My Story
Certified Breastfeeding Counselor & Educator and Trained Postpartum Doula
I am a Nursing Mother's Alliance certified breastfeeding peer counselor, a BirthArts International certified breastfeeding educator and BirthArts International trained postpartum doula. I am also a certified yoga teacher and mom to three beautiful boys, two in my arms and one forever in my heart.... I began practicing yoga in 1995 and became a certified vinyasa yoga teacher in 2004.
Inspired by my yoga practice, I began a Seva (selfless service) practice and signed up for the 2008 Off The Mat Cambodian Bear Witness Challenge. In 2008 I raised $20,000.00 for the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) and in February 2009 traveled with 20 other fundraisers to Cambodia to work at CCF and take part in leadership training. I received my Prenatal Yoga certification in 2011, my Postnatal Yoga certification in 2012, and I have studied Yoga for Fertility and Restorative Yoga extensively.
In 2013 my and her husband welcomed our first son. In July of 2015 we faced one of the most difficult experiences parents can go through, we lost our son Bodhi due to complications during his labor and delivery. In July of 2016 we were blessed with the birth of our rainbow baby, Shepard. I breastfed both of my sons past their first birthdays. I always loved the unique support I have received from breastfeeding support groups and have been inspired by friends and mentors Tammy Arbeter and Brittany Sharpe McCollum to get my Nursing Mothers Alliance Breastfeeding Counselor certification and her Breastfeeding Educator certification through Birth Arts International.
Shiya believe that her own experiences with pregnancy, breastfeeding and parenting, life and death, have given her a unique perspective on the postpartum period, breastfeeding, and yoga which she is honored to share with others who need support with their prenatal breastfeeding preparations, postpartum support and breastfeeding journeys.
As a lactation counselor, educator and postpartum doula I strive to ease the transition that comes with the addition of a baby to a family. I hopes to improve postnatal satisfaction and reduce the risk of postnatal mood disorders. It is my goal to nurture the family by providing evidence based care for families with newborns, supporting the families
individual feeding goals, offering infant care techniques, and providing care for the new parents.
I believe that my experience of 3 pregnancies, each with its own unique outcomes and experiences, breastfeeding and raising my two boys, has have taught me patience, understanding and the importance of support during the vulnerable, early days of new parenthood.