I was born and raised, for most of my early childhood, in The Netherlands and moved to Burlington, NC when I was almost ten. We moved here for my little sister, who was born profoundly deaf. The United States offered better resources and opportunities than the Netherlands was able/willing to provide. I was homeschooled for two years while learning to read and write in English and then went to public middle/high school. I graduated early, traveling back to Europe to figure out if I wanted to attend undergrad in Europe or the States. I ended up deciding to stay in the States and pursued a career as a Cued Language Transliterator for the deaf and hard of hearing. I’ve been in this field for eight years, nationally certified for five of them.

I originally met my husband when I first moved to the USA in 2006. We attended the same church and had been friends for a long time. It wasn’t until I was nineteen that we started dating, after he asked me to be his ballroom dance partner. Some pick up line! Fast forward, we’ve been married for a little over five years! We have two boys, ages 3 and 11⁄2. They run us ragged in the best ways. Soon, we will have a third boy!

When I was pregnant with our first, we hired a doula. With my first care provider, I was moving in the direction of a hospital birth. I wanted all the support and advocacy possible for an unmedicated birth. My doula opened my eyes to the fact that what I envisioned for my birth didn’t have to be with my original care provider. She told me I had the freedom to change to another provider who would fully support my goals. I ended up switching to an all midwife team at a birth center. I was 30 weeks when we made the switch. I will forever be thankful that we did. The people you hire during such a vulnerable time can definitely make or break your experience. It is never too late to make those important decisions. During the childbirth classes we took through the birth center, my husband and I became a solid team. So much so that when it was time for my three day labor, we were a well oiled machine. I now lovingly refer to him as my daddy-doula.

The birth center closed shortly after my first child was born. For my second son, we planned a home birth. In Holland, my mom gave birth to me, and my two siblings, at home under the guidance of a midwife team. That was the standard of practice back then. Knowing my mom did it, and how normal birth can be, the thought didn’t scare me. By God’s grace, we were blessed with an amazing midwife and I experienced the home birth of my dreams.

Through the pregnancies and births of both of my boys, my passion for birth work continued to grow. I knew I wanted to pursue becoming a doula. This past year, everything fell into place for that to become a reality. My mom is a photographer. Growing up, I watched her take timeless photographs of our family. I learned the trade and love being able to capture beautiful moments for others, as well as for my own family. My style is less posed and more candid, capturing your life as it happens. Real and authentic is my vision always; something that can be passed down for generations to come. At this time, I have the opportunity to have two passions collide: birth work and photography.

So often when people think of pregnancy, they think of the baby who is on the way, which is so exciting! However, who is holding you, the mother? I want you to know that I see you and, most importantly, God sees you. Your dreams and desires for your birth are something I am committed to help you achieve. My Oma (Dutch grandmother) is a retired baby nurse. She would go into women’s homes for ten days postpartum and take care of them, their families and their babies. She met their needs in the form of meals, cleaning, lactation support and seeing to the over all well-being of the mother. I like to think, in a way, I get to continue her beautiful legacy. I am so excited and grateful to be on this journey. I hope I am able to name you as one of the many women I had the privilege of serving.