Chaka Wade-Cuadra

St. Charles, Illinois

Chaka Wade-Cuadra

11 years of experience

Chaka is a Birth and Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care Specialist, Certified Lactation Counselor and a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist who has been supporting families in the Western Suburbs since 2014. She believes in informing, empowering and supporting families prenatally, during birth and postnatally. Her passion for birth work started when she was looking for a doula for the birth of her second child. After working with her birth clients, she realized the need and importance of also providing postpartum support. Chaka enjoys working with all family types and sizes and specializes in the care of families with multiples.

Elle Mercado

Oak Park, Illinois

Elle Mercado

4 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

4 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.

Sarah Macaraeg

Chicago, Illinois

Sarah Macaraeg

13 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I'm a board certified pelvic and orthopaedic physical therapist specializing in prenatal and post-partum recovery for patients regardless of gender identity. I am also a certified doula which provides a unique perspective on labor and delivery for clients.

KARA ALEXANDER

Chicago, Illinois

KARA ALEXANDER

8 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.

Sherica Blakey

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Sherica Blakey

10 years of experience

Welcome to RBLL DOULA SERVICES RICA B'S LABOR OF LOVE LLC WHERE PASSION&PURPOSE INTERTWINES B. RBLL offers compassionate support to expectant families, regardless of whether it is their first or tenth child, Rica provides personalized care tailored to individual needs, including prenatal consultations, labor support, and postpartum guidance once you are back home with your newborn. Rica B. is committed to ensuring that every birth is a positive and empowering experience. NOW OFFERING FULL SPECTRUM DOULA SERVICES.SELF PAY & PRIVATE PAY ASK ME ABOUT MEDICAID ELGIBILITY!! PHONE: (708)477-2227 RICABLABOROFLOVE@GMAIL.COM

Recent review

Rica B the Doula was amazing She was there for me my entire birthing experience and made this journey so much easier for me to navigate. I Would hire her again and I recommend her 10 out of 10

- Briana Y.

Deshaunna Washington

Chicago, Illinois

Deshaunna Washington

2 years of experience

My name is Deshaunna Washington and I am A certified Birth and Postpartum Doula based in Chicago, Illinois. As a mother to a teenager born in 2011, my journey into motherhood ignited a deep passion for supporting families, particularly mothers and their babies, propelling me to pursue a degree in social work. This academic path has opened doors for me to provide valuable support to families as a home visitor, ultimately leading me to specialize in Birth Work. My unwavering commitment to aiding others is exemplified in the dedication and effort I invest in each family from the prenatal to postnatal stage. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to guide and support you during this pivotal and exciting journey.

Kemeera Nimahat

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (2 reviews)

Kemeera Nimahat

9 years of experience

Hi Friends! I'm Kemeera, a radiant guide in maternal wellness. My brilliance lies in guiding mothers through practical steps toward their birth goals, fostering a deep self-trust that enables them to envision their pregnancy and birth in a new light and make confident choices aligned with their birth plans while gracefully surrendering to the unknown. My doula style seamlessly integrates mental and physical birth preparation and empowerment techniques and blends ancient principles with modern innovation to help moms claim their right to a dignified birth and avoid a W.T.F. birth story. I was called to birthwork before I ever heard the word “doula” and have nearly 10 years in the game and over 15 years as a dance instructor. I love learning and expanding my knowledge and training so that I can best serve you. Additionally, my own four births have taught me things that no doula training ever could and I bring my complete self to you while also honoring the fact that this is your journey, not mine. Your body, your baby, your choices. It is always an honor to support a family through one of life’s most precious and sacred transformations and I do not take that lightly. I look forward to meeting you.

