Hi There! I’m Tova, the Full Spectrum birthworker behind Dark Moon Doula. My practice is centered around loss and infertility and I believe strongly that everyone should have access to non-judgmental, trauma-informed support throughout all of their reproductive experiences.
I grew up in a small town on the East Coast and my ancestors are Ashkenazi Jewish and Sicilian. My family was working class and I did not attend college, choosing instead to work in restaurants and eventually, the wine industry. I moved to Lisjan Ohlone territory (Oakland, CA) in 2009, where I opened a retail business, met my partner and had two children. My journey to conceiving my oldest was marked by loss, medical trauma, diagnosed infertility, pospartum anxiety and a profound lack of support from my surrounding community, all of which led me to pursue doula work.
Our systems of support for birthing people and the many difficulties they face is profoundly broken. We are disconnected from the realities of birth, of pregnancy, of conception and of reproductive health in general, which ultimately leaves us disconnected from life itself. To heal from this disconnection will require massive change on a structural and societal level. In the meantime, doula support can provide a band-aid or a bridge for the gaps. I’m honoured to provide this service for my clients and community and I pray for a new world where it will no longer be necessary.
In an effort to make this work accessible to those who need it most I am often willing to work on a sliding scale, please contact me for more details if this applies to you.
When I’m not doula-ing, I’m most often parenting my two beautiful children, tending our home and hearth, engaging with plants as a folk herbalist or dancing on stage, at home and everywhere in between. Feel free to reach out with questions or comments.