Hello!
My name is Elizabeth, or Eli (ell-ee) for short. I am a queer, non-binary, mixed race adoptee femme born and raised in Seattle, WA (Duwamish & Coast Salish Territory). I am a birth and postpartum doula, childcare extraordinaire, artist and crafter, sometimes musician, gemini and full time dog mom to Nugget the poodle pup. After graduating in 2010 from The Evergreen State College in Olympia where I studied social movements, political economy, art and global feminism(s), my easy and natural connection with children brought me to nanny work, childcare and preschool teaching and what I have learned in this world informs my approach as a doula.
I was brought into this work after witnessing a close friend go thru birth and the early weeks of postpartum and realized that this was a role for me! My own cultural interests pulled me towards training with Black midwives who were highlighting the historical importance of the Granny Midwives and the ways that herbs, nourishing foods, loving touch and an open heart could be used in my support of the birthing family. Armed with ancestral knowledge, two hands and a dream, I jumped in head first supporting families of all kinds as a birth and postpartum doula and have many families to thank for trusting me with their care.
Ombligo (“om-BLEE-go”) means belly-button in Spanish. It is our first scar, leaving a trace of the portal through which we all received our original life force–it is a nod to the Indigenous knowledge that the belly button is the center of the universe, the place where life begins. It is a great honor to work with families in their path to parenthood for the first, second or third time! With each birth I attend there is something new to learn about the human experience and our sheer resiliency and strength to persevere. Informed consent, relationship building and intersectional anti-oppression are all cornerstone to my doula practice and my hope is that you feel you have an extra teammate in your corner, feel prepared to make decisions that come your way and have the tools to get you through those beautiful yet often challenging early days with your newborn.
