Meet Laura.
Laura’s pronouns are She/Her/Hers.
Doulas of Asheville affiliated doula, Laura.
Full Spectrum Doula (birth, postpartum, loss) | Overnight Infant Care | Perinatal educATOR
Laura is certified as a birth and postpartum doula through Cornerstone Doula Trainings in Oakland, CA. She is also trained for miscarriage, infant, and parent loss through Nneka Hall's P.A.I.L program. Laura’s professional philosophy focuses on perinatal education, hands on support and guidance for childbirth, and making room for emotional and spiritual expression of all kinds. Her goal is to meet clients where they are, supporting them on their unique journey. Laura is queer, neurodivergent, ethically non-monogamous, and experiences chronic pain. Her personal journey has allowed her to put the highest value of importance on informed consent and clear communication.
Laura is constantly striving to make her work feminist, anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and anti-transphobic, and intersectional. She is committed to serving clients of all races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities and relationship structures.
Qualifications
Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Doula; Provided postpartum care to families with singletons and multiples (twins) of varying ages from newborn on; Experience with twins, preemies, and cleft palate; perinatal educator (birth, newborn care, infant feeding); supported clients through unmedicated, epidural, cesarean, VBAC births.
Education & Certifications
M.A., Education
B.A., Anthropology
Certified Full Spectrum Doula, Cornerstone Doula Trainings (Birth, Postpartum, Loss)
P.A.I.L training (support for miscarriage, termination, infant loss, parent loss)
Adult & Infant First Aid/CPR certification
More about Laura
How did you decide to become a doula?
Prior to my birth and postpartum doula training in 2018, I spent many years supporting families with young babies as a nanny. After a year of being a full time nanny during the day and a sex & consent educator on the weekends, I was looking for more connection to the families I was working with. At this point you are probably wondering what I was wondering, where does infant care meet talking about vulvas? DOULA WORK!!! A few hours into my first day of birth doula training and I knew I had found the right fit for me.
What's your favorite way to spend a day off?I
I love to craft, go camping, and snuggle with my two rescue chihuahuas.
If you could take a month long trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
It's a very hard choice between Higgins Lake, Michigan, where my family has a cottage and Black Rock City, Nevada, where Burning Man is built every year.
Higgins: My family has a small cottage on a small lake in northern Michigan. We used to spend a week there every summer and I always wished we could stay longer. It is quaint, away from the world and beautiful.
Black Rock: This remote temporary desert city built by hand is a wonder to behold. I went for my first time right before the pandemic and I cannot wait to go back.
You have a whole weekend to binge watch TV, what's on your list?
Letterkenny, Money Heist, something True Crime, and a nature show with beautiful cinematography.
Tell us something about yourself that we may be surprised to learn.
I have a bachelor's degree in Anthropology, which I was very excited about, but was never going to be my career. I studied primate behavior and spent a whole semester studying the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin from Brazil! Then I went back to school for a master's degree in Education. I tried being a high school teacher for a few years and found it didn't fit me. Thankfully, both degrees have informed my ability to be a great doula. Including being really excellent at studying human behavior and clearly translating medical jargon into digestible language for clients under pressure in the delivery room.
Contact us to talk about your needs and desires and how Doulas of Asheville can support you.