About Gracie

• birth
• postpartum
• training
• background
• affiliations

As a doula, I help families sift through and synthesize information to find what is right for each individual. I help you to tune into your instincts, to trust yourself, and I assist you in achieving your goals.  You can let go of stress and apprehension by knowing you have a knowledgeable and supportive presence with you.  This allows both partners to be more relaxed through the birth and postpartum process. And while this makes for greater enjoyment, it also facilitates an easier childbirth and postpartum adjustment. Read more about the benefits of doula support.

BIRTH

As a birth doula, I work with a mother or couple to plan and prepare, synthesize information, and get to know their options and preferences. I also encourage flexibility--a skill that comes in handy as parents as well! During birth, my role can often be that of a guide, assisting a woman in finding techniques to cope with labor's intensity, and helping her to feel strong, supported, and informed in her choices. I also support and guide a woman’s partner, so that he or she can be involved and supportive in whatever way is comfortable for the couple. I facilitate communication amongst the birth team, offer relaxation techniques, comfort massage, labor positioning, and provide encouragement and perspective on what’s normal in labor. I understand that there is a “range of right”—that a satisfying birth experience can take many different shapes and forms.  My belief is that a positive birthing experience--supported, confident, informed, and loving--lays the groundwork for a healthy family.  It is why I named my practice BirthRoot.

POSTPARTUM

The postpartum transition is easily overlooked in planning for baby's arrival. As a postpartum doula, I help a couple address the practicalities of the first days and weeks, and set themselves up for success. This includes assisting with a postpartum plan, nurturing the new parents, and assiting with newborn care and feeding. I help parents learn about their babies, navigate new relationships, and build a community of resources and support. I nurture and educate new parents, and help create space for communication. I assist moms and partners in finding a parenting approach that works for them, and help connect them with local resources. Postpartum doula support is varied--it can be one time for just a few hours, or on-going for a number of weeks.  This support is elemental in developing  strong roots and solid ground for a growing family.

TRAINING

I am trained as a birth and postpartum doula through DONA International and adhere to their ethics and standards of practice.  I have also completed Barbara Harper's Waterbirth Credentialing course, a Hypnobabies Doula training course, and Nursing Mothers' Counsel of Oregon's breastfeeding training.

In addition, I have experience in home and hospital settings, in supporting VBACs, families with multiples, IVF, and adoption.  I facilitate a New Moms' Group at New Seasons Seven Corners every Tuesday morning, ten to eleven thirty--come on by!

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

I grew up a Minnesotan farm girl in the land of lefse and “you betcha!” The daughter of a farmer and a nurse, I was taught the importance of caring for people and the natural world. I left the corn fields to attend college at Macalester in St. Paul, Minnesota. A liberal arts school with a strong focus on internationalism and social activism, Macalester offered me opportunities to apply my strong work ethic and caring approach to global issues. Before finishing my geography degree, I spent a year teaching English in China, gaining a first-hand, small-scale perspective on some of the large, global issues I was studying.

After graduation, ready to dive into international development policy work, I took a step back and determined I wanted to work on a more person-to-person level. I moved to San Francisco, and began working in the interior design realm. During this time I cultivated a growing interest in birth--it took me a while to realize I'd accumulated a whole library of books on the subject! I attended my first birth in Oakland in 2006, solidified my desire to work in the enchanted world of mothers and babies, and moved to Portland shortly thereafter to begin training and practicing as a doula.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

DONA International
Birth Support Network
Nursing Mothers Counsel
Waterbirth International
Lamaze International