Meet Kimberly
Postpartum Doula, IBCLC, New Parent Educator, Lactation Educator, Newborn Care Specialist, Grandparent Educator
I have been working with postpartum families since before I had my first child in 2000, and I have always had a passion for newborns and their families, particularly in the early transition to newborn or twins. ABC Doula is my 3rd child and it is the only one that I am still actively growing. My kids are now raised, I welcomed a grandbaby in 2023, and I’m still constantly learning from parents and their experiences. I love helping parents understand their tiny humans, supporting the transition to confident parenting, and making sure our clients get the perfect doula for them. I hold the parents as tenderly as the newborn babies we work with, and I look forward to helping to make the postpartum time the best it can possibly be for each of our families.
More About KIMBERLY
If you have met me in a class at Providence or online, or if you have seen our content on IG or FB, you hopefully feel like you already know me. I am passionate about rebuilding postpartum care and it is hard to keep me from sharing it. I hope you can benefit as parents or caregivers of new parents in the most precious time of all, when a new life enters the world!
One of the biggest ways I have worked to make a difference is through in-home postpartum care. When I started ABC Doula & Newborn Care in 2001, I had no idea I would see the transformation of over 3000 families and what it looks like to get nurturing support, rest, and amazing baby care so parents can feel like themselves again. Parenting has only become more challenging in the past few years, and it warms my heart to see them become confident through this very challenging postpartum hurdle.
My journey to postpartum support was birthed before I had my first baby. I was always the baby holder in every place I went and was drawn to doula work while pregnant with my first. I had a son in 2000, and I was away from my family, feeling the isolation and missing the small community I grew up in. I learned how to form my own moms groups to build connections, and it paved the way for me as a new mom to become a link in that chain of connection for others.
It felt so natural to take my newly learned breastfeeding and baby care skills into doula work, and I got trained when my son was 6 mo old. My first overnight job was with a set of 4 lb triplets, which set me off on an adventure to help families with multiples, and I had no idea it would shape my journey so much, but it birthed in my heart the desire to work extensively with twins. At this point we have supported over 750 sets of twins, and taught hundreds more in my Twins and More classes.
After working in homes for 20 years, I found it hard to manage both the business end and serve families directly, so now that my kids have launched and I have a grandbaby, I teach and run the day-to-day operations including answering the phone and email requests. I adore working with our current team of doulas—you are going to love your doula care!
I also have just built a new program for grandparents called The Grandparent Doula! We offer classes & community for expectant grandparents on how to care for new and growing families—and how to support the postpartum period in the spirit of doula care.
My husband Mark works with me at home supporting ABC as the Accounts Manager. We’ve been married 30 years and counting—and our teamwork is improving with age. We launched two grown kids and have a bonus daughter in love, a beautiful grandson and another on the way. We love being empty nesters!
Here are some professional milestones:
Certified Postpartum Doula in 2002
CAPPA Faculty Postpartum Doula Trainer in 2004
Educator for Providence Health System 2004
Became a Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011
Founded the New Parent Educator Course in 2017 (co-written with Laura Nance)
Added Certified Lactation Educator to help teach dynamic and evidence based breastfeeding classes in 2018
What I have learned about postpartum is that it deserves MORE than what is being offered currently. We don’t have the infrastructure of a postpartum culture in place to comfort and help parents heal.
This is my mission: To rebuild a postpartum culture, filled with warmth, comfort, healing, and love; bringing harmony to the beginnings of each new family we get to touch. That is why I do everything I do, and it is the mark I hope to make in the world.
One of my greatest legacies has been hosting new moms groups both in person and online, and watching the community developed from these early bonds together between new moms which has lasted decades. The moms have changed how I see parenthood, and I am forever grateful to have been a small part of their confidence in their own motherhood. I see much of this community in social media now, and love the connections built there. Please find me at @thegrandparentdoula and @abcdoulaservice and let’s connect!
I love being able to train doulas and educators, teach parents and grandparents, and help to support families all around the PNW and beyond. With virtual support I can work my hometown on Whidbey Island, WA or from Arizona where I spend winters near my aging parents. It’s still a dream job, and I am ever learning and being humbled by the work of caring for postpartum parents plus now I get to support new grandparents to be the doulas everyone can afford, building the postpartum revolution I have always wanted.