Meet Vanessa
I am an artist, activist, and educator, having worked for over a decade in public health and health education. My work has taken me all over the country presenting at national and international conferences, organizing advocacy events, and educating adolescents, women, and LGBTQ/non-binary communities about sexual and reproductive health, childbirth, and social justice. I also worked within the hospital setting to educate medical providers on best practices for providing empowering, culturally sensitive, evidence-based care to their patients. With my passion and background as a health advocate and educator, I have transferred this experience to my work as a doula to focus specifically on the needs of birthing people, as I believe an empowered society truly starts with empowered birth!
I have been long acquainted with the community of birth workers known as doulas. I become personally acquainted with the transformative support that doulas provide when I myself gave birth to my first baby in 2015. I employed a doula for the births of both of my children, and have experienced firsthand the enormous difference a doula's presence can make, inspiring me to finally pursue certification as a birth doula. As a mother of two babies and having experienced two very different pregnancies and labors, having a doula by my side supported me in creating a birth experience that was enormously empowering and transformative. It is my goal to work with birthing people, their partners and families to achieve a birth experience that is not only healthy and safe, but also JOYFUL. It is not just through continuous and compassionate labor support that I believe this is possible for people… it’s also through providing them with information about their options, education about their rights, supporting them with tools to confidently advocate for themselves and the birth experience they desire, and being their cheerleader through every stage of the process. I bring not only a wealth of information and experience to my clients, but also joy, laughter, honesty, intuition, and reverence. I was trained in April 2017 as a Birth Doula by the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), and completed my coursework, becoming a CAPPA Certified Labor Doula in April 2019. Since officially launching my business in January 2018, I have been blessed to be invited to births almost every month, and I have loved every minute! I also received training from Birth Arts International as a Postpartum Doula (May 2018) and a Childbirth Educator (August 2018). Additionally, I am a Certified Lactation Counselor certified through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (November 2018). I have specific experience with and prioritize the unique needs of birthing people of color, LGBTQ/non-binary folks, and am trained in providing trauma-informed care. I’d love to sit and talk with you about your goals and dreams for your birth and how we can work together to bring your baby into the world with love and joy! |
Birth Doula,
Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Certified Lactation Counselor |