The first birth I witnessed was an "aha" moment. I knew from that summer day in 1999 that I was called to this work. So I dove in.

Over a 3-year period, I completed certifications as a Childbirth Educator, Perinatal Fitness Educator, and Birth Doula. It wasn't until a few years into my career as a birth professional that I realized how very much I enjoyed being present at births, above and beyond teaching classes.

Being a Birth Doula provides me the opportunity to marry my passions together: I spend hours with each client prenatally, customizing childbirth education to meet their needs; then I am by their side through their labor, helping them implement all that they've learned and being blessed by the privilege of seeing the birth of their precious little one. It's a miracle every time!

Now I'm expanding my reach, sharing what I've learned with other birth professionals through Continuing Education workshops. 

Why am I a Birth Professional?

My personal background offered no inspiration or preparation for being involved in birth work. I was the baby of my family and I was not around pregnant women, birth, babies or such throughout my childhood that I can recall. Certainly, there was not enough exposure to make an impression on me.

I was introduced to the natural birth world in my mid-20's when I was dating a guy whose friends all had home births.  He thought it was the coolest thing ever and I had never thought about it AT ALL. That sent me searching.  I went to a bookstore and found some basics: The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, A Good Birth, A Safe Birth by Diana Korte & Roberta Scaer, Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin.

The more I learned, the more I listened to friends' birth stories and realized there needed to be education to make a change.  I was sure they could have better birth experiences if they simply knew what their options were. Initially, I loaned out my books and directed them to natural birth stories online. Even this small effort paid off in positive changes for these women in their next births. I asked myself, "If I can help this much with only sharing a few books and birth stories, what could I accomplish if I was teaching a class?"

After sorting through all of my options, including midwifery, I concluded that education was my passion above all else. I became a certified childbirth educator first of all, then a birth doula and a certified perinatal fitness educator as well. In practice, though, I enjoy birth doula work the most. It allows me the opportunity to provide a more personalized education experience along with helping my clients apply that information in context during their pregnancy and birth.