LGBTQ+ Affirming Doulas in Albany, NY

Services: Birth Doula, Reiki Master, Pre & Post Natal Yoga Instructor, Parental Mentor Hello! My name is Josie Hart. I am a Certified Birth Doula, serving families in the Greater Capital Region of Upstate New York. I'm a mother of five, grandmother to one, and love what I do! I am passionate about helping pregnant people feel safe and empowered to make informed decisions regarding their bodies and their births. I believe every birthing person should have the autonomy to birth in their way and in their power. I am also a Reiki Master trained in Usui/Holy Fire® and Karuna Reiki® and certified to teach prenatal and postnatal yoga. I am grateful for the ability to teach as well as add Reiki energy healing, for those who would like, as a way to assist during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. When not supporting birth or working with Reiki, I enjoy my yoga practice, hiking trails in this beautiful Upstate NY area, or my most favorite pastime, spending time with my children, granddaughter, and extended family at my home. “…how a person is cared for and supported during birth is a major influence, not only in how they give birth but also in how they feel about the birth for years to come.” ~The Birth Partner

Hi! My name is Christina, but you can call me Chris. I am a Mama Glow Birth Doula located in Albany, NY. I service Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. It my duty to provide judgement-free emotional and physical support to expecting parents as they make this new, exciting and HUGE life transition. My support includes creating a birth plan and providing education surrounding birth, what to expect postpartum, lactation or bottle feeding basics and more. I believe that birth is an amazing, empowering experience. To create and carry a life, then act as the portal that transports that life through the sacred passageway into this world is an experience like no other. An experience that allows for the person giving birth to feel at one with the universe and with all those that have given birth before them.

I am a birth doula working in the captial region assisting in prenatal, birth and postpartum care. I am a part of a birth justice nonprofit organization called BirthnetNY and have embedded an emphasis on trauma informed care, advocacy, and informed consent in my work. I strive to provide gentleness, comfort and the utmost advocacy for my clients. Please contact by email.

Hi there, my name is Gadria (Gah-dree-ah)! I am a Birth & Postpartum Doula and a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE). I am also proud to be a Social Worker with an LMSW. There has always been a fascination for me around familial composition, while also strongly speaking up for how genetics are not the only factor that defines what family can be. By providing supportive, knowledgeable, and empathetic care, I strive to help you feel empowered as you recognize the capabilities of yourself, both physically and emotionally. My intentions lie in helping you access power, love, and serenity within your birth journey.

Hello! My name is Rachel and I am a Registered Nurse with experience in High- Risk Perinatal, Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and NiCU. I am also a Certified Lactation Consultant. I am a mother of 2 little girls (3&5) in Averill Park and also was a high-risk mom and a Nicu mom. I have a tremendous amount of experience (10+ years) in this field. I am CPR and NPR certifed. Having additional support and an advocate for you/ your baby is SO important. I am happy to go to appointments with you, educate you on multiple topics, assist with buying baby supplies, setting up nursery, planning a baby shower, providing newborn and postpartum care and lactation support, or anything else you may need. Please feel free to contact me if you would be interested in discussing your needs or my qualifications/availability further. Thank you! I am looking to support you during this wonderful time in your life!

Katie Doyle is a CAPPA-trained doula and a childbirth educator with Birthing from Within™, an organization that conceptualizes birth as a rite of passage and emphasizes holistic education. Katie is also certified with the Body Ready Method™, a program geared to preparing the body for physiologic birth through intentional, functional movement and positioning. Katie supports both home and hospital births. In addition to birth work, Katie has also trained as a traditional herbalist and is an artist specializing in ultrasound and IVF embryo commissions. She is an avid gardener and maintains an organic herb and vegetable garden on her 9-acre homestead in Schuylerville, NY. Katie has a toddler son, whose birth led her deeper into her journey to serve and support local families.

Hello! I'm Angie, located in Berkshire county. I am a Full Spectrum Birth and Postpartum doula with experience in bereavement and sibling care. While I am not yet a mother myself, I am a proud aunt of many, natural doula, and caretaker with decades of hands on experience. My primary goal is to empower and instill confidence in birthing individuals and families from all walks of life. I firmly believe in your innate knowledge of what's best for you, guiding my approach to follow your lead. I offer gentle reminders and encouragement to trust in yourself, along with providing education, referrals, and hands-on assistance where needed. Whether your journey through birth and parenthood feels effortless or presents challenges, together, we'll navigate and triumph through it!

