My Story
I have been a full-time birth doula for over ten years. Over eighteen years ago, I became a stay at home mom of two daughters, dogs, cats, a small flock of backyard chickens, & gardens. Both of our girls were born at the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center in Chapel Hill, NC with much of each labor spent at our home, nestled in the woods. I was surrounded by supportive, nurturing family and friend(s) for each birth and feel blessed to have had such powerful, beautiful experiences.
Though both births were extraordinary rite of passages in their own way, I have always wished that we had hired a Doula for the birth of our first child. I had done so much reading, researching, attending of birth classes, and was going to be working with midwives & have my husband, mother, sister, & friend there, so I assumed that I didn’t “need” a Doula. I now believe that my experience could have been enhanced (shorter, less exhausting, shortened pushing time) by hiring a Doula, someone who KNEW birth & its stages & had lots of tricks up her sleeve to get things moving! I had a Doula with me for the birth of my second daughter & have always been grateful for her presence, knowledge, & support- both physical & emotional.
My Training
In December 2013, I trained to be a Birth Doula through DONA International. I feel a profound calling to work with women/ birthing people & their partners, to create a dialogue leading to informed, thoughtful choices in their childbirth experience. I wish to support you in exploring your unique path on your journey into parenthood. We will use evidence based information to explore your childbirth options, & create your birth preferences/plan before labor begins so you feel empowered during the labor process.
I have attended many births in various settings in the NC Triangle:
- UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill
- Duke Regional
- Duke University Hospital
- WakeMed Cary
- WakeMed Raleigh
- WakeMed North
- UNC Rex in Raleigh
- Chatham Hospital UNC, Siler City
- Central Carolina Community Hospital, Sanford
- Moses Cone Hospital
- UNC Rex in Holly Springs
- Women’s Birth & Wellness Center (now closed)
- Baby+Co (now closed)
- I look forward to attending births at the two new freestanding birth centers in Cary (Haven) and Chapel Hill (NC Birth Center, coming soon!)
- Midwife-Attended Homebirth
I have experience working with people who have given birth:
- Without medicine
- Using Nitrous Oxide, IV pain meds, and Epidural pain relief
- With Pitocin and Cytotec for augmentation, & induction
- By Cesarean Section (planned, emergent, and emergency)
- To twins vaginally, & via planned cesarean
- In a Birth Tub (water birth)
- As a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
- Using a TENS Unit for pain management
- While being treated for preeclampsia, hypertension, gestational diabetes, low platelets, & other health challenges
- Precipitously (extremely rapid labor)
I have attended many professional trainings to continue my education in the art of birth doula work, and to enhance my techniques:
- DONA International Birth Doula Training
- B.E.S.T. Birth (Birth Emergency Skills Training)
- Prenatal Yoga Certification
- Rebozo scarf techniques
- Spinning Babies techniques
- When Survivors Give Birth (this link gives the idea of what we covered in the training)
- Evidence Based Birth online study course (currently studying- not yet completed). My clients have access to the published articles!
- TENS Unit training, & have units for rent
- Bridge to Breastfeeding to help prepare you for feeding your newborn(s)
- Bengkung Belly Binding
Next Steps…
Please check out my Availability Calendar to see if I’m available during your birth window. Or contact me to set up a Meet & Greet