GET TO KNOW ME
Wholistic, Evidence-Based Practice With Years of Experience
My pronouns are she/her. I will honour and respect yours.
I've supported families in many capacities in the birth world for over 25 years, first as a birth and postpartum doula, then in teaching childbirth and breast/chestfeeding classes. As this for me is heart work, this has included a lot of deep personal work. I've mentored people during their childbearing years, pre-conception years, and grandparenting years.
I have held many birth trauma healing circles for birthing people and families who have experienced difficult births, and I've offered these healing circles to birth workers and medical professionals as well.
I have co-facilitated internationally for Birthing From Within, a framework for birth workers and birthing families that is near and dear to my heart.
After supporting hundreds of families (and thousands of hours,) I qualified to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2010.
Fast forward to now, and I've had the profound honour to support thousands more families during this tender time in their lives..
I work with a holistic approach. I am TOTs (tethered oral tissues; sometimes known as tongue and lip tie) trained and experienced, and have sought further training in oral habilitation and bodywork in order to better support my clients and meet their needs.
I am trained in Infant CranioSacral Therapy, and offer this service as part of my consultations, when time permits, and also as a stand alone service.
I believe in a collaborative approach in caring for complex feeding situations, and have a strong network of excellent providers who I feel confident in referring to.
It is important to me that I work within a trauma-informed framework and I have sought training to ensure this. My approach is inclusive, non-judgemental, and I strive to have each family that I work with to feel safe and welcome. I am culturally competent and have a strong mental-wellness focus in the work I do.
Over the years, I've had the privilege to support many wonderful families: single parents, couples, 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, surrogate and adoptive parents, people who have had previous breast/chest surgeries, parents of multiples, and I've done much grief support for families (and grandparents) who have experienced previous birth and feeding trauma.
I also work with doulas, midwives, nurses and doctors in honing their skills to best support the families they work with.
A main focus of my work is private lactation consultations. Prenatally, I help parents prepare for infant feeding, including exploring how previous feeding experiences have gone (grief work is often involved in this preparation).
In the postpartum period, I help parents with any feeding issues they may be having (whether feeding with their body or by bottle, human milk or formula).
Wondering if I'm the right fit for you and your situation? Reach out! I'd love to chat.