Hi there, I’m Michelle!
I am a mother. I am a wife. I am a sister. I am a soul sister. I am a forever student. I am a teacher. I am a coach. I am a leader. I am an ally. I am an empath. I am an introverted extrovert. I am a hippie at heart. I am a free spirit and an independent thinker. I am a caregiver. I am a Doula.
After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in Kinesiology and teacher certification, I spread my wings and moved to California from New Jersey. I got into hot yoga, spent all my time outdoors, and it was there that I had my daughter via “emergency cesarean” in 2011. I completed my masters degree in leadership and administration and went from a health and physical education teacher to an assistant principal at a middle school.
After 14 years in education in California, I moved back to northern New Jersey where I was born and raised. After a cesarean birth with my daughter, I wanted to have a vaginal delivery, and with the support of my birth team, I had a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with my son in April 2019. The difference between my births and experience was profound. This got me deeper into the world of birth and pregnancy and before I knew it, the doula seed was planted!
Certifications
CD(DONA) - Certified Birth Doula, through DONA International
American Red Cross - Certified Instructor in Adult, Child, Infant CPR/AED/First Aid
American Red Cross - Certified CPR/AED/First Aid for Adult, Child, Infant
Non-violent parenting course - ECHO Center, Los Angeles, CA
Growing my network slowly and organically while still teaching full-time, I knew that birth work was what my heart and soul was calling me to do. I left the teaching profession to be a full-time doula and haven’t looked back!
As a teacher, leader, administrator, coach, and advocate for my students and their families for over 2 decades, it is ingrained in me to bring my passion for advocacy, education, and personal connection to my clients. I am not only a lifelong teacher, but also a true lifelong learner and lover of human connection, and this shows up greatly in my work as a doula.
I have an altruistic nature about me, and the transition to doula work from public education was the obvious path. The prenatal education piece that a good doula can provide can absolutely make a difference in your labor and your birth experience. Knowledge is power. Power is using information and education and your own personal beliefs to make decisions. Power is knowing what to expect. Knowing what to expect begins to lower the fear factor. Quieting the fear lowers the tension. Which ultimately allows you to Surrender to the Flow…
Contact Michelle
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