Elle Mercado

Oak Park, Illinois

Elle Mercado

5 years of experience

hello birthing persons, i’m elle, a DONA certified birth doula, yoga instructor and social worker based in oak park, IL. I became a doula after four years of working in childhood education and fully understanding the impact birth has on everything—my pedagogies are rooted in epigenetics.

Danyale Washington

Bloomingdale, Illinois

5.0 (4 reviews)

Danyale Washington

5 years of experience

My name is Danyale Washington. I graduated with my B.S. in Psychology from Concordia University Chicago. After working for over a decade in various facets of childcare and education —as well as having two children of my own— I have seen countless times, as well as witnessed myself as a parent, the lack of support and resources. My passion for helping others and dedication to children and their families reaching their full potential has always been a big part of who I am. It has continuously fueled me to pursue a career in doing just that–offering my insight and expertise to help those I serve feel confident and well-equipped to foster healthy development in children. My philosophy is rooted in empowerment, positivism, and compassion. It is at the core of all my services. My approach is strength-based and client-centered. It focuses on being an aid to those I provide support to in using the tools and skills they already possess to foster optimal growth and development in children. I believe in empowering individuals as they navigate the more challenging components of childrearing. My role is to be in your corner—cheering you on—guiding and supporting you while utilizing your strengths to achieve your goals. You are the driver; I am simply the map!

Recent review

We started working with Danyale when our son was about 8 weeks old, and we’re so glad that we started so early! We learned ways to instill healthy sleep habits for our baby right from the start. We were amazed at how quickly he learned to put himself to sleep, and sleep through the night! Danyale was absolutely wonderful and it was extremely helpful to have someone to ask questions to weekly and guide us through the process. We are so thankful to have such a happy and well rested baby - thank you so much Danyale! You are amazing, and we are so grateful for you and Sweet Piece!

- Mariana C.

Brittany Hourston

Broadview, Illinois

Brittany Hourston

2 years of experience

Hello Friend, my name is Brittany Hourston. I am a Postpartum Doula located in the Chicagoland area. The facets of encouraging, educating, and caring for newborns and their moms. I'm always curious to learn more about how I can be a great asset to the pair. Coming from an educational and nonprofit background, I believe the growth of a child starts at the beginning stages of early childhood, and establishing a positive atmosphere with great strategies will help to get there. My agency works to establish a judgment-free zone for all parents seeking informational and emotional support.

Rebekkah Carney

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Rebekkah Carney

7 years of experience

Hello! I’m a birth doula serving Chicago and surrounding areas. I specify in supporting clients through unmedicated births at birth centers, home births, and midwife-led hospital births. I am also a VBAC certified doula.

Recent review

I cannot recommend Rebekkah enough. She was my doula for my 2019 baby, and I knew that I had to rehire her for my second birth. My goal with my second was to have an unmedicated birth and knowing that is something Rebekkah specializes in helped give me the confidence that I could do it. When my labor started, she was readily available to answer any questions and confirm when it was time to head to the hospital. She had techniques to help ease the pain such as the use of her TENS unit (which helped tremendously) and using counter pressure. She coached me and encouraged me the entire time, even when I was completely ready to give up, which I completely believe helped me achieve my unmedicated birth goal. After going through PPA/PPD with my first, I knew that I wanted to have my placenta encapsulated, which Rebekkah was able to do and made the entire process seamless. She worked with the hospital to make sure that my placenta was stored and ready to take home, and once she finished encapsulating it, she delivered it to my home (along with a keepsake from the cord). I truly believe that it made a huge difference in my recovery. Rebekkah was an asset to my family during my pregnancy, delivery, and post partum. She is a wealth of knowledge and truly helped me reach my goals and deliver a healthy and happy baby exactly how I wanted to.

- Amber D.

Kate Brooks

Chicago, Illinois

Kate Brooks

Trained postpartum doula with experience in supporting and caring for newborns. Previously nannied for five years and worked at an early childhood center in the enfant room for four years. Love to support and care for parents postpartum and find best ways to create systems of support for parents postpartum.

Tatiana  Wells

Westchester, Illinois

Tatiana Wells

5 years of experience

My goal is to support mama in feeling rested, confident, and cared for during the postpartum season. I take my role as a caregiver seriously, providing attentive, nurturing support for both baby and mama. From newborn care and feeding support to light household help and intentional care for you, my services are designed to create more space for rest, balance, and meaningful me time.

Kristen Walles

Riverside, Illinois

Kristen Walles

12 years of experience

Hi! I'm Kristen. I am a graduate of Chamberlain University, where I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My nursing degree has taken me down a path I was destined to be on. I always knew I wanted to work with mothers and babies, and after graduation, I began working as a private nurse for postpartum families. I would be their support system during their personal postpartum journey while educating their entire family on how to navigate the new territory of bringing their baby (or babies!) home. It was during this time I learned how motherhood is such a beautiful experience, yet also one of the most difficult without the proper support system. I began to specialize in infant sleep and obtained my Pediatric Sleep Consultant certification through the Family Sleep Institute. I have worked with countless families in Chicago, as well as virtually, to help them find the rest their whole family needs in a way that works for them. I had a baby of my own last year, and being a mother myself has brought even more empathy and compassion into my work.

