These Are My People
My Village -
Who Supports How I Step In With Yours
Sharing the Personal Parts
Since becoming a doula in 2019, I’ve grown, served, and thrived because my family has believed in me every single day. It took a long time for me to have the pieces in place, but I finally figured out that having a village is more like a finger print than a road map. Mine looks nothing like hers, and theirs may not be what it looks like to the outside.
Back in the 80’s many women still married young, and I was one of those. My mother never went to college, she had kids at 19 and 20, while my dad stocked shelves at a community college in New England. Extended family is not part of every story. Had I known and could afford a postpartum doula, I think I could have been a more patient, less anxious and better equipped new mother.
I identify myself as a wife, mother, mother-in-law (times two as of August 2026), dog mom (2 goldens and one senior rescue), aunt, sister-in-law, a motherless daughter, and grateful daughter-in-law for the incredible extended family that I married into. Perfection is not required for a good family, a good birth, or a good life. As a birth and postpartum doula, it’s important that you feel safe to talk with me about what your plans as you welcome your children.
My children are adults, living close by until October, when my daughter begins a job in Europe. 2026 brought us one wedding, one engagement, a big job opportunity, and a last first day of school – I think I celebrated 78 first days of school during their growing years, and this one is a fresh reminder that we miss the little moments that seem to be never-ending. I am still learning, and I keep that fresh in my mind when I teach clients about birth, babies, family dynamics, and value of self-care throughout life.
Weekends mean walking dogs in Ridgewood, lattes at Ridgewood Coffee Company or Bulldog Coffee, concerts and plays in the city, MahJong, bowling, and classes or trainings – with a preference for in-person over virtual. I struggle with online shopping – getting 5 10lb bag of oranges instead of 5 oranges – and my tech skills are coming along, very slowly.
We are Seton Hall Basketball ticket holders, having a strong representation of the Big East with graduates of UCONN, Villanova and Seton Hall here.
It is my hope that you will feel as happy to have a doula as I did for my 2, 3, and 4th births. When I serve in postpartum shifts, it is with a humble heart to lift your recovery in a way that I wish someone had done for me. Ultimately, I serve families hoping that one day, someone will do the same for my children, and that is the highest honor of all.
Continuing Education
& Volunteering
Continuing Education is mandatory for doulas to maintain certification with the premiere organizations, like DONA and Cappa, and several others. Ask your doula how she spends those required hours – are they just free classes or time spent diving deeper into the topics that enhance her skills, highlight the passion she brings to her business.
As a doula committed to providing access and companionship to all birthing people, most of my hours are spent on topics related to lactation, including for NICU families, maternal mental health, as well as in education and prevention of still birth – the loss of a baby after week 20. In addition to the many CEU’s, I serve on the Membership Committee as an Ambassador to the Northeast for DONA International, and I work hard to mentor, encourage and share work with newer doulas. To compliment that role, I volunteer as an Ambassador for Count The Kicks , speaking and sharing material with providers, agencies, families and anywhere else I find why counting kicks is important, and what the trends enable families to do reduce preventable stillbirth.
My style in supporting families is heavy on education and preparation. My ideal client is someone who wants to know how they can create the birth that most appeals to them in a system that is structured to keep everyone safe, which usually means more control of, and less trust of, the person in labor.