Type of Doula/Focus of Care: Birth and postpartum doula offering nutrition counseling focused on intuitive eating and nutrition from preconception to postpartum.

General Structure of Doula Services: I offer tailored packages to fit the needs of you and your family, starting with a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit for working together.  My basic birth package includes two prenatal visits for us to get to know one another and discuss your birth preferences.  We’ll also use this time to learn comfort measures for pregnancy and labor.  If desired, we can discuss your nutrition needs and concerns.  A nutrition consult can be added to your birth package or purchased separately regardless of whether I am your birth doula.  I am available by phone or email for emotional and informational support throughout your pregnancy and will be on-call, 24/7 starting two weeks prior to your estimated due date.  I provide continuous support during active labor and will remain with you after birth as you get settled as a new family.  After birth, I offer two postpartum visits to review and help process your birth experience, provide referrals and information support, help with newborn and new parent care, and support postpartum nourishment.  Additional postpartum hours can be purchased separately from the birth package.

Why did you become a doula?

As someone who seeks to be well informed and is an active participant in making health care decisions for myself and my family, I find that our healthcare system lacks in preparing pregnant people for birth and postpartum – Not to mention in honoring and supporting this monumental life change!  I completed a DONA approved birth doula training in 2021 and continue to learn more about supporting a healthy pregnancy and birth experience.  I am a certified lactation counselor (CLC) and can provide basic support in all methods of infant feeding, including breast/chest feeding and pumping, formula feeding and a combination of methods. I am passionate about helping people find the information they need to truly make an informed choice that is right for them because when you don’t know your options, you don’t have any.  This looks different for everyone, and my goal is to provide unconditional support for you to make the decisions that are best for you and your family. 

Additional projects/non-doula services: I have been a registered dietitian for over 10 years and am passionate about helping people create a peaceful relationship with their bodies and food as well as providing optimal nutrition to support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum healing.  A healthy prenatal diet that meets the unique needs of this nutritionally demanding time, can prevent some complications, lead to a more comfortable pregnancy and have an impact on the health of you and your baby for years to come, yet this is an area that is largely ignored in prenatal care.  There is no one size fits all when it comes to nutrition and having individualized help can make all the difference.  I don’t promote weight loss and practice through a Health at Every Size (HAES) lens.  I am passionate about supporting parents in raising kids that both respect their bodies with good nutrition and honor the inherent goodness of all body shapes and sizes.

Preconception Nutrition Consult:  This is a great time to make changes and improve your nutrition, especially since early pregnancy is often about surviving morning sickness and just eating whatever you can tolerate.  I can also help you work through a history of dieting to improve your relationship with food and your body so you can truly nourish yourself.  This is not appropriate for an active eating disorder, but please reach out and I will try to help you find the right type of support. 

Training and Certification: Trained birth doula working towards certification through DONA, Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and New York State Certified Dietitian Nutritionist; Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with additional training in prenatal yoga.  Currently working on Intuitive Eating certification.  

Fee Structure: Sliding scale from $700-$1000 based on need.  Additional postpartum hours available at $25/hour.

Nutrition consultation: $100 for initial (60-75 minutes); $50 per follow up (30-45 minutes) if purchased separately from doula care.  Add $125 to the doula package if adding a nutrition consult as part of working together.  This will add an additional 2 prenatal visits (45 minutes- 1 hour) to focus on your nutrition.  Nutrition consults are available virtually or in person at your home or another place of our choosing.