I am a DONA International trained Labor Doula who is actively pursuing my DONA certification.

I am a Certified Lactation Educator, who believe strongly in the ability of nearly every woman to breastfeed her children if she chooses. It is not always easy, but support, education and a loving sisterhood of other moms can make the difference.

I am also a Certifed Childbirth Educator.

I am a professional member of DONA International , International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA), and Beautiful Beginnings.

I am a veteran of both the Coast Guard and Navy. I used my GI Bill to help put myself through College where I earned a Bachelors' of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems. I then set out and achieved a successful career in Software Quality Assurance. In my early 30's I married and we welcomed a son into our family. The birth of my son changed my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

Through the support of my husband and a doula, I was able to achieve my birth vision. This set me on the path to become a doula, lactation educator and childbirth educator. I feel compelled to assist other women and their partners in learning about the birth process and when honored to do so, join them on their birth journey as a doula.

I have a dear friend whose son was born 9 days after mine. I watched this loving, compassionate woman struggle with breastfeeding for months. Through her perseverance and dedication, she was able to nurse for 6 months before transitioning her son solely to formula. Her experience was in contrast to my own nursing relationship with my son and it taught me a great deal. I'm thankful for having learned these lessons early in my career. I learned that while her desire to nurse her son was the catalyst, it was the sisterhood of support and the knowledge she veraciously pursued which allowed her successful achieve her goal of breastfeeding. This set me on the path to achieve my Certified Lactation Educator. My strong knowledge combined with my personal experiences make me an effective and understanding Lactation Advocate. I like to use the term Lactavist. I nursed my son for over 18 months until he weaned himself when I became pregnant with our second child. I was also able to donate 133 ounces of my breastmilk to a Human Milk Bank.

My role as a doula is to provide physical and emotional support for the mother and family during her journey. Each and every birth is a precious, wondrous and unique journey.