It’s time to update what’s going on for me and the podcast! It’s been 9 months since I changed the podcast’s direction from sharing stories of struggle to success to becoming parents.

I spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. I thought I’d pick up where I left off - 18 years ago - and go to school to become a midwife, but that’s not what happened. Instead, I went back to school to be a doula and breastfeeding counselor again!

I’ve completed some specialty certifications, the first as an adoption doula. With 5 adoptions and 15 years working with social services, I love the idea of helping a biological mom deliver a baby and having support through her pregnancy, delivery, and healing, as well as helping adopting families with the transition, breastfeeding, and relactation, and working with the bio mom. It also opened up being a surrogacy doula which has many similarities.

The other certification that I’m incredibly passionate about is as a bereavement doula through stillbirthday.com As a mama who has experienced 3 miscarriages, including twins at 16 weeks, I decided to make this the pro bono part of my business. I work with women who have or are experiencing miscarriage, fatal diagnosis, stillbirth, or NICU and I can do so much while you’re going through this. I also have a program if time has passed. This has taken off in several directions that I’ll discuss on a specific episode and I love being able to make such a difficult situation, as positive as it can be.

I will be one of the first doulas in NV to become a Molina Medicaid provider and realized through a few other options that most likely 100% of my doula clients will be Medicaid. I’m currently at the end of licensing.

I am also planning on taking training through the hospital as well as opioid drug use training, to work through Medicaid and the hospitals to serve these women.

I thought I’d go back to working predominantly with homebirths, however, God has different plans for me and I am ecstatic! I’ll be serving an almost un-served population of women, and quite honestly - they deserve it.

The first episode of becoming parents: https://youtu.be/2QWHPs94HqM

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