about me
My own journey with birth began with the pregnancy and homebirth of my son, Uriah Leif in June of 1995. It was then when I began to learn about the history of birth in the U.S., birthing choices, and to devour birth stories. After my own empowering homebirth, my desire to work with birthing women was born. I wanted to help women have deeply satisfying and empowering births like I had just experienced.
My second son, Azuree Seraphim was born at home, in our bathroom, August of 2003. A fast labor, he was born with just his father and I present, supported by loving midwives during my pregnancy and postpartum. With Azuree's birth we were also blessed to do a Lotus Birth, the practice of leaving the umbilical cord intact, and I support families with this process today.
Such sacred experience; my pregnancies, labors and births have given me precious wisdom, and I am blessed everyday with the presence of my children in my life...they are my shining stars!
I completed my doula training at the Seattle Midwifery School in 1997 and received a B.A. from the Evergreen State College, also in 1997, where I studied Botany, Herbal Medicine, Art, Photography, Creative Writing, Teaching and Midwifery. I completed the Waldorf Teacher Training in Eugene, Oregon in 1999 and taught at Waldorf schools in Eugene, Oregon and Seattle, Washington as well as created and taught my own in-home Waldorf preschool.
I have been serving birthing women since 2001 and it is been an amazing and rewarding journey.
I began actively studying midwifery in the Winter of 2003, attending study groups with a local midwife. I continued with organizing and attending study groups led by local midwives. I regularly attend midwifery conferences and classes and study independently. I am currently enjoying an at-a-distance midwifery study program with Mercy In Action.
I have been practicing herbalism for 18 years. I grow and wildcraft medicinal plants, gathering them to craft high quality herbal medicine. Herbs support a healthy pregnancy, ease the labor process, naturally heal the perineum after birth and are utilized throughout the child's life to support a healthy childhood.
In the winter of 2009 I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico to learn and work for 4 weeks with a traditional Mexican midwife, Angelina Martinez and her son, Esteban who is also an amazing midwife. I had an incredible time. I assisted at births, supported birthing women and practiced hands-on midwifery skills like taking heart-tones, feeling bellies, catching babies and placentas and doing cervical checks. I was blessed to witness and learn ancient traditional healing ways such as rebozo techniques, fertility treatments, postpartum "closing-healings" and herbal ways with the Mexican midwife as well.
I apprenticed at Sacred Waters Birth Center, the local free-standing birth center for 6 months in 2009. I attended some lovely homebirths and waterbirths with the midwives of Sacred Waters. I have also been assisting my preceptor at homebirths for since 2007.
I attended a valuable three day midwifery skills lab in April, 2010 with Ancient Art Midwifery Institute (during the middle of the night in the midst of the skills lab, I had the honor of attending a dear friend's birth!)
In April, 2010 I also attended an inspiring Waterbirth workshop, with Barbara Harper, of Waterbirth International.
In December of 2010 through the 1st of February, 2011 I traveled to Kerala, South India to help start the first natural birth center in Kerala. I was the primary midwife for the first three clients of The Birth Village in Cochin, India. I also did prenatals for additional mamas. It was an incredibly rich and rewarding experience. India was everything I imagined it to be, and much more...colorful, loud, beautiful, fast-paced, spiritual, full of rich experiences and warm, loving people! I am so very grateful for this dream come true of assisting births in India. My dream is to return and open a clinic to assist needy families with gentle births.
I attended the Midwifery Today conference in Eugene, Oregon, Spring of 2007, 2009 and 2011, learning from many wonderful teachers.
April-May 2011 I interned at Casa de Nacimiento, a high-volume, fast-paced clinic in El Paso, Texas where I attended 25 births (6 as the primary, 10 as the assistant and 9 as an observer), As the primary midwife, I did 60 prenatals, 20 postpartums.
Most recently, December-January 2011-12, I worked with a midwife in rural Wisconsin serving the Amish community. There I experienced homebirths in farmhouses by the light of oil lamps, strong mothers pushing out their 9th, 11th, and 12th babies and the joy of a busy midwifery practice.
I am certified in neonatal resuscitation and CPR.
I am a member of the Birth Companion Network, the local doula network.
I am working on my midwifery certification: CPM (Certified Professional Midwife). Homebirths I attend as primary midwife under supervision of my preceptor will go towards the numbers required for my CPM application.
