Welcome to
Holistic Birth Arts & Innate Postpartum Care
One of my greatest joys and honors in this life is to exalt, support and fortify families through the childbearing continuum. I specialize in maternal health care as an Innate Postpartum Care Practitioner, Holistic Birthkeeper (doula), and offer prenatal rituals, somatic embodiment practices, and artistry in the form of Belly Adornment, Mother Blessing Ceremonies, yoga & meditation, and guided art practices.
Interconnection • Wholeness • Nature
With attuned presence, love and respect for the unique landscape & biography of each family, I tend to pregnancy, birth and postpartum through a holistic lens, and with a physiologic approach. ‘Holistic’ – parts of something that are interconnected, and can be explained only by reference to the whole” and ‘physiologic’ — ‘nature’, in reference to the body, is integral in my orientation to caring for families, and rests at the heart of my practice.
In essence, I support families in turning toward their inherent wholeness & biological nature to thrive.
Aligning with nature’s design, physiologic & holistic postpartum care begins with the mother. Mothers and newborns are a dyad, and can be referred to as “Mother-baby”— meaning that they are completely interconnected. A newborn’s health and well-being is dependent upon the mother’s health and well-being. Within each family ecosystem, my offerings and full-spectrum care are mother-centered: honoring the blueprint and origins.
“Women are the heart, the foundation of the people. Supporting Mothers supports healthy and empowered families, which supports thriving communities, which supports all of humanity.” – Rachelle Seliga, founder of INNATE Traditions.
Primary Pillars // Offerings :
Art created by Emma for Rachelle’s INNATE Postpartum Care Training Curriculum
(( 1 ))
Mother Blessing Ceremony
& Belly Adornment
Connection & beauty cultivated through ceremony, celebration, and community witnessing amplify a mother’s thriving. Mother Blessings (originating from the Navajo tradition of Blessing Ways) and Belly Adornment ceremonies are potent ways to exalt the transformation of a mother, honor how far the mother has come in growing her child, and pave a path for a powerful birth and postpartum passage ahead. This is an opportune moment for a mother to be witnessed in sharing her intentions, visions and desires for birth and postpartum, and receive an abundance of reflections and uplifting encouragement from her loved ones. Encompassed by community, Mother Blessings are also poignant containers to create the foundation for families to receive collective postpartum care; emphasizing specific ways for loved ones to support the family in the first 40 days and beyond. If desired, partners are more than welcome to be an integral part of Mother Blessing & Adornment ceremonies, as this is synergizing, strengthening, bonding and beautiful to experience together.
❊ Pregnancy Adornment Retreats: I offer day-long, 1:1 adornment retreats at my nature-encompassed home or in the comfort of yours (I’m based in the Bay Area, CA and available to travel). Rituals are woven into this offering, with the option for family + friends to witness your metamorphosis. This ceremony celebrates you as an embodiment of creation, and fortifies empowerment to your inner strength & capacity — as you prepare to birth your baby from womb to Earth. We complete this experience with an hour-long sunset photography session, so you may remember this day forever.
"I discovered Emma's work on social media, and it immediately resonated with me. Connecting with her felt like meeting an old friend for the first time. The day of my belly adornment session marked a significant moment in my pregnancy journey. Throughout my pregnancy, I've cherished every moment, wanting to capture its uniqueness. Emma's sacred ceremony symbolized a turning point, a celebration, and a time for setting intentions for the birth. As she painted my belly, my baby joyfully let us know he was it enjoying it too, making the day even more special. The adornment's meaning perfectly encapsulated my experience. I'm grateful for this memory, captured forever in the beautiful pictures. I highly recommend every pregnant woman to experience this transformative journey with Emma.” — Jesse
“During pregnancy I got to receive Emma’s creative adornment offerings. She made me a beautiful belly cast that I will cherish forever. We also did a belly painting ritual which far exceeded any expectations of what I could have imagined. It was a magical experience that offered me an opportunity to tune into my prayers and intentions for my upcoming birth. To be adorned by Emma while pregnant is a profoundly joyful and empowering experience.” — Katia
(( 2 ))
Holistic Birth Care
I am honored to support you and your family as a loving witness, grounded presence, nourishing pillar of care, and birth guardian through the thresholds of your pregnancy and birth. The essence of my care is to walk beside you as you deepen trust: to your own innate instincts, unique rhythms, and intuition.
