Unique Lotman

Durham, North Carolina

Unique Lotman

2 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Greetings, I’m passionate about supporting families as a doula. I’m a proud mom to one lovely little girl who inspires me every day. My journey into birth work began with a deep desire to help others feel seen, heard, and empowered during life’s most intimate moments. I graduated from Virginia State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, but I found my true calling in the world of birth and postpartum care. Those who know me would describe me as genuine, warm, and incredibly attentive to the needs of others. I believe in holding space with compassion and providing thoughtful, personalized care to each family I serve. Being a doula allows me to combine my nurturing spirit with my commitment to making a positive impact in people’s lives.

Karen VelMartin

Raleigh, North Carolina

5.0 (3 reviews)

Karen VelMartin

5 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hi, I'm Karen! I'm a Certified Professional Birth and Postpartum Doula in the Raleigh area of beautiful North Carolina. I'd be honored to have the opportunity to get to know you and hear about your birth goals and desires. I became a doula so that I could support and empower both expecting and postpartum families to have better birthing experiences, to have the experience they not only desire but ultimately deserve to have. I received my doula certifications through the Madriella doula network in 2022. I'd be honored to have the opportunity to get to know you and hear about your birth goals and desires.

Recent review

I love the services that I have purchased from Karen and working with her to meet my goals for my birth. She has made me feel secure and confident in the decisions I have made in my birth plan and the decisions I have made for my child. She made the journey into motherhood a lot easier and will be forever grateful.

- Aiyana V.

Elyse Barrick

Durham, North Carolina

Elyse Barrick

3 years of experience

As a passionate advocate for birth and the environment, Elyse (she/her) brings a unique blend of empathy and expertise to her role as a birth doula. Her approach combines evidence-based knowledge with a warm, compassionate presence, ensuring that each birthing person feels empowered and supported. Outside of birth work, Elyse enjoys exploring the outdoors near Durham, NC and spending time with her family on endless adventures both locally and around the world. She has experience supporting a variety of births, including vaginal, cesarean, induction, VBAC, and birth after loss.

Shawnesi  Russell

Durham, North Carolina

5.0 (5 reviews)

Shawnesi Russell

6 years of experience

My Name Is Shawnesi Elaine. I am a certified Birth Doula in the RDU area. I specialize in Meditation,holistic health and healing, Organic Soap, newborn care, self-care. I have a Bachelor's in Psychology with a concentration in Childhood Development. 10+ years in Childcare education and newborn care. My practice philosophy is to create a safe space for all birthing persons and parents seeking informational and emotional support throughout the duration of their birthing journey and after. I believe that birth is a sacred space and should be treated as such. In my free time, I enjoy practicing the harp, reading, meditation and exploring herbalism.

Recent review

Shawn was amazing! During my pregnancy and during my labor and delivery. She was very attentive and explained things we didn’t know. Gave step by step instructions. Gave us answers on how to handle the unexpected. Overall she was just amazing

- Jayla L.

Amaya Wallace

Durham, North Carolina

Amaya Wallace

5 years of experience

Hi, my name is Amaya and I would love to be your doula! In my care, I prioritize mental health and wellness and trauma reduction. I come from a background in Black maternal health justice research and am in school to become a medical social worker. Because I am only 21 years old and a newer doula, I am able to connect with even the youngest of mamas and provide contemporary care and insight into maternal experiences. Please do not hesitate to reach out!

Melvay Solomon

Durham, North Carolina

Melvay Solomon

5 years of experience

My name is MelShine and I’m a birth worker and midwifery student who is passionate about walking alongside families through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. I believe birth is sacred and that every person deserves to feel seen, supported, and empowered in their choices. My goal is to bring calm, knowledge, and genuine care to every space I enter.

Yeyo Evans

Durham, North Carolina

Yeyo Evans

12 years of experience

I took on the role of nurturer fairly early in life. As the oldest of 8 I lovingly stepped into the big sister role to help guide my siblings by displaying great leadership. In 2014 I became a mother and it was during this experience that I discovered my calling for birth work. Since, for the last 11 years, I have devoted time to being a student in midwifery, becoming trauma informed, and expanding my inclusive services, to widen my scope of support and care. " I will continue to help recreate the way we interact and think about birth, more importantly, physiological birth, as it pertains to people that look like me. We deserve to experience birth void of trauma." - Yeyo

Emily Chaffee

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Emily Chaffee

11 years of experience

Emily is the founder and owner of Carolina Birth and Wellness. She is passionate about advancing maternal care throughout the Triangle and North Carolina as a whole. She started Carolina Birth and Wellness to fill this missing link in maternal care in the Triangle and has since grown a business that includes a team of 10 plus individuals that range from fertility, birth and postpartum doulas, childbirth educators, in home massage therapists, lactation consultants, yoga teachers, and other services to help pregnant and newly postpartum families. Her specific areas of interest include fertility support, postpartum planning, and the ways in which support can lessen the stigma of high risk pregnancies and postpartum periods.

