About Emese - To Carry Wonder

hi!

I’m Emese

Welcome beautiful friend! One of my favorite things in life is connecting with women like you—hearing their stories and partnering with them in creative ways. I’m thrilled that you’re here.

My name, Emese [eh-meh-sheh], means “mother” in Hungarian. I never thought my name would capture the essence of a life passion, but here we are. I’m a sassy mama who’s also a pregnancy & motherhood support specialist. I guess we could say that I ended up growing into my name.

For those interested, my credentials are: RN, WHNP-BC, MPH, PMH-C, NCMP

As a pregnancy & motherhood support specialist, I am a:

Pregnancy & motherhood life coach
Women’s circle facilitator
Women’s wellness consultant
Registered nurse (RN)
Board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP-BC)

matrescence activist

“Newness gets tucked inside a pregnant woman, and she is forever changed by it.”

– To Carry Wonder

My Passions and Background

Throughout my life, I’ve had all sorts of wonderful opportunities to work with women. What an honor! After all, women are incredible people (right?!) whose strength, wisdom, creativity, insight, and fierceness can transform communities and make them flourish.

Whether as a coach, author, nurse practitioner, matrescence advocate, or mama—my passions remain unchanged: supporting and empowering women. I’m particularly interested in promoting perinatal mental wellness and walking with women through various life transitions—especially pregnancy and motherhood.

After completing Bachelor of Science degrees in exercise science and nursing, I earned my master of science in nursing from Boston College, and master of public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Although I’ve been working in healthcare for over twenty years, I’ve been specializing in women’s health since 2008. Fortunate enough to have worked in various OB-GYN settings, I’ve had the honor of partnering with women across the lifespan who come from diverse backgrounds, including students, refugees, immigrants, and those experiencing homelessness.

As a public health geek, I can’t help but tap into the power of public health too. Yep, this means supporting groups of women, through program development and leadership positions with organizations like the University of California San Francisco and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Disparities Collaborative. It also means facilitating women’s circles and motherhood-focused group coaching.

Professional affiliations

Postpartum Support International (PSI)
Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Evidence Based Birth (EBB)

My Story

Why Pregnancy and Motherhood?

After I got pregnant with my first baby, I realized that I, a mother-in-the-making, was smack dab in the middle of an epic adventure. I did a double take and felt a little confused. I thought this season was supposed to be blissful: filled with smiles, sunshine, and yummy food cravings. Turns out, it was also a season of awkward, annoying, worrying, and even difficult moments.

What in the world?! Pregnancy ended up stretching me not just literally but also figuratively—just like a true adventure.

Now, fast forward to motherhood. Even though I had purchased diapers, baby clothes, and a car seat like a good little girl, I still found myself completely unprepared for what was to come. My maternity care providers were so focused on getting me to the finish line (birth) that they forgot to equip me for the upcoming marathon (motherhood).

Big oops.

Before I knew it, my world had turned upside down and I literally asked myself how on earth women survive—let alone thrive—in motherhood. Of course, there were plenty of wonderful days and precious moments, but boy were there also times when I felt exhausted, alone, a little rumpled in spirit, and more than a little overwhelmed.

“Where did my sparkle go?” I wondered.

Mama, here’s a word that can change your world:

Matrescence

I wish I would have known about it!

Matrescence?

Matrescence is the “mother-becoming” adventure that profoundly shifts a woman’s identity. It’s no joke! It’s a multi-year season characterized by a non-mama undergoing a massive identity shift and transformation. It affects all that she is. As a mama of three now, however, I realize that although matrescence can be uncomfortable, confusing and hard, with the right support it’s a gift.

Matrescence is a woman’s chance to grow more into her beautiful self—and not simply who the world expects her to be.

thank you!

A special thanks to the inspirational Amy Taylor-Kabbaz, journalist and matrescence advocate, who first shared with me the notion of “matrescence” in her Mama Rising Facilitator course. Amy, you’ve given me the word which frames our motherhood experiences!

Another special thanks to doula Rachel Rose! Your “Together Women’s Circle Facilitator” training course is practical, fun, in-depth, down-to-earth, and infused with humor. I am so excited to spread the magic of intentional gatherings with women around me.

hi!