Trainings/Certifications: Matrona Certified Holistic Doula (MCHD) and doula trainer; EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Advanced Practitioner; La Leche League Leader (retired); Birthing From Within trained; Reiki Master/Teacher
Bio: I had a traumatic birth in 1983, when my first child was born. My husband was on active duty in the military at the time, and when my son was 2 weeks old, we moved 1500 miles away from all our family and friends. I was young and inexperienced, and had no support system. We knew no one at my husband's new duty station, and he was often gone for weeks at a time. As a result of the birth and lack of support afterward, I suffered from serious postpartum depression and PTSD. However, I did not seek help because I was afraid my baby would be taken away from me. Eventually I did get better, but it was a very rough adjustment! That personal experience led me to postpartum doula work, and I've been a postpartum doula since 1987. I was holistically trained as a doula by a traditional midwife, so I have some training in recognizing what is normal and other-than-normal healing in moms, as well as what is normal and other-than-normal in the newborn. I am an experienced breastfeeding counselor, with the ability to be completely nonjudgmental and 100% supportive of mothers who prefer to or must bottlefeed. I am also a Certified EFT Practitioner, trained to facilitate women, babies, fathers/partners and others who would like to clear and resolve a difficult or disappointing birth experience, birth trauma, difficult postpartum transition issues, and breastfeeding concerns.
Philosophy: My philosophy is that, even though you may not be aware of it, you are the expert on you, your body, your family and your baby. You know, better than anyone else, what will work for you and what will not. If you're at a loss and would like to know more about the possible options, I'm happy to provide information if you wish, in as much depth or as little as you want or need! From there, I will support you in whatever you wish to do regarding parenting choices, feeding methods and more. One size does not fit all, and I know that well- supported parents are brilliantly capable of finding what works and doing more of it. This is a vital parenting (and life!) skill, and one of my main goals when I work with a family is to build awareness of and confidence in this ability. I also believe that fathers/partners are dramatically underserved with regard to prenatal and postpartum support. Fathers have their own unique journey to parenthood and beyond, and they may also suffer from postpartum depression. As with new mothers, adequate support, information and education can make a huge difference in fathers' experience of the postpartum transitional period.
How many families do you serve each year? I am semi-retired now, after 20+ years of service to women and families in the childbearing year. Please call or email for availability.
How long do you work with postpartum families? Generally for the first month; perhaps 6-8 weeks when working with at-risk mothers/families, or families with multiples, etc.
What areas do you serve? Central, west and north Charlotte, Huntersville and Lake Norman; elsewhere with additional mileage fees