Whole Nine Wellness

~The whole nine yards for the whole nine months~

I work with pregnant and birthing women and their families. What started out as a massage practice run by a doula has become a very specialized and focused bodywork business rooted in education and advocacy. With over 20 years of Yoga, 15 years as an LMT who has worked all across the globe, ranging from high end to medical facilities, and 8 years of supporting laboring women, I have cultivated a very specific skill set. I work to help women find their voice, understand the {amazing} process that is unfolding in their bodies and normalize pregnancy and birth in a culture that has medicalized it to such an extent that women are afraid of it and actually dying as a result of the systematic interventions. 

Recently, I was honored with an Ignite Buffalo grant which gifted me a budget of 25k and a year of business and financial mentoring. My goal is to take this 25k and grow it into a business that is more than just myself; hiring and training therapists to do the specialized work I do, having more highly skilled hands to accommodate more women. I plan to phase out being hands on and use my energy, passion and gift of gab to collaborate with care providers and insurance companies, participate in speaking engagements and the dissemination of information/education around childbirth with the ultimate goal of inclusivity and accessibility.

To open Buffalo's premier pregnancy massage and education center! In a beautiful, high end setting we will offer real deal therapeutic treatments on custom tables with a sling supported belly recess so our mamas can lie face down, taking the pressure off of the hips and lower back. We offer induction massage to encourage uterine contraction for our mamas nearing and passing their estimated due dates. We have a post partum treatment with warm castor oil packs on the belly for nourishing and healing the tissues, increasing blood flow and reproductive health, offer lymphatic drainage for fluid retention and swelling, relieve sciatica and reduce the stress hormones in the bloodstream. The bottom line is that Massage has measurable physical and emotional benefits and is a necessary tool for navigating the shape shifting anatomy and physiology of pregnancy.  We will change the standard of care for our expectant and laboring mothers- WE CAN DO BETTER! In this space we will normalize pregnancy and the birth experience and positively effect outcomes as we educate and support our clientele throughout the whole nine months and beyond.

So, I have the momentum of the Ignite Buffalo Grant and programming behind me, a starter amount of money AND I have just found the perfect building!!!! A commercial mortgage requires 20% down which is more than double my 25k. The building will also need renovations and is adding up FAST- I can't swing this on my own and am reaching out to the community I have worked so closely and lovingly with in the hopes of having this vision realized and my dream of championing our women coming to life in one of Buffalo's historic, charming carriage houses. I'm hoping to raise at least enough to supplement what I have for the down payment, and (dream of dreams) cover the renovations. It is an old building (circa 1900) so you would not only be supporting local business growth, services to pregnant women and future Buffalonians, but also historical architecture.

As this is time sensitive I am looking to raise the money as soon as possible; my gratitude is already endless for every family who has invited me to witness and support their journey- you all inspire me to do more. We can do better than one family at a time. In creating a high end space where all women can feel like the Queens they are (the most powerful beings on the planet), we can change the standard of care for pregnancy. When we hold ourselves to a higher standard, women begin to apply that standard to all aspects of life- ultimately demanding better birth experiences. Also, we can generate revenue with the clear goal of birthing a foundation to ensure ALL women have access to the education and supportive resources that WE KNOW result in better outcomes.

Birth can be the most powerful, transformative experience of this lifetime- it is an amazing thing WE DO. The fact is many women experience it as a traumatic event the happens to them and this is an unacceptable standard. We can make real change right here in Buffalo. I want to build something beautiful and empowering for every woman who walks through our doors.