From Care to Credibility: Evaluating Your Impact as a Birth Worker

Kyra earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work and is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health degree at Florida State University.

Since graduating, she has worked in maternal and child health and has been an Adjunct Professor teaching in social work. Along with her collegiate studies, she has completed certifications in Leadership in Executive and Administrative Development (FSU), Lactation Counseling (ALPP), Perinatal Mental Health (PSI), Childbirth Education, and Birth Doula (ICEA). Kyra has also completed specialized training in evidence-based perinatal depression curricula, including Mothers and Babies, developed by Northwestern University, and Moving Beyond Depression, developed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Throughout her career, she has been a case manager, provided one-to-one breastfeeding education and support, taught group childbirth and newborn care education classes, led peer support groups, provided support to moms who were experiencing postpartum depression, and provided grief support to moms who experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. Kyra worked in a prenatal and infant home visiting program for 9 years before following her vision in March 2021 by developing a program to provide services to mothers through her nonprofit Maternal and Perinatal Services, Inc., where she provides breastfeeding education, childbirth education, and postpartum support to include a pregnancy loss support group, to moms at no cost.

Her experience in maternal and child health over the years led her to recognize service barriers, prompting her to bridge the gap.