Before I knew I’d be a doula, I was a 19-year-old expectant mom slowly discovering just how broken our healthcare system is. I endured two difficult pregnancies with Hyperemesis Gravidarum—my first ending in a cesarean birth that left me with more questions than answers, and a deep grief I couldn’t yet express. I didn’t know I was supposed to prepare for birth. I only knew that once labor began, I was to show up at the hospital and leave it all in the hands of my care team. I had no coping skills, and the term “informed consent” certainly wasn’t in my vocabulary.

Everything changed during my second pregnancy when I left my OB in search of… well, something different. In time, I hired independent midwife-doulas, Deana Kopf and Alexa Richardson (Birthwise Midwifery). Being under their care was life-changing and empowering. I gave birth unmedicated in the hospital (my personal goal), supported by my doula. I was encouraged to advocate for, trust, and believe in myself.

I am pleased with the care team I selected; however, I wanted a Black doula and midwife, though I was unsuccessful in my search. When all was said and done, I had to pay it forward. To me, that means ensuring that all birthing people, especially Black women (who face the highest maternal mortality rates in the US), know that doula care is available for them, too.

About a year before diving into doula work, I volunteered as a lactation counselor, a passion that developed while breastfeeding my children. I nursed my oldest for two years, and my youngest for a little over three. While the unsolicited misinformation and ridicule from people who had never even attempted to breastfeed were almost discouraging, they empowered me to connect with and support other mothers in my community experiencing the same. For a long time, Black Americans weren’t privileged to breastfeed their babies. Today, many systemic issues continue to inhibit us from doing so.

This is what fuels me and commits me to this sacred work. I am one of many dedicated to community building and improving care for parents and their babies. For almost a decade, I have supported families through pregnancy, birth, loss, breastfeeding challenges, and postpartum.

Specialties: Lactation Support, Unmedicated Birth, Trial of Labor After Cesarean(TOLAC), First-Time Parents, Single Mothers, Cesarean Birth

Note: I have experience with all types of births in and outside of the hospital setting. You’re in good hands no matter what your journey looks like.