In 1983 I had my first child and fell in love with birth. I was fortunate to have the support of a kind woman, experienced in childbirth. I did not then know what a doula was, but I knew that having a confident and knowledgeable woman tending to my well-being during labor helped me to have a magical and empowering experience. My husband and I had 6 more children, and at each birth I drew from the strength and confidence that our "doula" had helped me to discover. Since that first birth I have been acutely aware (and grateful!) that those hours of compassionate and focused support dramatically affected the rest of my life as a woman.
Over the course of 40 years (and counting!) of parenting I have actively pursued, studied, and lived multiple approaches to holistic, nurturing and respectful birthing, parenting, self-care and support of others. I have been blessed to be able to birth and mother the way that I wanted to!
As my children grew, I became more available to assist other people on their individual paths to parenthood. In 2009 I began my work as a doula and have attended over 300 births since then.
I am thrilled to be working in the field of labor, birth, postpartum and female/nongendered support. I love birth and birthing people! Attending a birth is always an honor and a privilege and a true joy. I am a Certified Birth Doula, CD(DONA) and a Certified Postpartum Doula (Natural Resources) as well as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (Safe Kids Worldwide).
I have volunteered with:
- UCSF Medical Center's (now defunct) Volunteer Doula Program.
- The Walden House's Women's Hope Project in San Francisco
- San Francisco's Hilltop School for Teenage Moms, TAPP.
- SF General Hospital's Volunteer Doulas
I have worked as a Virtual Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Perinatal Consultant, Nanny, Special Needs Nanny, Travel Nanny and Mother's helper.
I have birthed two children at home and five at three different San Francisco hospitals.
Feel free to ask me about my three beautiful grandchildren ;)
I live in SF with a fluid number of children at home.
My preferred pronouns are she/her.
I love tooling around the city (especially the flatter parts) on my bike, yoga, knitting, playing cards and games at home, and family dinners.
"The whole point of woman-centered birth is the knowledge that a woman is the birth power source. She may need, and deserve help, but in essence, she always had, currently has, and will have the power." ~ Heather McCue
415.290.0271
www.asanfranciscodoula.com
www.birthgoals.org
Serving San Francisco Communities
2018 Family!!