Home Birth Doulas in Newark, NJ

I’m Erica Castillo a full-spectrum doula, body literacy educator, and folk herbalist walking the path toward becoming a home birth midwife. I offer culturally rooted care across the reproductive spectrum, including birth, postpartum, fertility, menstruation, and reproductive health support. My practice weaves together ancestral knowledge and contemporary support, grounded in the traditional healing ways of my African and Taíno ancestors. In many traditions, midwives were more than just birth attendants, they were community healers, herbalists, bodyworkers, and spiritual guides. That legacy shapes how I show up in this work: with reverence, skill, and a deep commitment to care that uplifts the whole person. For the last 8 years, I’ve supported families with a blend of intuition, evidence-based tools, and heart. If you’re looking for a grounded, culturally aligned doula who honors your intuition and uplifts your experience, and advocates for you, I’d be honored to support!

As a full-spectrum doula based in New Jersey, I provide compassionate, culturally centered support for families throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. My mission is to uplift, educate, and empower mothers, fathers, and families—ensuring they have the knowledge, advocacy, and emotional support they deserve during one of life’s most transformative journeys.

My name is Nubia Sormane Paula I'm a Doula, founder of Heart to Heart Love Doula Care, I'm Brazilian serving NJ/NY. Since a very young age with the i gave been in love with the miraculous life journey. As a 9 years old I was a colector of parents and babies magazines, helping family members with their babies made it easy to see how much I loved and wanted to be of service. And years later here I'am. From conception to birth, Postpartum and beyond. Every new birth is a new experience and lesson, my goal is to make every single family feel special, respected , listenned to, filled with knowledge and reminded of how powerful pregnant and birthing bodies are. Let's embark on this Journey together ❤️

I am a descendant of an indigenous lineage of midwifes, herbalists and healers in Puebla and Veracruz Mexico. From countless generations of knowledge, we used ancient medicines and ceremonies to improve the quality of people's lives. My mission is a tireless advocate of informative humanizing treatment for pregnant bodies, postpartum care, generational healing and resilience.

Her passion for childbirth began in her birthing her four children within five years and learning the amazing power of the mind, soul, and body in physiologic birth and thereafter. Becoming a DONA trained Doula has given her the professional skills and resources to help other birthing people and their partner(s) awaken and tune into this power. As your Doula, she is honored to hold space for you and meet you where you are along your reproductive journey. She will provide emotional, informational, and physical support and hold your hand as you learn to advocate for your preferences in what is the most personal and sacred time in your life. By encouraging you to feel confident, fully supported, in control of your choices, and well equipped with the tools and comfort measures, her goal is to help you optimize any path your birth takes. She especially wants to do all she can to educate the community about the power of birth support, increase access to these evidence based services, and work with BBIPOC and trans and queer birthing people who often experience trauma and inequitable care along their gestational journey. As a Latinx Doula, she is a strong proponent of reclaiming and honoring the cultural roots of birthing communities and their traditional practices. Elizabeth is bilingual in Spanish.

Michelle is the owner of Baby, Please Birth Services Agency located in NJ but with a team serving the metropolitan areas of (NY, PA & CT) as well as Baltimore. She is a certified Doula and certified Childbirth Educator teaching the Bradley Method ®, and her own Holistic Course expressly for The Birth Center of NJ of which she is the Doula Director. Michelle serves on the National Black Doula Association (NBDA) Advisory Board where she revised the doula training curriculum to enhance the needs of Black Doulas working in systemically racist environments. As a NBDA Doula Instructor and Doula Mentor she spends her time providing critical thinking skills for her students to be successful and competent in their fields. She is also a Poppy Seed Health Advocate supporting birthing persons virtually where access otherwise would not exist financially. In addition, she established the NJ Virtual Doula Program for Overlook Hospital by galvanizing over 40 local doulas to volunteer their time during the COVID crisis. Michelle recently cross-trained with DONA International to build on her expertise as an educator. She is co-founder of The NJ Birth Justice Collective and Board Chairperson of The Perinatal Health Equity Initiative fostering awareness to Black Breastfeeding Families and Infant Mortality. Michelle tirelessly works in the birth industry since 2005; helping over 600 families navigate their birthing spaces, offering training for birth professionals while ensuring birth justice through state and national initiatives, serving on non-profit boards and panels, enhancing the platform through blogs and podcasts. A mother of two wonderful children born by amazing natural birth experiences. She has been married for 28 years to an incredible man who shares her birth passion, he teaches childbirth education classes with her to share the partner perspective. Michelle empowers others by offering education, support and advocacy. Michelle is also a full time Chemical Engineer working for a German Based company. She holds degrees in Chemistry, Mathematics and Chemical Engineering.

