Clarissa first came to birth and postpartum work as a teen mom. Today, she teaches classes and provides support to teen moms in her home state of Georgia. 

As a community birthworker, Clarissa is involved in lots of volunteer work. Her most recent volunteering endeavor: a diaper drive that served over 50 families. She takes a holistic approach to birth work, investing in both one-to-one care and also in the creation of more birth workers. She is a doula mentor with the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. 

Access and education are top priorities for Clarissa’s birth work. She shares that one of her Poppy powers is finding resources for members who reach out to chat. For example, “If you're on Medicaid, you have an assigned care coordinator who can be an amazing support, as they can give you resources and referrals. They can help you find a provider close by, or arrange transport. You can also get perks for attending checkups—like breast pumps, strollers, etc. These are incentives to keep your appointments.” 

Her favorite thing about Poppy? “I love education—it really resonates with me. To have an opportunity to educate and support pregnant and postpartum families by just holding a device in my hand was incredible to me. To be able to reach the masses.” 

Every chat with Clarissa is infused with a wealth of information and care. She shares that, aside from all the training and certifications, she is always thinking about how to be the most impactful and helpful to someone reaching out via a message, and constantly familiarizing herself with new resources. She has this to say: “Chats can be 10, 30, or 45 minutes long, so I am always thinking about how I can give them the most in that time. I try to put self-care information on every chat. Implement self-care along your journey, even if it's just 10 minutes a day.” 

Clarrisa’s #1 tips for…

New parents / Fourth trimester 

• Practice at least 30 minutes of self-care daily.

• Breathe.

• Even if you have 4 or 5 children, no pregnancy is the same and no postpartum is the same. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't feel like you have to handle it all yourself. You are trying to balance your own healing and care for your baby.  

• Have a postpartum care plan—meal plan, childcare, laundry. 

• Go to your 6-week postpartum appointment with your provider and ask all the questions.

Pregnancy

• Create a birth preferences list.

• Do a hospital tour and have a list of questions.

• Take childbirth education, breastfeeding, and postpartum classes.

• Take time for yourself before the baby comes—like a babymoon, for example.

• #1 question: if you may have a C-section, ask if you can do skin to skin.

Clarissa offers support throughout parenting and relationship experience, and she is also a wedding and events planner with her own business @sweetestthingevents.  

She is a huge proponent of self-care, which for her includes: herbal baths, listening to music from her childhood (like classical and jazz), going outside and rocking in her hammock, reading, and trips to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tybee Island, or the North Georgia mountains. She believes that a strong work/life balance is what keeps advocates fresh and grounded in order to support members to their fullest potential. 

Learn more about Clarissa by following her at @adelenasembrace and @sweetestthingevents