Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Tartari.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Allison. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey has been long and taken many different directions. I had no idea I would end up here. I had been a professional makeup artist for many years and one day in 2002, while doing makeup on a client, I was sharing this story of my experience with my firstborn son.
I was 17 years old when I gave birth, and he came about six weeks earlier than planned. Not only was he early, but he was born with a blood disorder which ended up in a three-month stay in the Sharp NICU here in San Diego. During that time, I observed and learned much about our medical system, some amazing things and some things that left me feeling very helpless. In the NICU I witnessed Music Therapy for the first time. The results I observed from the baby that was receiving this therapy, blew me away. I shared this with my client and long story short(er), she helped me start a non profit called Healing Notes. Next, In this journey I met the person who basically made this all possible, the acting president of the American Music Therapy Association, (Barbara Reuer) and she became a mentor and dear friend. The Healing Notes program has been helping provide certified music therapy to children all over San Diego for almost 15 years now under Resounding Joy Inc. After being around the NICU and sick children for quite some time I started to wonder why so many young children and babies are hospitalized. Music therapy is known as a type of complementary healing therapy so I got to know many amazing natural and holistic practitioners. I saw firsthand the amazing power that natural medicine holds. I wanted to learn more about these (less than desirable birth outcomes) for babies and moms, and if there was anything we could do to help change them. I did my research and learned about the high rates of unnecessary interventions in the U.S and how these interventions contribute to bad outcomes for mom, baby, and even for older children later on in life. It hit me so suddenly. I now understood the possible damage that could have been caused to my little preemie baby being pulled out with forceps unnecessarily. My next two deliveries were not any better. I could not feel enough to push the baby out on my own, I couldn’t move my legs for hours after giving birth, (with my 3rd son) the cerebrospinal fluid had leaked out of the place they put the epidural which gave me the worst headache I could have ever imagined that lasted three weeks, I had to be on pain medication that made me dizzy, nauseous, and the meds made my baby too tired to nurse, which led to mastitis. I understood the importance of good prenatal care and the necessity of educating women before and during pregnancy (especially young women and first time mommas.) Women need to be empowered during pregnancy, not bullied. I learned that in the U.S 1 in 3 women will have a cesarean, and that some very popular San Diegan Women’s hospitals had significantly higher c-section rates than suggested by the CDC. The U.S also has a dangerously high postpartum depression rate. These high rates affect the health of mom and baby.
When I became pregnant in 2008 with my 4th child, I decided on a natural delivery supported by amazing, educated, experienced midwives, doulas, and my family. I gave birth at Best Start Birth Center in San Diego. I was amazed at how different my experience was compared to my previous deliveries. I could not have felt mor safe and loved.
This is when I knew I wanted to help support women during pregnancy, and possibly help avoid a NICU stay or future hospitalizations for their children. I wanted to let families know there are other options, safer options for birth. I became a D.O.N.A trained doula and did that for about 8 years, attending many births in and out of the hospital setting. Most of the births I supported were in the hospital and I saw many things done to moms and heard things said to moms that just weren’t right. I learned the definition of obstetric violence/abuse. It is a very real thing. Most people are not aware that they have rights, that they can “No” to a doctor or nurse. I had to share this knowledge and again I decide to change careers. I took a step back from Healing Notes, and my makeup artistry and at 40 years old, I applied and was accepted to the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery. I graduated in 2017 and will be sitting for my NARM (North America Registry of Midwives) this fall. I am currently working as a student/assistant midwife with an amazing team of Licensed Midwives at Acorn Birth Center. My goal is to open a wellness center in the near future. I have learned that consistency in care provides better outcomes, this is one major thing our system is lacking.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was not a smooth road, but I feel very lucky to have the support of so many people. Being a single mother working full time was a huge struggle. I was fortunate enough to have had my “Village”, a great support system. I had the San Diego Foundation that assisted me with several scholarships that helped me pay for my midwifery education.
