YOUR DOULA
HERSTORY
I was 16 when I witnessed my first birth. I went to school passionate about becoming a Midwife, & became a BSN, RN. I began working as a Mother Baby Nurse and Nursery Nurse in two hospitals. I then became the Clinical Coordinator in a busy Women's Health practice that was a blend of OBGYN's and Midwives. After my daughter was born, I returned to my calling choosing to attend births as a Doula. I wanted to have more time building relationships with women and be with them birthing in various settings, particularly out of hospital birthing. I trained with DONA (Doulas of North America) as a Birth Doula, and later went back to school to become a Yoga Teacher and Prenatal Yoga teacher. After that, I began integrating Yoga, Ayurveda (the "science of life"), & Wise Women's herbalism into my practice. It was very important to me to weave together many aspects of care so that I could provide an overall holistic approach to Women's Health. I've served alongside some incredible midwives in both homebirth and birth center settings in a state that really seems bent on keeping women from the gold standard of being "with women" from womb to tomb. This has been the role of midwives forever, caring for low-risk healthy women, and I believe all women deserve the kind of care they provide with overall better outcomes. I thought I was going to end up as one, but I've decided to become a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner instead so I could focus more on the primary care of women. Let's face it, "baby catching" is a 24/7 thing and my life has shifted into a different balance these days. I'm no longer attending doula births right now since becoming a single mother, except for repeat clients. Mainly because I haven't been able to be able to be on call the same way. I'm always happy to refer you to other amazing doulas we are fortunate to have in the Triangle area.
"I deeply desire more Love, Patience, Empowerment, and Compassion to enfold women during their births and lives" During each birth, appointment, or time spent with women, regardless of the environment.. my primary purpose is holding a Space of Love. This means being present in the moment with you, listening to you, and caring about you.
I have many different tools to use, but my heart and hands have always remained my two wings, without which I couldn't soar in supporting you!
MY TWO BABES
The births of my two children were empowering, ecstatic, and awesome! I truly believe they can be for all women. They unfolded with Love, Trust, Surrender, Peace, Empowerment, & Awareness. I trusted they would. Women are incredible. This is simply the way birth IS and can be. I have studied by way of books, teachers, & workshops, and none have replaced direct experience of just "being" with women during their births. I have experience with several childbirth preparation methods- Prenatal Yoga, Bradley, HypnoBirthing, & Birthing from Within. I am still immeasurably grateful for having a Doula during my daughters birth. My son was born six years later; an ecstatic home waterbirth that culminated with me catching him myself!
EXPERIENCE
My experience is led by evidence based practice, balanced with intuition, and spirituality. My professional experience has spanned twenty years, some of which I was home in the trenches of full time stay at home motherhood itself. I have attended births as a Doula, Nurse, Birth assistant, & Mother in many settings - hospital, birth centers, home-births, waterbirths, cesareans, VBAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean), & multiples (many twins & a set of triplets). Many of my earlier experiences took place in my home state of NY.
WHY I DO IT
Birth is the most wild, mysterious, powerful, raw, feminine, incredible, and loving, sacred thing we can experience! I feel blessed to be given this opportunity to serve.
"By birthing softly, babies remain conscious, and remember that they are beings of love, never losing their conscious connection to their higher nature. Each newborn radiating this coherence transforms its family, community, nation and world."- Sunni Karl , Sacred Birthing- Birthing A New Humanity
I was 16 when I witnessed my first birth. I went to school passionate about becoming a Midwife, & became a BSN, RN. I began working as a Mother Baby Nurse and Nursery Nurse in two hospitals. I then became the Clinical Coordinator in a busy Women's Health practice that was a blend of OBGYN's and Midwives. After my daughter was born, I returned to my calling choosing to attend births as a Doula. I wanted to have more time building relationships with women and be with them birthing in various settings, particularly out of hospital birthing. I trained with DONA (Doulas of North America) as a Birth Doula, and later went back to school to become a Yoga Teacher and Prenatal Yoga teacher. After that, I began integrating Yoga, Ayurveda (the "science of life"), & Wise Women's herbalism into my practice. It was very important to me to weave together many aspects of care so that I could provide an overall holistic approach to Women's Health. I've served alongside some incredible midwives in both homebirth and birth center settings in a state that really seems bent on keeping women from the gold standard of being "with women" from womb to tomb. This has been the role of midwives forever, caring for low-risk healthy women, and I believe all women deserve the kind of care they provide with overall better outcomes. I thought I was going to end up as one, but I've decided to become a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner instead so I could focus more on the primary care of women. Let's face it, "baby catching" is a 24/7 thing and my life has shifted into a different balance these days. I'm no longer attending doula births right now since becoming a single mother, except for repeat clients. Mainly because I haven't been able to be able to be on call the same way. I'm always happy to refer you to other amazing doulas we are fortunate to have in the Triangle area.
"I deeply desire more Love, Patience, Empowerment, and Compassion to enfold women during their births and lives" During each birth, appointment, or time spent with women, regardless of the environment.. my primary purpose is holding a Space of Love. This means being present in the moment with you, listening to you, and caring about you.
I have many different tools to use, but my heart and hands have always remained my two wings, without which I couldn't soar in supporting you!
MY TWO BABES
The births of my two children were empowering, ecstatic, and awesome! I truly believe they can be for all women. They unfolded with Love, Trust, Surrender, Peace, Empowerment, & Awareness. I trusted they would. Women are incredible. This is simply the way birth IS and can be. I have studied by way of books, teachers, & workshops, and none have replaced direct experience of just "being" with women during their births. I have experience with several childbirth preparation methods- Prenatal Yoga, Bradley, HypnoBirthing, & Birthing from Within. I am still immeasurably grateful for having a Doula during my daughters birth. My son was born six years later; an ecstatic home waterbirth that culminated with me catching him myself!
EXPERIENCE
My experience is led by evidence based practice, balanced with intuition, and spirituality. My professional experience has spanned twenty years, some of which I was home in the trenches of full time stay at home motherhood itself. I have attended births as a Doula, Nurse, Birth assistant, & Mother in many settings - hospital, birth centers, home-births, waterbirths, cesareans, VBAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean), & multiples (many twins & a set of triplets). Many of my earlier experiences took place in my home state of NY.
WHY I DO IT
Birth is the most wild, mysterious, powerful, raw, feminine, incredible, and loving, sacred thing we can experience! I feel blessed to be given this opportunity to serve.
"By birthing softly, babies remain conscious, and remember that they are beings of love, never losing their conscious connection to their higher nature. Each newborn radiating this coherence transforms its family, community, nation and world."- Sunni Karl , Sacred Birthing- Birthing A New Humanity