How Much Does a Birth or Postpartum Doula Cost in Lakeville, MN?

Terri Schelkoph, (CD)DONA, HCHD, Body Ready Method® Pro, **Congratulations on your upcoming birth journey!** With more than **350 births attended**, I am an experienced and compassionate birth doula dedicated to walking alongside families through one of life’s most meaningful and transformative experiences. As a **DONA-certified birth doula**, I combine professional training, years of hands-on experience, and personalized support to help mothers and their partners feel informed, confident, and well cared for throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum period. My additional training allows me to offer specialized support for a wide variety of birth experiences. I am **Hypnobabies® certified**, using evidence-based comfort and relaxation techniques to help families approach labor with greater calm and confidence. As a **VBAC Link® certified doula**, I have a particular passion for supporting families preparing for a vaginal birth after cesarean and helping them understand their options. I am also a **Body Ready Method® Pro** and have completed **Spinning Babies® training**, which complement my strong interest in **body mechanics, movement, positioning, and physiological birth**. I love helping mothers better understand how their bodies move and function during pregnancy and labor. By incorporating intentional movement, positioning, body-balancing techniques, and practical comfort measures, I work with families to encourage mobility, create space for baby, promote comfort, and support the natural physiology of labor. Rather than waiting until labor begins to think about positioning and movement, I especially enjoy working with families **proactively during pregnancy**. Helping mothers develop greater body awareness, explore movement patterns, and learn practical tools they can carry into labor is an important part of the support I offer. My goal is never to make the body perform a certain way, but to provide tools that encourage **balance, mobility, adaptability, and confidence** throughout pregnancy and birth. I am especially passionate about **educating and equipping women** so they can understand their options, advocate for themselves, and make decisions that honor their individual emotional and physical needs. I also have a special interest in supporting families expecting **twins and multiples**, providing individualized preparation and support for the unique considerations that can accompany these births. At the heart of my work is a simple belief: **every birth is unique and deserves to be honored with respect, compassion, and unwavering support.** Whether you are preparing for a physiological birth, planning to use an epidural, navigating an induction, pursuing a VBAC, or welcoming your baby through a planned cesarean, my role is not to define what an empowering birth looks like for you. My role is to help you understand your options, feel confident in your decisions, and remain supported throughout the journey. As a devoted Christian, my faith is an important part of who I am. For families who desire it, I am honored to incorporate **prayer, spiritual encouragement, and faith-based support** into our time together. When I’m not attending births, I enjoy connecting with my community, leading prenatal education workshops, mentoring aspiring doulas, and directing the Doula Intern Program at New Birth Midwifery. Outside of birth work, you’ll usually find me spending time with my husband of 20 years and our six children, homeschooling, reading a good book, savoring a cup of coffee, cherishing time with friends, cheering on the Vikings, or serving at my church. It would be an honor to walk alongside you as you prepare to welcome your baby. **Let’s work together to create a birth experience where you feel informed, supported, respected, and empowered—in your choices and in your body.**

My name is Kelly Martin, and I am a Licensed Certified Professional Midwife located in the Twin Cities South Metro. Coming from a background of 30 years as a Birth Doula, it has been my experience that pregnancy, labor, and birth have the potential to transform individual, family, and a communities healthy birth practices by integrating current evidence-based research standards of practice with holistic midwifery wisdom. I have a deep trust in birth.

Hello, my name is Karen McMahon, and I have been a Postpartum Doula for over 29 years in the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area. I am passionate about moms, babies, and everything postpartum - striving to make coming home with your new baby a smooth transition, filled with joy, peace, and restfulness. My goal is to provide compassionate and thoughtful care tailored to your specific needs. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my adult children, playing outdoors with my Shih Tzu, and exploring the Northern Minnesota outdoors with my husband.

Hi! I'm Ella. I am a mother to one beautiful daughter born in 2022. I also have a dog who is an English pointer lab mix that is full of energy and loves meeting new people. I live in Lakeville and am serving around the Twin Cities area. My interest in being a doula started when I realized I was really fascinated with birth after having my daughter. I also love supporting those around me and supporting expecting moms seemed to be the best way to support those in my community. My personal experience with pregnancy and birth were both challenging and empowering. To hear that story you would hear about personal transformation, courage, fear, and an immense amount of joy. As a doula I give expecting moms guidance and physical support through labor and birth to help them feel empowered and confident. With my calm and patient approach I create a nurturing space where you can explore your emotions and preferences freely.

I am passionate about everything birth related. My goal is to provide you a safe, nonjudgmental space. I will work with you to make your birth as you want it to be. I can assist with preparing your body for birth, the actual birth itself, and postpartum care. Postpartum care can include breast-feeding, mental health, checks, nutrition, and much more.

