Becoming a Birthkeeper
To say my transition into motherhood was challenging is an understatement. I had to uproot everything I knew and try to completely shift every aspect of my life, which included becoming a single mother. I began to step up to each new challenge life gave me during pregnancy with an open mind and a new perspective of life altogether. This swirling energy within me gave me a whole new reason to strive to become my best self - and this has continued to be true thirteen years later.
I quickly began to take in every bit of info I could about my choices; from birth location to relaxation tools to newborn vaccinations. I was overwhelmed but also entirely entranced in this new reality. Looking back I would say finding a provider I could connect with was the key to both of my healthy and positive birth experiences. Much of my postpartum experience is a blur. I had some support from my own mother and grandmother but I realized that there was some wisdom that I desperately was searching for that was lost throughout the generations. It wasn't their fault but the result of cultural practices. I learned as I went along. From breastfeeding a premature baby to navigating how to return to work on top of how to maintain my own nutritional needs, I felt a disconnect from my own identity.
I wish I could say there was a quick resolution to all of this but it has been an ongoing process in my life. This experience was what made me decide I needed to support others as they navigated this unexplored territory of their life. After undergoing extensive trainings and having years of experience in the realm of birth and postpartum support I have a firm belief that how a family is held and cared for during pregnancy, birth and postpartum has a direct and lasting effect on the parents they become and the ease that is felt during this beautiful, raw and powerful time.
When I am not supporting families, I enjoy hiking and primitive camping with my own family. I play guitar and sing as well as enjoy an extensive variety of genres including classic rock, blues and bluegrass. I photograph a lot including my garden and my hens. I appreciate making medicine from herbs mostly in tea form and trying my hand at cooking anything from scratch, though I am a better baker. Parenting my three children has been the single most rewarding and challenging experience I have gone through and I am so grateful for each new lesson I receive from being their mama.
Being a Birthkeeper
I come into each family space with a wealth of wisdom that has been imparted on me throughout the years by other birth workers including fellow seasoned Doulas, Midwives, Lactation Consultants, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Therapists, Herbalists, Nutritionist and Social Workers that support directly in the perinatal timeframe. I have worked and workshopped side by side with these professionals (and more) to receive a well rounded knowledge base.
I have trained through several agencies including DONA, Lamaze, Cornerstone, The Birth Coach Method as well as Lactation Specialist training and am Level 1 Reiki attuned. I have a Bachelor's in Psychology from Sonoma State, where I minored in Women and Gender Studies. I am currently working on my Master's in Counseling in a Community Mental Health Program at California Institute of Integral Studies in order to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist to support more deeply in the perinatal timeframe. I continuously tend to myself through my own routines and rituals of care as well as through the community support I continue to build. I have taken in countless educational workshops, courses and literature that discusses how the Western individualistic society lacks adequate care for healing and supportive structural measures for the tender time around birth as well as how intersections of marginalization compound the maternal health crisis that our nation currently faces.
More than the sum of all of these countless hours of education both in the field and in the classroom, the time I have spent with each family, each baby, each parent - has painted me with tears, laughter, challenges and ways through that culminate in my ability to uniquely show up to each family, open, authentic and ready to gently guide in the direction that is as unique as each person I care for. I am a mother and peer first, because I believe in the relational aspect of having support human to human is healing in of itself; and professional second because we all need some guidance sometimes despite the amount of books and birth videos we watch, nothing can truly prepare any of us for the beautiful chaos that is bringing a child earthside.
I am here to hold it all and a strong believer in there is room for all the feelings, the good, the bad and the ugly. There is a narrative around having a baby that it's supposed to be the most magical experience in life, however, this is an example of expectation versus reality. It can absolutely be magical and I hope to allow you space to tune into those transcendental moments AND it can absolutely be the most nerve wracking, gut wrenching, frustrating experience at times, that really pushes us to our edges without a map on how to get back to feeling more like ourselves again. The truth is, you are not just creating a new life in birthing a baby, you are creating a new life for yourself as well.. and you deserve support because that is hard, soul level work.
I see you in this and I am here to walk beside you and take a little weight of your shoulders - to lean on, to cry to, to talk through your challenges and relish in your successes. I am here to also to weigh in on any suggestions you might be desiring but I believe in your ability to know what is best ultimately. More than anything I am here to allow you to breathe and enjoy a moment of solace, grace and comfort so you may regain some confidence and bandwidth for whatever comes next. It is a journey truly and one that no one should walk alone.
***All of this said, if you are having financial challenges I am a strong believer in everyone being able to access support and perinatal support should not be a commodity. So if this is your situation, let's talk. I offer payment plans, trades and sliding scale on all my services.