Holistic Birth & Postpartum Counseling:
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Birth and postpartum counseling offers space to understand, prepare for, and process your experience of pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood.
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Sessions support individuals who are processing a prior birth experience, medical challenge, or emotional event that may have left them feeling unheard, disempowered, or disconnected. Through thoughtful, individualized counseling, we explore questions, clarify medical care and decision-making, and gently work through fears related to pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum.
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This Work May Be Helfpul If You:
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Want time to reflect and ask questions beyond routine prenatal visits
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Are processing a complex or difficult birth or postpartum experience
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Are seeking a seasoned midwife’s perspective to better understand your care
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Feel something about your experience remains unclear, unresolved, or unsettled
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Are looking for thoughtful, individualized support grounded in decades of experience
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When left unaddressed, these experiences can resurface during pregnancy, labor, or after birth, shaping how events are perceived and sometimes contributing to additional interventions or distress. This work provides a grounded, supportive way to make sense of what has happened and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
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This work is complementary to your care with your midwife, obstetrician, or other medical provider. It is counseling and educational support, not medical care. Medical referrals are provided when appropriate.
TOLAC/VBAC Counseling
(Trial of Labor After Cesarean / Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
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This session offers an opportunity to thoroughly review your prior cesarean birth and consider your options for a future pregnancy.
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Together, we review your medical records and operative report, explore the clinical and emotional aspects of your previous experience, and discuss whether you are a medically appropriate candidate for a TOLAC or VBAC.
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This work provides space to ask questions, understand prior decision-making, and approach a future birth with greater clarity, preparation, and confidence.
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Conscious Conception Counseling
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Conscious conception counseling offers intentional space to prepare for pregnancy before conception begins.
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This session includes a review of nutrition, lifestyle, and medical and reproductive history to support overall health and well-being prior to becoming pregnant. Counseling is inclusive of all paths to conception, including IVF and IUI.
The goal is to identify areas where thoughtful, meaningful adjustments may help optimize health and support a grounded, informed beginning to your conception journey.
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“I am so thankful to have found Risa to help my husband and me during this journey. During my conscious conception visit, we explored ways to improve my lifestyle to support fertility and discussed considerations I would not have thought of on my own. I felt listened to and supported, and left feeling excited and prepared for the journey ahead.”
— Vanessa
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Prenatal Nutrition & Wellness Education
This session offers an opportunity to explore nutrition and lifestyle choices that support pregnancy wellness for both you and your baby.
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Together, we look at daily nourishment using a simple nutrition diary and discuss lifestyle and/or work modifications, making realistic adjustments that support balance, comfort, and overall well-being throughout pregnancy. We also consider how nutrition and wellness can influence pregnancy outcomes, recognizing that mindful choices may help reduce the risk of certain pregnancy complications.
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Wellness education may include discussion of movement and exercise, emotional and physical changes in pregnancy, family dynamics, preparation for vaginal or Cesarean birth, breastfeeding, integration of older siblings, prior postpartum challenges, provider selection, and aligning care with your personal pregnancy and postpartum goals.
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