Lauryn Valladarez MPH, CD(DONA)

Lauryn Valladarez received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology and Spanish Language from Chapman University. Upon graduation, she moved to Central America where she worked with an international development organization in the public health sector. Attending several births in mountain communities in Honduras, she saw many under resourced families faced unimaginable challenges to get quality health care throughout all stages of pregnancy. Her work led to a Fulbright research grant in Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nicaragua in 2011. Eventually managing operations for two non-profit health organizations in Nicaragua, Lauryn went on to get her Masters of Public Health at UNAN in Nicaragua.

Lauryn spent her pregnancy and gave birth to her son Noah in Nicaragua, under a distinct model of care found in many developing countries called MOSAF (Family Centered Health Model). With her experience in physiology, public health and sexual and reproductive health, her mission is to perpetuate the mother-centered birth model, encouraging and empowering women to make educated choices about their pregnancy and birth preferences.

Moving back to the United States in 2015, Lauryn continued her work with non-profit organizations, first working with an accreditation agency for rehabilitation facilities and then a local agency serving under-resourced communities. She currently serves as the Director of Life Advancement Programs at Interfaith Community Services in Tucson, AZ where she oversees programs that move families experiencing poverty from crisis to stability, in addition to attending births as a birth doula. She and her husband Pedro have 3 kids and love traveling all over Arizona and the Western hemisphere.