Doula In Reno

Doula In Reno Executive Director | Maternal & End-of-Life Health Advocate | Educator | Speaker | Doula | Co-Founder, Doula Business Blueprint |

I spent 12 years as a birth assistant, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms.

Currently, I'm a Certified Birth Doula for all "happy" births regardless of where and how you deliver. I'm also a Bereavement Doula® helping families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula and Breastfeeding Counselor.

I am Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). I've written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, am a published author of a self-help memoir in 2016, and host of Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. I am a Speaker and have 15+ years of experience in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer.

I am licensed as a Transformational Coach and NLP Practitioner through the ABNLP. I have received targeted training on topics such as crisis intervention, drug & alcohol addiction, surviving trauma, and su***de prevention, which has equipped me with a solid understanding of how to serve others experiencing trauma.

I’m also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and am a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast.

“Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” HOWARD THURMAN

Miscarriage is common. And still rarely talked about honestly.An estimated 10-25% of known pregnancies end in miscarriag...
04/12/2026

Miscarriage is common. And still rarely talked about honestly.

An estimated 10-25% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
The actual number is likely higher due to losses before confirmation.

(Source: ACOG)

Most occur in the first trimester and are often related to chromosomal abnormalities—not something a woman caused.

Not stress.
Not exercise.
Not lifting something “too heavy.”

And yet—many women carry quiet guilt.

What’s also true:

Miscarriage is common.
Grief is individual.
And both deserve space.

We can normalize the data
without minimizing the loss.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To my amazing second daughter, who is now a beautiful adult raising her own munchkins! I'm so proud of y...
04/11/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To my amazing second daughter, who is now a beautiful adult raising her own munchkins!

I'm so proud of you (and you're 30 now????? How is that possible?!)

❤️

Maternal health in Nevada deserves more attention than it gets.Caption:In Nevada:• Severe maternal morbidity has been in...
04/10/2026

Maternal health in Nevada deserves more attention than it gets.

Caption:
In Nevada:

• Severe maternal morbidity has been increasing, mirroring national trends
• Rural access to maternity care remains limited
• Provider shortages impact continuity of care
• Mental health and substance use are significant contributors to outcomes

(Source: Nevada Maternal Mortality Review Committee, CDC)

Nationally:
• The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries
• Most pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable

(Source: CDC)

This is why systems matter.

Access to care.
Education.
Support.

Doulas are one piece of a much larger solution—but an important one.

If we want better outcomes, we have to look beyond individual choices and into structural gaps.

That’s where the real work is.



Citations:
Nevada MMRC Reports
CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To the daughter who made me a Mom.You have been the light of my life - I am so proud of you.
04/08/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To the daughter who made me a Mom.

You have been the light of my life - I am so proud of you.

Pregnancy after loss is not “less joyful.” It’s more complex.Women who are pregnant after loss often hear:“Just relax.”“...
04/07/2026

Pregnancy after loss is not “less joyful.” It’s more complex.

Women who are pregnant after loss often hear:

“Just relax.”
“This time will be different.”
“At least you know you can get pregnant.”

None of that touches the reality.

Pregnancy after loss can include:
• Increased anxiety
• Hypervigilance
• Difficulty bonding early
• A constant awareness of what can go wrong

Research shows anxiety levels are significantly higher in pregnancies following miscarriage or stillbirth.
(Source: After Pregnancy Loss studies, NIH)

This isn’t negativity.
It’s lived experience.

Support during pregnancy after loss should look different:
More check-ins.
More emotional validation.
More space for both hope and fear.

Both can exist.
And often do.

From starting your period to infertility, pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and navigating postpartum, we then experience ...
04/06/2026

From starting your period to infertility, pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and navigating postpartum, we then experience menopause.

Perimenopause has a sense of humor. Unfortunately.

Caption:
You start eating better.
Walking more.
Lifting weights.
Drinking water.

And your body says:
“Let’s redistribute everything.”

Estrogen fluctuations affect:
• Fat storage (especially abdominal)
• Insulin sensitivity
• Sleep quality
• Muscle recovery

(Source: North American Menopause Society)

This isn’t you “falling off.”

It’s physiology.