Recent review

I gave birth to my beautiful now little toddler girl back in December of 2021. I had not been pregnant for 13 years and I knew for this pregnancy I wanted to hire a doula for pre and post-natal support. With this birth I was determined to have a natural, unmedicated birth. I knew this was going to be a big commitment, but I was so determined to do it with proper preparation and care. This is one of the main reasons I hired Kemeera to be my doula. I wanted a birthing experience where I could exhibit control over my experience and feel alert and connected to my body in ways I never felt before during labor. Kemeera helped me achieve these goals, helping me feel totally empowered about my ability to give birth naturally and overall feel strong and confident about the challenges in birth and becoming a mother again. From the moment I interviewed with Kemeera I felt a warm instant connection. She was welcoming, allowed me to talk about my prior birth experience and was attentive to my goals/needs. When I hired her, I did not think I would gain a permanent friend/ally in the birthing community, but I did. She helped me throughout my pregnancy with prenatal visits where we strategized about natural birth scenarios, pain techniques etc. We even had a dance session that was so fun, unique, and made me feel sexy 8 months pregnant big as ever lol! She incorporated my entire family, strategizing with my husband and older son about how they were going to support me during and after birth. It really felt like she cared and became committed to my entire family. She helped me create a birth plan that I was comfortable with and after birth she remained a constant. She helped provide lactation support when my milk was a little delayed in coming in and honestly, we still check in to this day from time to time. Not to mention she was my unofficial birth photographer and took the most memorable photos of myself, baby, and husband right after birth. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking to hire a doula. She is really committed and passionate about this work. She cares immeasurably about her clients!

- Lesley D.

Chrissie Demarais

Chicago, Illinois

Chrissie Demarais

6 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hi there! I’m Chrissie, a Chicago based birth and postpartum doula, certified lactation counselor, and certified sleep consultant. I’m here to support you through the messy, beautiful, exhausting, and powerful parts of early parenthood. My approach is practical, non-judgmental, and deeply personalized. I don’t believe in one “right” way. I believe in your way, and my job is to help make that feel doable.

Mia Willis, CMA

Chicago, Illinois

Mia Willis, CMA

4 years of experience

It’s great to have you here. Let me introduce myself. My name is Mia Willis, CMA and I have served as a Prenatal and Postnatal Doula and Childbirth and Infancy Care Educator. I am a Chicago native and Northside College Preparatory High School Alumna. Like most, I stumbled into my role. Enduring the gestational hardships of my pregnancy led to my passion for wanting to empower and educate others during this delicate transition into parenthood. This passion led me to pursue a comprehensive education in the field of maternal support. I hold a certification in Medical Assisting with a background in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2021, I became a Certified Doula through the Black Womban Doula Course, ensuring that all of my sprouts receive the highest level of care and expertise. I am dedicated to continually expanding my knowledge and staying current with the latest evidence-based practices in maternal health and care.

Eileen Joyce

Bartlett, Illinois

Eileen Joyce

15 years of experience
Accepts insurances

For as long as I can remember, I yearned to be a mother. Unfortunately, when faced with multiple medical conditions, I realized that getting pregnant was not going to be easy—even though it seemed like everyone around me was having babies. Eventually, I was fortunate enough to become pregnant-- but why didn’t I feel the effortless joy that seemed to encompass all the mothers on my social media feed? Why was this so hard? It’s often said that no one really prepares you for becoming a parent, but I feel passionately that our society could do a better job. I hold a feminist perspective and challenge societal expectations of how things “should be.” You don’t need to do it all and you don’t need to do it alone. I’ve worked in multiple different settings including crisis home based work with children and their families, partial hospitalization programs with adults, and most recently in a pediatric medical clinic supporting families with children with medical conditions. I have been trained in perinatal mood disorders by Postpartum Support International (PSI).

Carolyn Andrew

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (3 reviews)

Carolyn Andrew

8 years of experience

Since 2016, I have been a doula, childbirth educator and maternal child health specialist supporting families in their journeys to growing their families. I am a care giver and a learner at my core and I strive to provide each family that I work with access to all the support and knowledge they need to become empowered, confident parents.

Recent review

Carolyn was a pivotal person during our entire pregnancy and birthing experience. Carolyn was able to help me talk through a difficult experience with a care provider. Carolyn was able to provide with an open space for venting and helped to ultimately navigate away from a provider who was not the best fit for us. She was a calm force who was able to help us maintain our composure and think outside the box when our labor was not progressing. Carolyn was able to help us digest information about our birth and labor, so we could find our joy and love , even if the labor did not go as planned. I cannot begin to image our birth without Carolyn. We will be forever grateful and thankful for her helping us to bring our son into this world safely.

- Rachel Y.

