Who am I?
Some people nerd out about sci-fi or engineering, but I nerd out about birth.
When I was 16 years old, I bought a birth book from the sale table at the Borders Books in downtown Portland, OR and I read it cover to cover. I was fascinated! Back then I kept my fascination to myself because I thought I was weird for being in love with birth.
I still think I’m weird, but it doesn’t bother me so much anymore.
Later, when I was nearly 24, I gave birth to my first child, a daughter (see birth photo collage above), and the birth was incredibly positive. I wanted everyone to feel this good as they entered life after birth.
So I began to pursue a certification in childbirth education with ICEA. For this process I needed to attend a few births and I accomplished it by volunteering to be labor support. With that, I discovered I had a knack for supporting birth.
It took me a while to become a childbirth educator because my second child, a son, was born in between starting and finishing the training. His birth was so enjoyable that almost as soon as it was over I felt sad that I would never do it again! (Spoiler alert, I did do it again).
After being an untrained volunteer doula for several births, I opted to get trained and certified with DONA as a birth doula.
It wasn’t until my son was almost 3 and my daughter 7, in 2009, that I began to teach and attend births in earnest and I have never looked back.
It always feels like a privilege to accompany a family through the enormous transformation that is birth. There’s just no simple way to get a human out of another human. It’s a process.
Besides attending births, I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, reading books, listening to podcasts, thinking about life, the universe and everything, and baking sweets when I’m in the mood.
I live with my partner of 20+ years, my 2 cats, and 1.5 children (the big one is in college) in our little house in St. Johns, Portland, OR.
I am certified with DONA International as a birth doula, certified with ICEA as a childbirth educator. I am trained in Spinning Babies, an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor, a member of the Portland Doula Association, and a member of the Portland Doula Collective.
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Some nice things people have said about me as a doula
“
Scarlett made all the difference in me having a secure, empowered birth. From our first prenatal session she made me feel understood and at ease, and I was able to bring that confidence into my birth. She's the person you'll want to be laughing with when things are ridiculous and leaning on when things are hard.
”
— RACHAEL HM
“
When I met Scarlett I was instantly struck by her easy-going nature and how it made me feel calm just to be around her. What more would you want during childbirth? Additionally, upon our first meeting Scarlett demonstrated her depth of knowledge and her ability to communicate with different personalities. My husband and I have very different approaches to stressful situations, and Scarlett was able to relate to and help us both process and prepare for the events ahead.
”
— KATHRYN
“
It was so helpful to have Scarlett supporting us - she never tried to nudge us toward a particular decision or outcome, but always had plenty of information and experience to share as we tried to figure out what was best for us. I really can't overemphasize how knowledgeable she is! When things seemed like they might be going a little pear-shaped towards the end of the pregnancy, talking through the options with Scarlett was really clarifying and helped us feel confident about how things were progressing.
”
— DAN
“
Scarlett is an amazing doula. She was so helpful and supportive, answering the weirdest questions, helping me with my birth plan and sharing information every step of the way. She is trauma informed and was able to help me navigate aspects of birth that I was afraid would be triggering. I had a wonderful, affirming birth experience and I give her much of the credit for that. She also teaches Evidence Based Birth, which is a birth class that is definitely worth taking.
”
— ALISSA D