Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Welcome!
One of my favorite parts of what I do is getting-to-know women and their families. So here is a little about me - I bet you'll find some similarities between us.
I'm a wife, mother of four, Registered Nurse, and Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. All of these roles contributed to the beginning of Best Starts!
Prior to nursing school I saw myself as an ICU or ER nurse. That vision completely changed the day I assisted in birth for the first time! I quickly fell in love with all things birth and postpartum.
A year later Clint and I welcomed our first child together. Our preparations and birthing experience united us unlike any other experience we'd had. Her birth was everything we had hoped it would be! But to be honest - we had spent so much time preparing for labor and delivery and didn't give any thought to how to feed or care for a baby! I learned that breastfeeding is an art that must be learned for both mom and baby.
Shortly after our daughter was born I completed my capstone in Labor and Delivery, graduated from Brigham Young University (BSN), and got hired as a Registered Nurse on a Nursery and Pediatric unit. My favorite part of my job was attending deliveries and helping mothers with those precious first feeds. This is when I fell in love with teaching. It also provided valuable experience with the challenges of working outside the home while breastfeeding. I went on to become a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) so I could further assist breastfeeding mothers.
Our family moved to Tri Cities, Washington in 2018 and have since welcomed 3 more beautiful babies. I cherish the opportunity to prepare for each birth, nourish my babies, and share my stories and knowledge so other mommas can love this journey too. I saw a big need to connect women in Tri Cities with the support and education they need along the way. That's why I'm here! I'd love to be a part of your motherhood journey and am honored every time I get to be with a new momma and baby. If you're looking for a service other than a doula, childbirth education, or lactation consultation I can likely make a recommendation to another trusted professional in our community.
As you explore this website you'll notice plural pronouns such as "we" and "us" are frequently used. This isn't because Best Starts is a large company. If you call or email you'll get me directly. Rather, I use these pronouns because this is a family and community effort. Clint is my greatest enthusiast and even helps teach portions of our childbirth class in preparing birth partners. My kids have given me the personal experience and passion needed to care for families. My community of women and fellow birth professionals have the zeal for providing children and their mommas with the best start to life possible.
My hope for my work through Best Starts is to empower women to reach their goals. Women are incredible! Our birthing experiences matter. Breastfeeding our infants matters. If I can assist you along your journey, please reach out!
-Tonya
Share your story and the kind of support you're in need of. I'm always available by email or phone.