"I chose to serve as a doula three years after the birth of my daughter in Boulder, CO, in 2012. Giving birth was the most empowering experience of my life. I hope to share my personal wisdom and remedies that helped me have a natural birth with other mothers. I'm a yoga teacher-trained practitioner and spent many years in Los Angeles devoting my time to meditation and mindfulness, so my guidance is based upon mind-over-matter techniques. I am privileged to be able to serve families as they transition from one chapter of life into the next as mothers and parents. I am passionate about empowering women to have the most informed, personalized, and intimate birth experience possible.

I'm a single mother to a fiercely independent 11-year-old girl and love to work with all walks of life. I have been through many personal hardships and have the humility and flexibility to meet you exactly as you are at this moment in time. I have served teen mothers, LGBTQ+ families, as well as ESL clients. I have attended births at Swedish Covenant Hospital, North Shore/Evanston, Northwestern, and Sinai, as well as home births. I spend my free time attending concerts, playing frisbee, and hiking in the woods with my pup Sunday, and you can also find me as an actor in nearly every TV show filmed in Chicago."

*Rebecca is vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.

"Healing arts and radical wellness have been both a necessity and a passion of mine for many years. Birth Work Support is one of many tools I cultivate for contributing to and building up a healthy, brave, and resourced community. Rather than giving support to multiple families, I commit to one or two births per month. Limiting my availability allows me to be fully present and available to hear, see, accept, feel, and receive each birthing person as they need.

I personally have been pregnant six times and delivered three babies. I have a 25, 20, and 15-year-old, each of whom was brought earthside vaginally and breastfed. With my birth work experience and training, I have received much guidance and an array of concrete techniques to help facilitate a radical care practice during pregnancy and labor, as well as after. I have used tools that include divine comforting touch, aromatherapy, breath, journaling, movement, and mindfulness.

As a practicing Muslim and the daughter of a Choctaw and Appalachian mother, my support is here for all beings. I support anyone doing birth work, however, I prioritize my availability to birthing persons, support persons, and their families who may not otherwise feel safe or able to access the benefits of a doula. My energy seeks to be inclusive of Muslim, Black, and Indigenous-identifying parents. I believe financial ability should not stand in the way of you receiving the support you deserve. If you need an adjusted rate, this option is available to you."

"Through my work as a birth and postpartum doula, I hope to support parents through their transition into parenthood with evidence-based knowledge and culturally and spiritually sensitive tools.

I am originally from Ecuador, and my native language is Spanish. After becoming a mother for the second time, I was motivated to become a doula and help families navigate all the different choices for their birth and postpartum journey. I have supported families in all settings, including home births, birth centers, and hospitals.

My trainings include labor, postpartum, and bereavement support through toLabor, CAPPA, and Stillbirthday. I have acquired additional knowledge through other training with Spinning Babies, Birthing From Within, and with Postpartum Support International."

"I was drawn to doula work after many conversations with friends growing their own families, where everyone seemed to have questions but didn't know where to go for answers. This culminated in two surprise phone calls from friends in active labor in the hospital, who were asking me questions about birth and for help making decisions. I quickly became passionate about connecting families with resources to help them feel prepared before they go into labor, so they can navigate these transitions with confidence.

My favorite thing about being a doula is that birth support never looks exactly the same. There are so many ways to birth, and my clients' birth preferences reflect the diversity within their own families. I approach my work with compassion, empathy, and a nonjudgmental perspective, as I help clients determine their individual priorities and prepare accordingly. In addition to supporting the birthing person, I enjoy working with clients' partners, if applicable, to help them feel capable and effective during birth.

I am a trained Full Spectrum Doula through Doula Training International (DTI) and attend births at hospitals, birth centers, and homes. I first joined the Chicago Family Picnic community when my husband and I enrolled in the Childbirth Education class during our own pregnancy, so it's a joy to be connecting with parents as a doula with Family Picnic years later. I live in Evanston with my husband, son, two cats, and puppy."



*Michelle is vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I was a doula long before I knew the word, and I officially trained in Brooklyn in 2019 before relocating to Chicago to be closer to my wife's family. I'm the oldest of five and a former elementary school teacher, so my practice is informed by child development. I am here to support you and your birth team through this transformation that is pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood. I do this work because I believe that every person deserves true informed consent and bodily autonomy during their birth.