Olivia Hoynes

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Olivia Hoynes

6 years of experience

I support people of all genders and sexual orientations during birth and honor the resilience and wholeness of all bodies. My doula practice affirms that all people are whole and human and adopts an empowerment model of support.

Oceanstar Concannon

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Oceanstar Concannon

3 years of experience

Hello!! My name is Ocean, and I am a passionate birth doula based in Chapel Hill, NC. I am part of UNC Hospital’s ‘Birth Partners’ program, which is where I was trained. I feel centered and fulfilled when I am able to support people during this transformative, vulnerable, beautiful time. I love to approach the birth space from a mental wellness perspective to help create positive birth experiences! I love being very hands on, providing physical and emotional support. I want to help support and advocate for YOU to have the birth experience you are hoping for. Outside of my doula role, I am currently deciding on whether to pursue Nursing or Clinical Mental Health schooling. When I am not exploring these options, I love to read, explore outside, and play with the families I nanny for. All the best!

Amanda Aina

Wake Forest, North Carolina

Amanda Aina

5 years of experience

Hi! I'm Amanda—wife, mom of four, birth doula, fertility doula, and a certified Christian childbirth educator. I've walked this road personally and professionally, and I know how much calm, clear guidance and steady support can mean during this season. I'm passionate about women's reproductive health and the full journey to motherhood, from preconception and pregnancy to birth and the fourth trimester.

Meagan Partridge

Rolesville, North Carolina

Meagan Partridge

6 years of experience

Hi mama, I’m a NICU nurse, mother of 5, and birth doula serving Wake and Franklin Counties, and I am so passionate about helping you achieve an empowering birth. I have experienced an emergency c-section, a twin VBAC, IVF and I’m an adoptive mom to my second son. It is my greatest joy to see moms full of confidence and knowledge going into their births. I work with you to address questions and fears you may have. We work together to change negative thought processes to positive and empowering ones by creating personalized birth and pregnancy affirmations. I help you to create a birth plan that considers all aspects of birth and beyond so that you can feel prepared on your special day. I meet with you in home prenatally and will meet you at your home or at your birth place at any time during your labor. After baby is born I will visit you in your home again to make sure you are transitioning well. I would love to connect to see if you feel like we would make a great team. I look forward to meeting you. You were born to do this!

T.Luna Imhotep

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

T.Luna Imhotep

11 years of experience

Greetings!! It's such a pleasure to support families both locally and globally as a Global Maternal & Infant Health Specialist. As a Naturopath and Learning Midwife, I use my experience to support families with various needs (primarily virtual). I am available to provide virtual Holistic Childbirth Education to families, Maternal Health Education workshops, Newborn education and Perinatal Emotional Support.

Christina Gebel

Durham, North Carolina

Christina Gebel

15 years of experience

My name is Christina, and I have been a doula since 2011. I have always had a deep passion for helping expectant mothers, and being a doula has been a very rewarding calling in my life. While living in Chicago in 2011, I pursued my doula training through DONA International and also attended Bradley childbirth education courses, as part of my training. I worked with the Chicago Volunteer Doulas in four Chicago hospitals, served private clients, and became a New Moms Group facilitator. I moved to Boston in 2012 and continued to be a doula, while working at a national maternal and child health nonprofit. I also received a Master of Public Health degree and specialized in Maternal and Child Health. I loved working toward my degree, as I became up-to-date on all the growing research that affects moms and babies, working extensively on the website birthbythenumbers.org. In the spring of 2014, I attained my certification in Lamaze Childbirth Education and loved being an educator for new families. In 2017, I became certified in Spinning Babies, a skill set I deeply value. Spinning Babies helped me to re-define progress in labor and how to reverse a stalled labor. In 2020, my husband and I moved to Durham, NC and I now do birth work in the Triangle area. My approach to childbirth education and birth doula services is that the client has all the information they need to make their own informed decision about their birth. I am also a lifelong Catholic and help many Catholic families in the Triangle.