Birth is the most natural, primal and ordinary process; and simultaneously, the most miraculous, mysterious and awe-filled transformation.
Our 1:1 work together encompasses this paradox: integrating the practical, physiologic, psycho-spiritual elements and mystery of birth, in a safe space for all of your inquiries, milestones, fears & challenges, needs & desires, dreams & visions to be explored, honored and held with love.
We are embedded within an over-culture that often pathologizes mothers, disturbs the primal and intuitive unfolding of pregnancy and birth, and gives advice that is not always relevant to the uniqueness of each family. In response, my 1:1 pre-natal care, birth education and preparation with families aligns with what is most nourishing and supportive for you in any given moment, slowing down, simplifying, and cultivating embodiment & connection— in relationship to yourself, to your growing baby, to each other as partners, and the environment holding you through gestation.
When there is a foundation of safety, trust and honoring of your own process, there is spaciousness to imagine and clarify: What is the emergent vision for your birth? Do your values align with the environment and providers who will be present? How do you and your partner want to receive the most attuned care from your birth team? In our prenatal sessions, we explore these inquiries, and so much more together.
* I offer pre-natal support and birth education for families as an offering of its own — in person or through Zoom. If we are working together throughout your birth and postpartum, 3 pre-natal sessions will be a part of your continuity of care.
My Offerings include:
3 prenatal visits, that may emphasize:
Somatic practices to enhance a mother’s connection to her innate technologies: breath, sound and movement — through pregnancy and birth
In-depth education & preparation about the physiology of the birth, and phases of the birth process: early, active, pushing, and birth of baby & placenta
Prenatal massage and hands-on comfort techniques for optimal birth support
The art of using a rebozo to support pregnancy & birth
Introduction to Ukhu Pacha: traditional Andean birth ways, and how this cosmology can support preparation for a physiologic birth
Creative exercises, connecting with the symbology of the Birth Labyrinth, making birth art, guided meditations, breath-work, and visualizations — for both mothers & partners to connect with each other, and with baby
Curation of a birth plan together: discovering and aligning with your values for your birth environment and optimal care
Guidance for Earth-based rituals, lineage mapping, and tending a birth alter
Creating a Postpartum Plan & Preparing for the Fourth Trimester: Education of mother and baby’s physiologic needs after birth, and integrating cross-cultural modalities that optimize postpartum healing and newborn care
On call availability, 24/7 — beginning at 37 weeks & until you deliver
Continuous support during your birth process and delivery — As a guardian of your birth, I offer gentle encouragement in honor of your birthing preferences, position and movement support (if desired) throughout each stage of your birth process, massage and acupressure points, and so much more. I provide undivided presence, care and attunement to you and your partner’s needs in each given moment, throughout the entirety of your birth.
Immediate Postpartum Care: Birth integration, support with breast crawl, initial latch & laid-back breastfeeding positions, skin-to-skin, cooking and feeding you nourishing food, providing herbal teas infusions, facilitating warmth + rest, and if at home: tidying, washing sheets, and organizing + beautifying your postpartum nest
Additional Offerings:
Prenatal Yoga & Meditation — Preparing body, mind and spirit for birth
(( 3 ))
Innate Postpartum Care
As a certified Innate Postpartum Care Practitioner, I support the re-instilling of traditional care back into the fabric of families. Cross-culturally within intact, postpartum traditions, the principles & pillars of what mothers need is consistent, and my practice emphasizes these essential needs. During this time of modernity where mothers and families are not centered and the traditional postpartum ways have been widely forgotten, my passion is to guide families back to these foundational pillars of healing — through in-depth prenatal education & preparation.
The ancient science of Ayurveda believes: the first 40 days after birth impacts the next 40 years of a mother's life. This sacred window is a profound, malleable time for a mother to heal, replenish, and receive multi-faceted, deep nourishment — so she can thrive in the days, weeks and years to come. Prenatally, when families have the opportunity to connect to the "Why" of mother-centered postpartum care rooted in physiology and psychology, and how this creates a blueprint for the entire family, a cohesive understanding and dedication emerges to implement a supported postpartum passage. I am passionate about nourishing the roots and origins of this transformative time, so the tree of a family may mature & thrive in the years to come.
