Support of the Still Parent
The opposite of
death is birth
To be alive is the experience unfolding in this moment
My work centers on women and families during pregnancy, postpartum, and loss.
I help you name what has shifted, tend to what hurts, honor what has been lost, and anchor into the new life that is forming within and around you.
You do not have to navigate this alone. I walk with you; regulating the nervous system, creating safety, and restoring your ability to feel grounded, connected, and held.
WHAT WE ADDRESS
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Addressing the loss of birth
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Parenthood and it's roll in our lives
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Postpartum
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Recognizing family dynamics identify patterns
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Comfort and self care routine
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Discussions focused on identifying and focusing on perseverance
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Knowing how to solve problems
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Having and building healthy nurturing relationships with others
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Meeting basic needs
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Managing emotions
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The ability to rebound after loss and pain
PREPARING FOR THE EXPERIENCE
How do we step into the sacred space between birth and death with grace and empathy.
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Pregnant
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Ready to deliver
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First months through the year
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Experiencing end of life or loss of birth
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Grief and the tasks of mourning
Doula’s assist during significant health related experiences: childbirth, stillbirth, miscarriage, abortion. Preparing for or experiencing end of life. A trained professional who provides physical and emotional support.
Dear Parents,
I am a compassionate responder
Reach out for help
Where to begin - When your baby has died A stillbirth causes overwhelming grief. You and your partner are sharing the loss of a precious part of yourselves as well as the loss of future dreams and plans. This is your time to say both hello and goodbye to your baby. This time can be very important to you and to all the members of your family. The hospital staff will support you and do their best to accommodate your wishes.
When grief gets hard Breath When we get tense, we tend to hold our breath or have short, shallow breaths. First just notice that you are breathing and then try slowing it down, breathing more into your belly, and exhaling a little longer than you inhale. Move your body This doesn’t have to be a sport (but it can be) — take a walk, do a push-up, dance, or try cleaning. It's strange, but it can help. Grief has no timeline, but it really does change over time. Be a good friend to yourself Take a moment to acknowledge how new and different this is and tell yourself, “Even if I’m overwhelmed right now, I will figure this out.” And then… Ask for help We know, this one can be really hard and scary to do. Keep it simple and remember that people usually want to help, they are just waiting to be asked.
Dear Little One,
I held you in my heart from the moment I knew you were there.
You were a flicker of light in my body, a dream that bloomed quietly beneath my skin. I imagined your laugh, your eyes, the way you might have curled your fingers around mine. I whispered stories to you in the dark, and made space for you in my soul.
And then, you left. Not with a cry, but with silence. Not with a goodbye, but with absence.
Still, you changed me. You made me softer in places I didn’t know were hard.
You made me braver in ways I didn’t know I’d need to be.
You made me a mother, not in the way the world sees, but in the way my heart beats. I carry you with me. In the quiet moments. In the way I love more fiercely. In the way I grieve more gently. You were never a loss. You were a beginning.
Love always, Mama