Hi All. I am a Dona Certified birth doula and provide postpartum services as well. I am on the MN State Doula Registry. I have training in Spinning Babies and Body Ready Method and well as trauma informed training. I have a background in social work and higher education. I am passionate about birth and helping to create a safe and comfortable environment for every client that I work with. I never provide judgment only support for you and your Birth team. I serve the Twin Cities metro area and beyond. In my off time you’ll find me with my children, husband and two dogs.

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Hi there! I’m Megan (she/her). I’m so glad you’re considering doula support for your or your partner’s upcoming birth. I believe all parents deserve judgement-free, evidence-based support during their labor, birth and postpartum. My journey to fully birth obsessed began during my first pregnancy. I needed to know all the things and hear all the stories. I quickly learned that many birthing people, especially those in marginalized communities, do not receive the care they deserve during their journey to and through parenthood. This is when I discovered doulas and the support they provide. So I hired my doula, had two supported and empowering in-hospital birth experiences and went on my way as a mom of two, working a typical 9-5 in corporate marketing— never quite shaking a new found desire to make a difference in the birth community. Fast forward a few years, endless heart-to-hearts with my family and friends about making a change and I finally enrolled in a doula training. I truly believe this is what I’m meant to do and I’m so glad to have found my way here. My goal as a birth and postpartum doula is to empower birthing people and their partners through judgment-free and evidence-based support. When I’m not doula-ing, I’m usually spending time with my husband, our two daughters and two elder pups. Before parenthood and a pandemic hit, you could find us skiing, hiking, trying new restaurants, taking on a house project we probably should have left to professionals or binging our favorite shows. Now, you’re more likely to find us at a local park, swimming pool or in our backyard. A meaningful conversation over a cup of coffee or glass of wine is the way to my heart. I am so honored to serve birth clients in Minneapolis, St. Paul and all the surrounding suburbs.

Helping families welcome their little ones into the world is my calling and purpose! I am a former L&D nurse, who chose to be a doula so because laboring families deserve consistent, focused, support evidence-based information so they can best advocate for themselves during one of the most transformational times in their lives. Because of the challenges nurses face in hospital settings, I did not have the time or resources to provide this level of support to families. I started Womb to World Birth and Lactation Support Services so that I can use my years of clinical, training and business experiences to create a community that is respectful, supportive and empowering to families of all types. Our motto is YOUR BIRTH EXPERIENCE. YOUR WAY. I would love to support you in creating your joyful birth story.

Who is taking care of YOU? While many people are focused on your medical health and safety or the excitement of the new baby, I am focused on YOUR needs and desires. There is so much pressure put on moms to have a healthy pregnancy, a certain type of delivery, feed baby a certain way, and the list goes on. You are doing your best, and you deserve to be seen and supported. You are carrying the weight of the world, and I'm here to lighten your load. I'm Brooke, a birth doula in Northfield MN, and I help moms build confidence in birth and motherhood through evidence based research, postpartum planning, and my undivided presence at your birth. I believe that birth is a natural, healthy, and beautiful life event, and that we can trust our bodies through it. But most of all, I believe that YOU should get the right to know your options, to choose what sits best with you, and to be completely supported. No judgment. Let's chat and see if I'm a good fit for you!

Hi! My name is Claire Vickers, I’m a Certified Postpartum Doula specializing in overnights located in Shakopee, MN but serve the Twin Cities area as well. I have been an early childhood educator for 4 years in my own infant classroom, but wanted to explore the overnight aspect of infant care. I provide a judgement free atmosphere and support families of every background. Postpartum is the most challenging and beautiful journey, and I’m here to support you through it all.

I have always been drawn to newborns, infants, children of all ages, and their families. There is a richness in family life that always brings about such a great sense of wonder and awe. There is a way a baby or toddler looks back at you and you know they don’t care what color your hair is, how many wrinkles you have, if you are overweight, underweight, or have zero sense of style. They just know how to LOVE. It is that unconditional love and trust in a baby’s eyes that instilled a strong desire in my heart to protect this innocence and trust by providing families with care providers they could trust. Care that is always gentle, loving, slowly paced, curious, and joyful. We want to bring this into your home.

Two doulas, one team: you shouldn’t have to hope the right doula is available the night you go into labor. Ava and I attend every prenatal visit together, with direct, ongoing access to both of us throughout your pregnancy, so you know and trust us before labor begins. We alternate on-call weeks, so whichever of us is with you at your birth, the other is your backup — meaning the person supporting you already knows your story, your preferences, and your fears, because we built your care plan together from day one. We work alongside your medical providers, not around them, to help you understand your options, advocate for yourself, and feel calm, confident, and fully supported through labor and birth.

Hi, I'm Rachel (she/her)! I am a certified doula through Community Aware Birthworker, trained as a Full Spectrum Doula through Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, and a trained HypnoDoula through Hypnobabies®. It is important to me to continually learn and grow as I support families with evidence-based information so that they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. As a Full Spectrum Doula, I strive to help pregnant people and their families feel respected, informed, heard, and held as they navigate life changes in the prenatal, birth, and postpartum experiences. I believe that all pregnant people have an innate power and inner knowing that is revealed through the birthing process. My role is to support birthing people (and their support person), whether that’s physically holding hips or emotionally holding space.

