Unique ideas make Sintija Dutka a successful entrepreneur

Sintija Dutka, a professional doula (trained birth and post-partum companion), who provides support services to families during the life-changing time of having a baby, a childbirth educator, a Dancing for Birth instructor and body emotion therapist (tunnevyöhyketerapia) and a post-partum doula in training has been serving the people of Rovaniemi for the last seven years.

Dutka arrived in Rovaniemi from Latvia in 2003 to study International Project Management at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences (then RAMK – Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences).

After the completion of her studies, she took a job at the University of Lapland as a project coordinator for three years and did her Masters studies (MSc in International Development and Cooperation) at the University of Jyväskylä.

“I have worked in the fields of hospitality and tourism, project management, international cooperation, immigrant integration, and anticipation dialogue before and during my own work as an antenatal and birth professional,” Dutka told the Daily Finland.

Sharing her experiences and describing the details about her initiatives to become a successful entrepreneur with the extra, she said, “It was late 2013 when I registered as a light entrepreneur and started to use Ukko.fi to charge for my services. It was the time when my second child turned three and I slowly had more and more time to implement my own ideas and realise my dreams. By then I was a Dancing for Birth instructor, a voluntary doula in Lapin ensi- ja turvakoti and started a professional doula training in Doulakka. I started to provide Dancing for Birth classes and other childbirth education courses for pregnant women and couples expecting a baby.”

Since then she kept the light business ongoing and combined it with family and other daily work periodically.

She is also a facilitator of anticipation dialogues.

“I provide pregnancy and birth support services for pregnant women and couples, childbirth education courses in groups as well as courses tailored for individuals and couples,” said Sintija, adding that she provides body emotion therapy for clients of all ages, baby massage, childbirth stimulating procedure, Rebozo massage, mother blessings and the like.

She also rents TENS machine, birth balls, Rebozo shawl and other birth-related equipment.

Expressing her optimism to take several other programmes in future, the Latvian entrepreneur said client satisfaction with her services and experiences is what has turned her into a successful service provider.

“Cooperation with other professionals in the field, such as midwives, doctors, and other maternity service providers is very crucial as well,” She added.

“After all I am the one to prioritise things and measure the success, set demands for success of my own business. It is important to rely on the process, evaluate it and learn,” she observed.

Describing her experience of setting up a business in Rovaniemi, she said she found the people whom she reached interesting. “I heard a lot of personal opinions and experiences of childbirth. It tells me how emotional and long-lasting effects a child-birth have on one’s life.”

Doula is still a rather odd profession, especially in the north of Finland. “I have to do a lot of awareness-raising work to tell people about my work, the benefits of having a doula during childbirth, the meaning and effects of childbirth preparation and post-partum support. It takes a lot of energy and time,” she said.

She appreciated the opportunity and freedom to combine the work and family life; which made her able to plan her own time; prioritizing the tasks.

Light entrepreneurship form has been a fit for me. I am working through Omapaja and planning to open my own company later on, when my body emotion therapy studies at the Kairon Institute is completed.

Terming networking in Rovaniemi as crucial, Doula said it opens up many doors.

She has a family with three kids and her husband Arturs Dutka, who works as a beer master at Lapland Brewery.