ABOUT ALISON

My journey and interest in birth started in my early teenage years in Sweden. I remember as soon as I learned about how we give birth, I needed to know exactly everything about it.

Moving to Sweden from USA when I was 11, meant that I could start high school with a focused career at the age of 15. I had a huge desire to become a midwife so I chose to study to become a medical assistant first. I longed to support my first birth, but it wasn’t until I was 22 that I would finally get this opportunity, and since then I have known that this was my calling in life.
I was working in labor and delivery at a high risk hospital in Lund, Sweden. The midwives there taught me an incredible amount and I witnessed ~300 hundred babies born in many different ways. Yes, I tracked them - how could I not? However, witnessing this many births in such a short period of time also meant witnessing a fair amount of trauma, which in turn strengthened me but also taught me that I couldn’t do it full-time. I took a break and broadened my knowledge in other related areas, child infection unit, midwife clinics and the post birth unit working with more complications after birth and breastfeeding support.

Fast forward to 2017 I found myself back in America, working in a baby store and teaching baby wearing classes, working with postpartum doulas, family therapists, lactation consultants and many other professionals which introduced me to the birth doula career. I did my certification that same year and since then I have not looked back.

The best part of my job is getting to meet and educate expectant parents about the birth process. I do this with evidence based information to ensure they know their options, which will support them in having the most positive birth experience. Birth is one life experience that we may not get to do many times, so I am a true advocate of investing time to learn all that you can to make your birth an experience you can look back at with absolute joy, even if things don’t go according to “plan”. Evidence shows us that even decades later, you will remember everything and everyone from that day. The people you choose to surround yourself with truly matters.

Supporting clients and students to get closer to excitement and further away from fear leading up to the day they meet their child is my calling in life. I want to be a part of making your birth the highest achievement you can feel, and show you that there are many avenues to reach this achievement. I recognize the true honor and privilege it is to be welcomed into this sacred space and my goal working in this profession is to help your experience be a positive memory that you can look back on as an empowering transformation.

When I am not at a birth or teaching a class, I am most likely at the gym or in the kitchen meal prepping. I enjoy living an active lifestyle with my husband Berk, exploring nature and meeting new people. Berk is a fitness professional training individuals to reach their highest potential and is specialized in pregnancy and postpartum strength training.

Working intimately with birth clients has proved time and time again the unbreakable bond we will always have with each other. This is how Birth Linked came to be, if you’re my client or student, know that we are linked in a very special way, through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.