Takeda Starr

Hillsborough, North Carolina

5.0 (1 review)

Takeda Starr

3 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hello and congratulations on your journey into motherhood. I'm Takeda Starr a certified holistic birth doula based in Hillsborough, NC, dedicated to supporting women especially BIPOC mothers seeking an unmedicated and low-intervention birth experience. While I advocate for natural alternatives whenever possible, I honor and respect every mother's unique choices and preferences. Whether you're drawn to holistic methods or opt for medical assistance, my mission is to provide unwavering support tailored to your individual needs throughout your pregnancy and labor.

Recent review

Hiring a birth doula was a game-changer for us. Learning comfort measures to support my wife was invaluable when contractions started. At the hospital, I saw the unique benefits of having the nurses and a doula. They offered different kinds of help, but both were crucial. Takeda, our doula, was acted as a bodyguard to secure the placenta. Highly recommend this support for any couple.

- Levi J.

Sammy Dial

Broadway, North Carolina

Sammy Dial

4 years of experience

Hello! My name is Samantha, and I’m the owner and doula behind Magnolia Moonlight Birth. I proudly serve the Triangle area and surrounding counties, providing support and empowerment to birthing families through every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. As a Lumbee Native American woman and a lifelong North Carolinian, I’ve witnessed firsthand the unique health challenges faced by our communities, and I’m deeply passionate about bridging the gaps in women’s healthcare. With seven years of experience in the medical field, I understand the importance of giving families the knowledge and support they need to make informed choices. I offer a variety of services to meet each family’s unique needs, whether they’re planning an unmedicated birth, a medicated birth, an induction, or a C-section. Through Magnolia Moonlight Birth, I provide comprehensive birth packages that include prenatal education, continuous labor support, and thorough postpartum care. I believe in empowering families to advocate for themselves and find their voice in their birthing experiences. It’s my goal to walk beside you and your family, ensuring that you feel prepared, heard, and supported through this incredible journey.

Jessica Horton

Sanford, North Carolina

Jessica Horton

19 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Dear Trinity believes everyone who desires a birthing companion should have one regardless of affordability. We are equipped with the tools to support birthing people through the entire spectrum of life (Full Spectrum Doula/Birthworker) and have true hearts for the dedication of birth and 4th Trimester/Post-Partum care. Every family will have a tailored birthing experience with us and we are so glad to be considered to be apart of your journey. Currently 3 birth workers and a peer support specialist dedicated to the support of the non-birthing partner/person is within Dear Trinity. We have been in 13 counties across North Carolina as well as 1 in South Carolina and expanding to Maryland in the Spring of 2024. We welcome all who would like to feel confident and free to birth the way their hearts desire.

Kelsie Hartley

Sanford, North Carolina

Kelsie Hartley

2 years of experience

Hello! I am Kelsie, a Catholic wife and mother of six. I am also a Certified Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator. My interest in birth started when I became pregnant with my first child and has only increased during my subsequent pregnancies and births. ​​​ As a Catholic Christian, I believe that how we bring our babies into the world matters! I want to help women have an empowering entrance into motherhood that is influenced by their own instincts, the latest research, and covered in prayer. ​ When I am not working as a doula you can find me reading a novel with a cup of coffee or podcasting and writing at Reading Revisited.

Taylor Smith

Sanford, North Carolina

5.0 (8 reviews)

Taylor Smith

4 years of experience

Maternal–infant health professional with extensive experience supporting families across the prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum continuum of care. I bring a service-oriented, patient-centered approach grounded in evidence-based lactation care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and culturally responsive support. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Interdisciplinary Doula with hands-on experience in inpatient hospital settings, community-based programs, and private practice. My work has included high-acuity inpatient lactation support, home-based maternal–infant care coordination, peer counseling, and program development serving diverse and Medicaid-insured populations. Throughout my career, I have partnered closely with nurses, midwives, physicians, and community organizations to improve breastfeeding outcomes, strengthen continuity of care, and expand access to maternal health resources. I am highly skilled in client education, crisis-sensitive communication, documentation, data tracking, and managing complex caseloads while maintaining compassion and accuracy. In addition to direct care, I have experience in advocacy and systems-level work, including Medicaid reform initiatives, doula workforce development, volunteer training, and curriculum creation. I am comfortable operating in both clinical and non-clinical environments and bring strong organizational, technical, and communication skills to every role. I am currently pursuing my Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN, RN) while continuing to advance my work in maternal–infant health. I am passionate about improving care delivery, strengthening health equity, and supporting families during one of the most critical periods of their lives.

