ABOUT ME
I have always been fascinated by childbirth and am drawn to the idea of midwifery. However I have been working in the environmental health field for over 10 years. I decided to become a doula in 2005 in order to be the best support possible for my sister at the birth of her first child. The DONA certified training that I took was wonderful, and I immediately looked for people, books and other opportunities to learn more and get more involved. I have been working as a doula ever since. Although I continue my work in environmental health, my work as a doula is extremely rewarding and nourishes a part of me that is separate from the academic research I do in environmental health. I love working so closely with others, developing such close emotional bonds, and being able to see the benefits of my efforts so immediately.
My undergraduate degree is in biochemistry and I have a Masters from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health in the Health, Environment and Development graduate group. I recently completed my dissertation for my PhD at UCB in Environmental Health Sciences, and work on research when not attending births. My computer work gladly waits for me when I need to go to a birth, so the two are very complimentary and I hope to always be able to find a balance between my diverse interests so that I can continue to work as a doula. I have never felt the same connection and love for any of my other jobs. Being a doula is definitely a calling I feel honored to have found.