Angie Runyan

Brookfield, Illinois

Angie Runyan

22 years of experience

As a mother myself, I know first hand the value of kind and informed assistant in the days following the birth of a baby. I was blessed to have experienced support following the births of my now grown three children and know how valuable it is. I have provided support as a lactation consultant, doula and postpartum doula to many families. It is an honor to provide new parents with the help they need while adjusting to parenting a new born.

Darnicia Holt

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (2 reviews)

Darnicia Holt

9 years of experience

Hey! I’m Darnicia, a full-spectrum doula, birth mindset educator, and reproductive justice advocate. TL;DR From organizing protests and fighting for social justice to shutting down systemic abuse, violence, and oppression in the medicalized perinatal care system. My passion? Teaching incredible birthing people — like you — how to trust your intuition❤️‍🔥 and advocate for your autonomy,🗣️ so you feel ✨empowered to be the authority of all your reproductive experiences✨ — fertility to postpartum (or not being pregnant at all). 👀 A little more info… To me, birthwork is inherently linked to social justice and activism. Birthwork is advocacy, and advocacy follows you through every aspect of your life. Therefore, advocacy isn’t something you learn; it’s who you are. I’ve taken what I’ve learned in my years as a social justice organizer and have applied it to birthwork. Sometimes, the fight for my clients to have the reproductive outcomes they desire mirrors the intensity I’ve seen when organizing for human rights. When necessary, I use the same energy it takes to shut down streets and apply it to protect my clients’ experience. What does this mean for you? I have the heart and the skills to fight for your dream birth or whatever support you need. But no worries, I’ll only fight to whatever extent you need or are comfortable with. ☺️ The foundation of the doula role is about the person you are. I am an advocate. Fun facts: I’m a wife and Mom of two. I’m a HUGE Marvel/MCU fan. I L😍VE Thai Iced Tea and mushroom coffee 🍄☕.

Recent review

Darnicia helped us with postpartum care for our newborn and we are grateful beyond measure for her support and expertise. She is very kind, calming, and has a high degree of knowledge. She is such a warm person and we felt well cared for alongside our baby. In the matter of a few weeks, we went from frazzled new parents to having a baby who sleeps through the night multiple nights per week. I highly recommend Darnicia for postpartum care for anyone who is looking to establish healthy routines for their baby and wants to feel very supported in the process.

- Katie J.

KARA ALEXANDER

Chicago, Illinois

KARA ALEXANDER

9 years of experience

My name is Kara, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as an Advanced Newborn Care Specialist, CAPPA trained Labor and Postpartum Doula, Lactation Educator, Baby-wearing Educator, and Certified Childbirth Educator. With over two decades of dedicated experience nurturing children, I've found immense joy in providing exceptional care to families like yours. My approach revolves around delivering not just outstanding care, but also fostering a supportive, judgment-free environment. My goal is to empower and guide parents, ensuring they feel refreshed and confident as they embark on the early stages of parenthood. Knowing your newborn is in safe hands allows for a sense of ease and security during this precious time. Before specializing in newborn care, I spent thirteen years in daycares and as a nanny, caring for infants to school-age children. This diverse background has equipped me to handle a wide spectrum of needs, including preemies, singletons, and multiples. It's a privilege to support families as they navigate the exciting journey of new parenthood, always tailoring my approach to meet individual needs and expectations.

Kelsey Haliti

Wheaton, Illinois

Kelsey Haliti

12 years of experience

I am a childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula and Owner of Cloud Nine Birth Services. My experience level (10 years and over 800 families supported) meets my level of passion and enthusiasm for this important work. I believe that every client and every birth is unique, that our bodies were made to welcome new life and that each family deserves true informed consent and proper physical and emotional care prenatally, during birth and in the postpartum period. My support is unwavering and unbiased. I am a calm presence, a wealth of knowledge on labor and birth, and not afraid to get my hands “dirty” by being physically active with every comfort measure you could dream of! ♥️

Clare VanderWeele

Wheaton, Illinois

Clare VanderWeele

Hi, I’m Clare VanderWeele, an ICEA-trained birth doula in Chicagoland's western suburbs. I believe in the beauty of birth and supporting families with calm, connected care. As your doula, I’m here to support you from pregnancy through postpartum with calm, encouraging care. I believe in your body’s wisdom and advocate for the birth experience you want, whether that’s at home, in a birth center, or hospital.

Kendall Lucero

Chicago, Illinois

Kendall Lucero

6 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I am a Chicago-based full spectrum doula and lactation counselor. I have a Master’s in Public Health and have a focus on prevention and evidence-based practice. I strive to provide compassionate care that honors the autonomy and dignity of my clients. Together, in an environment free of judgment, I work with my clients to help ease the transition into different phases of their reproductive lives. I specialize in LGBTQ+ and non-traditional families.