During our 1:1 prenatal sessions, we will prepare + integrate the Five Essential Pillars:
Rest • Warmth • Easy-to-Digest, Nutrient-dense foods • Therapeutic Bodywork • Community Care
* Stay tuned for Innate Postpartum: Preparing for the Fourth Trimester — community classes on Zoom & in-person *
As an Innate practitioner, I offer curated modalities for each Mother-baby, partner and family as a whole, with unlimited text and phone support throughout our time working together. My offerings include:
Two Prenatal Visits for mother, partner, and concentric layers of support (such as grandparents, aunties, and/or friends, if desired): to introduce Innate Traditions and modalities for optimal healing, care and connection with your baby.
3-6 Hour Postpartum Visits, in which we focus on what would be most nourishing for you:
Birth Integration - Creating an attuned, loving, and warm environment for the birth story to be shared and processed, with a guided meditation to support the integration of birth experiences
Physiologic Baby Care: Attuning to emotional release vs. needs crying, focalizing the importance of regular skin-to-skin, education about the benefits of co-sleeping, introducing the ritual of a gentle and warm Abyanga oil massage, and more
Holistic Breast Health Care & Breastfeeding Support: Laid-back breastfeeding positions, self-breast massages, acupressure points and breathing exercises: to stimulate the lymphatic system, support immune system health, milk production, and more
Hands-on bodywork: Warm oil Abyanga massage, Moxabustion (mugwort) treatment, Closing of the Bones Ceremony, Abdominal Belly Binding / Wrapping, and Castor Oil packs for c-section scar remediation
Warm oil Abyanga massage
A traditional Ayurvedic practice: soothing, light massage of repetitive strokes to help the body to fully relax, improve blood and lymph circulation, integrate the birth experience and release oxytocin. Rest is an imperative pillar in the first 40 days after birth, and while physical movement is less frequent, this gentle massage brings movement to the tissues and fascia of the whole body, is an incredible ally for womb health, and facilitates deep rest. To enhance the benefits of this modality, warm body oil infused with nourishing herbs is emphasized. This is a beneficial ritual for newborns, as well, and I love guiding parents in integrating this bonding experience into their daily routine.
Sealing Ceremony: Closing of the Bones
Utilizing rebozos and fajas
(beautiful cloth of Mexican origin) to wrap a mother into a nurturing, relaxing cocoon and facilitate a gentle healing; literally helping to physically ‘close’ her hips and body after so much opening during pregnancy and birth. This sealing element of the ceremony is called Closing of the Bones :: offering mothers the gift of returning to a dark, safe & secure womb-like state, and providing a deeply meditative, relaxing space for receiving — on a physical, emotional, spiritual & nervous system level. Prior to sealing, I offer the option for an herbal bath, pelvic steam, and a full-body massage with an emphasis on the womb.
Abdominal Belly Binding / Wrapping
Wrapping gives substantial support to the womb after birth, facilitates a quicker healing process of the uterus, and supports organs to recalibrate and realign to their proper place. Additionally, abdominal belly binding encourages the cleansing of blood clots, improves digestion & elimination, and calms the mother’s nervous system. As mothers transition from being close to bed & primarily resting to walking more, wrapping can serve as an ally in warmth, stability and ongoing healing.
❊ I offer different methodologies of wrapping, appropriate to each stage of healing: immediately after birth, through the first 40 days, & beyond.
Additional Modalities to support in-depth thriving & healing:
Simple breathing exercises for the pelvic floor
Herbal sitz baths to repair tissue, soothe & reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation
Pelvic steaming to bring warmth into the body, soften & relax tissues of the pelvic floor and belly, support lymph flow, increase blood circulation, cleanse uterine walls and release stored emotions.
Herbal tea infusions that contain potent & nourishing vitamins & minerals to keep mamas warm and well-hydrated, enhance digestion, support milk production, & more
Moxibustion Treatments: A Traditional Chinese Medicine practice that utilizes the herb, mugwort, to give strength and healing to the organs as they return to pre-pregnancy positioning. This treatment tonifies the abdomen, uterus and spleen, increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, and has been known to stimulate milk production.
