“When I rise up, let me rise like a joyful bird. When I fall, let me fall without regret like a leaf.”

WENDELL BERRY

Hi, I’m Kelsey.

As a mother to 3 young boys, I know how important the birth experience is.

When I became pregnant with my first, I dove headfirst into researching what my birth options were. My eyes were opened to the disparities in prenatal care and the general lack of compassion shown to those who give birth. The urge to provide support in some capacity to birthing people is a deep calling for me. My ultimate goal is that you feel empowered in your choices and nurtured post-birth experience. While birth can be unpredictable, I am a firm believer that we hold power by making informed choices around our care.

My desire to work in the birthing community has shaped my academic career. After the birth of my second baby, I developed severe postpartum depression. As a low-income mother, my options for help were non-existent. I turned to the kitchen as a creative outlet to help myself heal and discovered my love for nutrition. In 2018 I graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine with a BS in Nutrition. During my undergraduate career, I also attended the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, completing a year-long course in Human Lactation. In March 2021 I finished my Master’s in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine where I wrote my thesis on iron deficiency and postpartum depression. My passion for postpartum support has also lead me to Baby Blues Connection where I currently volunteer.

I have completed my birth & postpartum doula training and am currently working on becoming a DONA certified doula.