Hey there! I am originally from Southeast Brazil, near the coast; so you can imagine I am a big fan of the ocean and some good Brazilian food! But that is small when compared to my love for the Lord and to the beautiful family he has given me.

My husband and I met when I was in an exchange in Jacksonville while he was stationed in Camp Lejeune. We were friends for months until we both agreed that we had feelings for each other and so we began our love story. With much prayer, God led us into marrying each other after about a year together and I am so grateful He did! God blessed us with the chance to be stationed in Hawaii but, as most military families know, deployments are hard! My husband was deployed to Japan soon after we found out we were expecting our first boy and came back a bit before our baby was born. We all wanted him to be present as our family was growing, and for this reason he did not renew his military contract and we moved back to central NC, halfway to the mountains, halfway to the sea!

For my first baby, I did not know what a doula was and no one told me about them. I was so excited to become a mom, yet so scared to give birth. Everyone always told me how hard labor was, but they never said how amazing it could be. That feeling of holding your baby, looking at his face, thinking that just minutes ago he was still growing inside of you and now he is here... it’s indescribable!

My labor brought my baby to me and my heart was full. All I wanted was to share that feeling with everyone - that they don't need to be scared about labor; childbirth can be a beautiful memory! Afterward, I learned that doulas can help mamas have beautiful birth experiences and the Lord opened my eyes to see that this was what He wanted for me, so I pursued that journey. Let me tell you, whenever I leave a birth, you will see me smiling ear to ear because there is no job as rewarding. I am so honored to be a birth doula.

My husband and I prayed and planned for another baby and God blessed us with a second son! I delivered him at Cone Health Women's and Children's Center in Greensboro. Throughout my labor I walked, curb-walked, used the birth ball, and a TENS unit. I loved showering and I labored some in the bathtub also; but my favorite was definitely the hip squeezes! My doula, my husband, my nurse, and midwife were all so supportive and I gave birth to my baby in a side-lying position without any medical intervention. I could finally hold my sweet boy and I had a beautiful birth to remember!

My first labor began with the rupture of my membrane (water breaking) and it lasted 9.5 hours. My second labor began with contractions and lasted around 7 hours; both of my boys were over 9 pounds and I did not have any trouble delivering them vaginally. The things a mother can do is certainly out of this world. It's a heavenly gift, and I am just as blessed to be able to support such strong women during this most precious time.