My interest in Placenta Encapsulation is in keeping with my life-long passion for natural health and healing. During my pregnancy with my son, I became fascinated by women's health, particularly during pregnancy and postpartum. It was through this exploration that I found our about the potential supportive affects of placenta went on to encapsulate my own placenta myself. The benefits that I received were life-changing and I knew that I had to bring this information and awareness to other women. Often times after the baby has been born, the mother's needs are not given the attention they deserve and her own self-care routines are completely interrupted. I knew that this could also be the case for me, but having my placenta pills at hand gave me an added support that helped me transition into motherhood.

As a postpartum doula, I love supporting mothers in the early weeks following childbirth. It is a joy for me to watch a mama becoming connected to her new baby and feel at ease knowing that the essentials are taken care of by her doula. My biggest goal as a doula, is for my clients to let themselves be nurtured and taken care of while they recover. By allowing themselves this break, mothers recover more effectively so they feel strong and well enough to re-enter their busy lives once they are ready. See more about my services as a postpartum doula here.

My background and training: I received my postpartum doula training through CAPPA and my placenta encapsulation training though Placenta Benefits, though I have also done much personal exploration and study around placentas and the ritual of honoring it. I have taken advanced courses on herbalism in pregnancy and postapartum and attended the NACEF conference on Prevention and Solutions for Postpartum Mood Disorders. I have been a volunteer group faciliator and done phone support with The Baby Blues Connection since 2011. As part of volunteering, I was trained in methods of recognizing perinatal mood disorders and ways of supporting people experiencing them. My most recent continuing education experience brought me to the Rosehip Street Medic Collective, where I took a 20 hour street medic training, learning basic and emergency first-aid.

I've been a guest blogger for NW Kid's Magazine, Nurtured Moms and have been printed in Birth Rites, a Western Australian birth journal about healing following Ceasarean Sections.

Я говорю по-русски. I have spent close to a year in various parts of Russia and am knowledgeable about Russian/Slavic culture and customs. Please let me know if you would prefer to conduct our exchanges in Russian.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband Jared and son Lev. I am also the editor for the magazine Hip Mama, as well as a volunteer for The Baby Blues Connection and a member of the Birth Support Network. I love our beautiful Oregon landscape, gardening, musical performance, swimming in cold rivers and being active in my community. I am honored to be part of my clients' postpartum care and I hope that I can be a part of yours.