Tallina Long, Portland Doula
Growing up as a big sister to six brothers and one sister prepared me for a career in and around birth work, childcare, and teaching. After years of being a toddler whisperer and working with families in daycare and outreach programs, I felt the call to birth work. While getting my doula training and certification, I went from being merely interested in birth to being downright in awe! The science and magic of labor and birth is amazing, and I am now honored to be your friendly neighborhood doula. I strive to assist my clients where they are, in the birth that they want, with a little humor and a lot of support. I love to serve Portland families of any stripe, creed, religion, or size with quality doula services and have a special place in my heart for LGBTQ+ families. I also teach childbirth education and newborn care, and I’m certified to teach from Evidence Based Birth.
Born and raised in the Wild West (okay, Denver isn’t the wildest place), I love the beauty of nature and the mountains, and I miss the Rockies every day. Fourteen years ago, I moved to Oregon with my then boyfriend (now husband) and we both earned our degrees here and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. We also unexpectedly met and fell in love with another woman, and we are now a happily married triad. Being queer and polyamorous is wonderful and hard, and informs my birth work since communication is so vital when navigating healthy relationships of any kind.
Encouraging new parents to find their way through labor and birth, get some sleep in the postpartum, and develop community through the first few years of parenting are some of my strengths. Let’s face it, bringing a new life into this world and parenting that life is hard. Intuitively knowing how to navigate labor and your baby’s needs is not always possible, but having an understanding ear and knowledgeable support person makes it that much easier.
Doula Training
Madriella Birth Doula Certification
Birthingway Birth Doula Training
Madriella Postpartum Doula Certification
Childbirth Educator Certification, Birth First Doulas
Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Education Certification
Infant and Child CPR and First Aid Certification
Building on the Infant and Toddler Mental Health Foundations at Portland State University
Bachelor of Arts in Social Science at Portland State University
Certified Early Childhood Childcare Provider in the Central Background Registry for Oregon
Birth Doula Areas Of Specialty
Unmedicated Birth, Out Of Hospital Birth, Water Birth
Surrogacy
Adoption
Single Parent Support
High Risk Pregnancy/Birth
Medical Induction
Body Positive/People Of Size
LGBTQIA+ Families
Polyamorous Families
Trauma Informed Birth Care
Placenta Encapsulation
Recovery From Addiction
Military Families
First Aid & CPR
Postpartum Doula Areas Of Specialty
Helping To Establishing Sleep Routines
Baby Wearing
Demos Of Baby Gear & Products
Elimination Communication
Nursery Set Up
Sibling Support
Baby-Led Weaning
Baby Sign Language
Childproofing The Home
Cloth Diapering Education
Trauma Informed Postpartum Care
Birth Processing/Birth Story Listening
Postpartum Anxiety & Mood Disorders
Birth Doula Partnership Model
Tallina and Liz adore sometimes working together to support birth, babies, and families. As a way of getting to know us, we would like to share 10 fun facts about us as your potential doula team!
- We’ve dedicated a big chunk of our adult lives to supporting children and families, and we’re truly passionate about birth work.
- We decided to work together because we are birth nerds and wanted the chance to serve more families. Also, we enjoy working together and have found that we are a great, funny, boisterous, and supportive team.
- You might think it’s a bit quirky, but we both have tattoos of the oxytocin molecule. Fun fact: oxytocin is the superstar hormone involved in birth!
- We hail from the southwest and are still on the hunt for the ultimate sopapilla (a delicious fried pastry) here in Oregon! Tallina made the move from Colorado in 2006, and Liz followed from New Mexico in 2007.
- Our commitment to our clients is unwavering—we meet you exactly where you are, both physically and emotionally. It’s a journey, and we’re right there with you every step of the way.
- We teach Childbirth Education for Birth First and Providence Hospital system, and will ensure you are informed of your choices, your rights, and the best positions to get that baby moving!
- Fun Liz Facts: She is a voracious reader always on the hunt for new books. She has 19 tattoos, and lives with her sister and tiny fierce protector dog, Brisket.
- Fun Tallina Facts: Also a voracious reader, Tallina lives with both her spouses, two cranky cats, and a huge dog that may actually just be a land shark in disguise.
- Lastly, we truly believe in the magic of laughter and love in the birthing suite. The very human experience of bringing new life into the world holds so much joy, and we can’t wait to share that with you!
