Offering a steady hand during big transitions

Hi, I’m Olivia!

Hi friends, my name is Olivia, and I’m passionate about supporting birthing folks through BIG transitions! Whether it’s pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or all of the above, I’m here to make sure that you feel empowered and encouraged.

I am DONA trained (currently pursuing full DONA certification), and have completed both childbirth education and lactation support education courses.

I’m a big believer in the power of community to step up and step in for each other, and am thrilled to use my skills and experience to participate in a role rooted in years of cultural and communal practice to serve those around me.

My Approach

My Priorities

In my practice, I prioritize autonomy and empowerment. This is YOUR birth, and my goal is for you to know you can do it, and do it in a way that works best for you and your baby. To accomplish this, I focus on The Four Pillars of doula care.

The Four Pillars

  1. Physical Support: Physical support can provide a feeling of safety, relief, and distraction from pain. It can calm you and allow your body to stay relaxed, so labor will progress smoothly.

    Examples of physical support include helping hold birthing positions, applying counter-pressure, and helping the birthing person stay hydrated and fed.

  2. Emotional Support: Doulas provide a supportive presence, helping you feel cared for, centered in your care, and feel a sense of pride and empowerment after birth.

    Examples of emotional support include creating and repeating mantras, offering words of praise and encouragement, and actively listening to questions, concerns, and needs of the birthing person.

  3. Informational Support: Doulas can help keep you informed about what’s going on with the course of labor, as well as help you calmly discuss evidence-based information about birth options.

    Examples of informational support include helping create a birth plan, walking through questions during pregnancy, describing options to the birthing person before proceeding

  4. Advocacy: One of the main goals for a doula is for you feel in control and heard throughout your birthing experience. Our job is to ensure that your desires and decisions are being honored, which can look different from person to person.

    Examples of advocacy include facilitating clear communication and a sense of collaboration between you and your care providers, and amplifying your voice if you’re not being heard

How Can I Help?

  • Birth doulas provide continuous support through labor and birth. They bring a non-medical approach that focuses on providing emotional and physical support, sharing information, and helping prepare you and your support system prior to birth.

    A birth package with me includes at least two prenatal visits, support during your entire labor, and at least one postpartum visit.

    Prenatal visits can include…

    • Birth Plan prep

    • Home Birth Setup Prep

    • Birthing position ideas and practice

    • Emotional Support/Chatting through questions, concerns, and big feelings!

    Labor Support includes…

    • Support through early to active labor, transition/birth, and into the golden hour until client is resting and stable

    • Physical Support: Help getting into and holding various positions, applying counter pressure, breath-work, keeping you and your partner fed & hydrated

    • Emotional Support: Encouragement; helping you feel empowered, in control, and at peace

    • Advocacy: Supporting and encouraging your voice, facilitating communication with medical provider if needed

    • Space Curation: Playing music, setting up any preferred lighting or scent diffusers

    • Partner Support: Encouragement, Nourishment, tagging in to birth positions during long labors, delegating tasks, etc…

    Postpartum Support can include…

    • Birth Experience debrief

    • Connection to resources

    • Light households tasks such as laundry, dishes, and meal prep

    • Help with baby such as putting down for a nap, feeding, taking baby off your hands so you can take a moment for self care

  • Postpartum doulas provide sustained support to birthing people following birth. In comparison to birth doulas, who may offer one or two visits, postpartum doulas provide support in the first months after birth. They provide families with emotional support and information, as well as offer practical support such as assisting with nap times, feedings, cleaning bottles and pump parts, etc..

    A postpartum package with me is flexible! Our exact schedule varies from family to family depending on individual needs. I can hop on as early as needed, and typically don’t work with families once they’ve passed the ten to twelve week mark.

    Postpartum Support can include…

    • Birth Experience debrief

    • Connection to resources

    • Light households tasks such as laundry, dishes, and meal prep

    • Help with baby such as putting down for a nap, feeding, taking baby off your hands so you can take a moment for self care

  • Some folks want to combine my birth and postpartum services and receive support from pregnancy through the first couple of months of postpartum. Having one person by your side for the entire process can add some extra peace and comfort to the entire transition.

    Prenatal visits can include…

    • Birth Plan prep

    • Home Birth Setup Prep

    • Birthing position ideas and practice

    • Emotional Support/Chatting through questions, concerns, and big feelings!

    Labor Support includes…

    • Support through early to active labor, transition/birth, and into the golden hour until client is resting and stable

    • Physical Support: Help getting into and holding various positions, applying counter pressure, breath-work, keeping you and your partner fed & hydrated

    • Emotional Support: Encouragement; helping you feel empowered, in control, and at peace

    • Advocacy: Supporting and encouraging your voice, facilitating communication with medical provider if needed

    • Space Curation: Playing music, setting up any preferred lighting or scent diffusers

    • Partner Support: Encouragement, Nourishment, tagging in to birth positions during long labors, delegating tasks, etc…

    Postpartum Support can include…

    • Birth Experience debrief

    • Connection to resources

    • Light households tasks such as laundry, dishes, and meal prep

    • Help with baby such as putting down for a nap, feeding, taking baby off your hands so you can take a moment for self care

  • I’ve found that some families have a need for support specifically for older children to help them process the birth of a new sibling. This can include support before, during, and after labor, depending on your family’s needs.

    Sibling Support can include…

    • Meeting and chatting with the older children before the birth to address questions, fears, and prepare them for a new sibling

    • During labor, offer supervision and care, providing distraction and play away from the birthing space, or offering a calming presence and support within the birthing space if you’d like the siblings present

    • Help children step into their older sibling roles postpartum, embracing and helping parents with their newest addition

    • Offering care and supervision postpartum, distracting, playing, and caring for the older kids to allow their parents some time to focus on their newborn

Let’s Chat!

Think we might be a good fit? I’d be happy provide a free consultation to get to know each other a bit better.