I live in Rochester with my husband, and I am a mother of a wonderful little girl. I became a certified doula through DONA in August of 2007. I went through training to become a Lamaze Childbirth Educator in June of 2007, and officially became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in December of 2007.  In April of 2008, I trained to become a Certified Lactation Counselor, and have been awarded the designation of a CLC by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice.
Currently, I teach Prenatal Education at a local hospital.  My experiences as a doula include attending more than 20 births, and I specialize in helping mothers with traumatic or disappointing birth experiences that require extra support and understanding, but I love to help every family through this wonderful journey!

I believe that birth should be viewed as a normal, natural process, and not as a medical emergency.   All too often, birth is approached with fear, not confidence.  I believe that women's bodies were designed to give birth, and can do so with very little help.  While medical interventions can save lives, I do also believe that they can be used unnecessarily, and may result in an outcome the mother does not find satisfying.  When the mother is treated with respect, given a voice in her birth preferences, and educated on the natural birth process and the benefits, risks, and options to every choice she makes, she will feel empowered.  This is a feeling that she can take with her throughout her life.  

As a doula, my goal is to proved care that informs and empowers women from all walks of life.  I want to help each of my clients feel like she and her partner understand the entire birth process.  I want to make sure each mother knows that I am with her to support her 100%.  For this reason, I can work with mothers making a variety of choices, including epidurals and inductions.  No matter what choices are made, I will help each mother through encouragement, reassurance, and physical comfort measures.

As an educator, I hope to provide mothers and dads/partners with the understanding and trust that they need to navigate through this wonderful transition into parenthood.  I will help you find the tools you need to cope with labor and give you the skills to make informed choices whenever new situations arise.  My teachings are all evidence-based, not a method or experience-based.  I seek to help families face their fears with information.  If it's not evidence based, then you're just making something up!