I really reached out to the community and found help that made it possible for me to make this huge career/life change. Many midwives in the community gave me their time and knowledge and took me under their wings as a student midwife. This is not an easy task and I am forever grateful for this gift. My adult children and my husband really helped with caring for my younger child. They helped out around the house and kept things going while I was away. They even brought me food when I was at an exceptionally long birth. My spiritual family also helped me in so many ways. Primarily by supporting my older children when I was not able to be there to help or guide them. They really are a true blessing. I never felt alone.
Please tell us more about your practice.
Enlace Birth Services offers Birth Doula services, Monatrice services, as well as Homebirth services. I work alongside several licensed Midwives. Together we offer these services of support to families that allow them the chance to choose to birth their way.
Doulas attend births in hospitals, at home, and birthcenters.
Before labor: we can be a listening ear, and help you find answers to the many questions you may have, share nutritional information, assist with creating a birth plan and postpartum planning, partner support (helping to find the role they want to fill during labor), demonstrating different positions that can help reduce discomfort during labor, suggesting pressure points and massage that can help with discomfort during pregnancy and labor.
During labor: We provide assistance with non-medical comfort measures (position changes, hot/cold therapy, massage, breathing techniques, patient advocacy, emotional support, assisting with initiating breastfeeding, keeping the birthing environment the way “YOU” want it (reminding the birth team of your wishes), being a friend, coach, or family. Our goal is to assist with whatever you need to create the beautiful birthing experience you want.
Postpartum: We provide home visits after birth to assist with breastfeeding support, newborn education, processing your birthing experience, providing referrals for community support and much more.
Our Monatrice services include everything that the Doula services offer and more. With this service, you also have the benefit of a licensed midwife meeting with you prenatally, during and after labor. A Monatrice can help bridge the gap for families that want a natural/unmedicated birth but are not comfortable birthing out of hospital. We review your obstetric history and assure you have the support during labor that allows you to stay at home as long as possible.
We monitor mom and baby and help you decide when it is truly time to go to the hospital. The longer you are able to labor at home the smaller your chances are of receiving unnecessary interventions.
Midwifery care/ Homebirth: This service is your obstetric/gynecology care before, during, and after your pregnancy. Midwives not only offer homebirth services but well-woman care as well. This is something that truly sets us apart. We educate on birth control, sexual health, pre-conception counseling, nutrition , and hormone health, We take the time to find out the “why” behind symptoms, and we look at each person as an individual. Together, the midwives and clients work as a team helping you take control of your pregnancy. We provide the care and education you need to help you become aware of your bodies needs while building confidence that your body was made to do this!
It is necessary to build report with our clients, listening to them, and spending ample time so they feel truly cared for. We love our clients and have had the honor of assisting many of them with multiple pregnancies/deliveries. We get to know their family culture so we know how to best care for them, the way they want and need. Midwives are able to care for normal/healthy newborns up to six weeks, and our postpartum visits are done in the comfort of the clients home. This allows them to focus on healing and resting.
Midwives in San Diego want to create respectful relationships with the Obstetricians/Gynecologists in the community. We know not every person is a good candidate for home birth. We want to be able to refer our clients that are or may become a higher risk, to a physician that we know will treat them with the same sincere care and respect that they received from their midwives. We LOVE pregnancy, we LOVE our mommas, we LOVE birth, and we LOVE babies.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is being happy. This would come partially from being able to do what I am passionate about while being able to balance it, by always putting my family and spirituality first. (Along with taking care of our health) I believe to truly be successful you must make it a priority to help others in some way on a regular basis. I know success is usually viewed as being financially successful , or gaining notoriety , but I personally believe that even with all of those things, if we don’t have faith and a belief that we are all here to help each other, we can not truly be happy. Figuring out how to do that may be a challenge, but most good things take hard work to achieve, and I believe it is worth the effort.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6198466359
- Email: enlacebirthservices@gmail.com, www.enlacebirthservices@gmail.com
- Instagram: enlacebirth
- Facebook: @enlacebirthservices
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