Get to Know Me

My name is Jennifer Vermeer. I live and work in Sterling, Nebraska, which is about 30 miles southeast of Lincoln. I am an independent insurance agent. I have a wonderfully supportive husband named Philip. We have five children altogether in our house. I am the Cubmaster for our local Cub Scout pack. I'm active in the Booster Club for our school, and I am a board member of the Community Association.

I graduated from Southeast Community College in 2010 with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Office Professional. The degree is a complement to the office work I currently do, and it also helps in the birth-related business I am creating. I attended Northeast Community College and received a certificate in Insurance Services in May 2011. I firmly believe in the value of continuing education.

I completed my DONA (Doulas of North America) training in February 2009 and became an official certified doula in October 2010. I am a member of both the DONA International and CAPPA organizations, which are two respected national organizations who sole purpose is to train women in the art of supporting other women in all phases of their pregnancy. I am also a member of Lamaze International. I have taken the Passion for Birth childbirth educator seminar. I sat for Lamaze Certification Exam in October 2010 and received my passing results in December 2010 to become an official Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. I would eventually like to pursue a Certified Lactation Educator certification and Teen Educator certification through CAPPA. I remain active in learning by attending workshops and webinars when I can. I also stay as updated as possible on current research.

I became interested in all things birth-related after the birth of my second child. I chose to breastfeed her, as I hadn't with my son; and it has made a world of difference. Since her birth, I've come to realize that neither her birth nor my son's had to be the way they were. I felt like I didn't have any choices either time. I have since come to peace with both of my birth experiences by realizing I did the best I could with the information I had, but I don't want another woman to feel that way about her birth. My goal is to give a mother the confidence to birth her baby the way she feels is best; to give her knowledge; to let her know she has options; to be her cheerleader and her supporter.   

At this point in time, I feel that limiting my doula services to one to four births in a year is the best for myself and my family. I also want to focus more on offering childbirth education classes. Reaching women and their partners before they get to labor and delivery is crucial to changing our maternity system.