About Me

My Professional Journey:
I began my professional journey as a massage therapist. In 2003 I graduated from Ashmead College in Fife, Washington. Soon after graduation, a client asked If I would attend her birth to give her support with massage. It was an amazing experience! To witness the strength of the mother, to witness the miracle of birth, to be in the room when a new life took it's first breath.. it left me in awe and wonder and filled with joy. From that moment on, I knew that birthwork was my calling. While in Washington, I attended the births of massage clients and friends and took classes in infant and prenatal massage. My family and I moved to Arizona in the spring of 2004. Soon after moving there, I found the Arizona Birth Network and through this network, I met my mentor and friend, Stephanie Soderblom. She is an amazing midwife and founder of Nurturing Hearts Birth Services (NHBS). I decided to pursue professional certification through Nurturing Hearts. I began by becoming a Certified Childbirth Educator and soon after, I certified as a Doula. While in Arizona I was also on the board of the Arizona Birth Network and was active in the birth community. Shortly after our third child was born (An at home VBAC) we moved back to Washington to be closer to family. Sence moving back, I have founded the Washington Birth Network,and am taking baby steps twords becoming a midwife.

My Philosophy of Birthing:
As a Childbirth Professional and Birth Advocate, my job is to present information based on reliable and scientific evidence, and your job is to carefully weigh the information and make choices that are best for you, your baby and your family.� I firmly believe in the strength and power of a laboring mom to give birth to her baby without drugs or interference, and yet I respect the unique situation, desires, and beliefs of each mom I meet.�

Every woman deserves to be treated with the utmost respect. A woman's birth choices are very personal. What works for one woman may not work for every woman. My job is to support you, support your right to birth as you wish, and offer informationso that you can make decisions that are right for you.

Health Care Providers work for you. Wether you hire a Doctor, a Midwife, or a dozen Doulas, the birth professionals in your life should consider themselves your employees, not your bosses. You are paying them for their expertise, and for their guidence and support. Ultimately all health care decisions are in your hands. Good Doctors. Midwives, Doulas,& Nurses should be supportive of the fact that you take an active role in making decisions. If your’s isn’t, then fire them and find one who is. It will make all the difference.

The key to a better birth is EDUCATION. During labor and birth, what you don't know can indeed hurt you. I have seen too many women regret their birthing decisions because they simply were not informed. Unfortunately we live in a society of lawsuits and malpractice insurance. Many standard hospital policies are in place to minimize financial risk, not give personalized care to unique individuals. You must approach birth as a consumer of health care services. The internet is a powerful tool, and can be a used to research the risks and benefits of common interventions and procedures. Don’t be afraid to make your own decisions and then stand up for them.

Birth is beautiful and moms are strong! Our society is inundated with images of birth that are not based in reality! TV sitcoms often portray Labor as an extended torture session that leaves a woman begging for help from those around her. Even the “reality” shows about birth often portray it as dangerous and scary. (Drama pulls viewers in!) In this society, we rarely see a situation where unmedicated birth is celebrated as normal. This makes me sad and angry. I think that birth is a beautiful thing, and that moms are strong. When we believe in the power of a woman to give birth instinctively, and without interventions, we send the message that she is strong and capable, and this can positively effect the way she sees herself as a woman and as a mother.

Birth is Safe. Women have been doing this for a very long time. I believe that our bodies were designed perfectly for birth. Although there are medical exceptions, and every woman has the right to make birth choices that are right for her, I believe that most women are capable of birthing their babies without medical interventions or major surgery. The studies have shown that the more interventions that are in place, the more likely you are to develop complications. It’s a snowball effect that has led us to a National Cesarean Rate of just over 32.9%. This is simply not acceptable. When given the proper education, support, and encouragement, the act of giving birth is not only safe, but an amazing and life changing positive experience.

So that's me in a nutshell. If you are looking for a doula and would like to arrange an interview, please give me a call at 253 988-3390 or send me an Email. I look forward to hearing from you!