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It was while living in the Netherlands that I first learned of a kraamzorg—a postpartum doula that every new family receives in their home for the first 8-10 days following birth. There is great benefit from this brief but powerful support for breastfeeding, preventing complications, and facilitating mental and emotional wellbeing for the whole family.
My hope is to see this valuable work become the norm in the United States for all new and expanding families.
Why bees?
These sweet and hard-working insects embody some of what I love most! They work as a cohesive community to care for one another, sourcing food and creating shelter, with beauty. We can practice this community ideal, all while embracing what makes each nuclear family unique.
The 4th trimester is experiencing a renaissance as a time to honor rather than an obstacle to overcome. There is so much to learn, do, and become in the first three months! A whole community of loving support is ready to lend a hand. I will provide resources, as you need them, so that your village can continue to expand as baby grows.
My top priority is comfort. I obviously want to be able to quickly and confidently comfort babies, but just as important, I want parents to be comfortable with me in their home. So, I highly value communication, friendliness and adaptability in myself. I love getting to know new families and how they tick, so I can quickly get in tune with what they need most!
As your postpartum doula, my duty is to support the whole family with an array of skills. I will leave your home tidy and calm, accomplishing the tasks most important for you that day. While within I'll provide guidance on newborn care such as: bathing, diapering, nail clipping, baby wearing, calming techniques, and individual quandaries. I will help you to stay nourished and assisted while feeding your child, whether at the breast or bottle. I can assist in identifying warning signs in mother or baby and help you seek expert support when needed to prevent little troubles from becoming bigger problems. Consider your laundry done and meals prepped. I tend to keep a warm, comfortable flow around me in familiar and new environments, allowing my clients to rest easy with me from the start.
Though no professionally trained chef, I am an experienced home cook. I cook for my husband and myself most everyday, and truly enjoy cooking for others. I focus on a whole foods diet leaning vegetarian, healthy but tasty dishes such as; quiches, stir fry, baked chicken with sweet potato and salad, curry from scratch, hearty salads full of flavor... I love to look into new recipes and tweak as needed to use what’s already at home in creative ways. My rate includes meal-prep and cooking; I’ll use my hours in your home in whatever way best supports your family.
Massage has been a part of my life since early childhood, as my mother is an experienced therapist who started Rejuvenation Day Spa in Portland, OR. Starting with evading nap-time in preschool by giving my teachers shoulder rubs, I have gained many years of experience. This is an entirely elective option, for those who find bodywork to be helpful and healing.
“At every birth, two people are born - a baby and a mother.”
4th Trimester: During the first 3 months postpartum, babies are adjusting to life outside the womb, and families to caring for a brand new person. Up to birth, babies have had their needs immediately met by mom’s amazing body. That changes just a tad once they join us on the outside! This time of transition requires support and care for parents who are freshly responsible for new life. Luckily, we are equipped to care for delicate infants who dramatically grow and develop during this period. You also have a community that can help. I hope you’ll ask for, and accept, offers of support during this time!
My priority is to be present in your home only long enough to work myself out of a job. You will have care, help and rest, so you can Bond from the Beginning with your brand new baby!
$34 an hour
Take 10% off all packages booked from now until September 15th
Therapeutic Body Work can be added for $50 per hour, $30 per half hour. First 20 minutes free!
If my rate exceeds your budget, please reach out. I will try to create a package to fit your needs.
As a career nanny for over 10 years, it’s been my privilege to work with families in Portland, OR, Grand Cayman Island, San Francisco, CA, and Denver, CO. I cherish my experiences in an array of cultural and family settings.
I speak French (though no longer fluently), am learning Afrikaans, and love being surrounded by different languages.
I’ve spent 3 years working with twins, as well as with 3 siblings at once. Whether you’re a family with one infant or multiple children, I’ll be there to support you.
“Here’s the short version: just hire Emily. It’ll be one of your first really excellent parenting decisions for your new little one(s).
Emily has been in our lives since our daughter was an infant, and I could go on for a long time about all of the things that make her an amazing caregiver and family support person. Her calm, positive presence is something that babies and kids (and let’s be honest, parents) respond to immediately. She’s astoundingly productive (childcare+tidying+meal prep+ laundry is not a combo I can accomplish, but she somehow does it). And on top of that, she’s a pleasure to spend time with. If we didn’t live in a small SF apartment, I’m quite certain that we would have begged her to move in with us. In my experience, after your little one arrives it is really helpful to have someone who can help you feel confident about some of the basics (that first bath is sort of scary, and cutting fingernails is not for the faint of heart). But even more important is having someone step in for a few hours and do what needs to be done to keep the baby happy, the house not a disaster, and you fed (and ideally napped). I can’t imagine anyone better for this kind of support than Emily. I always say that I don’t know what I did in a past life to deserve Emily, but it must have been really, really good. I know it sounds a little silly to say, but I think she’s a magical human. Anyone who gets to work with her is lucky. ”
“My son’s birth was complicated - he spent time in the NICU, our breastfeeding journey was bumpy, and my anxiety was high. What I found in Emily was so much more than a nanny. She provided calm, confident skills, and empathetic care to my whole family. She became an integral part of our transition to a family with a baby. Her skills were far beyond that of an experienced nanny - she has a gift for caring for tender, fragile babies - and tender, fragile moms. If you have the opportunity to bring Emily into your family experience, you will find a caring, skilled, peaceful presence. She has a knack for listening, for understanding just what you need, and for quietly providing it before you even know you need it. ”
“We feel so lucky to have found Emily. Not only did she take wonderful care of our son, she has helped us immensely with organizing, baking, and everyday household tasks. She takes initiative with tasks and is always looking to find ways to make our lives a bit easier. We can’t recommend her enough! ”
“Emily began nannying for us when our youngest child was two months old, and he was her primary charge since his brother was already in elementary school. She instantly became part of our family. Emily kept our child active and engaged, incorporated him into her own family and friend circles (which he loved), and took on house cleaning responsibilities above and beyond what was asked of her.
