I am a DONA-certified Birth Doula with a history of experience and interest in sexual and reproductive health, social and behavior change, health literacy, violence prevention, intercultural training, and gender and racial equity.

 

My initial interest in birth work began in my undergraduate years when I saw a documentary about birth in the United States. After I graduated, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Mozambique for two years. There, I was a health volunteer working primarily in HIV prevention, education, and management, and I also did some malaria prevention. During my service, I had the accidental experience of assisting a birth, and the event briefly made me briefly consider a career in midwifery. Instead, I pursued a Master of Arts in the international sphere.

 

Though I enjoy working internationally, I have happily turned back to my interest in birth as I greatly missed working interpersonally and disseminating information that may improve health outcomes. Much like in my Peace Corps service, I find that the Birth Doula role is essential for supporting health by assisting people as they navigate choices, information, and physical and emotional feelings. I value being able engage in intimate conversations about health and responding to questions and/or rumors that a person may or may not feel comfortable asking in a physician’s office.

 

Eu falo português (I speak Portuguese).