Erin Van Engen

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (3 reviews)

Erin Van Engen

6 years of experience

Hi! I am Erin Van Engen, a pediatric Physical Therapist Assistant and Certified Child Sleep Consultant. And I LOVE sleep! Sleepless nights are not just a given, or a right of passage into parenthood and you do not have to just wait and hope your child grows out of it. I guide parents to follow gentle techniques to teach babies to sleep on their own, enabling them to sleep through the night. I help establish good routines and boundaries for older children to stop bedtime resistance and ensure kids are getting the appropriate amount of sleep. Whatever age your child is, let’s get started teaching them independent sleep habits so your whole family can enjoy a well-rested, happy and healthy life!

Recent review

Erin has helped us with both of our children. We started our oldest at 18months and then our second child at 7 months. Both experiences were great! I can’t believe the differences she helped us make. We were rocking them to sleep and then they would wake up when we tried to leave the room. Bedtimes were hours long battles of trying to rock to sleep and then army crawl out of the room only to have them wake up 30 min later. We loved her methods and she was very responsive to any questions we had. She tailored her plans to our needs and we can’t recommend her highly enough. If you are on the fence just give her a call!! Sleeping is a wonderful thing for everyone!

- Brittany K.

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.

Tabresha Posey

Chicago, Illinois

Tabresha Posey

5 years of experience

My name is Tabresha “Breezy” Posey. I am a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula living in the Chicagoland area. As your doula, it is my practice to create opportunities for birthing people and their family to be informed, emotional and physically supported throughout this intimate experience. My goal is to ensure the birthing person feels safe, empowered, respected, and heard throughout the pregnancy, labor and delivery experience. My background consists of an A.A.S in Early Child Development, B.A Humans Services along with Certified Labor and Delivery certification. I am a student of life and learning; and have a Life Coach certification and I am working on my 200 hr.Wellness, SELA and Yoga certification. In my free time I love to travel, walk in nature and spend as much time as I can with my grandchildren. I also love solitude, reading and daydreaming.

Joy Thomas

Chicago, Illinois

Joy Thomas

5 years of experience

Hello Beautiful Mama, My name is Joy Thomas and I am your Birth & Postpartum Doula servicing Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. I believe that the Freedom to Choose is your Maternal Birthright! My goal is to ensure you have a safe, peaceful, confident and well supported pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. Ready to Birth with Joy? #ChooseJoy

Jennifer Metaxas

Chicago, Illinois

Jennifer Metaxas

12 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Jennifer Metaxas (Less) is the owner and founder of Speech and Language for Kids LLC. She is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist licensed in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. She is an approved telehealth provider for the state of Florida. A Chicago native, she received her Master's degree from Northwestern University and Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has worked as a speech-language pathologist in both the private practice and school setting. Through education and experience, Jennifer has had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations, ages, and disorders. She is listed on www.apraxia-kids.org as an apraxia specialist. She is formally trained in PROMPT and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Jennifer has experience using a variety of high tech communication devices. Jennifer has a passion for working with children and their families. She is highly collaborative and compassionate, and truly cares about the progress of her clients and the treatment they receive!

Tolaya Geredine

Chicago, Illinois

Tolaya Geredine

14 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Anxious about new parenthood? Having trouble adjusting to the transition of parenthood? How come no one warned you? If these are questions you have or things that you have been dealing with, allow me to support you in the ways that you need. I am trained in perinatal mental health, am familiar with how jarring the transition can be and I can provide you with information as well as tools for adjusting and getting the support you deserve. Become an empowered new parent and learn to give yourself grace so that you can enjoy your child, yourself, and your life.

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.

Elly Hernandez

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (4 reviews)

Elly Hernandez

4 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hey there! My name is Elly and I am a certified full spectrum doula and a mama to three littles. I offer fertility, birth and postpartum support. I'm located in Jefferson Park and I'm a born and raised Chicagoan. I am a nursing student with a Bachelors in Health Science, and I bring my background knowledge in maternal health disparities into this work by working on a sliding fee scale for families with a tight budget. I am passionate about serving moms and dads in whatever way they need. I strive to provide high quality, compassionate and personalized care to families. No two families needs are the same and through great communication and a never-ending willingness to learn, I do my best to provide a fully curated experience. When I'm not busy at a birth or educating families at a prenatal, I am chasing after my three little gremlins be it at a forest preserve or around the toy section at target, haha. I love being active and cooking. Don't be surprised if I show up with a tin of cookies or a pot full of soup at your prenatal or postpartum visit. I love feeding my families! Thanks for taking the time to read a little about me, and I can't wait to serve you and your family in your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

Recent review

Elly was an absolutely integral part of my successful natural VBAC labor and delivery. Through active labor, she suggested movement patterns and positions that were not only helpful for pain management but also helped improve the baby’s position and descent. She explained everything and always offered it in a helpful way rather than being pushy or demanding. I felt like she anticipated many of my needs and wants during labor before I even needed to ask. I also really appreciated the amount of involvement she encouraged from my partner. He really wanted to be supportive and the tactics that Elly provided allowed him to be so much more purposeful and helpful. Overall, Elly was truly supportive of my birth plan and did everything she could to ensure it became a reality. I would recommend her to absolutely anyone looking for a positive, empowered birthing experience, but in particular I would highly recommend her to mamas who want to go natural!

- Hannah V.

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.

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.

Jenny Hadler

Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Jenny Hadler

2 years of experience

HI! I'm Jenny, a birth doula dedicated to helping families feel informed, supported, and truly seen throughout pregnancy, labor, and the early postpartum days. With a calm presence, evidence-based guidance, and hands- on comfort techniques, I walk beside you so you never feel alone in your birth journey.

Mia Willis, CMA

Chicago, Illinois

Mia Willis, CMA

5 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tymeka Branch

Forest View, Illinois

Tymeka Branch

12 years of experience

I have been a nanny/ ncs for the last 12 years. During my career I have worked with all ages of children. To families I am known as the perfect helping hand. I have worked with children on the spectrum which has helped me further my education to help parents. Recently I have been working with newborns. With my experience with working with many children, I have compassion, empathy, respect and I am very responsible. From helping the mother breast feed to cleaning pump parts. I am a well rounded nanny.

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.

Chrissie Demarais

Chicago, Illinois

Chrissie Demarais

7 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.