The name ‘clever like water’ comes from a poem that 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 worked in healthcare for over a decade, focused on community health equity for children and adults. After having my son and experiencing the profound lack of support for new parents, I became a postpartum doula and Certified RETAIN Parental Leave Coach. As a public health professional, I have a collaborative and holistic perspective on the intersection between policy, culture, and maternal health. Through my experience in leadership roles, I understand the unique challenges for parents and managers before, during, and after parental leave.

You’ll notice that I don’t shy away from acknowledging the difficult 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 a new baby in their arms and realize their support system isn’t sufficient. My services combine evidence-based best practices with a flexible, family-specific approach to birth recovery, infant feeding and sleep, maternal nutrition, navigating sleep deprivation, creating healthy routines and support systems, self-care, processing identity shifts, and becoming a working parent. Through values-centered decision making, planning, and communication, I empower parents to identify and ask for what they need through baby’s first year and beyond.