Maria Tapia- Phoenix

Hello there! I am Maria, I was born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona. I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health concentrating on behavioral health.

I got the opportunity to study abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico where I attended the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico. I was given the opportunity to meet pregnant women, hear their stories and learn more about their prenatal health care policies. That's where I developed a deeper understanding on the limitations of prenatal care that women face in not only in the US but also outside.

I interned and cared for children at "Case de Los Ninos" where abused or neglected children aged 0-12, were taken under our care. I reviewed program implementations that focused on the prevention of abandoned infants and safely helping parents reunite with their children.

I've always had a passion for prenatal/maternal health- I'm just so amazed by women’s bodies and how we can actually create LIFE. With my background in Public Health and seeing my sisters and friends give birth and hearing their birth experiences, I knew that I wanted to someday work with expecting mamas but I wasn’t sure how I was exactly going to do that.

Side Note: I grew up dancing competitively- dance has always been a huge part of my life and I always had this desire of wanting to dance professionally. Right out of college I decided to go for it and I ended up dancing professionally with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Seeing the world and dancing professionally was really my dream and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to do that for all these years. I just retired from dancing on ships in November 2023 and I am now in the process of transitioning my life back on land!

Many of my friends and family had mentioned to me about becoming a doula a couple of years ago and as I looked more into it, I felt very drawn in pursuing this line of work. So here I am, going for it again and seeing where this path takes me. I’m really excited for this next journey and I’m looking forward to learning more ways to help mamas get the level of care they deserve, especially in the Latino and minority communities.