My love for birth began very early in my life, as a young child, I was always interested in listening to people share their birth stories. If there was a new baby in the neighborhood, I was sure to be found in their home cuddling the baby and helping around the house.
I was born and raised in Colombia, and in our culture, it is customary for the birthing person to stay indoors for the first 40 days following the baby’s birth. During this time, the birthing person is loved by all. Visitors share their birth and postpartum stories, traditions and knowledge while loving on the parents, and helping with anything that is needed around the home.
Family members, dear friends and neighbors take turns cooking and cleaning for the new family, and doing all kinds of traditional rituals and baths to cleanse the home. On day 40th of the postpartum period they do a cleansing bath for the birthing person, to prepare the individual for this new cycle of their life. In my opinion, this kind of support is crucial because it allows the parents to focus solely on their baby, and the physical and emotional recovery of the birthing individual. Regardless of your beliefs and cultural traditions, having a well-supported transition into parenthood should be the norm everywhere in the world.
When I became a mother in New York, I assumed that all expecting parents and new parents received this same treatment, as this was all that I knew. I expected everyone to receive compassionate, personalized prenatal care, a transformative birth experience full of love and support, and lots of postpartum care. But there was no such thing, my doctors and midwives were amazing, super knowledgeable and professional, but they were very busy and most of them seemed to always be in a rush.
Furthermore, I realized that if our parents live overseas, they may not be able to come visit immediately after the baby’s birth. All other family members and friends usually work full time and are only able to visit and help sporadically, if at all. Partners usually go back to work very soon after the baby’s birth and can’t be around to help as much as they’d like to. I quickly realized that maternal health, the birth experience, and the postpartum care here was not at all what I was used to.
This is when I decided to begin my journey as a support person for my loved ones and their loved ones, during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period, but I was doing it as my time permitted only.
Years later, as I became a mother for the second time, I decided to become a professional doula and make this my lifelong labor of love. Since then, I have trained and certified as a Birth and Postpartum Doula through Doula Trainings International (DTI). I have also trained as a Lactation Counselor through The Center For Breastfeeding, and obtained certification through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP). I have attended over 300 births as a professional doula, and supported over 800 families in their postpartum period and as a Lactation Counselor.
I enjoy supporting people as they learn about the choices that are available to them, and make informed decisions. I love supporting birthing families to achieve THEIR ideal birth and THEIR ideal postpartum experience.