MINDFUL, EVIDENCE-BASED BIRTH, POSTPARTUM, LACTATION & INFANT FEEDING CARE

“As best you can, you say yes to the sensations, yes to this change. You remind yourself that this is normal, transformational pain. All is well.” - Nancy Bardacke

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Birth is a time of transformation.

It is one foot in your old world and one foot in this new one. It is beautiful and awe-inspiring. It is fun (yes, FUN!) with lots of laughter and joy. It’s tears and sadness. It’s many things.

And it is also work -- hard work -- both mentally and physically.

Birth isn’t just something that happens to you, it’s a process that is all encompassing with you at the center of it all. I fully believe you are the most educated person in the room when is comes to your own body and baby; there truly is no wrong way to birth as long as your choices and decisions through the journey are being heard and respected. When you feel safe in the relationship with your care team trusting your body becomes more accessible. Together, we can expand upon this - build systems of support and gather information and resources - so you can feel confident in your own voice and birthing journey, as well! I look to help co-create the vision for how you would like to feel during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience.

My background is in mindful birthing and approach each birth with a non-striving beginner’s mind. It allows clients to move through their birth process and prepare them for all they may encounter without trying to force an outcome or result. This training is well-suited to the importance of being able to respond and pivot with calm stability to the unpredictability of birthing and the multitude of variations in what is considered the realm of normal birthing. Expectations are also a normal part of the human experience, but sometimes they create more discomfort in childbirth and parenting than the actual pains of labor. My goal is to help guide and ground you through this transformational time; to help demystify the process; embrace knowing that someone will always be there to fully support you, asses your needs and do everything in their power to make this experience joyous and deeply empowering. When I say, “you’ve got this.” I truly mean and believe it.

What I also bring with me to each birth:

  • A calm presence and non-judging mindset towards my clients and their choices in childbirth

  • Patience, being in the present moment and allowing the process to unfold as it may without putting pressure or time restrictions on the birthing person or the birth process

  • Beginner's mind, approaching each client with an open mindset, allowing us to see things as they really are, in the present moment

  • Trust, as in self-reliance, supporting all the families I support in their inherent ability to give birth and parent as they know is right for them, teaching them to trust their intuition in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and supporting them in this process

  • Non-striving, allowing my clients to move through their birth process and preparing them for all they may encounter without trying to force an outcome or result

  • Acknowledgement, first, and then moving towards acceptance for the outcome of each birth, even if things do not go as planned

  • Letting go, or letting be, resting with all outcomes, with whatever our clients experience, without rejecting what is unpleasant or striving to what is pleasant

(sources: psychologytoday.com, mindfulbirthing.org, mindfullife.net.au)

List of trainings & continued education:

  • • 95hr Infant Feeding Care Course, Hope Lima, May 2024 - current

    • Jamaica Hospital IBCLC Intern, November 2023 - current

    • Pathway 3 IBCLC Program, November 2023 - current

    • Herbal Medicine Making, Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, September 2023 - February 2024

  • • Jamaica Hospital IBCLC Intern, November 2023 - current

    • Pathway 3 IBCLC Program, November 2023 - current

    • Herbal Medicine Making, Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, September 2023 - February 2024

    • Prenatal Pelvic Alignment and Birth Prep, Lindsey Vestal, Body Ready Method, July 2023

    Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) Training, Paige Bellenbaum, LCSW, January 2023

    • BLS Certification, American Heart Association, October 2022

    • Mentorship for Master Doulas, Tanya Wills at Manhattan Birth, September 2021- October 2022

    • Understanding EFM, Manhattan Birth, October 2022

    • Understanding Rebozo + Cultural Appropriation, Montse, September 2022

    • Making Birth Work Trans + Queer Inclusive, Manhattan Birth, September 2022

    • Supporting Cesarean Birth, Manhattan Birth, September 2022

    • Postpartum Nurtition + Meal Planning, Manhattan Birth, September 2022

    • Informed Consent + Advocacy, Manhattan Birth, June 2022

    • Racism and Disparities in Health Care, Sascha Conterelli, June 2022

    • Perinatal Mood Disorders, Manhattan Birth, May 2022

    • Premies + Nicu, Manhattan Birth, May 2022

    • Comforting Touch, Yiska Obidia, April 2022

    • Twins, Manhattan Birth, April 2022

    • Homebirth + Transfer, April 2022

    • Perinatal Loss + Support, March 2022

    • Prenatal Nutrition + Fertility, February 2022

    • Postpartum Support in the First Week, Manhattan Birth, December 2021

    • Postpartum Recovery + Physiology, Manhattan Birth, November 2021

    • Normal Newborn, Manhattan Birth, November 2021

    • Integrative Lactation & Feeding Specialist Program, Manhattan Birth, August 2021

    • Acupressure Training for Labor Prep, Labor and Postpartum, Stephanie Gianarelli of Acupuncture NW & Associates, June 2021

    • Whole Body Pregnancy Childbirth Educator Training, Erika Davis, April 2021

    • Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss, Amy Wright Grant, Birth, Breath and Death, December 2020

    • Lactation Educator, Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), November 2020

    • Anti Racism in Your Doula Practice, Interwoven Doula Care, November 2020

    • Infant Safety and CPR Training, Healthy Start Brooklyn, November 2020

    • Newborn Care Class, Healthy Start Brooklyn, November 2020

    • VBAC, Evidence Based Birth, October 2020

    • Advanced Doula Training on Severe Lacerations, Birth Matters, September 2020

    • Supporting LGBQ/T Families: Understanding Identity in the Perinatal Period, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Demystifying Babies: Teaching Parents to Understand their Infants for Confident Connection, CAPPA September 2020

    • Rethinking the 6-Week ‘Green Light’ – Postpartum Recovery Practices for The Pelvic Floor and Abdominal Wall, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Centering Cultural Humility in Practice, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Sharing Your Wisdom: From Abstract Idea to Awesome Prenatal Breastfeeding Class, CAPPA, September 2020

    • How to Listen So Others Will Speak: Effective Communication Skills for the Birth Worker, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Creating Digital Courses for Birth Professionals, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Why Breastfeeding Should be a Public Health Concentration, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Supporting the Couple Relationship to Reduce Risk for Perinatal Trauma, CAPPA, September 2020

    • Evidence Based Care for Suspected Big Babies, Evidence Based Birth, April 2020

    • PROM, GBS, and Newborn Procedures, Evidence Based Birth, May 2020

    • Inducing for Due Dates and Advanced Maternal Age, Evidence Based Birth, July 2019

    • Intuitive Doula Work, Carriage House, April 2019

    • Doulaship, Expecting(NYC), 2019

    • Mindful Birthing, Expecting(NYC), October 2018

    • Certified Lactation Counselor, Lea Rivera IBCLC, Empire Lactation and Birth Day Presence, October 2018

    • Certified Labor Doula, Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), June 2018