“Without her I wouldn’t have had the strength to tell doctors no or that’s not what I want.”
— Brianne P.
Hi, I’m Cayla (she/they)! I help families prepare fully for the birthing experience they desire and form a secure foundation to build off of for the rest of their parenting journey. My career in birth work began when a close friend found herself pregnant and was immediately met with overwhelm and uncertainty. What should have been a joyous moment was quickly overtaken by fear, and a sense of unpreparedness. I immediately felt called to provide support in any way I could and began educating myself on pregnancy and birth. During my certifying courses I recognized several gaps in perinatal care so I jumped into action and have been guiding new and expanding families ever since!
You don’t need to have to know exactly what it is that you don’t know. You know?
Many people come to Childbirth Education classes believing they should already know what questions to ask, what style of birth they want, and who they want in the room facilitating those goals. They tell themselves that even if they don’t have all of the information, they should feel certain about whether they envision utilizing an epidural, having an unmedicated birth, and a laminated visually appealing birth plan in tow.
But being pregnant does not negate being human. Meaning often times people become overwhelmed or frustrated while trying to sift through what research is evidence based and what belongs in the garbage. Sometimes the weeks move faster than your ability to process it, leaving minimal time or capacity to navigate the Facebook groups and podcasts.
Honestly?
You don’t have to come to class perfect, or with a list of questions — come as you are and I’ll meet you there. These workshops are built to create space to slow down and really understand your wants, needs, and how to bring them all together. Individual classes offer not only a more intimate setting for open conversation — but they also allow you to practice working through those early labor contractions where you will actually be experiencing them.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have group offerings that provide a variety of input, shared experience, and can even be a near effortless way to connect with local resources such as postpartum doulas, lactation consultants, etc. Much like everything else, by design there is no right or wrong answer. No trick questions, no judgement, no sales pitch.
I believe learning works best and has higher retention when it feels collaborative and human.
Ready when you are
Family planning comes with a large enough workload, if you have the capacity to connect with me today - I’m happy to chat! If today the goal is just to see what options exist and revisit another time, you’re welcome to reach out with questions or schedule a consultation when you feel ready.