I spent most of my career as a Television, Web and Podcast Producer, but after having two children and three grandbabies, I realized one of my greatest joys is caring for newborns and their parents. Having a baby is amazing but it also can be exhausting and overwhelming, filled with uncertainty and worry. I want to make this life-transforming transition easier on new families who may not have support nearby. Think of me as the mom or aunt who wants to give you and your baby lots of loving care and help, without emotional baggage or past issues! My goal is to help YOU learn how to be confident and competent parents while providing your precious baby another caring adult to give them a healthy and welcoming start to life.

I’m Paige and I’m a mom of 3. I spent most of my young adult life working with people with developmental disabilities. After that, I received my Sign Language Interpreting degree from Saint Paul College and worked with Deaf/Hard of Hearing folks before becoming a stay-at-home mom. I have spent the last several years raising my kids. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s my favorite job yet! Now it’s time for me to do what I really love: postpartum work! I have always been passionate about families, pregnancy, birth, babies, and postpartum. Parents deserve so much more support and education as they are growing their families. Many people tend to focus only on pregnancy and preparing for birth, but they don’t spend time preparing for postpartum. My goal is to help families be more prepared and supported for all that comes when adding a new baby to the family. I want families to have a smoother and more peaceful postpartum experience. I am based out of South Saint Paul, Minnesota and am currently serving the greater Twin Cities area.

Hello! My name is Allison McDonald, and I’m a professional postpartum doula with a passion for nurturing families during the tender weeks and months after birth. I am a certified childbirth educator, a certified massage therapist, and trained doula. Before stepping into postpartum work, I spent over ten years as a professional nanny, caring for primarily newborns, infants and, toddlers. I also have experience with overnight newborn care. My goal is to support families in whatever way they need. Whether that’s helping with newborn care, sibling integration, animal support, breastfeeding guidance, or giving mom time to rest, bond, or just breathe—I’m here for it. I also assist with light household tasks like meal prep, errands, laundry, light cleaning, and organizing to help make your home feel calmer and more manageable. I’m a compassionate, judgment-free presence—a listening ear when you need to talk, and an extra set of hands when you need a break. Wherever there’s a need, I’m honored to step in and support you.

I’m Hallie, the founder and CEO of Better Beginnings. My passion for supporting women and families through the incredible transformation into parenthood began with my own journey. After experiencing the challenges of the postpartum period with my first two children, I felt called to create a resource that could make this transition smoother and more supportive for others. That’s how Better Beginnings was born. Today, I’m proud to lead one of Minnesota’s premier teams for postpartum doula and lactation support. Our team is highly trained and deeply committed to providing compassionate, expert care to families during this pivotal time. As a certified lactation counselor and certified postpartum doula, I’ve spent over a decade working with mothers and families, helping them navigate the early days and beyond with confidence and reassurance. My work is grounded in both personal experience and professional expertise—I’m a mother of four, and I know firsthand how deeply the journey into motherhood transforms us. Supporting families isn’t just my profession; it’s my calling. My mission is to make quality postpartum care accessible and to create a nurturing community for mothers as they embrace each stage of motherhood and self-discovery. I’m grateful to share in this journey with you and look forward to supporting you along the way.

Hi families! My name is Lillian, and I would love to be your birth doula and/or night nanny! I have been professionally trained by Dr. Robin Elise Weiss through DONA International and have been working with babies and in childcare for 5+ years. I am so excited to begin this incredible journey with you. I have always been passionate about working with families and babies in whatever capacity I could, and I aspire to be a midwife and eventually own/run a birth center focusing on holistic care. I strongly believe that birth is a beautiful, natural process that a woman’s body was made to do and that you, as the birthing person, are wholly capable of bringing your baby into the world. So, my goal is to support you in doing that however you may need! I have always been told that I have a very calming presence, even by strangers and those who don’t know I am in birth work, and I plan to bring that to every birth I attend, along with my active listening skills, assurance, and knowledge. Together, we will make sure your birth is as comfortable and empowering as possible, I can’t wait to work with you!

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Block, I’m a certified postpartum doula and IBCLC serving the twin cities! I’ve always had a calling to work with babies, when I found doula work that passion grew deeper. I fell in love with caring for the mother-baby dyad and supporting new moms in anyway I could to make their 4th trimester the most blissful it could be. I love caring for the family unit in the biggest adjustment period. I became an IBCLC to reach more families to empower, educate and support moms in what their bodies are made to do. My goal is to support, empower, educate and care for new moms and families in whatever capacity is most beneficial to them. Postpartum looks different on every family unit, I can adapt to fit any families specific needs.