaching from Iowa State University; Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies/Administration from the University of Iowa. While teaching Family and Consumer Sciences Education, she began teaching prenatal classes at MercyOne for fun part-time in the evenings. At the conclusion of one of those courses, a family asked Jenn if she would be their doula. She then decided to pursue doula certification and training and started her private practice doula business 6 years ago (Doula Services with Jenn Halligan), which is now "Doula What You Love." Her personal and professional philosophy has always been to "love the life you live, live the life you love" and as a doula, she carries on this passion to #doulawhatyoulove! She couldn't imagine being a childbirth educator without being a doula!
“Love the life you live.
Live the life you love.”
― Bob Marley
