Hello! My name’s Heather
When I was pregnant with my second child I was dreaming of birthing in solitary (maybe in the woods!). During a meditation I had an epiphany that not only did I want a doula at my birth, but also that I also wanted to become a doula! I started researching and took my doula training in early 2023 with my then 6 month old in tow.
I see birth as a beautiful time for support and connection, and the loving care you receive from your support team is a transformative way to begin the new phase of life that your baby is starting!
I’m a certified birth and postpartum doula serving the Corvallis area. I also have my Traditional Healthcare Worker certification and am a member of the Community Doula Program. If you have OHP, IHN, or PacificSource healthcare we can potentially bill through those with the Community Doula Program for my services.
I am nonbinary and welcome trans and gender non-conforming clients and families. I have two young children and have lived experience with prematurity, NICU stays, and pregnancy loss. I have experienced a birth center birth, hospital transfer, epidural birth, and unmedicated hospital birth. Additionally I have personal experience and experience working as a doula for several infants who struggle to feed and gain weight.
I grew up in Corvallis and feel deeply connected to the community here. I worked in early childhood education for several years after graduating from UO while also moving around the country, enjoying spending time in both San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. Both of those cities also allowed me to pursue modern dance which I’ve enjoyed since I was a child! Dancing, yoga, and movement are a huge part of who I am and there’s a deep connect for me between movement and birth work. I find joy, peace, and belonging in movement, building community, and sharing the things I love with my children.
Let’s connect and see if it feels like a good match!
Photo credit: Tom Fenske Photography
Lets schedule a free get-to-know-you meet!
Why a doula?
Some benefits of doula-attended births have been shown to include higher apgar scores, shorter labor, reduction in unplanned cesarean births, and higher rates of breastfeeding.
source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/
Photo credit: When a Belly Blooms
“people who received continuous support were more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births and less likely to have any pain medication, epidurals, negative feelings about childbirth, vacuum or forceps-assisted births, and Cesareans”
source: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/