Yakkell Lavender

Washington, District of Columbia

Yakkell Lavender

6 years of experience

I provide birthing bodies with positive and compassionate support throughout their birth experience while empowering them to lead healthy lives.

deborah galvao

Washington, District of Columbia

5.0 (5 reviews)

deborah galvao

4 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hello, I’m Deborah Galvao, a dedicated and experienced birth and postpartum doula, newborn care specialist, and perinatal educator based in the DMV area. Over the past two years, I’ve had the honor of supporting families through one of life’s most transformative journeys. My philosophy is rooted in creating a calm, informed, and nurturing environment for parents and their newborns. I believe every family deserves personalized care, whether it’s guiding them through childbirth, supporting recovery during the postpartum period, or offering education to build confidence in their parenting journey. My approach is inclusive, embracing all family structures, including LGBT families and those navigating surrogacy or IVF. I’m here to empower you with evidence-based resources, hands-on care, and a deep commitment to your well-being—helping you transition into parenthood with confidence and ease. To get faster answers please text my #

Recent review

Deborah was an incredible support during the newborn phase with my twins. She brought calm, expertise, and so much care into our home. She helped us with routines, feeding, and soothing, and made sure I could rest and recover. Truly patient, professional, and wonderful with babies — I’m so grateful for her and highly recommend her to any family, especially twin parents. we occasionally still use her services even 4 years later

- Lauren Y.

Theodora Amissah

Washington, District of Columbia

Theodora Amissah

8 years of experience

Greetings, I’m Theodora! I’m a first generation Ghanaian-American postpartum doula serving families in Washington, DC and parts of Northern Virginia. I trained as a full-spectrum doula and started my doula practice in Brooklyn, NYC in 2018. Since then I have supported birthing and postpartum women, people, and their families on their journeys in Richmond, Virginia and now in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. My doula practice is also shaped by my West African background. I come from a big Ghanaian family and diaspora community, where community care is how we care for each other through life’s transitions, especially birth and postpartum. I provide culturally-rooted and affirming postpartum education, support, and nourishing services and products to birthing and postpartum people. I have several postpartum packages I offer, so that you can find the right fit for you and your family. A portion of all my services and products supports black and brown and immigrant women/birthing people and their families across the spectrum of their reproductive needs to have safe, dignified, and loving reproductive experiences. I look forward to hearing how I can join your team of care to provide a nourishing and supported postpartum journey!

Jessica Vonada

Washington, District of Columbia

Jessica Vonada

22 years of experience

Hello Parents of Little Ones! My name is Jessica Vonada! I have always had a passion for children, especially babies! My initial work with infants was in the setting of an early learning center from 2005-2009 while I was in college earning a B.S. in Elementary Education and M.S. in Education, specializing in ESL. After graduating in 2009, I taught for 2 years before realizing working with infants was my true calling. In 2011, I began working in the role of a Newborn Care Specialist, primarily with preemies & twins. From May 2015 until July 2017, I had the privilege of caring for orphaned & abandoned infants and toddlers in a babies home in Uganda. And in 2018, I received my certification as an Advanced Newborn Care Specialist. My journey to becoming a child sleep consultant began in 2012. At that time I was in a 24 hour care position with a set of twins. Initially their sleep seemed fairly on track, but after hitting the 4 month sleep regression, their sleep quickly began to unravel. By 6 months of age they were waking every 1-2 hours each night and the mom decided it was time to bring in a sleep consultant. I was skeptical to say the least! Much to my disbelief, within a few days they were sleeping 12 uninterrupted hours at night and began taking age appropriate naps. After that I had to know more! And in 2016, I graduated from the Family Sleep Institute as a Certified Child Sleep Consultant. As I continued as a Newborn Care Specialist and Child Sleep Consultant, I realized I was not always able to advise and assist lactating and postpartum moms the way I would have liked to. I wanted to become more balanced and be able to provide holistic support to the families I was caring for. As a result, I took the necessary steps to become a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and Certified Postpartum Doula. And currently I am pursuing the journey to becoming an IBCLC. I have a true passion for what I do and would love to help you and your family get the sleep you need!

