DOULA TEAM

Jess

Sophia M.

&

BIRTH & POSTPARTUM DOULA, LACTATION COUNSELOR

Jess & Sophia

Hey! My name is Jess (she/her).

When I found out that I had (finally) gotten pregnant two years ago, I knew I wanted a doula simply because I wanted someone in the room who had been through this before. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, which meant my husband definitely had no clue what he was getting into.

Well, we were right about one thing: we had no idea what we were doing. And I have no shame saying this! There is a

significant learning curve for first time parents.

After reading all the books, taking all the classes, doing all the research and agonizing over a birth plan, I was sure I had it “figured out” and settled on a no intervention, unmedicated hospital birth (of course!).

But childbirth has a funny way of taking the best-laid plans and saying, “Watch this.”

Baby decided to make himself very comfortable in the womb; I reluctantly agreed to an induction at 42 weeks. And while I won't get into the details of what transpired during labor, I ended up with all the induction methods and then an epidural. Essentially the opposite of what I had planned!

But because we had the support of an incredible doula, I had a positive birth experience. My birth plan may not have come to fruition the way I had hoped, but I had set myself up for an amazing experience by making sure I had the right people in the room. For me, that was my husband and my doula.

After coming out of the fog of the first few months postpartum, I continued to devour anything I came across related to pregnancy and birth. And soon realized that I could put this passion and knowledge to good use helping others feel as good about their birth experience as I feel about mine.

So I became a doula too.

And I couldn't be more excited to partner with you on your birth journey.

Birth is the most badass and sacred thing we do. It transforms us in ways that nothing else does. When we are laboring and birthing our babies, we are extremely vulnerable, so the support (or lack thereof) we have can make or break our experience. That’s where I come in!

I first fell in love with birth while I was pregnant with my first son. I came to understand how truly divine and sacred the journey to parenthood is, and I developed a deep respect for procreation and all that goes with it. After doing lots of research, I planned my perfect birth (ha!), but babies have their own plans. When my labor began deviating from the plan, my doula looked into my eyes and said “You can do this” and I believed her. And I did do it. My son’s birth was completely different from what I had hoped for, but it was mine. What may have been a traumatic experience was still hard, but I credit my doula for creating the space for me to have both agency and dignity.

Only you can birth your baby, but having a supportive team is everything. As your doula I promise to trust you and your body, create space for you to make your own decisions, and to ground you while you travel to and back from what we call “labor land”.

My hope is to be a source of comfort, encouragement, humor and information during your birth journey. Whether you are planning to birth at home, in a hospital, or haven’t decided, I promise to facilitate educated decision-making for you and your partner. Always, the question at the center of my mission is “How will they remember this?”. Your birth experience will stay with you for the rest of your life. Together, let’s make it as empowering and joyful as you deserve.

In addition to being a doula and lactation specialist, I’m also a wife, silversmith, gardener, meditation practitioner and mother of two beautiful boys.

TESTIMONIAL

“Finding and hiring Sophia to be my doula was the best decision I made for myself, my husband and for my baby. She provided support, strength and guidance throughout my entire pregnancy, the 36+ hours I was in labor, and now, as I approach two weeks postpartum. Throughout my pregnancy, Sophia helped me troubleshoot any issues that came up and paired her answers with evidence and research, which I always appreciated. She guided my husband and me so we were as ready as we possibly could be for the birth that we both wanted. During labor, Sophia was on call until we needed her in person. She arrived at my house with her magic doula energy and a magic doula bag fully packed with anything I may have needed. Postpartum, she listened and read in-between the lines, and followed up (as always) with helpful and relevant information. Having Sophia as my doula, without a doubt, prepared me for having the empowered, educated, and enlightened pregnancy and birth experience that I had always hoped for.”

-Jessica & Jonathan