About Brooke

My name is Brooke and I am a stay at home mom of two little ones. The birth of my daughter started me on my path as a doula, and the birth of my son was wonderful because of all I have learned on that path. I love being a doula because I get to help educate and support women during a very important part of their lives. The memories of pregnancy and birth last forever, and I am able to help make them better for my clients. It’s an important job.

I've always enjoyed caring for people, and have been drawn to childbirth for many reasons. Pregnancy is a fascinating process; labor is an incredible transition. For every woman, the birth of her first child makes her a mother, and the birth of her last signals a new time of growth in her life. Every birth should be something the mother can look back on with joy, remembering what strength it took for her to birth her baby.

A woman’s body is made just for birth, and seeing the process take place is like watching a miracle. After the birth of my daughter, I researched everything that happened, and found I couldn’t stop there. I began to learn all I could about birth, about hospital interventions, possible complications, and ways to help mothers in labor. I began mostly in preparation for my next child, but I learned so much that I hadn’t known before, and I felt a need to share my knowledge with other women. After I began attending births, and saw a positive effect on the families, I became confident that I was doing the right thing.

New research related to pregnancy and birth comes out weekly, there’s so much it’s not difficult to see why most parents feel overwhelmed by the decisions they must make. I enjoy passing on the important information to my clients, to help them in their decision-making process. I feel that having correct information will make them more confident in making decisions and feel they have some control over the circumstances of their birth experience. Giving that control back to families helps them to begin with confidence.

The absolute best part of being a doula, however, is watching as a new mother is born. Seeing her hold her newborn to her chest for the first time, lay eyes on her child for the first time, is my very favorite part. It is a moment most mothers wish to hold onto as long as they can, and I am able to see it over and over.

Becoming a doula and childbirth educator put all of these important things together: my joy at caring for others; my understanding of the process of labor; and most of all, my feeling that mothers, even in labor, are not having their needs met.

It is simply an extension of who I am.

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My husband and I

My daughter moments after birth My son and I moments after his birth

These pictures were taken on our trip to NY this year to celebrate my son’s first birthday.

I am a member of a local birth professionals network, Birth Alliance of Central California (formerly known as the Central Valley Birth and Family Network). I have been a part of the group since soon after its conception and am honored to hold the current board position of Public Relations Chair. I am an active member of La Leche League and Nurturing Moms, both mother’s organizations that support families. I am in the process of certifying as a Childbirth Educator through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association), of which I am also a member. I believe strongly that every family has the right to make informed decisions, that every mother deserves a birth team that respects her wishes, and that the newborn state is a profoundly important one, in which the baby should be respected and protected.

When I am not on call, my family and I enjoy traveling to Renaissance faires and highland games. When I am on call, we are likely found in a local bookstore or park.

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