
Hello!
As a Doula...
I feel so honored to be included in any parent's journeys, and believe that pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are some of the hardest and most special times in human life. Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated with childbirth, and after completing my birth doula training with Bastyr, completely fell in love with the world of birth work. In my infant nanny days, I spent years discussing the transition to parenthood, and helping parents make the choices that are right for them. I have been witness to this huge life transformation many times, and have seen how amazing birth and postpartum can be when supported in the way it always should be. As a support person, I advocate for your choices, as well as providing emotional and physical support. In birth choices are never black and white, right or wrong. We must exist in grayness and unpredictability, and it is that gray that allows me to support all kinds of births, whether you want no interventions at all, a choice few, or all the tools in the box. Through this process together, we will talk about the serious topics, and go through life changing moments. And when the serious things are all said and done, we leave room for humor, joking about the gut punch of a tiny foot to your ribcage, and the impressive projectile of newborn poos...
I deeply value reproductive justice, queer liberation, and the global deconstruction of white supremacy, and work best with clients who align with this ethos. These values are a necessary base to stand on as a doula, and influence the way I work as well as my life outside of the birthing system. The history of modern obstetrics in the US is filled with violence towards black, indigenous, queer, fat, and disabled people. For that reason (and many others) it is imperative that, as birthworkers, we understand the complexities of supporting birth and postpartum within a system that doesn't create safety for everyone. I love helping families of all identities, and make it a personal mission to assist in finding care that feels safe, supportive, and personal.
When I'm not doula-ing...
You can find me going to drop-in dance classes around the city, crocheting the same hat for the 100th time, or watching Schitt's Creek with my parter, Madison. I spend many hours per listening to birth stories, or reading the newest articles on Evidence Based Birth, and LOVE the unsolicited birth stories when I tell someone what I do for work. Coffee is a very important part of my daily routine, and I am a regular at many coffee shops around Seattle (and I'll never turn down an opportunity for a croissant). Spending time with friends and ex-clients, and getting to know other birth workers in the area is another favorite way to spend my time. It is a core belief of mine that we have lost a sense of community, and I spend much of my free time re-knitting the communal fabric around myself and those around me.



About the name...
I come from a big Italian family (I mean, my name is Giovanna Mangione so that's probably a given). "Strega" in Italian means 'witch', but there's a deeper meaning there. Like many cultures, traditional midwives and birth support people were commonly older women in the community who dealt with fertility, herbal medicines, birth, and death. Because they brought souls in and out of the world, they were often considered to be magic, and historically , italians called these people 'Streganonnas' or 'witch-grandmas'. I come from a long line of these Streganonnas, as my matrilineal line is filled with lay/community midwives in Italy, alll the way down to my grandmother. She worked as a NICU Nurse while caring for her own 6 children. When she passed, she left me a few hundred dollars. I used that money to pay for my first doula training, and I am now honored to carry out the imperative role of supporting childbirth and postpartum, the work that flows through my veins.
My Trainings:
Bastyr/DONA: Birth Doula
Bastyr: Certified Lactation Educator
Birthing Advocacy: Postpartum Doula
Birthing Advocacy: Childbirth Educator
Red Cross: Child/Infant CPR
Adapting to Love: Babywearing
Parenttrust: Hypnobirthing
The Analog Birth
University of Washington: BA Psychology (focus in infant/child development)
In-progress:
Lactation University: Certified Breastfeeding Specialist
Hopeful IBCLC candidate
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