About Karen:

I have two young sons, one born in the hospital and one born at home. Prior to becoming a mother, I worked for 10 years in the IT field; once I had my first baby, I knew it was time to leave that field and work to support women in childbirth.

I certified as a doula through DONA International and was invited to become a member of Birth Assistants of Boulder, Inc. A few years later, I took some time off from attending births when I was pregnant with my second baby and instead devoted my energy to supporting doulas in an administrative role. I volunteered as a state and regional representative for DONA and was a founding member and the first president of the statewide Colorado Doulas Association.

In the fall of 2002 I again returned to attending births, with the desire of creating a warm relationship with mothers and their families by caring for them through labor, birth and the early weeks of new parenthood. In February 2004, I began studying to become a homebirth midwife and completed my training in March 2008. I practice now within a wonderful community of midwives, assisting them at births and inviting them to attend births with me. I truly feel like I have found my "heart home" in this calling and with the women I care for and practice with.

Background:

Education, Training and Affiliations

• I am a Certified Professional Midwife and Colorado Registered Midwife
• I have a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in French and International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
• I am certified in Adult and Child CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation, and have attended several workshops on suturing.
• In an effort to stay current in the care I provide to pregnant women and new mothers , I regularly attend conferences and lectures relating to the care of women in the childbearing cycle
• I have lots of practical experience supporting women with breastfeeding issues and am occasionally hired to provide one-on-one breastfeeding support.
• I am a member of the Colorado Midwives Association and the Colorado Doulas Association

Experience

• As a doula, I attended over 100 births both in the hospital and at home.
• I have attended over 200 home births and managed over 60 of them as Primary Midwife. I have a 13 percent transfer/transport rate for reasons ranging from pre-eclampsia to failure to progress to fetal intolerance of labor. Six percent of my clients have needed to birth their babies via Cesarean Section.

Some of the complications with whichI have experience include:

• Postpartum Hemorrhage
• Severe Pre-eclampsia
• Precipitous and Prolonged Labor
• Premature Labor
• Meconium Staining
• Nuchal Cord and/or Hand
• Abrupted Placenta
• Newborn Resuscitation
• Maternal Hypothyroidism
• Anemia
• High Blood Glucose Levels
• Prolonged Rupture of Membranes
• Fetal Bradycardia
• Small-For-Dates Baby
• Maternal Hypertension
• Placenta Previa