Attentive, attuned, and responsive caregiving. As a CAPPA certified labor doula, I nurture and hold space for all that can be realized and felt within every unique birth I facilitate.
Modeling great powers of vulnerability, empathy, and unwavering sensibility, I offer an informed grounding presence for those I serve. Moving at the speed of trust, together we build confidence within the care team, bridging support and healthcare professionals together in harmony. In this role, it is my responsibility and of utmost priority to sustain mindful practices that echo the personal needs and desires of my clients. By supporting their own efforts and intentions, I shine light on what’s possible in any foggy situation they may encounter, “If ever you’re lost, you will be found.” In each other's company, we are safe and we are brave.
A little about me… I have always loved the trees. They speak to me, as all nature does, whispering songs that sing answers to Life’s mysteries. I grew up practical and experimental, hungry and curious, surrounded by art and music in a multicultural home in Leesburg, Virginia. During the pandemic, I, as many others did, underwent a metamorphosis of breathing and thinking. I shifted where potential and necessity beckoned, devoting myself to learning the art of being in right-relationship with the world around me.
I believe the process of childbirth is one that requires an abundance of nurturance and time to feel through the sensations of mind & body. From what I’ve gathered in my Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) trainings, certification process and personal observations, is that too often people experience unnecessary distress and or trauma in association with their pregnancies due to a lack of information and advocacy surrounding their intuitive needs. As a doula, I encourage informed consent and decision making, provide trauma informed care to my clients, all while being mindful of evidence based racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in reproductive healthcare. I apply non-medical comfort techniques for labor, including but not limited to; positions and movement, comforting touch, visualization, breathing techniques, and affirmation.
For over two years now, I’ve had the privilege of working as a full time teacher at Little Tree Hugger’s Preschool LLC. Founded in 2015 by my mother, we have had the great honor of being the National Capital Region’s first women owned and operated bilingual, farm-based preschool, with the mission of teaching sustainability to our children, their families and the local business community. As we’ve nurtured each other, the children, the animals and the land, I’ve learned how to heal while exploring the relatively simple interactions that make up these complex systems of Life. Educating this new generation while coming into age myself, prepared me with the skills needed to discover my calling as a doula.
When my sister gave birth to my niece, I was overwhelmed with the gift of joy and love she’d so graciously delivered. I’d become a Godmother and aunt to a beautiful baby, well aware of all they’d endured on their successful journey to us. Although we were thankful for the ease of her pregnancy, we were also concerned with the level of hardship experienced during her labor and postpartum.
When getting into doula-ing, I knew I couldn’t start accepting clients until I had some raw experiences out in the field, assisting birth hands on. Luckily for me, Arlington based Virginia Hospital Center was just in the process of lifting their Labor Support Volunteer (LSV) Program off the ground. As an LSV, I’ve received training led by professional, experienced doulas on how to provide skillful, compassionate support to laboring people. In this position, I have the great honor of working directly alongside passionate nurses, physicians and other health care providers in a mission-driven organization. Volunteering at an accredited hospital strengthens my communicational and collaborative skills with a variety of circumstances that build resilience as well as sensitivity in my practice. All this sustains the informed unbiased approach that Balanced Birth Support (BBS) clients deserve. With BBS and Doulas Of Northern Virginia (DONVA), I know I’m connected to a community of aligned practitioners that have an unwavering commitment to ensuring the best comprehensive care to their families.
Upon completing both my CAPPA Postpartum and Labor Doula Trainings, I have received 36 CAPPA Contact Hours as well as a 2 year CAPPA membership. As a preschool teacher I have taken many trainings under the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Virginia Infant and Toddler Specialist (VA-ITSN) program. I have completed the CAPPA Academy’s Labor Doula Course which grants me my CAPPA Certification as a Labor Doula.
As your doula, I will nourish and listen to the wisdom already whole and present within you.