In 2002, a dream of culinary school, and some wanderlust, took me to New York City, where I spent 20 years training, honing my craft, eating well, exploring on foot, and ultimately parenting two daughters.

After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, I was fortunate to train in the kitchens of Blue Hill NYC, Abigail Kirsch Catering, El Eden Chocolates, and the boutique cooking school, Home Cooking New York. I began cheffing privately in homes across Manhattan, which in turn, allowed me to be present with families after the birth of their children. It was incredibly fulfilling to provide nourishment to growing families, and to ease their transition to parenthood. 

Inspired by my clients’ responses to nourishing food, I completed graduate courses in Nutrition at NYU’s Steinhardt School, and trained as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. I continued supporting families as a chef, while also providing nutrition counseling and cooking classes for corporate wellness programs and not-for-profits. 

Fast forward to the birth of our second daughter. Family was many miles away, and at two weeks postpartum I was carrying on as usual with our toddler and household, with a newborn tied to my chest. I was running on fumes, and espresso shots, and sticking to—in hindsight—a completely unrealistic schedule. I was not healing particularly well, eating particularly well, and nobody was filling my cup.

Years later, I learned how postpartum doulas work with parents who want nourishing care after birth. I learned that my survival approach in those weeks postpartum was “common but not normal” (a phrase I’ve repeated many times since). That historically, there was an art and ritual to “Mothering the Mother.” Through this tradition of care, the physical, emotional and spiritual intensity of pregnancy and birth was acknowledged, and a nurturing recovery period was considered essential to the health of the family. I had needed that fourth trimester care and wanted to be that support for other families.

In 2017, I completed a DONA postpartum doula training with the renowned trainer, Debra Pascali-Bonaro. In 2018, I completed The Center for Breastfeeding’s CLC training and became certified as a lactation counselor. I was honored to support NYC families from 2017-2022.

In the summer of 2022, our family pulled up stakes in Brooklyn, New York and headed west to Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a native Tulsan, I’m excited to be serving this community and rediscovering Tulsa with our daughters!