I read a passage once that mentioned how incredible it must be for an individual to have found their calling while moving through their life on earth. And they noted how sad it must be for those that never get to experience that feeling during their time on this planet. My experience resonates with the former, and I consider it a true honor to have found my path as a birthworker.

My admiration of pregnancy and birth began at a wee age. I have drawings in crayon of people birthing that were created by my little 5-year-old self. Something sparked a deep desire to be in the birth space, and I carried it with me all throughout my school years. I prepared myself in high school and college for a career as a maternity care provider, but what I witnessed along the way revealed to me that working for the medical industrial complex was not where I was meant to be. I deeply wanted to connect with pregnant people in a more meaningful way. I wanted to support them in their journeys not just through birth but before it and beyond.

In 2004, I was able to attend my first birth as an observer. A couple years later, I participated in my first doula training and officially embraced the world of birthwork. I became involved with a national birth advocacy organization, and the passion for informing people of their birth rights and options grew and grew. In 2012, I began assisting a homebirth midwife in the area. I knew birthing at home was best for my needs, and I went on to welcome 2 children of my own at home under the care of local midwives. Entering motherhood after having served families in their most vulnerable moments of labor, birth, and postpartum shed a whole new light on my work as a doula and midwife assistant. I became Spinning Babies trained. I continued to support local families by expanding my offerings to include evidence-based childbirth education and placenta encapsulation. In 2022, I was invited to join ILM Birth as a midwife assistant and work with Nicole when she launched her independent practice. It has been an honor to work alongside her these past several years, and I am ecstatic for the growth that is to come with being a part of the expansion of the Bear Root team.