Mel Andrade

Washington, District of Columbia

5.0 (2 reviews)

Mel Andrade

8 years of experience

Hi! I’m Mel, a full-spectrum doula, lactation peer counselor, and student midwife based in the DMV and supporting Florida birthing mamas and birthing people as well. With lived experience in both a cesarean and a VBAC/home birth, along with six years of herbal training, I integrate evidence-based care, trauma-informed support, and holistic traditional practices. I attend all births and prioritize improving outcomes for Black birthers through clear guidance and informed decision-making. My goal is to help families navigate pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding with confidence, accurate information, and consistent advocacy. Birth should be calm, peaceful, and empowering no matter which turn it takes. When I'm not being a doula, I'm being a chef ♡

Recent review

Best support system a mom could ask for. Really love and appreciate this woman for supporting me and my family during this special time. She is a real gem ❤️❤️ thank you for helping me welcome my son into this world. Encouraging me during birth and making the whole experience pleasurable and peaceful 🙏🏾❤️

- Joy C.

Brittani Gates

Washington, District of Columbia

Brittani Gates

3 years of experience

Hello all, I am Brittani Gates a BEST certified birth doula. I am currently serving the DMV area. I am a current Maternal Child Health MPH student and am passionate about maternal everything! My goal as doula is to support my clients in the pursuit of their best possible birth. That may seem rather ambiguous but everyone has different desires and expectations; accordingly, I support them all. In my free time I enjoy music, books, and trying different restaurants. Congratulations on this amazing journey. I leave you with this: With my support and your intuition, there is nothing we can’t do(ula)!

Courtney Papanicolaou

Washington, District of Columbia

Courtney Papanicolaou

54 years of experience

We are your one-stop shop for all your postpartum needs. We are your village and concierge for anything and everything those first few weeks and months following birth. Our services include postpartum doulas, newborn specialists, yoga, meal prep, grocery shopping, housekeeping, and more! Whatever you need mama, we got you.

Esthanette Reid

Washington, District of Columbia

Esthanette Reid

6 years of experience

Hi, I’m Esthanette (Es tuh net), and thank you for considering having me as a part of your journey! I’m a trained full-spectrum doula. All that means is that I can support you during the prenatal, labor, birth, and postnatal period. I want to ensure that you receive evidence-based information to make informed decisions about your care. I want to help equip you with the tools not only to navigate your birth space and care but tools to help you feel prepared after your baby comes earthside. My goal is to work with you to provide nonjudgmental, embracing, educational, intimate, and personalized care throughout your journey. I’m ready to embrace you and welcome you to my doula family. I embrace birthing people and their families in the DC Metro Area (virtually and in-person), Atlanta Metro (virtually and in-person), and across the nation (virtually).

Jenn Brazelton

Washington, District of Columbia

Jenn Brazelton

11 years of experience

I serve the Greater Washington DC area to include Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland, as a Childbirth Educator, Birth Doula, Enneagram coach and Placenta Encapsulator. My main focus is to support families to prepare and experience their best possible birth and minimize fear.

Chassis Hawkins-Younger

Washington, District of Columbia

Chassis Hawkins-Younger

6 years of experience

Hey there! I'm Chas & I'm a full spectrum doula, a certified perinatal nutrition educator, & a personal chef of 10+ years. This supportive service was created in memory of my son Anthony. My mission is to provide physical, emotional, mental, educational, & nutritional support to parents by supporting with a mix of humility, heart, facts, and food.

Maya Chevalier

Washington, District of Columbia

Maya Chevalier

3 years of experience

Hi, I’m Maya, a postpartum doula and sleep consultant passionate about helping families feel cared for, rested, and confident in their new chapter. Through Nestled, I provide overnight support, newborn care education, and gentle sleep solutions tailored to your family’s needs. My goal is to create a nurturing environment that allows both parents and babies to thrive. When I’m not supporting families, you can usually find me spending time with my own loved ones, exploring nature on a hike, or winding down with a good TV show.

Emily Encinosa

Annapolis, Maryland

Emily Encinosa

7 years of experience

As a homebirth midwife, it is my hope to facilitate an empowering environment for women to receive respectful care centered around bodily autonomy and supporting the family unit as a whole from pregnancy and birth to postpartum. My goal is to help you feel confident and informed with each choice that presents itself through out your entire time with me as your care provider. I believe no matter what birthing experience you chose, or if your plans change, having a say along with some self efficacy in your care can help achieve better birth outcomes overall.

Carly glover

Annapolis, Maryland

Carly glover

16 years of experience
Accepts insurances

At Annapolis Area Doulas we believe that every family deserves care that feels personal, grounded, and judgment-free. Our doulas meet you exactly where you are, offering support that’s rooted in knowledge, compassion, and genuine connection. We know that no two births or postpartum experiences are the same, so we focus on helping you feel informed, confident, and cared for through every step. We see our work as more than just showing up for a birth or a few visits it’s about walking alongside you as you grow into this next season of life. Whether it’s holding space for your choices, helping you tune into your own intuition, or offering calm, steady guidance when things feel overwhelming, our team is here to help you feel supported, seen, and empowered.

