My Approach
I believe birth is a sacred event. A woman's body is designed to grow, birth, and nourish a baby. Women go through many changes - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually - and it is one of my goals to help women navigate through the sea of choices and emotions, and help them learn to trust their bodies and trust in birth. I am honored to assist expectant couples as they embark on this new journey of parenthood.
Clients who work with me can expect me to approach them and birth in these ways:
Birth as a Rite of Passage
Birth is not an event that a woman must endure. Labor and birth is a culmination of all that happened during in her life up to that special day. It is the bridge to a new way of life, a transition that changes life as she currently knows it. As a rite of passage, I encourage clients to set a vision for their birth, and during our time together, clients will work towards that goal in anticipation rather than fear.
Knowledge is Power
Empowerment comes from a combination of knowledge and trust. I provide my clients with tools that will help them make decisions throughout pregnancy and during labor and birth. I encourage my clients to take childbirth education classes, and I will ask questions that will require them to become better informed as consumers. This helps my clients to trust their primary caregivers more, and it will also help them trust themselves more, as their confidence to take their care into their own hands grows.
The Answers are Within Each of Us
It's tempting to want to know what all the women around us think we should do in the days leading up to and during our labor and birth. I challenge my clients, however, to reach deep within themselves for answers to their own questions, rather than polling everyone they know who has had a baby. Each person's situation, values and birth environment is different, and the wisest answers are available to them if they willingly open their ears and mind with quiet awareness.
As an Empowerment Coach, I often bring my coaching skills into the relationship with my clients and ask powerful questions that get them thinking. Although I offer information as an educator, as a coach, I will ask clients to make decisions that work best for them.
I request that all my clients take a childbirth class from a teacher that presents evidence-based information. I will give my clients information based on evidence-based research and experts in various fields. I will consider my clients' vision and wishes to provide them with a customized plan to support them. In rare situations, I will offer a recommendation. It is my intent to provide each client with what is necessary to approach her Wise Self and ask for the answer that is best for her.
Create a Birth Team Whose Core Philosophies Align with Yours and the Birth You Desire
My goal is to help my clients determine whether their current care provider and birthing place matches their expectations and desires for birth. Many women who have less than satisfactory births often had expectations of their care providers that did not match that provider's core philosophies.
I ask my clients questions about their expectations and help them to determine if their perspective is aligned with the values and perspective of their care provider. There will usually always be some differences, but if perspectives differ greatly, I encourage my clients to seek care from a provider whose values and perspective more closely match with theirs. Sometimes this takes courage, but having a birth team that is aligned with their beliefs and values is one of the keys to creating the birth experience they envision.
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child
While working with my clients, I like to ensure that they consider what is necessary to support their self-care during pregnancy and after Baby is born. Parents figure out parenting as they go and gain experience, and it is good to find like-minded parents and supportive friends and relatives to help them adjust with a new member of the family. I provide my clients with appropriate community resources and give them a tool to create a plan for their postpartum care.
Learn More
If my approach sounds like what you're looking for, read on to find out who I work best with.