Miranchuk writes that three friends took turns on duty during her home birth and that Soula raised $750K in funding.
On September 9, 2024, Newsweek published a first-person essay by Natallia Miranchuk, founder of Soula: "I Became a Single Mom While Pregnant. I Learned One Crucial Lesson". She describes Soula as a virtual doula. Newsweek notes that all views in the essay are the author's own.
Doctors Told Her at 16 She Had a Slim Chance of Getting Pregnant
Natallia writes that doctors told her at 16 she had a very slim chance of getting pregnant on her own. Years later, she became pregnant naturally, without hormonal treatments, IVF, or other medical interventions. She then left her husband around the time the couple learned about the pregnancy.
"I became a single mom even before our child was born because I decided to leave my husband around the time when we found out about the pregnancy."
Friends Who Were Already Mothers Gave Advice and Stood By Her
Natallia describes late pregnancy as one of the scariest times and says she felt extreme loneliness. She reached out to friends who were already mothers. They gave advice, helped her prepare food, and were there for her. Three of them took turns on duty during her home birth.
"Most importantly, they taught me how important it is to ask for help."
Three months after the birth, she went back to newborn photography to support her baby and herself, and began doing for other mothers what her friends had done for her. She talked with them about labour and emotional state and connected them with breastfeeding consultants, sleep specialists, and family coaches.
Her Figures on Loneliness and Burnout Carry No Source
The essay states that 82 percent of pregnant women and new mothers experience loneliness and that 49 percent of mothers feel burned out by motherhood. It names no source for either figure. It cites the World Health Organization for a third figure: one in five women will experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or within a year after giving birth.
She Calls Soula a Virtual Doula Backed by $750K in Funding
In the essay, Natallia writes that she is now a mother of two and the founder of Soula, which she says raised $750K in funding and was backed by Natalia Vodianova among other investors. She names Andrei Kulik, an ex-senior software engineer at Google, as Soula's CTO.
She describes the product as a virtual doula that aims to help women worldwide go through the most critical and vulnerable stage of their lives with more confidence, joy, and fulfilment, offering advice and recommendations 24/7, regardless of location.
"It's like a Big Mama for every woman."
She Closes the Essay With a Line About Finding Purpose
Natallia closes the essay with this reflection:
"So, my story is more than just about giving birth. It's about finding a true purpose."
About Soula
Soula is a virtual doula that aims to help women move through pregnancy with more confidence, joy, and fulfilment, according to its founder, Natallia Miranchuk, in Newsweek.
Media contact: n.miranchuk@soula.care · soula.care
Sources
- Natallia Miranchuk, I Became a Single Mom While Pregnant. I Learned One Crucial Lesson, Newsweek, September 9, 2024.