The name ‘clever like water’ comes from a poem I wrote during my first week back at work after having my son.

The metaphor of water — evoking the constant transformation of motherhood — helped me make sense of who I was becoming. It named the weight of the experience in a world that barely acknowledges new parents. And it helped me orient myself in the early days of a deeply disorienting time.

I have a master’s in public health and I worked in our healthcare system for over a decade, focusing on community health for children and adults. I became a postpartum doula and Certified RETAIN Parental Leave Coach to help improve postpartum care for new moms and to support new parents through this massive life transition. Throughout my services, I integrate parental wellbeing and mindful partnership to support each family’s goals.

You’ll notice that I don’t shy away from acknowledging the challenging parts of postpartum (it’s really hard!). It’s so common for new parents to say, “why didn’t anyone tell me?” when they have baby in arms and realize their support system isn’t sufficient. I try to get ahead of this through prenatal education, goal setting, and planning. And, I love being a postpartum doula because I get to help fill in any support gaps while ensuring new parents are fed, rested, and prepared for what’s to come (we don’t know what we don’t know).

I am fascinated by the science of matrescence and the measurable brain changes that occur for both parents during this transformative time. My services combine evidence-based best practices with a flexible, family-specific approach to birth recovery, infant feeding and sleep, postpartum nutrition, navigating sleep deprivation, creating healthy routines and support systems, parent self-care, processing identity shifts, and returning to work.