Connecting the Dots: How My Diverse Offerings Support Lifelong Wellness

If you’ve found this blog post likely you’re poking around my website and wondering how all that I’ve studied and all that I offer ties together. In my journey as a fertility awareness educator, doula, and infant developmental movement educator, I’ve discovered a common thread that weaves through all my services: the profound importance of emotional and physical attunement. Each of my offerings is not just a separate service but a piece of a larger puzzle aimed at supporting families through various stages of life.

The Power of Fertility Awareness

My path to becoming a fertility awareness educator began with a personal need to take control of my hormonal health. I found fertility awareness methods (FAM) to be an empowering tool—one I wished I had learned much earlier. Navigating chronic illness and hormonal imbalances underscored the critical connection between stress and fertility for me. When stress levels rise, the body rightfully prioritizes survival over reproduction, leading to challenges in conception. Fertility is fundamentally about abundance and vitality, whereas stress signals scarcity and danger. Through my coaching, I aim to help clients understand these dynamics, promoting emotional well-being and stress reduction.

Embracing Infant Developmental Movement Education (IDME)

My journey into Infant Developmental Movement Education (IDME) began during my time as a work-study student at The Babies Project. Immersed in the profound work of my teachers, I was captivated by how their seemingly small interactions with infants impacted both the babies and their families. IDME emphasizes the importance of movement and sensory experiences for infants, laying the foundation for healthy development and offers families a holistic approach that nurtures their emotional and physical well-being from the very beginning.

Supporting Families as a Doula

Learning about fertility awareness, IDME, and doula work in parallel was a catalyst for me to forge a new career path. My doula services bridge these offerings, providing continuous support prenatally and through labor and postpartum recovery. As a doula, I focus on helping families co-regulate and create safety for themselves, fostering a calm and nurturing environment that facilitates bonding and healing. This integration promotes a smoother transition into parenthood, enhancing the emotional and physical connection between caregivers and their babies.

Tutoring for Lifelong Learning

In addition to my work with families during the early years, I offer tutoring services that focus on academic support and personal growth for students K-12. I stumbled into this work as a way of supporting myself during my social work graduate program and discovered I had a unique combination of skills to offer both academic and emotional support: My approach to tutoring emphasizes not only traditional educational goals but also the development of emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills. I believe that a strong foundation in these areas can empower students to navigate their educational journeys with confidence and resilience.

My tutoring sessions are designed to meet each student’s unique needs, fostering a growth mindset that encourages curiosity and a love for learning.

Fostering Lifelong Relationships

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is when clients transition through my various services. I cherish the moments when a fertility client becomes a doula client, who then embraces IDME—this cyclical journey reflects the growth and development of families. Ultimately, my goal is to be a trusted source of education and support within my community. I aspire to empower individuals and families on their journeys of personal development and growth, offering a comprehensive approach that addresses their needs across the lifespan.

Understanding Infant Nervous System Development: The Role of Movement and Bonding

From the moment they are born, infants are developing at an astonishing rate. One of the most critical aspects of their early growth is the development of the nervous system—a complex network that shapes everything from motor skills to emotional regulation. Movement, co-regulation with caregivers, and the quality of early bonds all play crucial roles in this foundational process. As an Infant Developmental Movement Educator (IDME), I’m here to support parents in understanding and fostering these critical stages of development.

How Movement Development Impacts the Nervous System

Movement is one of the earliest ways babies engage with the world. Before they can speak or even fully control their body, movement organizes their brain and nervous system. Each milestone—from early reflexes like grasping and rooting to more coordinated actions like rolling, sitting, and crawling—stimulates neural connections that lay the groundwork for future learning, sensory integration, and emotional resilience.

At the heart of this process is the brain’s ability to adapt through experiences, often called neuroplasticity. Early movement experiences, especially those that are developmentally appropriate and supported by caregivers, strengthen the connections between body and brain, building a nervous system that can effectively respond to and regulate sensory information. As one scholar notes, “Motor development is inseparable from the rest of the infant’s emerging mental and physical capacities” (Adolph & Berger, 2006), emphasizing how integral movement is to overall growth.

The Importance of Co-Regulation: How Caregivers Shape the Nervous System

Infants are not born with the ability to self-regulate. In their early years, they rely on caregivers for co-regulation—the process by which an attuned adult helps the baby manage stress, emotions, and physical sensations. Through nurturing touch, movement, voice, and even shared rhythms, caregivers can support the baby’s developing nervous system, helping them navigate overwhelming sensations and emotions.

Beatrice Beebe, a renowned researcher in the field of infant-caregiver communication, explains that “the central role of co-regulation in infancy is a process that helps organize the infant’s internal states.” When caregivers provide calm, responsive interaction, they help their baby’s nervous system learn how to stay balanced. This foundation of safety and attunement allows infants to develop the ability to self-soothe, focus attention, and respond flexibly to their environment as they grow.

Infant Developmental Movement Education (IDME): Fostering Bonding and Lifelong Impact

Through IDME, I work with caregivers and their babies to nurture both movement development and nervous system regulation. These early experiences not only influence motor skills and sensory processing but also deepen the infant-caregiver bond, laying the groundwork for secure attachment and emotional resilience.

IDME sessions offer a space for caregivers to learn how to support their baby’s movement and development. By guiding caregivers in understanding their baby’s cues, rhythms, and reflexes, we create an environment where both infant and adult feel more connected and attuned. This bonding experience is essential—not just for the baby’s early nervous system development but for their lifelong ability to build healthy relationships, manage emotions, and feel secure in the world.

The Lifelong Impact of Early Movement and Bonding

Research has shown that the quality of early caregiving relationships has lifelong implications for mental and emotional health. Infants who experience consistent, responsive caregiving are more likely to develop secure attachment styles, which contribute to emotional resilience, social competence, and the ability to form healthy relationships later in life. “The infant brain is wired for social connection, and early interactions shape the architecture of the brain” (Siegel & Bryson). Caregivers can strengthen this attachment process by becoming more attuned to their baby’s needs, while also supporting the baby’s nervous system through developmentally appropriate movement support.

By engaging in co-regulation and fostering healthy movement patterns, we not only support an infant’s current well-being, but we also set the stage for their future capacity to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease, resilience, and self-awareness.

Learn More About IDME and How It Can Support Your Baby

If you’re curious about how IDME can help foster your baby’s development or want to learn more about the connection between movement and nervous system health, I’d love to support you. Click around my site to learn more, and as always I’m here for any questions.