When I was pregnant for the first time I had lots of reasons to be a little scared. I started searching the internet and books for info. I came across the movie "The Business of Being Born" and from then on I was determined to find a birth team that would help me birth safely and respect my choices.

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I found a midwife I could trust and she required that my husband and I take a birth class. We took the birth class together and it helped us become a stronger team. We had a beautiful, & intense birth and it was more than I hoped it could be.

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After our daughter was born, we had some feeding challenges and I was overwhelmed and worried. Breastfeeding was hard for me for the first couple of weeks, but lactation/breastfeeding support made a huge difference!  I know I was pretty lucky to have family and community support while I recovered after giving birth. I am so grateful for the people who were there for me. They inspired me to join in and help others on their journeys to a confident birth & postpartum and transition into parenthood. 

When I finished my bachelor's degree in family studies I immediately sought out training in birth education and I later was certified as a doula. As a birth educator, I taught parents all about pregnancy & labor and taught fathers/birth partners how to provide comfort. I love helping families in such a meaningful part of their journey.

Everyone deserves to be supported during childbirth and postpartum. Real support makes all the difference! I am honored to support families in their precious and powerful transition through birth and to parenthood. 

Wishing you well on your journey. 

With love,  Yolanda

I am a firm believer in every person's right to bodily autonomy. I also believe in a woman's instincts when she can tune in to what her body and spirit are telling her. 

The human body has incredible power. It can heal, grow, stretch, shrink, and create. Women are especially capable of creation. Our bodies have the ability to take the spark of life and nurture it until it develops into a new and unique life, a new whole person.

ROLES

The role of a birth worker depends on their personality, experience, and preparation AND their client's expressed needs. Every family is unique and that means that communication is important. 

As a Childbirth Educator, I create a learning environment of mutual respect for all and provide reliable information that families can use to make informed decisions in the birth and medical space.

As a Doula, I develop a relationship of trust with my client. I honor a mother's journey and bring both my experience and doula bag into the birth space to provide comfort and support to mothers and their families. I support mothers postpartum and ease the transition into parenting their newborn. I acknowledge that a new mother needs rest, nutrition, a non-judgemental listening ear, and time with her newborn. 

As a Birth Keeper, I respect a mother's choice to birth in her own way. I trust her and hold space for the entire human experience of birth. I bring all of my birth-loving energy with me as a birth keeper. (To read a lovely description of the term "birth keeper" check out this blog post by Wildwood Birthkeeper)

As a Family Life Educator, I honor the strengths that individuals and families already possess and help them access more information, skills, and resources that help them succeed as a family. I offer education about healthy parenting, healthy relationships, child development, and improving family systems.  

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

When there are differences of opinion, first and always, birth workers should respect the client's choices. 

A birth worker should have the integrity to work according to their own code of ethics and communicate if they are not the appropriate care provider and help with the transfer of care if needed. 

BUT in the birth room, all differences of opinion can wait and the mother's right to informed decision-making is ultimately respected. She will always have the final say