To say the least, Elizabeth’s path to becoming a 4th Trimester educator is unorthodox.  Professionally, her love for science drew her to complete a degree in Physics at the United States Naval Academy followed by an advanced degree in Engineering Management. While this education did prepare her for a 15-year long career in the nuclear energy industry, none of it prepared her for the radical transition to motherhood.
 
As she’d prepared for so many things in life, Elizabeth researched pregnancy, birth, and newborn baby needs to be sure she was ready; however she never thought to consider her own post-birth recovery needs. As she held her newborn, the absence of 4th trimester care felt "wrong” compared to all of the monitoring and attention she’d received during the other three trimesters of pregnancy. She couldn’t help but ask - “What kind of care should new mothers receive?”
 
Her research led her to the answer: worldwide postpartum care traditions that have been practiced for centuries yet have been forgotten here in the U.S. At first, she was skeptical of these traditions as they seemed largely based in folklore, but as she began to explore the scientific background supporting these care traditions, they began to make sense and eventually were so compelling, she knew she must share this information with other moms-to-be.  It doesn't have to be so difficult.  With a little knowledge and effort, we can proactively ease our transitions into motherhood while enhancing our own wellness, deepening or healing relationships, and beginning an essential postpartum care tradition for our generations to come.
 
Elizabeth co-founded Matrescence with her dear friend Caitlin Green Cheney.  She continues to grow within her roles of wife and mom to two beautiful daughters.  Additionally, Elizabeth is a certified Maternal Mental Health Peer Support Coach, serves as an Arizona Maternal Mortality Review Committee Representative as well as an Arizona Maternal Task Force member, and has had the honor of playing for the USA in two Masters Field Hockey World Cups.