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“In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within ourselves.”

As your doula, I bring experience, compassion, encouragement and hands-on support including massage & acupressure. Exhale: Body & Birth provides a wide variety of doula services to support you through pregnancy, labor, the postpartum period, and beyond. From prenatal planning and labor coping skills, to understanding your priorities and preferences. I welcome all birthing outcomes, with or without medical intervention, whether that’s physiological or cesarean birth. My goal is to help you have a positive, supported experience.
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Philosophy

Your journey through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum can feel like trying to navigate the unknown. I will help you understand your choices to make the best decision for you and your family. I created Exhale: Body & Birth to help you feel supported every step of the way and feel in charge of your birth. My passion is providing unbiased, nonjudgmental individualized care for families based on their unique preferences. I trust that you know what you need; I’m here to support you during labor and childbirth and help you transition to parenthood.

Kind Words

“…Her calming energy helped to keep my husband and myself grounded throughout the whole process. I loved the balance she brought to our birth journey…” – AW

“She is sensitive, thoughtful and has a deep reservoir of knowledge and empathy. We are so lucky we got to work with her.” -ES

“…She always knew what I needed before I could ask. Whether it was words of encouragement or counter pressure during my contractions she was always on point! One of the most amazing experiences of my life…” – NT

View more here.

About Michelle

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I’m a PALS Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula with a strong commitment to health activism and reproductive justice. I spent almost 10 years working in Restaurant Management & Holistic Nutrition when I reached a point of wanting deeper human connections and a more passion driven field. After experiencing the magic of childbirth myself, something clicked and I knew that Birthwork was where I was meant to be. Alongside Exhale: Body & Birth, I provide doula services to low-income and under-served communities within the non-profit organization Open Arms Perinatal Services. In addition, I’m also a Core Organizer with Full Spectrum Doula Collective helping folks across the pregnancy spectrum. I am called to birth work to exercise my feminism* by helping individuals find and use their voice, especially those who feel as though they don’t have one.

When I’m not at a birth, you can find me reading or crafting things such as soaps and teas. I am also working on my Bachelor’s of Science in Family & Human Development with plans to go on to get my MSW.

My wife and I are parents of our very energetic non-verbal ASD daughter. We’re always working to crush the stigma that comes with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and we’re very active in our local Autism Community.

Outside of birth work, you can usually find the me gardening, cooking, or exploring our incredible PNW! I live in the White Center neighborhood with my wife, our five year old daughter and, cat, two short-haired pointers named Eleanor & Amos.

*My feminism is always QTPOC-inclusive.

What Colleagues Say

“…Birthwork is a natural fit for Michelle. Her awareness of the family dynamics, and the focus that she gives to the bigger picture for the long term health of the family made me aware that Michelle is naturally attuned for this work. Her skills and viewpoints make her a highly needed resource in our community. Michelle is responsible, thoughtful, committed to her clients…” – AW

“I’ve found her to be steadfastly earnest about rapidly expanding her knowledge and skillset in professional birth work. Michelle has a strong commitment to inclusivity of all families, and pregnancy experiences.  Michelle’s awareness of, and skillset for, providing culturally sensitive support to all families is already evident in her current work.” – KJ