true personality

Suzannah is a genuine, hard working and open hearted woman and mother who has lived and worked in San Francisco for almost 25 years, but originally from Philadelphia. She is a proud mama to two teenage girls, Logan and Aya, and a wife to Dheen. She finds joy in bringing happiness to all the people who cross her path, even complete strangers. Much of her work in the Bay has been family-centric, both as a family photographer and child care professional. During the birth of her second child, Aya, in 2010,  she formed a deep bond with her midwife, Maria Iorillo and was magnetized into the home birthing community. She soon found herself in the magical and intimate role of documenting the experience of pregnancy and child birth with any camera within reach.

Her empathetic nature and generous spirit has allowed her to share a time and space that is often fiercely guarded and protected, an opportunity she has fully embraced. Something about Suzannah causes others to open up, let their guards down and invite her to share and witness parts of their journey into prenthood. This makes her a natural fit for the role of supporter, coach, partner and friend that is “doula”.  After spending more than half a decade focusing solely on the photography side of child birth she has been drawn in to apply her gifts and energy to the role of birthing companion. She received her birth doula certification through Naturual Resouces in San Francisco and continues to grow compassion for all aspects of the birth process, including midwifery. She is now certified as a California assistant home birth midwife and continues her education and research around breech and twin deliveries as a variation of normal. She has gained insight and data from a dear friend and OBGYN, Dr. Stu Fischbein, Rita Freeze, PhD and various experts in physiologic breech delivery in an out-of-hospital setting and trained through Breech Without Borders.

An interest in wellness and natural medicines has also led her to study the benefits and healing properties of essential oils and many holistic modalities. Her knowledge and exploration of aromatherapy has brought relief, stimulation and benefit to her personal life as well as her doula and midwifery practice. She is dedicated to educating and sharing what she has learned with family, friends, clients and all in her circle.

Being present in the birth room provides her with strength, humilty, inspiration and LOVE. She feels blessed to have found a true calling, a true community and a true purpose that does not feel anything at all like work. That's why she is a true doula, midwife and birth photographer.