I’m Sam (they/he), and I am a trans disabled careworker. I am a gender and disability doula, and a birth doula. I began my journey into the birth world with my own TTC (trying to conceive) journey in 2021 and pregnancy & birth in 2022. I hired a doula to help me navigate the medical industrial complex as a trans disabled birther, because I knew I wanted another advocate on my team. That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, because it opened me up to a world of support! The relationship I built with my doula was one of mutual trust and care. We talked in depth about my goals, hopes, fears, and more surrounding pregnancy and birth. You can read more about my experience with pregnancy and birth here.

I am a multidisciplinary scholar. I graduated with a degree in music and women’s and gender studies from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2021. I have found myself rooting my praxis in disability justice and abolition, which foundationally are both rooted in community care. “We keep us safe” and “When I am happy, it is good for the world” are sentiments I believe to my core. In birth terms, this looks like 

• access to support safely navigating systems that historically have been sites of harm for marginalized people (like the MIC-medical industrial complex) 

• having wide nets of support during the transition into parenthood

• positive birth outcomes (whatever that means to you!)

• overall satisfaction with your experiences within your bodymind during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.