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

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.

Postpartum depression is not weakness.In 15+ years of birthwork, I’ve seen how quickly we expect women to “bounce back.”...
03/13/2026

Postpartum depression is not weakness.

In 15+ years of birthwork, I’ve seen how quickly we expect women to “bounce back.”

Six-week check.
Cleared.
Back to normal.

Except she’s not.

Hormones crash.
Sleep disappears.
Identity shifts.
Breastfeeding challenges stack up.

Postpartum depression and anxiety are medical conditions — not personal failures.

If a new mother says:
“I don’t feel like myself.”

Believe her.

Support her.
Slow down expectations.
Normalize asking for help.

Strong women still need support. Ask me for a referral.

Pregnancy after loss isn't usually “exciting.” It’s layered.After a miscarriage or stillbirth, a new pregnancy doesn’t e...
03/09/2026

Pregnancy after loss isn't usually “exciting.” It’s layered.

After a miscarriage or stillbirth, a new pregnancy doesn’t erase fear.

It adds complexity.

Joy can exist.
Gratitude can exist.
And so can anxiety.

I've often heard women say,
“I should just be happy.”

No.

You are allowed to monitor symptoms obsessively.
You are allowed to hold your breath at appointments.
You are allowed to protect your heart.

Pregnancy after loss requires care — and emotional support.

Both matter.

We don’t talk about this enough.
But we should.

No, tequila is not a postpartum recovery plan.Postpartum recovery is not:• Bouncing back in 6 weeks• Pretending you’re f...
03/08/2026

No, tequila is not a postpartum recovery plan.

Postpartum recovery is not:

• Bouncing back in 6 weeks
• Pretending you’re fine
• Hosting visitors
• Cleaning your house
• “Getting your body back”

It is:
• Bleeding
• Hormone crashes
• Milk coming in
• Sleep deprivation
• Identity shifts

And sometimes crying in the shower.

You don’t need to power through.
You need support.

And hydration. Real hydration. Not the salted rim kind.

03/08/2026

No, tequila is not a postpartum recovery plan.

Postpartum recovery is not:

• Bouncing back in 6 weeks
• Pretending you’re fine
• Hosting visitors
• Cleaning your house
• “Getting your body back”

It is:
• Bleeding
• Hormone crashes
• Milk coming in
• Sleep deprivation
• Identity shifts

And sometimes crying in the shower.

You don’t need to power through.
You need support.

And hydration. Real hydration. Not the salted rim kind.

(Though someday, yes. Earned.)

Birth plans are not contracts.Here’s what 15+ years in birth rooms taught me:Birth is physiological.Birth is hormonal.Bi...
03/06/2026

Birth plans are not contracts.

Here’s what 15+ years in birth rooms taught me:

Birth is physiological.
Birth is hormonal.
Birth is unpredictable.

Preparation matters.
Education matters.
Support matters.

But rigidity? That’s where fear lives.

The goal isn’t control.
The goal is informed flexibility.

When women understand what’s happening in their bodies, interventions become decisions — not emergencies.

That shift changes everything.

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Reno, NV
89511

Telephone

+17755442696

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