I offer many different kinds of doula support including birth - with a particular interest in supporting those who are birthing people of size, seeking a VBAC, and/or an out-of-hospital birth – postpartum, and more. I believe that all birthing people should be supported in choosing when, how, and where they birth and beyond.

As a mom of three, I’ve navigated the course of full-term pregnancy, birth, and postpartum three times and have had vastly different experiences each time. Along the way, I learned what it means to advocate for myself, that I have a choice and a say in my healthcare and reproductive journey, and that all people deserve to feel empowered in using their voice and making those decisions for themselves as well.

After a very long labor, and a traumatic and unexpected cesarean birth with my first baby, I spent a lot of time working to heal myself and prepare for my second birth, which was an unmedicated VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). During my second pregnancy, my doula organized a 30 minute Zoom call with the two backup doulas who were going to be on standby in case my primary doula for some reason was not available at the time I went into labor. At the end of the call, one of the backup doulas said, “Kat, I just have one last question… have you ever considered being a doula yourself?”

I didn’t “grow up” thinking that I would become a doula, but it makes sense that I would end up in care work. If you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality types, I am an ENFJ (and if you’re not familiar, here’s a link to take the test yourself and learn more about your personality type! You can also read more about mine here.)

Originally from Tampa, FL, I went to the University of Miami and obtained a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Accounting and then returned to Tampa to attend the University of South Florida where I received my Masters in Accountancy. I returned to Miami where I began a career in public accounting and obtained my CPA license. As a (now-recovering) perfectionist, I experienced burnout in the high-demand, high-stress public accounting environment after 3 years, traveled across Europe for 2 months with my brother, and then took a Corporate job in Technical Accounting in South Florida. It was during this time period that I discovered the 16 personalities site linked above, and while I have always loved to read and learn, and to this day LOVE a good spreadsheet to organize my thoughts and perform analyses, I laughed when I read that “When it comes to choosing a career, Protagonists (ENFJs) find fulfillment in doing what they love most – helping other people… and should not be stuck sitting in front of computers and working with spreadsheets all day.”

Don’t get me wrong - I also always loved math, have a very analytical brain, and to be quite honest, much of my accounting career centered around my ability to read and interpret technical guidance; communicate and coordinate effectively with others; to learn, lead and coach others; and have difficult conversations in a productive way. When I decided to study accounting in college, I remember one of my best friends joking, “But you’re too fun to be an accountant!” Accountancy has come a long way since the 1980s’s boring stuffy shapeless business suits and briefcases stuffed with calculators and pencils. But I digress…

I still perform work in both fields - accounting and doula/care work. Having learned my lessons about burnout, which can also occur very easily in the world of doula work, I find this balance gives me the ability to do the things I’m passionate about and also support my family. I really do love working with people and I feel strongly about how important and lacking the “care” is in most “healthcare”. During my second postpartum journey, I made the decision to start doing doula work and signed up for a full spectrum doula training through BADT (Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings).