Kimberly

About Ripening Moon

Biography of Kimberly Christensen, preconception educator and owner

I worked in social services until 1997, when I attended my first birth as a doula. The beauty of birth and my desire to help new families eventually led me to midwifery school. I graduated from Seattle Midwifery School in February, 2004, and have helped over 120 babies enter into the world. I have also continued to volunteer as a doula, primarily assisting women who could not otherwise afford to hire a labor support person. By doing so, I have been privileged to witness births to women from many immigrant cultures, and also many indigent and imprisoned women who would otherwise have been alone during their labors.

"After getting contradictory information from other health care providers and the internet, talking with Kimberly about our difficulty in getting pregnant was such a relief. Her compassion and realistic suggestions for my individual concerns made a highly stressful situation easier. Kimberly discussed our options plainly and clearly, and researched alternative treatments for us to look into. Her continuous care and availability has been our calm in this fertility storm."

-Leanne, 37

As part of my midwifery training, I studied with midwives Kim Toevs and Stephanie Brill, authors of The Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy and Birth, in a clinic where we taught fertility awareness and performed at-home inseminations. I continue to teach fertility awareness to women and couples from all walks of life, and particularly enjoy attending births for families whom I have counseled. At this time, however, I am not attending births in order to spend time with my young son.

I specialize in teaching women and their partners about the signals and symptoms that a woman's body produces when she is fertile. Information about a woman's fertile window is useful for all women who are trying to become pregnant, whether with a partner, a donor or with the help of a fertility clinic. For more information on charting, visit our Why Chart? Page. I am committed to helping women learn more about their bodies and to become more involved in their health care.