I am proud to be collaborating with birth doula, parent educator, Seattle’s Child Magazine editor, Cheryl Murfin. Cheryl is also a freelance writer specializing in pregnancy, birth and early childhood topics and a photographer. She and her partner Joe own Blink Images, offering families simple, informal newborn, infant, child and family candid images.

Cheryl is the former executive director of the Seattle Midwifery School and the Simkin School for Allied Birth Professionals, both now part of Bastyr University. She started Nesting Instincts Perinatal Services in 1998. Her birth services include up to two prenatal visits, full birth care, use of a birth tub and TENS unit for every birth, lactation education and referral, up to two postpartum visits and placenta encapsulation for families interested in this growing trend.

Cheryl has been providing birth doula services to women and their families in the Seattle area for 17 years. She has been a professional writer most of her adult life. Although she her college degree was in photojournalism, she still considers herself an amateur shooter. Another distinguishing point: Blink Images believes families should own their images. That’s why following a shoot, they get every image taken – the good, the bad and the ugly – and retain the rights to those images. Cheryl and Joe will custom color or correct your 20 favorite images from each shoot.

One of the reasons I respect Cheryl so much is that she strongly believes that every family needs and deserves a visit from a skilled lactation consultant.  Even if there are no indicators that anything is “wrong.”  She has noticed time and time again how valuable confidence building can be-as well as correcting problems and preventing future ones.  Thank you Cheryl!