The most transformative experience of my life, was giving birth to my son Cyrus on a stormy August day in 2017. My pregnancy was extremely unexpected. I endured all the heartaches and joys of growing a human being for 9 months and then the catharsis of pushing him out into the world. My pregnancy and birth softened me and opened me up, beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I gave birth at the hospital attended by midwives and Centered Birthing’s own, Candace Roper as my doula. 

 

It turns out that my unexpected “gift” of baby Cyrus was two-fold. I now not only have a beautiful little boy to nurture, but I also have a passion to empower women in a new way - through birthwork.

 

My background is in songwriting, music education, performance and theatre. I play a bunch of folk instruments: guitar, banjo, ukulele and violin. I’ve toured all across the USA as a folk singer-songwriter and won some awards for my songwriting and banjo-playing. I’ve also worked as an advocate for Eating Disorder Recovery through my folk rock opera called “How to Survive a Poison Apple” about my own recovery from anorexia.

 

My own birth was a revelation to me in how amazing and resilient my body is!  I want women to feel empowered through their journeys into motherhood, no matter how the exact details of her birth unfolds. I look forward to accompanying Candace and Stephanie to birth rooms to advocate for and assist women as they embark on their own transformational experiences of birth. I believe that the more educated a woman is about her choices, the more likely she will be to have a birth that is meaningful and special to her. 

 

As a musician, I call myself a “musical alchemist” which I define as “to transform or transmute” the ineffable into healing stories. Now as a doula-in-training I ask this question of mother’s to be: How will your birth transform and heal you?