My name is Nancy, originally from Montana. After spending 8 years in Chicago, I moved to Phoenix AZ in the fall of 2011.
Its nice to not have to wear a coat in the 'winter'...we will see how my body responds to the extreme heat of summer. I have a feeling I will be in a pool most of the time! :)
Its a bit difficult to describe myself in a couple of paragraphs, mainly because I have so many interests! My parents laid a very strong holistic approach to life when we were growing up. My mom was a SAHM and my dad was a farmer. Some of the best memories I have of are some of the meals my mom and dad would make for us; Molasses Bread, Carrot Cookies, Weyler Pancakes, Waffles, Eggs, Spinach Casserole...the list goes on and on.
I have 3 older siblings and all of us were athletes. I played basketball and participated in Track during college, while studying to get my Economics Degree. I would have never anticipated myself becoming a Doula, although now that I am going through the process, can't really see myself doing ANYTHING else, if that makes sense.
I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and we have the ability to influence the events that take place in our lives. In hindsight, there are so many "If I didn't do ______, I would never have _____" Too many to count really! Not that there haven't been struggles and personal doubts, I have had plenty of those. But I always knew everything would work out for the best and I would always be taken care of.
I left behind a wonderful community of friends and colleagues in Chicago, and am so looking forward to foraging new relationships here in the Southwest!
Over the last 8 years I have been a Certified Wellness Consultant, helping individuals and families take control of their home environment. We focus on sleep issues, environment (the best air and water for our health), overall day to day energy, nutritional support and education, relaxation and overall work/life balance.
For the last 5 years, it was my honor to assist some families with their children as their Nanny. It was something that just sort of happened. My sister asked me to take care of her newborn... He and I, along with his sister have a wonderful relationship that I hope will continue for the rest of their lives. I now have 5 nieces and nephews...and have had the pleasure of taking care of most of them for a some period of time. My sister started to recommend me to her friends, and pretty soon, I had a full fledged Nanny career! I really can't explain why it worked, I just somehow knew how to communicate with little ones. While in my care, children rarely had tantrums, they were calm, I could understand their needs before they really knew what they needed and were a delight to be around and to be honest, I think I learned more from them than they did from me.
It was during this process that I discovered I had a passion for educating, teaching and assisting families with their newborn. After discussing some options with my sister and other friends, I decided to investigate what it means to become a "doula." As I started to discuss that option with friends, EVERY SINGLE one of the told me "You are perfect for that role!" ...I think that means I am on the right path? :)
As with anything new, I am looking forward to transitioning into this new experience...stay tuned to learn about the Adventures of becoming a Wellness Doula! :)