Even after Emily moved, we have continued to stay in touch and enjoy her visits immensely. We are very thankful for her time as our nanny.”
“I have worked closely with Emily for years and I can say with confidence that she has all the tools one could hope for in a child care professional. She has a gift for connecting with all the children and infants in her care and providing peace of mind for families of all kinds. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”
“Emily is the best person I can imagine to take care of our family. After watching her nanny my son for his first two years, it’s clear why my in-laws nicknamed her “Mary Poppins”: not only did she float into our life to help us survive and our child thrive, she did it with a smile and a song, all while making it look easy.
She combines a long experience of skilled caregiving with a natural love of babies and people. It was clear every day that she wasn’t just taking care ‘of’ my son, she cared ‘for’ him as a baby and as a person. As he got older she was ready for each new transition, engaging him as he grew. Emily helped us through those changes too, bringing us suggestions when we needed them and working with us as a partner to assist with the challenges of parenthood. Even better, we could always trust her to know what to do to be helpful, from tiring the kid out so he’d be a good sleeper the night, or getting dinner started for us because she knew we were already exhausted.
We often joked that we wanted to keep Emily until our son goes to college, but it’s no joke that she’s formed a life-long relationship with him and with us.”
“Emily has been with my family since April of 2021 when my son was three and my daughter was a little over one. I had my daughter right before the pandemic and had not had anyone in our home since she was born. Emily was a true lifesaver for us. My children absolutely adore her and have learned so much from being with her. As for my family, I felt so safe having her in my home and with my children. She also helped me in so many ways. She just makes life better. I am so spoiled by her. She is gentle with me and my kids, but gets so much done. My husband works from home and never feels like he is being bothered. She is just a lovely presence to have around and beyond helpful. We are all going to be so very sad when she leaves.”
“Emily was a GODSEND when we had our first child. Hiring her as your doula is the BEST START you can give to a new mom and baby. She truly understands the kind of care and support new families need. We had our baby during the pandemic and our family couldn’t be with us due to international travel bans. Emily was with us during one of the most crucial moments in our life and with her we had all the support we needed. Being first time parents, we were stressed, worried, and overwhelmed. Emily, with her calm and collected demeanor guided us through the initial stages, helped us in any way possible, and gave us the confidence and comfort we needed. She is knowledgeable in postpartum and infant care, and made sure mom and baby had everything they needed.
Emily is extremely efficient and takes all the stress off your shoulders. She was so accommodating. In addition to helping take care of me and the baby, she also helped organize our house, did laundry, ran errands, and also helped with food prep. During the first few weeks, we were struggling with breastfeeding as our baby was not latching. She kept me motivated (it is super hard as a new mom because you are sleep deprived and exhausted), worked with me each day to try different ways to help with breastfeeding and always gave me the support and confidence that I needed. Best part about Emily, she works with you to understand your needs, ways of working, and then she just takes care of everything! She is very proactive, you don’t have to tell her anything, she knows what you need or might need next even before you ask her. As I was recovering from childbirth, I had severe back pain. As soon as she saw me in pain, she massaged my back everyday. Thanks to her we were able to focus on the baby and didn’t worry about anything else. We think about her almost every day and we are thankful that she helped us when we needed it the most. Emily is a part of our family and I can’t even imagine what we would have done without her when our son was born! If you are looking for a postpartum doula, don’t think twice- just hire Emily! She is AWESOME!”
Contact me for a free phone consultation. We’ll be able to decide if it’s a great fit, then meet in person or over zoom to finalize your choice and look over my simple contract together.
I’m available to support families throughout the Portland Metro area, at home, for baby’s first days, up to about three months of age. I follow CDC guidelines in respect to Covid-19 and we will be able to discuss specifics and preferences for keeping both our families safe and comfortable.
Hours; Monday to Friday, between 8am-6pm for 4-6 hour shifts. If your situation requires alternative timing, or cost is an issue, please let me know.
Websites that may be helpful for you:
La Leche League has been helping families to breastfeed for over 65 years, with local chapters throughout the US: www.lllusa.org
For your pregnancy: evidencebasedbirth.com
For parenting questions and concerns: www.kellymom.com
For a wide web of support: www.postpartum.net
To answer an array of questions, the American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org
