About Stephanie
I am the mother of two children, a compassionate soul, and an avid explorer of thoughts, ideas, stories, places, and people. I aim to live my life with creativity, courage, and kindness, and I cherish authenticity, connection and adventure. I try to embrace the chaos of life and find the treasures hiding in the depths.
I have been involved in the birth world as a doula since 2007. Before that, I was an urban farmer in Chicago, and spent a year as a traveling farm-sitter and volunteer in Europe. I am also a homeschool parent and help run a local homeschool co-op, where I teach theater classes. Most Sundays I work for a local, sustainable farm (Sage Mountain Farm) at the Claremont Farmers Market. Some things I love: singing in my local community chorus (The Claremont Chorale), rollerskating, hiking, walking my dog, reading out loud to my kids, traveling, and cooking (or just eating) good food and drinking wine or cocktails with friends.
As a doula and childbirth educator, I am always pursuing more learning to keep myself excited and engaged in my work and to bring all that I can to my clients.
My Call to Birthwork
My calling to birthwork has spanned over many years and began long before the births of my own children. I first heard the calling to work with birth when I was 20 years old and training to volunteer at a domestic violence shelter in my hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan. During the training I encountered the concept of a “midwife” for the first time. Although I barely knew what it was, I was instantly intrigued. I imagined a midwife as a compassionate and empowering presence who walked alongside birthing people as they traversed the unknown path of labor and birth, and I had the immediate thought that I was meant to be one. It seemed to be a calling that embraced my head, my heart, my hands, and my spirit. Ten years later, after working in urban farming and spending time traveling, I finally took steps toward this goal, attended a doula training, and very quickly began attending births.
My Values
The images that drew me to midwifery hold true for what I value as a doula and childbirth mentor. Being a compassionate guide and holding space for a person’s whole, authentic being continues to inspire me as a doula and a childbirth mentor. The work can be hard at times, both physically and emotionally, but I value being there through the difficult moments, the triumphant moments, and the powerful moments of welcoming new souls into the world.
My Training
- Labor Doula Training & Certification, DONA, 2007-2008
- Spinning Babies Workshop, 2010
- Hypnobabies Doula Workshop, 2011
- Postpartum Doula Training & Certification – CAPPA, 2012-2013
- Doula & Childbirth Educator training, Birthing From Within, 2020 – 2021
- Supporting Transgender Fertility with Trystan Reese, 2021
- CPR & First Aid certification, 2023
- Birth Story Listener training & certification, Birth Story School, 2023