Recent review

Taylor is sweet and informative. Very dedicated & passionate about improving the lives of bipoc families! Her lactation support is phenomenal 👏🏾 Just try Tay for your birthy support & things

- Just Shamica

Kristian Jordan

Burlington, North Carolina

Kristian Jordan

9 years of experience

I was born and raised in Burlington, North Carolina (and still live here!), and my family heritage spans back many generations in this area. I’m a southern girl at heart who was saved by Jesus’ grace when I was 10 years old. I am blessed to be married to my better half and sweetheart, Paul, whom I’ve loved since I was 17 years old. We have journeyed through happiness and heartache together; military trainings and deployment, selling one home and building another, births and funerals, illnesses and surgeries, family vacations, and more. We have two beautiful children, Rafe and Lorelai, who bring laughter and joy to our home. The Lord also uses them to refine our faith and prayer lives. My life is built upon my foundation in Christ alone. I will not compromise my beliefs for another’s comfort. I believe in truthfulness and extending grace to one another. When my husband and I became pregnant with our first baby, we took Bradley Birthing Method classes with our doula and though I had planned a home birth, my labor ended up being induced in a hospital at 35 weeks gestation due to pre-eclampsia. My birth experience was not how I had envisioned it, but having the phenomenal support of my doula and husband made a world of difference and thanks to their help, many of my birth goals were accomplished when my son was born. Fast forward to when I gave birth to our second baby; I planned another home birth and worked very hard to maintain my health during pregnancy, and did not develop pre-eclampsia again, praise Jesus! I delivered our daughter in a birth pool in our bedroom at home, surrounded by the most amazing support team of my midwife, doulas, and family - I will be forever grateful for such a redemptive, healing birth experience which also created a much more joyful postpartum experience, too. I became a birth doula in 2018 after the birth of my son. My doula had impacted my pregnancy and birth experience so much; feeling completely supported and informed of my options even when my home birth turned hospital birth, her influence gave me confidence and awareness. Because of this, I felt The Lord calling me to serve other families through birth work in the same way. I trained and certified through DONA International and hit the ground running. I worked with a large doula group for a while which was such a wonderful opportunity to shadow under very experienced doulas. After a few years, I felt called to start my own business and did so in November 2021 after much prayer and consideration. I’ve attended over 80 births in a variety of settings at homes, birth centers, and hospitals. I have supported births that are natural, medicated, induction, cesarean, VBACs, water birth, and more. I have worked with single mothers, trauma survivors, families with NICU stays, mothers whose husbands were deployed during birth, stillbirth, and more. I believe that no matter what her birth goals are, women and their families all deserve continuous and unconditional encouragement, education, and support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I want you to feel loved and cared for as you welcome a new member into your family and home. I believe that birth is not something to be feared, but rather embraced and viewed as extraordinary. Birth is a divine, sacred experience that transcends the physical world into the spiritual. My own journey of motherhood has seen its fair share of joys and challenges, and it’s only just beginning. I know what it’s like to make a birth plan and experience a different one. I know what it’s like to be separated from your newborn when he goes to the NICU. I have experienced a hard postpartum experience as well as a smooth one. I have celebrated milestones of those two pink lines, birthdays, first words, first steps, and I continue to remain in awe of the love that I have given and received. All of these experiences, among others, are part of my desire to support families as they journey into parenthood. I would be honored to serve your family as you celebrate the milestones in your life. I would love to be a source of strength, reassurance, and comfort by providing physical, emotional, spiritual, and informational support. I will commit myself to pray for your during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey. I will encourage you to think for yourself, trust the parental intuition that The Lord gifted you, ask the difficult questions, and stand firm in your convictions. I value your God-given ability to make decisions for your home, family, and body that honor The Lord and serve Him before anyone else. I want you to be confident in your decisions because you are informed. I will advocate for your right to make decisions because I believe in and value medical freedom. My prayer is that your birth experience would be positive, filled with joyful memories to last a lifetime, and that you would feel the love of The Savior surrounding you in this season.