About Me
I've called Albany, NY my home for most of my life. My road to becoming a doula had many twists and turns, but landing here has been one of the most rewarding things in my life. I have a Bachelors degree in Sociology, and a post-grad certificate in Public Health. I taught English as a second language in Thailand. I've worked in early childhood services and retail management, never really feeling like I'd found my calling. I guess I would have to say the discovery of my passion in birthwork started while I was pregnant with my first child. Prior to getting pregnant, I said the default "as long as the baby is healthy" to friends and family but I wondered; Didn't I matter too? What were my options? Did I even have any?
Researching my choices in birth led me to the prospect of hiring a doula. I had faith that I could be strong enough to birth this child as I wished, but knew I needed extra support in order to do that. I did hire a birth doula and between that action, and researching my care providers and birthing location thoroughly, I ended up satisfied with my experience. It was here that the seeds were planted for my future work. I was pregnant again with my second, and hiring a doula again was a no-brainer. The third time around, I had pregnancy complications, and birth as I knew it turned upside down. Hiring a doula was more important than ever. It was during this time that I trained to become a birth doula with DONA International. I've also become certified to teach childbirth education with Lamaze International. This summer, I added on extra training to become a certified VBAC link doula, to better support those desiring a vaginal birth after cesarean.
I would be so honored to share my knowledge of birth with you and to be a calm presence on one of the most important days of your life.
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Afterglow Albany Birth Blog
Testimonials
I had a very lovely experience with Liz. I heard about her from my husbands cousin that had just worked with her in October.
I never really thought I’d hire a doula but after hearing such great things from our cousin and his wife we decided to give Liz a call. During our first meeting together I immediately felt comfortable around Liz. I had many questions all of which she answered very thoroughly. It also gave me some comfort in knowing she has three children of her own so she was able to share from her own birth experiences. I left the meeting knowing I was going to continue working with her throughout my pregnancy and labor.
Liz always scheduled meetings that worked for Our schedules so she was very flexible. She also made it very clear that as we got closer to our delivery date she would 100% be available to us at all times. Closer to our due date she even provided us with her husbands information and a backup doula in case any unforeseen event came up where we couldn’t reach her right away.
On the big day, Liz arrived very shortly after we got to the hospital and came totally prepared. She helped comfort me in any way possible and was my voice when I was having contractions. She was very well prepared with what we had in mind and wanted for this delivery and she advocated for us the entire way through. She knew exactly when to step in to provide support and when to just sit back and watch me do my thing.
I would absolutely recommend Liz to any of my friends and family. She truly was there for my husband and me.