Malika Crosbie

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Malika Crosbie

11 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I’m a Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) night and day and Newborn nanny, Birth Doula and Certified Postpartum Doula with over 10 years of experience taking care of newborns and toddlers, I also have experience with twins and triplets. I have experience with assisting moms with breast feeding, transitioning from breast to bottle, colic, fussing babies, reflux, sleep conditioning and sleep training. I’m a mom to my awesome 3 year and half year old son, in my spare time I enjoy taking my son to amusement parks and sporting activities. I also volunteer at HPNClub in Hyde Park.

Recent review

We are incredibly fortunate to have had Malika as our nanny during our child's first year. Her kindness, patience, and genuine love for our son gave us peace of mind every day. Her calming presence, professionalism, and dependability made our transition back to work seamless. We couldn’t have asked for a better caregiver and highly recommend Malika to anyone seeking a loving, thoughtful, and experienced professional.

- Leah K.

Chrishon Reed

Griffith, Indiana

Chrishon Reed

7 years of experience
Accepts insurances

As a Full Spectrum doula, I provide emotional, physical, and informational support to families during the transformative journey of pregnancy, childbirth, and the early postpartum period. I provide a calming presence, offering personalized care that respects each family’s unique preferences and values. I am here to ensure parents feel empowered, informed, and nurtured, focusing on building trust, reducing stress, and guiding them toward a positive experience. My philosophy is grounded in a belief in the power of informed choice, advocating for families to feel in control of their birth experience. I support a range of birth preferences, from medicated to unmedicated, hospital births to home births. At the core of my philosophy is a deep respect for each family’s wishes and an emphasis on creating a compassionate, safe, and supportive space. I value a gentle, patient approach, trusting in the natural birth process while also being open to the ways medical care can support it when necessary.

Nkanyezi Star Mngadi

Chicago, Illinois

Nkanyezi Star Mngadi

23 years of experience

Certified Infant Sleep Specialist | Professional Night Nanny Nkanyezi (“Star”) | 23 Years of Experience | Chicago & Surrounding Suburbs My Philosophy: Helping infants sleep safely and soundly is both a science and an art. With 23 years of experience and certifications in Safe Sleep Infant Training and Child Development: Sleep Training, I bring a structured, nurturing approach to overnight care—ensuring babies rest well and parents wake up reassured. My methods are lasting, gentle, and tailored to each baby’s unique rhythm. How I Support Your Family Overnight: For Your Baby: • Certified Safe Sleep Practices: My training in Safe Sleep Infant Training focuses on SIDS/SUID prevention, ensuring every detail of your baby’s sleep environment aligns with medical safety guidelines. • Developmentally Sound Sleep Plans: My Child Development: Sleep Training certification equips me to understand infant sleep from birth to age 4—including behavioral, medical, and emotional factors that disrupt it—and how to gently correct them. • Consistency & Comfort: Babies thrive with structure and consistency. I maintain and support your baby’s existing routine, so the day flows smoothly after a restful night. From feeding intervals to soothing techniques, I ensure each night supports developmental milestones. • Hands-On Monitoring: I never sleep while the baby sleeps. I observe sleep patterns closely throughout the night, helping identify disruptions and reinforce healthy, lasting sleep habits. • Prepared for the Day Ahead: I prepare bottles for the next day and keep detailed written notes on sleep, feeding, and behavior so parents wake up informed and at ease. If mom is pumping overnight, I label, store, and wash the parts—so she can rest and wake up to clean, ready-to-use equipment. Why Families Trust Me: • Proven Results: My methods are effective through regressions, teething, and transitions—building strong sleep foundations that last. • Trusted by Parents: I have an extensive list of references from families whose babies now sleep soundly thanks to my support. • Professional & Personable: I collaborate closely with parents, respect household values, and always bring a calm, caring presence to the home. Let’s Chat! If you’re seeking a knowledgeable, highly experienced night nanny and Infant Sleep Specialist who leads with care and precision, I’d be honored to support your family. Warmly, Nkanyezi (“Star”)

Dana Marion

Chicago, Illinois

Dana Marion

8 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I am Full Spectrum Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Counselor that has been serving families for several years. My practice is rooted in core values of empowering mothers during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, by providing healthy resources after birth and educating mothers on how to build a supportive community to keep both mother and baby healthy & happy.

Kerri Honeywood

Chicago, Illinois

Kerri Honeywood

6 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

6 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

14 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

7 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!