The strategy shifts:
Lift heavier.
Prioritize protein.
Protect sleep.
Support hormones.

Same woman.
Different biology.

And yes… it can be deeply annoying.



Citation:
North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

Last week was World Doula Week. And honestly, we need more than a week.Doulas are often talked about like a “nice extra....
04/06/2026

Last week was World Doula Week. And honestly, we need more than a week.

Doulas are often talked about like a “nice extra.”

They’re not.

Research shows continuous labor support is associated with:
• Lower cesarean rates
• Shorter labors
• Reduced need for pain medication
• Higher satisfaction with birth experiences

In Nevada, we’re still building access.

Through DOULA CO-OP of Nevada, the focus is:
• Medicaid integration
• Workforce development
• Hospital partnerships
• Rural access

This isn’t about trends.
It’s about outcomes.

One week of recognition is nice.
Sustained systems change is better.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To this little lady "bug" who has beat all the odds and is now a Mommy herself!I love you to the moon an...
04/04/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To this little lady "bug" who has beat all the odds and is now a Mommy herself!

I love you to the moon and back.

Perimenopause is not betrayal. It’s biology.Estrogen fluctuations in perimenopause can:• Increase central fat storage• A...
03/22/2026

Perimenopause is not betrayal. It’s biology.

Estrogen fluctuations in perimenopause can:

• Increase central fat storage
• Alter insulin sensitivity
• Disrupt sleep
• Increase cortisol sensitivity

So yes — you can lift weights, eat well, hydrate…
And still notice body changes - often big changes.

This is not laziness.
It’s endocrine physiology.

Muscle training is imperative.
Protein intake matters.
Sleep becomes non-negotiable.

Hormones shift. Strategy adjusts.

Same woman. Different phase.

Ask me how I turned the tables on my menopause journey (or go to the link to my blog where I go into detail) , and who I used in Northern Nevada to finally help!



Citations:
North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Position Statements
NIH Office on Women’s Health

03/20/2026

Interventions are not failures.

In the U.S.:

• About 32% of births are via cesarean.
• About 70% of laboring women receive epidural analgesia.
• Induction rates are approximately 30–40%, depending on region.

Birth is not a purity contest.

The goal is not “natural at all costs.”
The goal is informed consent.

When women understand benefits, risks, and alternatives, birth becomes participatory instead of reactive.

That’s the difference.

Doulas statistically reduce these rates by offering education, support, and helping you find your voice for advocacy. If an unmedicated birth is your goal, doulas will bring out everything in their "bag of tricks" to support you and your goals, regardless of whether you're delivering at home, a birth center, or the hospital.

Ask me how you can get support.



Citations:
CDC National Vital Statistics Reports (latest year available)
Grobman et al., NEJM 2018 (ARRIVE Trial)

Age affects fertility. But not in the dramatic way social media portrays.Here’s what we actually know:• Female fertility...
03/16/2026

Age affects fertility. But not in the dramatic way social media portrays.

Here’s what we actually know:

• Female fertility begins to gradually decline in the early 30s.
• The decline becomes steeper after 37.
• By 40, the chance of conception per cycle is about 5–10%.
• About 1 in 8 couples experience infertility.

Infertility issues are more common than we think.
It is not a mindset issue.

Yes, egg quality changes with age.
But so does access to reproductive technology.

IVF, IUI, donor eggs, embryo testing, and private companies have changed the landscape dramatically. (see one of my last podcast episodes on infertility)

What I’ve learned in 15+ years of birthwork and in my own infertility struggle 34+ years ago.

Hope needs accurate information.
Fear needs context.
Women deserve both.



Citations:
ACOG Committee Opinion No. 589 (Female Age-Related Fertility Decline)
CDC National Survey of Family Growth

03/15/2026

One of the reasons I’ve loved birthwork for so long? (And my own kiddos obviously!)

Children ask direct questions.

Adults filter.
They minimize.
They pretend they’re fine.

Pregnant women often whisper the real questions:
“Am I enough?”
“What if I panic?”
“What if I don’t feel connected right away?”

Kids would just ask it out loud.

Maybe we should sometimes, too.

Also… my third favorite color is yellow. In case anyone was wondering.

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Reno, NV
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