My name is Kristin Bryan.  I am first, and above all else, mommy. I have five amazing children that my world revolves around and that is exactly how I have wanted it to be.  One of the key memories people have of me from my childhood is that I always wanted to be a mother.  They are truly a dream come true for me.

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Along with my living children, I am also a bereaved mother of nine losses.  Eight of those were first trimester losses, and my last loss was my beloved daughter Hope Abigail, born still.  I have known from the beginning, long before I ever wanted to, that God was bringing me to a place where I would be walking with other families, companioning them along their own journey.  I just did not know how I was to do that, or when.

 

I have been the photographer of By Him, For Him Photography since 2009.   God began preparing me for a new direction sometime in 2015 when I began feeling like I needed to re-brand my business.  I did not know why or how but I knew it was coming.  After the stillbirth of my daughter in 2016, God began taking me on a new path.  I began my college education again. Along with that, early in 2017, I was led to an organization called Stillbirthday. As I made my way through the final stages of my certification, I finally understood why God was leading me to rebrand my business.  June 19th, 2017 I completed my training and certification process to be a Stillbirthday Birth and Bereavement Doula.  With this addition, I have re-branded to Walking In Hope to include the birth and bereavement additions, along with other family-centered services.  I love photography and hope to incorporate that throughout the various avenues that I work with families.

 

Other Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Mental Health and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

• I am also working on two certifications with Childbirth International: Childbirth Education and Breastfeeding Counselor.    

• HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator Training in January.

• Applying for graduate school for Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling.