Whitney is a doula, midwife assistant, Reiki practitioner and local mom of 3 boys who loves spending time in nature!
Where are you from originally?
Orange County, born and raised!
How long have you lived in Costa Mesa? How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
We’ve been in Costa Mesa for five years~ Huntington Beach before that. I’m a single mom to three boys! 9, 6, & 3.
What are your favorite things to do with your kids in general or in town?
We go to the Waldorf School of OC, so we LOVE adventuring in Fairview Park & Talbert Nature Reserve. Also the ENC! My boys love all things nature. 🙂
Name 3 things in town you can’t live without.
Mother’s Market! We’re in there at least three times a week for shopping or a quick easy dinner… Nourish, my friends new organic, vegan, Ayurvedic restaurant on Baker & Fairview… and of course Volcom Skatepark! #boymom
What’s your favorite restaurant in town for a family date? A night out with friends? Why?
With the kiddos, our go-to is Taco Mesa, since it’s local, has fresh ingredients and is so delicious! On a night out with friends, Social is great, Fig & Olive, or Cafe Gratitude.
What is your favorite kid-friendly recipe?
We freeze our extra ripe bananas and blend them in the vitamix with a little milk, and add in other goodies like chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc. to make our own “ice cream”.
What is your local go-to store for children’s clothes? Yourself? Furniture?
For kid’s clothes we love to shop at Volcom after skating, myself at Common Thread… I love supporting local mom’s businesses and she always has the best things! For furniture, I always end up browsing SOCO…. so many great options!
What are your favorite events in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach?
We always look forward to concerts in the park in the summer, or the events at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.
Do you have a favorite destination for family trips? Why?
We camp A LOT, my boys need to run and be free! We love Joshua Tree, but are always checking out new spots. O’Neill Campground is great for a quick local trip… and they have showers!
Name a favorite book? What’s it about/brief description?
Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne – So inspirational, getting back to the basics, less is more, and creating a more peaceful home. Our lives these days can be so hurried… and our children can feel our stress! This book helps you put rhythms in place that really help create a more harmonious environment.
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date? What helped you overcome the challenges at that time?
The THREEnanger! 🙂 Lots of patience, and support from friends, teachers, etc. And being outdoors! Nature is always healing during trying situations. 
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms? What was the best advice someone gave you?
Don’t sweat the small stuff, choose your battles… will the situation I’m looking at really matter in the long run? Best advice a mom gave me… Keep pushing for what is right for your kids. Never give up.
What do you value most in your friends?
We’re all SO busy these days! I love how even if it’s been a while, we can pick right back up where we left off and are still as close as ever.
What was your career before having children? If it’s the same, how do you balance career & motherhood?
I worked in fashion before having kids, jumping back in the the workforce eight years later, I knew it wasn’t my passion anymore; I couldn’t leave my children to go do something that didn’t fill me up inside. After having three very different births with my three boys, from complicated hospital births to having my third at home supported by my midwife and doula… I found my calling. I wanted to support families on this journey to parenthood and I became a doula, midwife assistant, and now also a Reiki practitioner focusing primarily on women trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum and babies. Balancing work and kids as a single mom is so challenging, luckily I have a great support team in place to help out. I try to work mostly when they’re away at school, because I do have flexibility making my owns hours, except when it comes to births. 😉 But most (not all, lol) of the times for births, I am gone in the middle of the night and am able to crawl back into bed and snuggle my kiddos before they wake up and we head off for school.
IF and when you get time to yourself, what’s your favorite thing to do?
When I do get a spare moment to myself I love to catch a yoga class, get a pedicure, or some other form of self care. We have to take care of ourselves to be able to be the best for our families! Dishes can wait. 😉
Thank you Whitney!
If you are interested in learning more about what a doula is, or want to touch base with Whitney, you can visit her website at www.nurturebirthdoula.com.
