I am Michi Arguedas and I am responding to an ancestral call to provide healing as a birth keeper. I was born with the capacity and purpose to do this work and have been offering postpartum care and support through life transitions my entire life! In 2016, after having spent over a decade working as a childcare provider and educator, I was called to attend a training geared towards supporting queer people of color in establishing a practice as birth workers. Shortly after, I became an active member of Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC), a group of low income doulas of color committed to providing accessible support for birthing members of our community. Currently, I am also embarking on a path towards becoming a Certified Professional Midwife! If you’d like to support my journey, you can donate to my GoFundMe here.
I seek to provide culturally-humble and healing-informed care because it is a necessary component in preventing violence and promoting healing. I believe that when we meaningfully engage with our present selves, our ancestors, and our future generations we have the power to heal intergenerational wounds and help create a healthier, safer, and more connected world. I am passionate about supporting people in experiencing undisturbed births and helping to strengthen a model of living and birthing that knows freedom from obstetric violence. I seek to foster a safe and welcoming environment for our future generations and for the birthing people and families helping to cultivate new life. As a birthing person, you carry the instinctual wisdom and ability to have an empowering and healing birth and postpartum experience, and I am here to contribute grounding, consistent, and nurturing care that supports you in that process.
As your care provider, I strive to support you in being fully informed and empowered through all stages of your pregnancy, birth or abortion, and postpartum experience. You have the right to make decisions about your body, your little one(s), and your care at every moment. I trust in your ability to heal just as you envision, and I am here to assist you and your family in having a safe and transformational experience. I specialize in (but am not limited to) supporting families who identify as queer, trans, mixed-race, people of color, immigrant, single parent, and/or polyamorous. I will offer you continuous support and encouragement to help you feel safe and well cared for during your experience, and I will hold a comforting, unbiased space for you to process any range of emotions, opinions, and situations that may arise.
As your doula I aim to:
- provide physical, informational, and emotional support that helps fulfill your desired birth, postpartum, or abortion experience
- hold space for your thoughts, emotions, and spiritual process
- provide physical support including (but not limited to): massage, cleansing, rebozo wrapping, acupressure, assistance in breathing techniques and positions, and belly binding
- help you create a birth preferences plan that reflects your wishes and boundaries, if applicable
- support your partner(s)/family, if applicable
- assist in communicating your wishes to members of your medical care team
- help with lactation/feeding and postpartum care
- offer placenta medicine for postpartum healing, if desired
- provide referrals to services, as needed
Trainings & Certifications:
Ventosas/Fire Cupping – Margarita Camarena
Postpartum Sealing – Tema Mercado, LM, CPM – La Matriz Birth, Curandera Estela Roman, Aurora Birth Journey, Sumi’s Touch
Herbal Medicine – Ancestral Teaching, Hadiza Mohammed, CMT, CH, Ancestral Apothecary – School of Herbal, Folk, & Indigenous Medicine
Abortion Doula – Bay Area Doula Project
Placenta Encapsulation – Aurora Birth Journey
Full Spectrum Doula – Sumi’s Touch
Birth and Postpartum Doula – Aurora Birth Journey
ServSafe Food Handler – ServSafe
Massage/Sobadas – Ancestral Teaching, Curandera Estela Roman, Hadiza Mohammed, CMT, CH
Quetzal Healing 