Seyi Akinwale

Chicago, Illinois

Seyi Akinwale

3 years of experience

I’m Seyi. I have over 15 years of childcare experience in a variety of settings such as a babysitter, nanny, teacher, and now birth and postpartum doula. I am passionate about the field of birth work. After witnessing and hearing about many of the difficulties and abuse of power in hospital settings, my passion for helping people navigate these settings was ignited. It is impossible to guarantee a “perfect birth” but I believe that you should have the opportunity to be prepared for whatever may or may not happen. This includes being aware of medical interventions, having the best people for you in your birthing space, establishing and enforcing necessary boundaries, and ultimately doing the best for you! Childbirth is a beautiful process that is both natural and spiritual.

Sydney Gelb

Chicago, Illinois

Sydney Gelb

5 years of experience

Hi! My name is Sydney, and I am That Doula! I am DONA certified and have my bachelor’s degree in child development and education. I am also infant CPR, AED, and child CPR certified. Prior to being a postpartum doula, I was a nanny for more than 3 years. It was a transition from being an infant teacher at a child development center. When I worked as an infant teacher, I had a class of 8 infants, ranging in age from 6 weeks to 15 months old. I took care of the infants basic care needs, while also teaching them sign language, performing baby yoga, and creating developmentally appropriate activities to help them meet milestones. All students were on eating and sleeping schedules as it is impossible to feed 8 infants at once!! I was also a major support system for my students' families and often babysat when I wasn’t at the school. The parents of my students could always count on me for ideas to help their littles ones sleep better, eat better and be on a good schedule. As a nanny, I had all the responsibilities of my teaching days and more. Helping a family raise children involves so many moving parts and I have tackled them all. I became a doula because I love helping people. More importantly, my previous experience makes me ideally suited to assist with older siblings as they adjust to their growing family.

Damiana Andonova

Chicago, Illinois

Damiana Andonova

14 years of experience
Accepts insurances

J’adore Mon Bébé was founded by a first-generation female immigrant and proud second-generation doula with one very simple mission, to give every baby an equal welcome. Our mother-daughter founders bring a combined 45 years of experience, and provide services across the care continuum, including preconception care, fertility doula services, childbirth education, high-risk birth doula care for medically and socially complex birthing people, perinatal loss doula services, and a full suite of postpartum care such as daytime and overnight care, lactation support, and healthy sleep rituals training. Our care approach is highly collaborative, and we empower our patients to develop deep, strong, honest relationships with their medical care providers (OBs and midwives) . We believe that we all need to work together in aid of birthing people and their families to make births safer, more respectful, and empowerful. We are also proud to provide a selection of concierge care services including healthy materials nursery design, baby event planning, travel doula services, healthy home consults, and babymoon planning. Many of our families have leveraged these services and found our proprietary GOTS-certified organic cotton swaddles, sustainable wallpaper, nursery art, and baby carriers to be very helpful as well. Our team have supported clients in three cities and have worked in a variety of birth settings. We hold certifications from Birthing from Within, DONA International, PAILAdvocate, Healthy Material Lab, and many others. Some of us have master’s degrees, are CNAs, IBCLCs, and more. We invite you to explore your wellness in our care at www.jadoremonbebe.com.

Kerri Honeywood

Chicago, Illinois

Kerri Honeywood

7 years of experience

Hello Everyone, My name is Kerri Honeywood. I am a Holistic Practitioner, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula located in Chicago, IL. I want to take the time to learn who you are and what will help you and your family to feel comfortable, informed and prepared, through the ever-changing moments of the birthing process from conception to postpartum. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my fab five (kids), Meditating under a new moon and learning more by staying up to date with maternal health.

Yhwdith Yhadath Dinah Yasharahla

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Yhwdith Yhadath Dinah Yasharahla

7 years of experience

Hello my name is Yhwdith-Yhadath! I am a certified doula and have been for about three years. I am also a medical professional with NURSE AIDE CERTIFICATION in 10 states and counting and 3 classes down for my LPN LICENSE.

Recent review

Yhadath was amazing !!! Handled everything in a very professional manner I couldn't be more happy with her service. I would recommend her to family and friends!! All needs where met thank you soooo much

- Shmahyah I.

Niki Flood

Chicago, Illinois

Niki Flood

15 years of experience

Life is made of moments. Some of these moments will be easy, while others will be harder to navigate. No matter the ease or difficulty within that moment, it is still YOUR moment. As your Doula, I want to be there to help navigate the moments that may be a bit difficult, very difficult, or even the easy ones. Communication is very important, and I feel it is one of the main components to making sure that you, as a whole, are being seen, heard, supported, and appreciated in each and every moment. I am currently working on my certification through Doula Trainings International (DTI).

Jennifer Allen

Chicago, Illinois

Jennifer Allen

8 years of experience

Hello! I am a scrunchy mom of two, and I have lived in birth world for the last 5 years serving dozens of families. I support all birth, postpartum, and feeding journeys. I have my bachelors of science from DePaul University with research focus in infant gut development, and I am certified for birth work through DONA. I am happy to support you and your family throughout your story!