I have been in love with babies and new families since I was very young.
I started providing professional services to new families after my youngest son was born, including breastfeeding education, childbirth education, and labor doula services.
I began training labor doulas in 2005, and have enjoyed watching the doula profession grow every year since. There is nothing like this work and I’m so blessed I get to do it!
There is nothing more wonderful and amazing to me than working with expectant and new families.
I first became interested in birth, breastfeeding, and perinatal issues when I was still a teenager. Looking back, my mother must have worried, seeing me check out midwifery books from the library before I could even drive!
I had my first child in my early 20’s, followed by four more, and helped to raise my stepson as well. I expanded my knowledge of birth and breastfeeding, as well as the political and cultural issues surrounding them, through my journey as a mother.
I began attending births and teaching childbirth education in 1998, and quickly knew I had found my calling. I certified as a labor doula, then as a childbirth educator and lactation educator. I love seeing couples bond through the birth of their child, seeing parents find confidence in their new lives, and seeing babies thrive.
In 2010 I began the journey of becoming an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, completing the process in 2012. I now offer in-home and office lactation consultation as well as facilitating breastfeeding support groups and teaching breastfeeding classes in both hospitals and private/small group settings.
If you are looking for more information on the lactation services that I offer, please head over to Rocky Mountain Lactation.
I also love seeing new doulas find their unique gifts as birth professionals, as well as helping them get a strong start on the most fulfilling career imaginable.
Soon after starting my doula career I became active in the birth community, both in Colorado and internationally. I have spoken at regional and national conferences on such topics as breastfeeding support, induction, perinatal mood disorder, scope of practice for doulas, and creating effective change in the birth community. I have served as CAPPA State Representative for Colorado, and also as the President of the Colorado Doulas Association.
I began training labor doulas in 2005, and served as CAPPA Executive Director of Labor Doula Programs from 2009 until the Program Director positions were eliminated in 2017. During those eight years, I completely rewrote the labor doula manual and then updated it several times.
Whether you are growing your family or beginning a career as a birth worker, my aim is to help you begin your journey with confidence!
My Commitment to Diversity & Equity
As a doula, I care profoundly about the abysmally high maternal and infant mortality rates in our country particularly among people of color, other maternity care health disparities, lack of access to evidence based care, and the effects of sexism, racism, discrimination, and other forms of prejudice and inequity on families. I am committed to providing respectful care for all individuals and families seeking labor support within my scope of practice and professional ability. I seek to understand your family’s needs and values, and to tailor my support accordingly to provide the culturally sensitive care you are seeking. I will work with you on YOUR goals and respect your individual needs and situation.
As a doula instructor, I know that one of the most effective ways to address these issues is by increasing access to care within the context of the family’s own culture. It is therefore critical to train doulas from every culture and population, as these are the doulas who will be most effective in their own communities. To that end, Rocky Mountain Doula provides partial scholarships for persons of color. Prospective students may apply for a scholarship here, and can also share this link with their communities http://www.thegrandchallenge.org/doula-training/, where RMD scholarships have been listed since 2014. I have also been training and providing partial scholarships to bilingual doulas for the St. Anthony’s North Bilingual Doula Program since 2005.
In addition to seeking to train doulas from diverse populations, I also consider it a high priority to train new doulas to create sustainable practices. I teach business skills and provide mentoring and networking after the training class. I am additionally committed to teaching respectful care of clients, professional standards of practice, non-judgmental support of client families’ needs and values, ongoing cultural sensitivity, and an attitude of perpetual learning and growth. I also participate in and help create diverse and tight-knit community among birth workers, both locally and nationally.