Birth has been a significant part of my life from my earliest memories! My educational path took me through doula training and on to midwifery. I have had the honor and privilege of supporting hundreds of families in Hawaii and Washington as a midwife for almost 10 years. I’m SO excited to join the team of Expecting Joy as a doula, and bring experience and passion to families as they birth new incredible life into this world!
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Birth has been a significant part of my life from my earliest memories. As a daughter of a midwife, some of my first drawings were of women in labor, one of my first jobs was holding babies during postpartum visits, and many of my first adventures were outings to home births. At a young age, I was “midwife” for many a cat, duck, and chicken on my little farm. I guess you could say I was destined to work in this field!
I began my educational pursuit in nursing school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with the goal to become a Certified Nurse Midwife, envisioning a way to bridge the gap between home and hospital birth. In 2010, my daughter was born at home, undoubtedly and expediently launching my deeper calling to midwifery. I began studying and birth assisting with the only known home birth midwife on the island of Oahu, and collaborating with other birth workers, which opened my eyes to the great need of midwifery care for the women of Hawaii. Realizing the lack of an educational route to midwifery on the island, I continued my training in California with my mother and other home birth midwives, intent on returning to Oahu with the education and experience necessary to help fill that void. Following, I found a wonderful fit at Puget Sound Birth Center in Washington State, where I completed my midwifery training. In 2014, I graduated from National College of Midwifery and became a CPM, Certified Professional Midwife, and LM, Licensed Midwife.
After working in Washington, it was time for me to return home to Hawaii to continue my work in the women’s health care community as a midwife. I spent the next years with passionate intent to make out of-hospital birth more accessible and available to families. I worked with the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, a state wide organization, participated in legislative efforts and experienced working with midwives on Oahu, Big Island and Kauai. I built a private practice from square one, called Born to Birth Midwifery, and combined strengths with BEST Birth Hawaii, a pregnancy and breastfeeding center. I was honored to support many families in their empowering birth stories. Through my lineage and various experiences, I am continually in awe of the human body’s capabilities and grateful to be of witness and guide to women in their transition into motherhood. There is not a time that I am more present and feel more purposeful than when I am at a birth. Over the course of becoming a midwife and in my various practices, it has been my honor and privilege to serve just over 600 families.
In 2018, a synchronistic full circle event has led me back to Puget Sound Birth Center to answer my question of how to balance my adoration for serving women and families in this most important time of their lives and beginnings of our future generations as well as be a loving mother and wife. This opportunity felt like returning home and I was beyond thrilled to be working in a place of the world that I love and with such inspirational dedicated midwives with nothing less than the highest quality of care!
Midwifery has always been and will remain to be a strong calling of mine! Which has indeed grown over my past 5 years working at Puget Sound Birth Center. I am, and will always, stay strongly committed to standing for birth choice and honoring this incredibly special model of care for all families! As for Spring 2023, I’m so excited to join the team of Expecting Joy as a doula, and bring experience and passion to families as they birth new incredible life into this world!
I am also a photographer and videographer, enjoying capturing the authenticity of a moment for clients. While working with my mother in California, together we created a documentary film; ‘The Full Circle of Seasons in the Childbearing Year’ which exemplified the raw power of birthing woman, the roles of partners and the preciousness of new life emerging from informed, prepared, and supported families. Now, I do photography for fun along with family time, adventuring and live with the philosophy of 'carpe diem!'
I believe women are born to birth. It encompasses two experiences - the way a woman gives birth and the way a baby is born.