I am passionately committed to serving women and families. I believe pregnancy and birth are normal and sacred events of human life. Serving birthing women is my joy. It is an honor to be a part of women's birth experiences.
May you birth in bliss.
peace on earth begins with birth...
My second son, Azuree Seraphim was born at home, in our bathroom, August of 2003. A fast labor, he was born with just his father and I present, supported by loving midwives during my pregnancy and postpartum. With Azuree's birth we were also blessed to do a Lotus Birth, the practice of leaving the umbilical cord intact, and I support families with this process today.
Such sacred experience; my pregnancies, labors and births have given me precious wisdom, and I am blessed everyday with the presence of my children in my life...they are my shining stars!
I completed my doula training at the Seattle Midwifery School in 1997 and received a B.A. from the Evergreen State College, also in 1997, where I studied Botany, Herbal Medicine, Art, Photography, Creative Writing, Teaching and Midwifery. I completed the Waldorf Teacher Training in Eugene, Oregon in 1999 and taught at Waldorf schools in Eugene, Oregon and Seattle, Washington as well as created and taught my own in-home Waldorf preschool.
I have been serving birthing women since 2001 and it is been an amazing and rewarding journey.
I began actively studying midwifery in the Winter of 2003, attending study groups with a local midwife. I continued with organizing and attending study groups led by local midwives. I regularly attend midwifery conferences and classes and study independently. I am currently enjoying an at-a-distance midwifery study program with Mercy In Action.
I have been practicing herbalism for 18 years. I grow and wildcraft medicinal plants, gathering them to craft high quality herbal medicine. Herbs support a healthy pregnancy, ease the labor process, naturally heal the perineum after birth and are utilized throughout the child's life to support a healthy childhood.
In the winter of 2009 I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico to learn and work for 4 weeks with a traditional Mexican midwife, Angelina Martinez and her son, Esteban who is also an amazing midwife. I had an incredible time. I assisted at births, supported birthing women and practiced hands-on midwifery skills like taking heart-tones, feeling bellies, catching babies and placentas and doing cervical checks. I was blessed to witness and learn ancient traditional healing ways such as rebozo techniques, fertility treatments, postpartum "closing-healings" and herbal ways with the Mexican midwife as well.
I apprenticed at Sacred Waters Birth Center, the local free-standing birth center for 6 months in 2009. I attended some lovely homebirths and waterbirths with the midwives of Sacred Waters. I have also been assisting my preceptor at homebirths for since 2007.
I attended a valuable three day midwifery skills lab in April, 2010 with Ancient Art Midwifery Institute (during the middle of the night in the midst of the skills lab, I had the honor of attending a dear friend's birth!)
In April, 2010 I also attended an inspiring Waterbirth workshop, with Barbara Harper, of Waterbirth International.
In December of 2010 through the 1st of February, 2011 I traveled to Kerala, South India to help start the first natural birth center in Kerala. I was the primary midwife for the first three clients of The Birth Village in Cochin, India. I also did prenatals for additional mamas. It was an incredibly rich and rewarding experience. India was everything I imagined it to be, and much more...colorful, loud, beautiful, fast-paced, spiritual, full of rich experiences and warm, loving people! I am so very grateful for this dream come true of assisting births in India. My dream is to return and open a clinic to assist needy families with gentle births.
I attended the Midwifery Today conference in Eugene, Oregon, Spring of 2007, 2009 and 2011, learning from many wonderful teachers.
April-May 2011 I interned at Casa de Nacimiento, a high-volume, fast-paced clinic in El Paso, Texas where I attended 25 births (6 as the primary, 10 as the assistant and 9 as an observer), As the primary midwife, I did 60 prenatals, 20 postpartums.
Most recently, December-January 2011-12, I worked with a midwife in rural Wisconsin serving the Amish community. There I experienced homebirths in farmhouses by the light of oil lamps, strong mothers pushing out their 9th, 11th, and 12th babies and the joy of a busy midwifery practice.
I am certified in neonatal resuscitation and CPR.
I am a member of the Birth Companion Network, the local doula network.
I am working on my midwifery certification: CPM (Certified Professional Midwife). Homebirths I attend as primary midwife under supervision of my preceptor will go towards the numbers required for my CPM application.
I am passionately committed to serving women and families. I believe pregnancy and birth are normal and sacred events of human life. Serving birthing women is my joy. It is an honor to be a part of women's birth experiences.
May you birth in bliss.
peace on earth begins with birth...
