From the time I was a young teen in southern California, I knew my beliefs about birth were different than most of my friends. I have always believed that a woman’s body was created perfectly for birthing. Though I waited many years before becoming a mother myself, I respected and trusted a woman’s ability to birth her baby naturally without interference.

Pregnancy, birth and motherhood are an incredible journey. The journey starts the moment a woman finds out she is pregnant and her life is forever changed. With the pregnancy and birth of my first son, Erik, my life was forever changed and I felt the calling to support other mothers on their journey. Following the midwife attended birth of my second son, Christopher, in Oslo, Norway, I became even more committed to working with birthing women.

I first began attending homebirths with VA licensed midwife, Adella Scott Wilson in 1994 as her assistant and apprentice. The experience of those eight plus years before she retired is priceless to me. I am very grateful and honored to have been part of those sacred events. I also attended my first doula training that same year and began assisting women in hospitals as their doula.

In June 2007, I started my apprenticeship with Jenny Derugen, LM, CPM and Blessed Birth Services. With my previous and continued work with birthing women, I was able to finish my requirements exactly one year to the day (the minimum required time) and was able to take the CPM exam in October 2008. I became the 41st Virginia licensed CPM in November 2008 bringing with me the experience of attending over 550 births in home and hospital as doula, midwife assistant and now primary midwife.

My training has taken me to several midwifery conferences over the years- one of the most memorable at The Farm in Summertown, TN with Ina May Gaskin and other legendary midwives. It has been a pleasure to have attended many doula conferences and doula training sessions- some with Penny Simkin and Kennel & Klaus. I am a DONA certified doula. Having been part of a Navy family, I felt compelled to serve with Operation Doula Care, a volunteer doula program for wives of deployed service members. I served as a Regional Director with ODC until Operation Special Delivery increased coverage to all 50 states. I am also a founding member of Partners in Birth, a professional birth worker group in Hampton Roads. I enjoy supporting and mentoring other women who wish to work in the birth field. I currently serve on the Birth Matters Tidewater board which is a consumer based organization providing education and support for birthing families in our area.

My work with women has also taken me to Eastern Virginia Medical School, where I was employed as a Teaching Associate working with student doctors, doctors, corpsmen, nurse-practitioners and midwives on their clinical and communication skills.

In 2001, I became a Certified Hypnobirthing Childbirth Educator. Though I am not a hypnotherapist, I wholly understand the mind-body connection and the important role it has in birth.

All of these experiences have helped me become the midwife I am. I believe the client relationship and communication are an essential part of establishing a positive foundation for homebirth. I look forward to hearing your birth desires and working as a member of your birth team. When a baby is born a family is created! It is an honor and privilege to serve women and their families during birth!