Autumn Bessire Tattenham, CD, CLC, NCS
Credentials
I'm a trauma-informed, certified birth and postpartum doula, an INA (International Nanny Association) credentialed newborn care specialist (NCS), a certified lactation counselor (CLC), and an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor. I have decades of experience in perinatal care and am exceptionally skillful at guiding first-time parents through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and the earliest phase of their babies' lives.
As a life-long learner, besides my doula, newborn care, and lactation certifications, I hold certifications in pediatric CPR and first aid, Spinning Babies birth practices, pediatric sleep shaping, managing multiples, postpartum mood disorders, and infant loss/bereavement support. I have taken extra steps, received an NCS certificate from CACHE, formerly known as the famed National Nursery Examinations Board (NNEB) in the UK, and completed Level I-III certification in Relationship Foundations for new parents with Elly Taylor of Becoming Us out of Sydney, Australia. I'm an official Hypno-Doula through Hypnobabies® and a current professional member of Evidenced Based Birth®, Postpartum Support International (PSI), the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), the International Nanny Association, and the Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA). I'm a Greater San Diego Birth Collective member and a member of the Birth Network of Monterey County. I volunteered for several years as a birth doula and doula mentor with the UCSD Hearts and Hands program. I'm a certified Parenthood Tour Guide through Becoming Us, which allows me to provide relationship-informed guidance and a deeper level of family-centered support to the people who choose me as their doula. In April 2024, I completed a 9-week mastermind under Jojo Hogan, the founder of the Slow Postpartum Movement, to further my understanding of international practices in postpartum care. This year, I became an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor, and can now offer classes to expecting parents and continuing education workshops to doulas, nurses, midwives, and physicians.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as the oldest in a family of six kids and raised my three (now grown and flown) children there. I first moved to Monterey County in 2017, and after building Sweet Peas while living in San Diego for the past few years, I have returned permanently to offer my services to families here. Long before I started Sweet Peas, I had a career in the medical field as a radiology technologist. I ran my own children's portraiture business for a while before becoming a nanny and eventually a newborn care specialist, and from there, I dove into everything perinatal until eventually forming what is Sweet Peas today. These days, when I'm not busy helping new families transition to life with a newborn or teaching professionals the latest evidence on topics related to perinatal care, I'm writing, practicing yoga, studying herbal medicine, hanging out with my husband, Ian, and our dog, Sable, and enjoying all that the California Coast offers. In January of 2024, I became a grandma for the first time, and then our family welcomed a second grandbaby this year. Beautiful life changes that have further enriched my perspective on perinatal care and the importance of family.
Training & Certifications
A Little More About Me
With grandson, Caden, 2024
With granddaughter, Evy, 2026
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The Sweet Peas Approach
We are a mother-daughter team whose passion is to use our extensive training and experience to ensure that new families get reliable information and unbiased support right from the beginning of their parenting journeys. Whether working one-on-one with a new or expecting parent, teaching group childbirth classes, or holding workshops for other birth professionals, the goals are to reduce overall perinatal stress and increase the safety, enjoyment, and well-being of everyone involved as new parents welcome their babies into the world!
Perinatal Support & Education
Ella Quenga, CD-PIC, SD, EIS
Birth, Postpartum & Infant Care Doula
Sibling Doula
Early Intervention Specialist
I'm a birth, postpartum, and infant care doula, as well as a sibling doula. I come to Sweet Peas ready to serve new parents in the Monterey Bay area.
I have extensive experience working with families and small children. As a teenager, I was a swim coach and babysitter, and later I became a private nanny for children of all ages. For the past six years, I've provided therapy for children with autism and have supported several families as an early intervention specialist.
I was drawn to postpartum care because, in my professional work with families, I noticed that providing informative support is the best way to help parents build confidence at the beginning of their parenting journeys. There seemed to be a lack of positive, professional guidance in the early days of parenting, which inspired me to create change. I became a parent myself recently, and this has deepened my understanding and appreciation of my clients' experiences.
In my spare time, I enjoy drawing and painting, going on picnics, and exploring the Monterey Bay with my husband and baby.
Our practice brings together two generations of perinatal support.
As a mother-daughter team, we combine experience, fresh perspective, & shared commitment to the well-being of every client.
Ella, Autumn, & baby Evy, 2026