Dr. Alex Afram

Washington, District of Columbia

Dr. Alex Afram

11 years of experience

Dr. Alex Afram is a licensed psychologist specializing in individual and couples therapy, with a focus on helping clients improve relationships, manage stress, and overcome life challenges. Offering both in-person and online sessions, Dr. Afram creates a supportive, results-driven environment tailored to each client’s needs.

Moksha Living

Washington, District of Columbia

Moksha Living

17 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Moksha ( मोक्ष) is a Sanskrit word that can be simply defined as: “Liberation from that which holds you back”. Moksha Living is a holistic approach to mentalwellness that combines life coaching and psychotherapy with holistic services such as: mindfulness and yoga towards enhancing wellness and fulfillmentin all areas of life functioning.

Brittany Martin

Pasadena, Maryland

5.0 (1 review)

Brittany Martin

10 years of experience
Accepts insurances

***FOR INQUIRIES EMAIL***: Hello@mothersisterfriend.org Site:https://www.MotherSisterFriend.org When Brittany became a mom at 19, she recalls feeling afraid, unprepared, and disconnected from herself. She lacked a strong support system, and self-advocacy was a foreign concept to her. All she knew was to follow doctors' orders. So, she suffered through her first HG pregnancy without treatment, showed up at the hospital at the first sign of contractions, and birthed her baby via cesarean for reasons unknown. When she became pregnant with her second child a few years later, she was more intentional in finding a care team to support her in achieving her birth goals. She hired doula-midwives from whom she received all of her prenatal care. Despite Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and other stressors negatively impacting that pregnancy as well, having an attentive and supportive care team that centered her needs and respected her bodily autonomy influenced a more positive and empowering experience. Inspired by her journey, Brittany felt compelled to pay it forward. She believes everyone deserves a safe, informed and empowering birthing experience. Recognizing the implications of birthing while Black in America, she actively challenges coercive healthcare practices and, alongside many dedicated birth workers, strives to improve the state of Black maternal and infant healthcare.

Recent review

So many good things I could say but my experience with Brittany was nothing short of amazing!!!! My birth didn't go as planned so instead of a vaginal unmedicated birth I had to have a cesarean. However Brittany explained everything step by step which made me relax a bit. She also helped me prepare a birthing plan for a vaginal as well as a cesarean birth. I've never felt so empowered. One of the very few people that I would entrust with my son while I showered and took some much needed rest with my door shut! No worries at all. A meal prepared and a clean house. As Moms we need our village!!! Thank you for everything! 💙💚 Round 2 lol

- Shiquita N.

Morgan Reid

Chevy Chase, Maryland

Morgan Reid

3 years of experience

My philosophy centers on empowering birthing individuals through body awareness and promoting advocacy during labor. With a background in yoga and positive psychology, I believe in creating a safe and nurturing environment for mothers to explore their strengths and capabilities during the transformative journey of childbirth. Through the integration of yoga practices, mindfulness techniques, breath work and positive psychology principles, I strive to provide holistic support that nurtures the mind-body connection and fosters a sense of empowerment and confidence in every birthing experience. My goal is to offer a compassionate space where mothers can tap into their inner wisdom, cultivate resilience, and embrace the transformative power of birth.

Kimberly Knight

Arnold, Maryland

Kimberly Knight

28 years of experience

Hello! I am a former NICU nurse and current International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with 26 years of helping families meet their breastfeeding goals. I have a private practice in the Annapolis, MD area and have taught breastfeeding classes and lead support groups for thousands of beautiful families. It continues to be my pleasure to be a part of their journey!

Cindy Kim

Washington, District of Columbia

Cindy Kim

18 years of experience

One of our therapeutic specializations is in the area of support for the multi-stages of growing your family. If you've decided to have children and are having a tough time with conception, pregnancy, parenting, or are experiencing baby blues, postpartum depression/anxiety, you've come to the right place - we can help.

Melishe Ivey

Washington, District of Columbia

Melishe Ivey

12 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I am a Birth & Postpartum Doula, Educator & Perinatal Health Specialist, who comes from a powerful lineage of healers, birth workers, and medicine women. For over 10 years as a doula, educator, and health and wellness provider, I have provided support and continuity of care to women and families from preconception through childbirth, postpartum, and beyond.