Jen Hamilton

I have a BS in Human Development and discovered my passion and talent for caring for others early on--a large extended family meant there was always a baby or toddler to snuggle somewhere. After college, I spent several years each in the fields of medical office management and Early Childhood Education, always with an eye toward eventually working, somehow, with birthing folks and families.

 

The desire to support families only increased after my own three births. They were each quite different from each other, and all radically different from anything I expected or anticipated. Yet each birth unfolded exactly as it needed to, and I emerged transformed and empowered. Those experiences brought clearly into focus the idea that ANY birth can be magical as long as families: have a care team they trust, can embrace the flexibility that birth requires, and are a part of the decision making process. I also began to understand the power of unconditional & non-judgmental support, something that was new to me. I have carried those lessons forward with me as I have worked with families for 200+ births and become an IBCLC.

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My own history has provided me with some special areas of interest and passion related to birth work. I do a lot of deep and healing work with fellow survivors of violence, abuse, and sexual trauma, as well as those with estrangement from or challenging relationships with their family of origin. I have lived life in a larger body and am a fierce advocate for size equity. I live with disabilities that are largely invisible, require lots of support to maintain my mental health, and still manage to do really hard things--those of us who live with varying degrees of disability and hardship are also capable and strong.

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In the rest of my life, I am:

• Mama to 3 smart, funny, and incredible young adult humans (one female, one male, and one trans* non-binary kid) who are each blazing their own trail;

• partner of 25 years to a kind, gentle, brilliant silver fox of a husband;

• straight-passing queer person;

• amateur zoo keeper (dog, cat, fish, urban chickens, elderly ball python...);

• organic gardener;

• coffee, bourbon, and beer snob;

• reader of literary fiction;

• car karaoke singer and "interpretive" dancer;

• gourmet camper;

• feminist, activist, and oppressive systems dismantler;

• builder of both community and structures;

• emotional hub of a 100% neurodivergent household;

• daughter, sister, auntie, cousin, friend;

• lover of life;

• traveler & adventurer.