Meet Brooke Burns

she/her

photographer and birth support professional (doula), offering support with preconception, fertility, pregnancy, birth, and parenthood

I started working with families in 2012 as a Children’s Advocate and Family Strengthening Program Facilitator at a shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. One of the many things I took away from that work, was that this word “family” means something so, so different to each and every one of us. I immediately became entangled in the work of supporting the full spectrum of family life, and how that shapes who we are as grown-ups, eventually trying to raise our own tiny humans the best we can. After receiving my M.Ed. in Family Education, I started facilitating parenting education classes and workshops through various school districts’ Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programs. Oh, but then I took a doula training in 2015, and it just made so much sense to join families where it all begins.

Since then, I have been working alongside families as a DONA Certified Birth Doula and professional Birth Photographer in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas. Over that same span of time, I have had the gift of leading weekly prenatal yoga classes with Blooma, providing home-visiting support to new families through HUG, and volunteering with organizations like The Childbirth Collective. I’m a certified Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor, and have offered additional postpartum doula support that is rooted in my teachings from Postpartum Healing Lodge. For me, this word “family” not only applies to those I’ve shared a roof with, but also the abundant community that I’ve been able to learn from over the last decade or so.

As for the family I do share a roof with here in St. Louis Park, my husband, Joe, and I welcomed our first little one in December of 2022 and have been loving all the newness of parenthood! We try to travel as much as we can, and enjoy camping and biking when we find a bit of free time. Rooting from the very tip-top of Wisconsin, I’m a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, or Anishinaabe. I come from a family of divorce, addiction, incarceration, loss, love, and humility. I’m an enneagram 2 wing 3: full of compassion, I thrive on connection and caring for others, perhaps overly organized, and a recovering perfectionist.

I support folks through the lens of a straight, cis, Scandi and Anishinaabekwe midwesterner. It’s every bit important for me to acknowledge the narratives and privileges that come with being me in order to better serve the families and communities I support in my work. Like each one of my incredible co-founders, I’m fully committed to a lifetime of learning and growth to ensure that my support is LGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma-informed, and rooted in anti-racism.

In my role as a doula, I like to talk about the tough stuff and I’m a really good listener. I like to think I have a good sense of humor and use it often to lighten the heavy load of being a human in the world today. I tend to be more of a quiet and reassuring presence in the birth space, reading the room and anticipating everyone’s needs. And along with the emotional and informational support I provide, I often apply what I’ve learned from Gilligan’s Guide, Body Ready Method, Spinning Babies, and various other trainings in optimal fetal positioning to help guide my clients toward a smooth birth experience that aligns with their hopes and priorities for care.