About eight years ago, I got pregnant for the first time. I did tons of research. I looked into birthing centers, doulas, general information about pregnancy, labor and delivery. Sadly, my pregnancy ended at 8 weeks. I got pregnant again, but was devastated by a miscarriage at 14 weeks. My husband and I decided to start the adoption process and keep trying to have a baby. I kept reading as much as I could about pregnancy and fertility. A thought struck me: maybe I should be a doula. Shortly after this thought in 2008, we adopted our first son. Now that I was a new mom, being a doula was out of the question. I got pregnant three more times over the course of three years and all ended in miscarriage. Gratefully, we adopted another boy in 2011. At this point many of my friends were having their first babies and I had so much knowledge of pregnancy and labor that they started coming to me for information. Eventually one friend encouraged me to do something with that information to help other women. This reignited something inside of me-- my desire to be a doula. This was my opportunity to help bring life into this world. Being a doula is not only life giving for the mom, but also for me—the doula!
I completed the DONA birth doula workshop in April of 2012. I also realized the importance of helping women after they had their babies. Making the transition from woman to mom can be hard and require support from an understanding, non-judgmental person. So I decided to attend the DONA postpartum doula workshop in June 2012. I am both a certified birth and postpartum doula. There was a third component that I felt was vital to supporting mothers, and that was understanding breastfeeding support. In March 2013, I attended the Healthy Children Project's Certified Lactation Counselor program.
I have attended over 50 births (hospital/birth center/home birth), during which I have supported women in over 500 hours of labor. You can read about some of their births on the "Experiences" tab. I have also supported over 10 families with postpartum care, including a family with twins. I teach breastfeeding and infant care classes and am a Certified Lactation Counselor.
My desire is to provide the best loving care, I can. It has been a shear pleasure to meet and serve mothers, fathers, and babies. I love being a "woman servant".
In addition to caring for moms locally, I desire to care for mothers across the globe. Through the Fistula Foundation, I am able to help women across the world find hope and healing. A portion of my fees go to this great organization. Would you consider giving a donation today and helping another mother?
Thanks to my friends and family for their support on this epic journey!
(My husband and two boys)
(My two friends graciously allowed me to attend the births of their sons. These were the first two babies I have ever seen born. It was such an honor and I will never forget that gift!)
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