I believe in the sacred and the scientific. My practice includes research and evidence, rituals, herbs and plants, and deep listening. I'm always learning (HypnoBirthing, Bradley Method, Evidence-Based Birth, VBAC, Spinning Babies, and more). Expect personal touches, book and podcast recommendations, clear communication, grounding energy, and fun! I'm queer and love to work with LGBTQIA+ folks. I have attended births at Prentice, Swedish, Evanston, and West Suburban, as well as at birth centers and homes. When I'm not at birth, you might find me in my garden, crocheting, reading, or walking my naughty little dog, Coconut. You can also find me on Instagram at @wyld_garden."

*Melissa is vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.

"I felt my first calling to birth work during a birth class while pregnant with my first child. I was completely in awe of the beauty and strength of reproduction, pregnancy, and labor, as well as the community borne from it. Then, after the empowering births of my two children, I knew birth work was the space in which I belonged. I am certified with Doula Training International (DTI) as a full-spectrum doula as well as a childbirth educator and trained as an integrative lactation and feeding specialist. I have had the honor of supporting many families on all walks of their reproductive journeys.

My joy is in creating a safe space for families to grow and providing them with the most intentional and compassionate evidence-based care. My purpose is to support and encourage each family’s intuition, to provide calming reassurance in their power and autonomy, and to help them own their own experience by holding space and providing unbiased information and support. I bring warmth and compassion, along with judgment-free care, to every family I support, and I pride myself on my anticipation of others' needs. I bring a wealth of knowledge to help families with the new transition of postpartum life, both from working with children and families for 10+ years and raising my own.

I’m here to create and nurture my community, to live a life of continued education, and to fight for justice within the birth world. I can’t wait to help you on your journey, in whatever form it takes."



*Kassie is vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I entered birth work after the birth of my daughter, feeling the support and empowerment of a partner, doula, and provider who believed in my ability to choose the birth that was right for me. The experience was humbling, and I walked away with the knowledge that an empowering birth can look so different for every birthing person.

Before my birth work, I was a makeup artist and manager for a retail cosmetics company in Chicago for over 15 years. My main clientele was young people of color, and while completing makeup applications, they would share their birth stories. It was my first experience hearing of the black maternal health disparities, and I was drawn to becoming a doula to assist people in my community with their birth outcomes.

I trained with Doula Trainings International in the summer of 2020, choosing their Full Spectrum training. Their values aligned with my desire for inclusivity and working with clients of varied backgrounds and demographics. The training has prepared me to walk with you on your reproductive journey, from fertility support to birth and postpartum. I walk into our meetings without preset biases for how your birth and postpartum should look. This is the birth of your baby, and you know what is right for your family.

As a makeup artist turned doula, I bring a sense of calm and reassurance to the room and can help you vocalize your preferences for your birth with your provider while maintaining a relaxed environment in the room. I work closely with you to understand your options during the labor and birth process and prompt additional conversations with providers when more information is needed. I hope to connect with you and learn about your wishes for the growth of your family!"

*Tiffany is vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Hi! My name is Sai, and I am a queer birthworker, abortion companion, and sexual and reproductive health educator. I became a birth doula in 2020 when I trained with a doula organization in St. Louis called Purple Lotus Doulas. I became interested in birth work in 2018 when I saw a documentary film called Seahorse. It’s a film about a transgender man who becomes pregnant and gives birth.

Seeing the film changed my life on the spot. As a queer and transgender person, I had been feeling disconnected from the idea of pregnancy and having my own family. But once I saw this film and saw this transgender person carry a pregnancy and give birth at home, I instantly knew I wanted to go into birth work.

Now, as a birth doula and aspiring midwife, I most enjoy working with other queer people, but I have found so much joy in working with all kinds of people. As an individual and as a practitioner, I am grounded in abolition, anti-colonialism, gender expansiveness, and body inclusion. I take a client-centered approach to my work as a doula, meaning I do everything I can at every step of the way to center my clients’ desires and needs. I am honored to be a potential part of your birth story, and I look forward to meeting and working with you soon!"

*Sai is vaccinated against COVID-19.