In 2012, I graduated Nursing School and completed the NROTC program at Marquette University. During my 5 years as a Navy Nurse, I acquired many skill sets. I was stationed at Naval Medical Center San Diego (and met my husband!) and abroad, at Naval Hospital Sigonella, in Sicily. During this time, I worked as an Inpatient Psych Nurse, Labor & Delivery Nurse, and got experience in many fields during my 2 years at Sigonella. When I left active duty, I worked in L&D and occasionally Postpartum in Milwaukee, WI. I currently work part time as a nurse at a Community Health & Education Center as a counselor and ultrasonographer.

Art has always been my creative outlet. Prior to motherhood, I ran an Etsy shop selling my art, as a way to maintain my JOY despite working stressful nursing jobs. After my husband Billy and I got married, we endured a number of personal trials, including endometriosis, infertility, miscarriage, emergency c-section, birth trauma, and postpartum depression & anxiety, to name a few. It was when my professional and personal experiences in the OB world collided that I realized several things:

1. It’s essential to find JOY in every life stage

2. There is an enormous lack of support for the postpartum mother