Meet Annie…

I believe I was put on this earth to be a mother. And yet following an emotional struggle with infertility, when I finally welcomed my first child, I felt so totally overwhelmed with everything that came with motherhood: the physical chaos caused by hormones, the stress caused by the difficulties I was having with breastfeeding, and the isolation of feeling solely responsible for this tiny human. I felt so vulnerable and completely ill-equipped to handle everything that was coming at me. It was as if  my innate ability to care for myself and my baby were hijacked by hormones, exhaustion and fear. To cope, I became obsessed with feeding schedules, how to boost my milk production, and sleep routines in hopes of gaining some semblance of control over a situation that felt totally out of control.

My own challenges during these first few months of motherhood are what led me to the path of a postpartum doula. Not only do I love the newborn phase, I am able to empathetically nurture parents who are perhaps experiencing that same sense of overwhelm I experienced, simply facing the challenges associated with the adjustment to parenthood, or those who have little to no idea what to expect. My goal is to empower new parents to trust their inner knowing and gain the competence they need to feel confident and capable. 

Today as a DONA certified postpartum doula, I am excited to bring together my knowledge and passion for babies with my innate grounding, nurturing and compassionate care to new and expanding families. I’ve come to understand that no two families, babies, or even postpartum periods are alike, and I aim to provide non-judgemental, evidence-based physical and emotional support, and seek to meet you where you are each day in your parenting journey. I maintain a wealth of resources for postpartum recovery in Marin County and the Bay Area, and also completed PSI’s Components of Care to deepen my understanding of postpartum mental health challenges, with an extensive referral network of specialists in the perinatal mental health field.

A Boston native, I now live in Mill Valley, CA. For me, self care looks like hiking with my friends and their dogs, being in nature, seeing live music shows, meditating and doing yoga. I am equally obsessed with dogs as I am babies, so I promise to love your fur baby/ies, big or small, as much as I will love your tiny human!

I also facilitate Mama+Babe classes for Kinspace in Mill Valley.