My Birth Beliefs:

Birth is the root of a life, and an opportunity for re-birth for the birthing parent. How birthing people are treated in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum informs how they are able to show up for the task of parenting. How a child is parented informs how they show up for the task of being a human in this world. Pregnancy and birth have such far-reaching implications, that if we want to make significant, lasting change in the world, in a way that will have a ripple effect out into so many other aspects of the future, then birth is a mighty fine place to start, and it is where I have chosen to focus my efforts.

I started hearing the call to doula work when I was pregnant with my son, Kahlo. I treated that pregnancy like I was getting a PHD in birth and babies - insatiably devouring all the information, literature, podcasts, and evidence-based research possible. Being self employed granted me the privilege to allot ridiculous hours to research and study on the topics of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I didn’t know it while it was happening, but essentially what I was doing was getting to the root, and then getting to that roots’ root, and so on - getting to the root of how we got here: the US having one of the highest maternal death rates of any developed nation (and rising, not lowering,) Black birthing people dying at 5x the rate of white birthing people in child birth, informed consent being a luxury not a given in obstetrics, to name a few topics of my insatiable research. Yes, I wanted to know how we got here, what’s the root of it all, but more importantly I wanted to learn what to do about it - at first just so I could improve my own experiences, and now so I can improve others’ experiences.

My Approach to Doula Work:

In 2018, I decided to stop being an “unofficial doula” for just my friends, and began my formal education as a doula - a companion who provides emotional, physical, and educational support for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people. The role of “doula” is a non-medical role (I.e. a doula does not replace a midwife or an OB.) I sought out the Mama Glow program for my doula education because their uniquely curated immersion courses offered the most valuable techniques in holding space for, comforting, and advocating for people going through this transition, and because their reproductive justice approach to this work aligned with my values and how I personally choose to show up in doula work.

In this sacred work, I have found where my passion and purpose intersect. So it feels easeful and natural to me to continue to expand upon my tangible skills in a life-long continued education to be able to most effectively fill this role for birthing folx in my community.

I am trained in:

• birth and postpartum doula support through Mama Glow

• the bodily and hormonal requirements required to facilitate physiologic birth

• neonatal resuscitation

• acupressure + essential oils as pain relief as well as other natural pain relief methods during labor

• kegal and reverse-kegal exercises for optimal labor toning and for healing diastasis recti

• optimal prenatal and postpartum nutrition

• noticing and navigating medical racism and advocating for my clients

• trained through Ancient Song in centering reproductive justice and generational hope in my doula work

• and I am perpetually in the process of adding to this list and expanding upon my knowledge, within those modalities so that way I may show up as a safe care provider for BIPOC birthing folks.

One of the first things many pregnant or non-pregnant people tell me about birth is that they are afraid of birth. TV and movies as well as the medical industrial complex have done a thorough job of convincing us that we can’t do it, that birth will be the worst thing imaginable - but it truly needn’t be. Birth can be an opportunity for empowerment and healing. Birth can be an opportunity for transcendent euphoria. Birth can absolutely be immensely strenuous and difficult, but there are always breaks and it doesn’t last forever. Birth can (and should) be respectful and gentle even when an emergency arises.

I believe in birth, not as an accident waiting to happen, but as an opportunity for culture-shifting change. I believe in pregnancy as an opportunity for us to heal our relationships with our bodies. I believe in birth as an opportunity to prioritize the birthing person, and their physical and mental well being to, in turn, prioritize the physical and mental well-being of the generations we are raising. I believe in birth as an opportunity to prioritize your babe’s first experiences in this world so that there is less generational trauma for them to unpack and unlearn in their adulthood. I believe in trauma-informed care. I believe in bodily autonomy for both you and your baby. I believe in advocating for informed consent. I believe in evidence-based birth practices. I believe that in most cases, the capabilities innate in our bodies are enough to birth the babies we grow, and I believe in fiercely protecting that innate power, and supporting and uplifting all paths to parenthood no matter how your story ends up unfolding. I also don’t believe in gatekeeping any of this information or making it inaccessible - that’s why you’ll notice this whole page is peppered with links to resources where you can continue your own research if you wish.

Pricing + Offerings

I am a full spectrum doula which means that I support people during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, pregnancy loss, and termination. When you hire me, you can choose to hire me for one, or any combination of these services depending on what transition you’re navigating at the time. Curious about what care and support looks like from me for each of these life transitions? Just ask!

I offer sliding scale pricing for doula services based on what you can afford - no pregnant person will ever be turned away from my services for cost barriers. I am also open to trade-based agreements if monetary payment is inaccessible to you. If you’re curious about what sliding scale means or how to determine your rate, please feel free to get in touch!

Do you think my approach might be the right fit for you? Let’s talk more about how I can support you in this transformative journey you’re embarking on.