Resources and referrals for needs beyond scope of practice (ex: Placenta Encapsulation, Night Doula, Intravaginal Massage Practitioners, etc)
Community Support: Organizing nourishing food deliveries from friends + family through a Meal Train, and if needed, communal financial resourcing for ongoing familial care
❊ With attunement, love, and trauma-informed care, I extend all of these therapeutic healing modalities to families who are navigating bereavement: miscarriage, still birth or abortion. Deep nourishment, warmth, and quality connection are profound allies for postpartum grief-tending, physical healing and processing loss, and I am honored to hold space in these ways.
I passionately emphasize Postpartum Nutrition with an Ayurvedic & Traditional Chinese Medicine approach, providing warm in temperature & nature, organic & locally-sourced, nutrient-dense & easy-to-digest meals.
Proper nutrition is the foundation for a thriving postpartum: sustaining digestive healing, creating the sustenance for nutritive breastmilk, supporting sleep rhythms, and can be the difference between a mother feeling depleted, anxious and overwhelmed vs. deeply nourished, grounded and regulated. Our in-depth prenatal sessions will ensure that your system of support is in place, so you and your partner can focus on resting and bonding with baby, while me and your loved ones nourish you.
Example of a meal delivery:
• Protein-rich soups, medicinal bone broths, congees, stews, etc. —that are digestivally appropriate for each week following birth
• Herbal tea infusions & decoctions, specially crafted for the needs of each mother
• Delicious snacks, side dishes and desserts + cookies to support lactation
❊ Cook book inspiration: The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing a New Mother by Heng Ou, The First 42 Days Recipe Ebook by Jenna Furnari, & The Postpartum Kitchen by Sophie Ward Koren
Frequently Asked Questions
-
I've been mystified by birth since I was child. My mother tells me that when I was three years old, I would run up to pregnant women, eager to connect with them.
I have always had an inherently natural orientation toward nurturing and caring for infants and children of all ages. As I matured into an adult, the love I had for countless children (through being a Montessori teacher and nanny for several incredible families in my early twenties) expanded into a love and reverence for mothers.
My interest in the birth process began when I was studying painting in Vienna, Austria, and working on the painting "Divine Mother." The congruence of this creative process — with a simultaneous, embodied understanding of womb health literacy + Earth connection — directed me toward a deepening fascination with birth. I began a year-long doula mentorship one year later in 2018, and at the beginning of this mentorship, I moved into a home with a newly pregnant mama. I accompanied her through pregnancy, and witnessed home birth for the first time. The experience of caring for this family was influential beyond measure, and propelled me onto the path of birthwork.
Throughout the course of the next 4 years, I continued to live in community environments and accompanied a handful of dear friends // families throughout the entirety of their pregnancies, births, and postpartum passages. These immersive, long-arc, daily experiences of offering familial care created the foundation for my birthkeeping & postpartum care profession.
-
• Wachakuy: Sacred Birth Way, in the Sacred Valley of Peru with Cynthia Ingar, 2019
• INNATE Postpartum Care Training with Rachelle Seliga, 2020 - 2021
• Guardians of Birth with Aya Maria, 2024
• Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula Course with Jenna Furnari, 2020
• Doula Thrive Mentorship with Sarah Naia Soleil, 2018 - 2019 & 2020 - 2021
• 1:1 Ayurvedic Abyanga massage guidance with Katia Winter, 2021 - 2023
• Body Poetry Yoga Teacher Training with Lara Ziliobowitz, Byron Bay, 2023
• Yoga Centre Teacher Training with Meg Whitney, San Luis Obispo, 2013
• Current studies: School for the Sacred Wild Herbalism Apprenticeship with Marysia Miernowska, 2023 - present
* Early Childhood Teacher : Park School at Esalen, Big Sur, 2021 - 2022 & Montessori Children’s School, San Luis Obispo 2011 - 2014
-
My experience has been that developing continuity of care over time and supporting families throughout the entirety of pregnancy, birth and postpartum is a very potent and rich experience for all.
That said, I also love offering individual, focalized care during pregnancy, birth or postpartum. Sometimes, families are wanting care during a specific part of their journey, and it’s deeply fulfilling to offer support in any & all ways they are needing.
Connect with me on Instagram
@thriving.origins
