I was born & raised in Kanagawa, Japan and came to the United States in 1999 as a college student. To study abroad was sort of a wild idea to most of my friends and family as English is my second language, but I earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Oregon (Eugene is such a lovely and free place to be !) and established my career as a designer in California. At that time I fell in love with the love of my life and had gained so much confidence and a sense of accomplishment.....   

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      While working in a corporate world pushing myself to meet project deadlines and sales figures for a decade, I did not think for a second that making a family would be any harder than that. Well, I had no clue. I was finally fortunate to go through a viable pregnancy after miscarriages, infertility treatments, and a high risk pregnancy. When I thought my rough path was over, I was hit by an overwhelming postpartum life: bodyfeeding challenges, sleep deprivation, and loss of my identity. As euphoric as the experience was, I felt discouraged. I felt underqualified. 

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"No one told me how hard it'd be. How the heck am I supposed to do THIS?"

     

       I soon realized that this society lacks support and understanding for the vulnerable time. Family leave is not mandated or too short, not giving your body and mind the time it needs to heal. Healthcare system is so broken that new parents are basically left alone. Expectations of new parents are so high that they feel so pressured. My perspective shifted entirely after my first birth. Although I was staying in a corporate job a few years after, my heart was in the birthing and parenting community. I jumped on a professional postpartum doula training at the age of 40 as my birthday gift to myself. And after a few years of postpartum doula practice, I also got trained in labor & birth doula to widen my knowledge to better serve the community. 

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      Childbirth is transformative and it should be celebrated by compassionate and continuous support. My mission as a doula is to nurture new parents' confidence and help build their resilience during this transformative experience. As our ancestors did, this journey is not meant to go through alone. 

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Professional Trainings and Credentials: 

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•  Professionally Trained By DONA International   (May 2018)

•  Pediatric CPR & First Aid ADE Certified 

•  Certified Lactation Educator Counselor by UC San Diego  (April 2019)  

•  Babywearing for Birth Workers & Beyond by MamaBird LA (June 2019)

•  Art and Science of Lactation & Sleep Workshop by Moorea Malatt, CPD, CLC, CLEC (January 2020) 

• Certified by DONA International as Postpartum Certified Doula, CPD (March 2020)  

• Labor & Birth Doula Training by DONA International (Aug 2020) 

• Multicultural Postpartum Recovery - Malaysian Style- by Valerie Lynn of Eco Postnatal Care (Nov 2020)

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My Availability & Testimonials are Here on DoulaMatch.

 

Check out my Instagram account Here for postpartum, lactation, & parenting tips/hacks.

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