Atoctli
Birth & Wellness
The Full Story
Hello! I’m Serene Augustain, a dedicated Birth and Postpartum Doula and founder of Atoctli Birth & Wellness. My journey into birth work began three years ago while supporting Native American sobriety clinics, where I encountered pregnant mothers navigating the journey of life's challenges and transitions. Hearing their stories and need for support ignited my passion for providing deeper care and guidance during this pivotal time in a woman’s life.
This calling led me to embrace doula work as my path of service, one rooted in advocacy, education, and compassionate support for all women and families. Over the years, I have built a comprehensive foundation through extensive training in Arizona, focusing on labor, birth, postpartum care, and loss and bereavement. In 2024, I had the honor of traveling to Ecuador, where I deepened my practice and cultural awareness around birthing practices by learning from indigenous midwives, embracing their grounded, traditional approaches to birthwork. In the picture above you see me enjoying the view of the Ecuadorian mountains!
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My background includes Birth/Postpartum Doula Certification (Wombs of the World), Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Training (PSI), and Loss And Bereavement Training (Cihuapactli Collective). I am also a NASM- Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Coach, with a Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology. I love to nerd out about the human body, evidence-based research, and of course...BIRTH!
My approach is gently guided by evidence-based practices and deeply enriched by the wisdom and traditions of my indigenous culture- creating a true remedy of holistic care. From culturally attuned birthing and labor techniques, nutrition, meditation, and reproductive support- my care is well rounded to cater to mind, body, and spirit. I meet you where you are at in your journey and strive to help you incorporate the elements and visions you have for your birth and postpartum experience that will make it truly special.
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I believe in the innate strength of mothers and the human body, trusting in its physiological ability to birth. I also believe it takes a village to nurture the mother and family whilst bringing life into the world. My goal is to empower families to embrace childbirth as a joyous and transformative experience. Every session is tailored to nurture the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual facets of my clients, fostering a supportive and informed environment where they can thrive and build community.
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At Atoctli Birth & Wellness, I am honored to be a part of each family’s unique journey, advocating for childbirth as a sacred ceremony and a powerful life transition. Let’s work together to create a nurturing village of care, wisdom, and empowerment for you and your family during pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
About Atoctli
Atoctli (Ah-tok-t-lee), means "tierra fertíl" or "fertile land/soil" in the Nahuatl language. The process of deciding what to name my business was one of great thought. Knowing it to be my calling to be a supporter and guide for women and families in their sacred life transitions such as, coming of age, birth, postpartum, and at times, in death, stirred a great amount of emotion and deep thought in me. I wanted the name of my business to truly embody a grounded and nurturing feeling, while promoting itself as a place where you can grow, feel cared for, and go through these experiences in community. In many variations of indigenous culture, the Mother Earth is where we go to nurture ourselves, where we place our joys and woes, where we plant our seeds and sow the rewards of our tending to the land during each and every season. It is the same with our bodies and life's big transitions. All families and communities deserve to have fertile grounds to plant the seeds of our next season of life- whatever changes that season may be bringing. We deserve to have people that love and support us every step of the way. We deserve to have support that truly nurtures us to see us grow and bloom into our next season. When life gets a little bit crazy, we deserve to bring it back down to our roots in love and community.
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It was with this in mind that I named my business "Atoctli Birth & Wellness". I believe all healthy communities begin with birth. Birthing healthy families and babies for the next generation- learning ways to better care for ourselves, our families, and community for better quality of health and wellness.
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I use my platform as an indigenous woman to teach and educate. The naming of Atoctli has deep ancestral roots and connection for me. In Mexico, the birthing practices and care for families is one that has been around for thousands of years. While I am living in this modern age, I hope to keep the ways of my ancestors alive through Atoctli.
Other Fun Facts
I was born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona. I have lived in Gilbert the majority of my life. I attended California State University East Bay 2017-2021 and moved back to Arizona following COVID. I have stayed in my beloved desert lands since then. I was a competitive swimmer for 16 years all the way up to college. After college, I rolled into working as a personal trainer. A mixture of my work and my own personal journey inspired me to focus my health and fitness efforts in Women's Health and Wellness. In combination with the story above, this soon led to my passion for reproductive and maternal care for all women and families.
My hobbies include spending time with my family and friends, lap swimming, painting, attending concerts and comedy shows, getting outdoors, learning about different cultures (including my own), and traveling the world of course! I believe we have a life to make the most of- doing the things we love, with the people we love, and meeting new ones along the way! I spend my free time wrapped up in a good book, Netflix shows, or simply sitting in a good coffee shop chatting with a friend. I am deeply passionate about living healthfully and well. I am always looking for ways to deepen my loving relationship to self and others. Our world is in need of the beautiful medicine that love and our Mother Earth has to offer. I hope to be a firefly lighting the way for those looking to walk that path with me!
Let’s Connect
​Please write me and tell me a bit about you and your growing family!
I would love to meet you face to face (or on Zoom).
I will reach out to schedule a time to meet.
