It all started when I was 15 years old, huddled in a dusty attic with a book. I pored over midwife Ina May Gaskin’s photographs of women in labor, electrified by the joy and power I saw radiating from every image.

Growing up with six sisters and a remarkable mother, I already knew that women were extraordinary, but it hadn’t occured to me until that very moment that one of the roots of that potency was the very ability to create and sustain life. As I read about the transformational experiences of pregnancy, labor, and birth, I began to see matresence as a portal that women pass through that changes and refines them, offering growth that is deeply sacred and deeply unique. That was the beginning of a passion that has stayed with me ever since.

After attending my first birth in 2013, I completed the DONA International doula training course. My work with Errand of Angels, an organization devoted to bringing education and resources to those in need, gave me opportunities to complete and teach trainings for low resource births. Over the years I’ve had the honor to work with mothers and midwives in California, Idaho, and Utah. I also completed Breech without Borders' intensive online and in person training. Most recently, I became a certified Perinatal Patient Advocate.

I’ve had two births of my own - one in hospital and one at home - which deepened my belief in the profound intuition and ability every woman can access during pregnancy and birth. Today, I seek to enable each woman as she finds her voice and integrity while preparing to welcome new life - her baby’s, and her own.

When I’m not attending, reading, or writing about birth, I love to be outside. Music, eating, knitting, and books are some of my favorite things. I love my two rambunctious kids and my husband. They bring color to my life every day.