|
First and foremost, I am a wife to my husband, Ron. We have been married 19 years, and we have 6 children.
For as long as I can remember, I have been in awe over the miracle of birth. I was always interested in anything medical, but I knew early on that if I was going to "be" something when I grew up, it was going to involve babies or birth. At first I wanted to become a doctor, than I decided to become a nurse. My goal was to work in labor and delivery or perhaps in a neonatal intensive care unit.
In 1991, a year after my high school graduation, I became a Certified Nurses Assistant. I spent the next 5 years working with the elderly in nursing homes, retirement centers, and with in home health and hospice. In 1994, I enrolled in the nursing program at my local college to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN- or in some parts of the country, LVN). 9 months before my graduation, I became pregnant and needed to quit school. (I was at high risk for preterm labor, and with those symptoms already starting to show again, we knew that I would not carry to term with the long hours of school and clinical work ahead). I became a happy stay at home, and that is still my JOB.
In 1998, while walking in the mall, I discovered the word “doula”. Two women were handing out flyers for a doula training. I knew in an instant, that a doula, I would be. I had actually been a doula more than once, before I knew what they were! It wouldn’t be until about 4 years later that I would actually start learning, and attending births as an uncertified doula.
For the past nine years, I studied pregnancy and childbirth - learning far more than any trained doula is expected to learn. I had actually dabbled with the idea of being a midwife, so I’ve read several books geared towards midwifery. However, there is just too much responsibility that comes with the title of a midwife. Besides that, it’s hard to be a full time stay at home mom, with a job of that nature. Being a Doula and a Childbirth Educator is the perfect fit for me.
In 2007, I became an ALACE trained Labor Assistant/Birth Doula - now known as toLabor, The Organization of Labor Assistants for Birth Options and Resources.
I am a Certified Doula with Childbirth International. I hold a diploma as a certified childbirth educator through Childbirth International. I LOVE teaching childbirth classes! As of November 16th, I am a Certified Happiest Baby educator, and would love to help you learn how to calm your fussy baby in minutes or less! I have plans for furthering my education within the next year. My next goal is to certify as a Breastfeeding Counselor (in training as of Feb, 2010).
I have had the privilege of attending several births both home and hospital, vaginal and cesarean. I have given my support via the internet and phone to countless pregnant women. I have walked them through their pregnancy, talked with them over the phone, or internet during the early stages of labor, and they have shared their birth stories with me. I have learned so much over the past few years, and I am confident in my abilities to educate women, as well as provide them with compassionate care.
I have experience in pre-term labor and bedrest, as I have gone through it six times myself, and have family members who have also gone through it. Therefore, I can provide valuable emotional support during this difficult time. I can also help you to understand why it is important to follow these orders if you need extra help understanding what is happening to your body.
I believe every women who wants or needs a doula should have one. I will also offer discounted or sliding fees to those who need them. I offer volunteer services for those who really want or need a doula, but clearly do not have the means to pay.
Please see “my services” page for more details.
|
