I assisted with my first birth in 2004 and have been helping families achieve their ideal births ever since! I had my two sons at home in June of 2005 and March of 2009 after wonderfully strong labors surrounded by my friends, family, and midwives. My own birth experiences were so powerful, that I can't resist assisting other families in their quest for the ultimate birth experience.
I believe a woman can trust her body and its ability to birth a baby naturally, without medication or intervention. As a doula and childbirth educator, I encourage families to choose a birth-place that will be the most comforting fit for them, and have assisted vaginal and Cesarean births at Good Samaritan in Puyallup, St. Joseph's in Tacoma, Tacoma General, St. Peter's in Lacey, Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, and Lakeside Birth Center in Sumner. I have experience with induction, emergency cesarean birth, planned cesarean birth, and medicated birth and have also assisted with water birth and home birth with clients using Hypnobirthing and
The Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth.
I encourage laboring moms with positioning, verbal encouragement, and pressure-point massage to help birth progress in an efficient and less painful way. I teach birth companions how to best support their partners during the excitement of labor, not by taking the place of nervous dads, but by giving them cues and feedback as to how labor is progressing and what to expect. I can be as hands-on as needed- applying hot "magic" rice packs, lotions and oils, or can quietly rest with you while you follow your own path through
labor and birth.
Birthing a baby can be one of the most empowering experiences a woman and her family can have. I can help you tailor your birth plan so that it reflects ideal birth as you see it, as well as give you information about your specific birth choices. The birth of your baby is a sacred and special event, and I will do my best to help you make it a loving memory as well. 
~Emmy Marcelynas AAHCC, CD
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