www.DoulaOdessa.com Hello! My name is Odessa Bates, owner of Doula Odessa & Birth Services. I’m based in Western Massachusetts and have been in the health and wellness field for over 25 years. I’m a Certified Birth Doula, Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner, Evidence Based Birth Professional, Empty Arms Bereavement Professional, VBAC trained, lactation trained, support all types of families, Neuro-Affirming, BIPOC ally, 2SLGBTQIA+ ally, trauma-informed, culturally competent, religion-informed, a past substance abuse clinician with a master’s degree in Women’s Studies. I’m trained and educated in a wide range of topics surrounding prenatal, birth, and postpartum experiences. My goal as your doula in this magical time is to support you and your family to have an experience that is uplifting, empowering, and joyful. I travel to MA, NY, VT, and CT within an 1.5-hour radius from my home base in Lee, MA 01238. Fully certified, insured, vaccinated, and boosted. Virtual services available for any location. I’m also a MassHealth insurance approved certified doula provider, which means my doula services are 100% covered. For other insurances, you could be reimbursed, as I provide a “Super Bill”. I look forward to working together!

Motherhood changes everything. You deserve support that honors your body, your intuition, and the woman who you’re becoming. It is my belief that you hold within you the ability to be all that your child needs. It is my passion to help you reveil the blockages, release the fears, and uncover the innate wisdom your body holds. My vision is to bridge the gap between logistical preparation and emotional growth, offering an elevated standard of care for the modern mother. ​ The medicalized birth and conception industries leaves much to be desired in the realm of true connection, optimized health, and transparency. Women are continuously robbed of vital information that helps them to make informed choices, which is a travesty. I work with women to explore all of their options for fertility, birth, and beyond-supporting them through whatever path they choose to take. ​And yes, I will absolutely support your free birth.

As a Registered Nurse with extensive birthing center, neonatal ICU (NICU), and postpartum experience- I understand that breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally-and that’s okay. Having worked in hospitals for over 15 years-I can help you navigate your breastfeeding journey from pregnancy to postpartum and up to the 1st year of life. I have worked at Vassar Medical Center and Northern Dutchess most recently but also have experience working in other cities and countries where breastfeeding was highly valued. I am also a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher, and love animals. I enjoy living upstate and truly believe in a holistic approach to care but also have the medical background to support the needs of more complex families and dyads.

Hello Im Dayle and I am a post partum doula and night nurse from Toronto, Canada. As a creative, energetic, stable and thoughtful person who loves kids, I enjoy caregiving and find it natural. I love to engage childrens imagination through play, nature, baking, libraries, gardening etc . I have years of experience nannying for folks working in the film industry in Los Angeles, Topanga, Malibu, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Toronto forming genuine bonds with families that last. I got my birth & post patrum doula training in Toronto in 2022 and have attended births and provided post partum care for mothers including night nursing which has been a joy because I believe healthy/resourced families create strong communities !

I'm a DONA-certified birth doula with a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, serving families in Kingston, Ulster County, Dutchess County, and throughout the Hudson Valley. With a decade of experience in social work, seven years of training and practice in Western herbalism, and my own journey through motherhood, I bring a compassionate, grounded, and holistic approach to birth support. My additional training includes Spinning Babies, Hypnobirthing, lactation support, and perinatal mental health. I combine evidence-based education, hands-on comfort techniques, and emotional support to help families feel informed, confident, and supported throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I believe that how we experience birth matters, not because there's one right way to give birth, but because every family deserves to feel heard, respected, and empowered in their choices. Whether you're planning a home or hospital birth, hoping for an unmedicated experience, or considering an epidural or other interventions, my role is to provide steady, nonjudgmental support tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Drawing on my clinical social work background, I offer a trauma-informed, body-positive, and inclusive approach, warmly welcoming LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and families of all backgrounds. My goal is to be a calming, reassuring presence and a trusted resource as you navigate the transformative experience of welcoming your baby.

Congratulations to you on your pregnancy! What an exciting time. As a birth and postpartum doula, I offer flexible, compassionate, judgement-free doula care for families in the Western Mass, Berkshires, Southern VT and Southern NH regions. My practice is grounded in the belief that birth can be joyful and empowering with the right support and understanding. Birth can also inspire a deep, loving connection between birther, partner, and baby. Your birth experience is as unique and special as your growing family, and as your doula, I will listen and adapt throughout the birthing journey. I provide the emotional, physical, and educational support to help guide you and your birth team every step of the way. My own birth experience inspired me to become certified as a birth doula in 2018. I have since become a certified birth hypnosis doula through Hypnobabies® and also am the only certified Spinning Babies® Parent Educator in the Western Mass region. With a background in K–12 education and social justice, I’m deeply committed to supporting birthers and families from all backgrounds, cultures, genders, and identities with a caring, collaborative approach. I approach every birth as a special experience and will listen to and adapt to your needs.