It’s hard to believe autumn is already here! Since my last update in March, life has continued its beautiful, busy rhythm. Whether we’ve worked together, met recently, or you’ve been following along from afar—I’m so glad to connect with you again. Here is what’s been happening behind the scenes:
Exciting Professional Milestones Officially Certified NICU Doula: I’m delighted to reveal that I’ve completed all requirements and am now officially certified as a NICU Doula! Supporting families navigating the hospital, specialized care, and the transition back home is deeply close to my heart.After returning home from visiting our son and daughter-in-love in San Jose, I went straight to Saginaw for the Maternal Infant Health Summit, where I finally got to meet and hug one of my favorite people in the world, Mary Farrelly – my NICU trainer and mentor, founder of the NICU Translator and NICU Academy. Not only was it amazing to finally see each other in real life, but I had the joy of watching Mary speak to a large group about the benefits of NICU Doula care for families and their babies’ healthcare teams.
20 years of birthwork, captured in data: Looking back at my career metrics as a Michigan birth doula gave me a lot of feels. The story behind the numbers: The 2018-2020 Dip: A personal tragedy that brought me to my knees and almost took me out of this work, followed by the pandemic. The 2024 Spike: The catalyst that led me to retire from a 20-year massage career and focus entirely on births. A Second 2025-2026 Dip: My dad faced a life-threatening infection, and I became his full-time caregiver through a long and challenging recovery.
By the Numbers: Looking back across my career analytics dashboard, I’m honored to have documented 149 client births!
The Benchmark: Evidence that collaboration between doulas and healthcare systems dramatically reduces cesarean and induction rates compared to CDC NVSS averages.
What Isn’t Shown: The data doesn’t even capture the full scope—NICU support, postpartum care, childbirth education, and mental health advocacy—which have become more prominent in my work over the past few years. I love what I do. Thank you to every family who has trusted me with their most profound moments. 3 more on deck for this year, and 5 tentative for early next year!
A Personal Note
Thank you so much to everyone who reached out following my March update about my dad. I’m happy to share that he is fully recovered! While he’s back on his feet and doing great, I still treasure our weekly visits together to catch up and spend quality time. Balancing caregiving and family has been a grounding reminder of what truly matters.
One thing I realized is that I need better self-care, something I hadn’t even realized was nonexistent during all that caregiving time.My husband & I just returned from a week-long trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We had a wonderful time touring the city, eating amazing German food, and (of course) touring and sampling some of Milwaukee’s best known beers
🎙️A Quick Podcast Update🎙️
A brand-new episode of Metro Detroit Birth Stories is going online soon! To keep this resource growing and inspiring local parents, I need more guests.If you have a birth story—whether empowering, unexpected, or transformative—I would love to feature you.
What I’m Reading: Persevered by Kara Zivin A powerful and deeply insightful read exploring perinatal mental health, resilience, and navigating complex maternal healthcare journeys.
Exciting Professional Milestones
The 2018-2020 Dip: A personal tragedy that brought me to my knees and almost took me out of this work, followed by the pandemic.
The 2024 Spike: The catalyst that led me to retire from a 20-year massage career and focus entirely on births.
The Benchmark: Evidence that collaboration between doulas and healthcare systems dramatically reduces cesarean and induction rates compared to CDC NVSS averages.
What Isn’t Shown: The data doesn’t even capture the full scope—NICU support, postpartum care, childbirth education, and mental health advocacy—which have become more prominent in my work over the past few years.
A Personal Note