Jade is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Birth Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and mother. She brings years of experience, compassion, and a deep respect for the transformative journey of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. Jade takes an evidence-based, inclusive approach to perinatal care. She does not subscribe to one “right” way to give birth — instead, she supports all types of births and all families, whether that includes unmedicated labor, pain medication, cesarean birth, home birth, or hospital birth. Her goal is to help each family feel informed, respected, and empowered in their decisions. She is deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices in the birth space and works collaboratively with healthcare providers to ensure that care is respectful, culturally sensitive, and centered around the needs and preferences of each birthing person. Jade offers a wide range of services to support families through every stage of the perinatal experience, including: Holistic Lamaze Childbirth Education Classes “Breathing for Birth” Childbirth Prep Workshops In-home Prenatal & Postpartum Lactation Support Customized Newborn Care Classes Prenatal and Postnatal Support for Families Doula Mentorship In addition to her work with families, Jade is the Doula Program Director at Montclair B.A.B.Y., wherey she collaborates with her partner Kelli DeFlora to bring high-quality, nurturing, and educational programming to new and expectant families in the community.

I am passionate about birth and experienced in helping families experience a glorious birth and journey into postpartum and parenthood. My support centers around evidence-based education, informed consent & collaborative advocacy. I have experience with unmedicated & medicated births, VBACs, C-sections. I also hav experience with NICU babies, special needs babies & mothers who deal with mental health ailments and other ailments.

Hello, I'm a certified birth doula located in Northern New Jersey. I serve North and Central Jersey. I specialize in LGBTQ+ and POC families.

Hi, My name is Christina. C I am a Full Spectrum Doula, Lactation Consultant & Placenta Encapsulator. I’m here to assist women and families during pregnancy, birth & postpartum. I started my birthwork journey in 2016. I have had the pleasure of being a part of 80+ births and assisting 69 families with specifically 4th-trimester support thus far on my Journey. I have always been empowered by the strength and inner power of our women and the beauty of birth since I was a young child. This is why I became a professional Birthworker, Or as many call it a “Doula”. Every woman deserves to have support through the monumental changes & transitions of pregnancy, birth & postpartum. I'm here to guide, educate, and assist you with the Journey. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Your Doula Chrissy.

Hi ! My name is Shane and I am the Melanated Mermaid Doula Services. I am a trained Fullspectrum Doula with a focus on Birth and Postpartum services. I am also open to supporting abortion related services. I have a love for birth and preparing for the beautiful event. My passion with working with expectant families is to help them connect with one another, prepare and feel confident during and after their births. I want the people I work with to gain a confidence with their bodies but also feel safe and secure in advocating for their needs during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. I have a passion for nutrition and movement so I am sure to include different health measures and these two factors in my services as well. I have a degree in Psychology from Syracuse University and take what I learn from my formal training in the classroom and incorporate it in how I handle and care for my growing families during our time together. I love to laugh and bring joy in homes of the people I work with and hope that along with educating you on your body and body's super powers I can also bring comfort and confidence on this birth journey.

I'm Jada Shapiro, expert birth and postpartum doula since 2002! I've worked with thousands of families between attending births, teaching childbirth classes, and supporting people as a postpartum doula or lactation counselor. I'm also the founder of Birth Day Presence (doula training center) and Boober (childbirth education classes and doula support). I am a mom and stepmom to 4 girls in their late teens. My passion is to support birth and postpartum parents unconditionally through education, compassion, and a calm, strong, confident presence to allow you to move through pregnancy, birth and postpartum in your own way.

Misty is a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula (via DONA and Lifespan Doulas) as well as a Certified Lactation Counselor, a Certified Hypnobabies Doula, Newborn Care Specialist and an Integrative Wellness Coach. She approaches each stage of pregnancy and postpartum with a holistic mindset. Misty strives to provide her clients with a warm and supportive space, along with tools to instill confidence, while they navigate this new phase of motherhood. She is also a trained Spinning Babies doula and yoga instructor.

I have been helping to improve birth experiences in NYC and Westchester County for over a decade. This is my philosophy: You don’t become a different person when you become pregnant, begin labor, enter your birthing space, or bring your baby home for the first time. You’re still you, having an intense and transformative life experience. As your doula, I take the time to learn who you are and what will help you and your family to feel comfortable, informed, prepared, and ready to engage with your birth, both in advance and through the ever-changing moments of the birth process. I am passionate, flexible, and comforting, but also grounded, no-nonsense, and strongly evidence-based.

MaternityWise has been through an evolution since it's inception back in 2002. What began as a private doula practice quickly became a training opportunity for those who sought out a more balanced approach to maternity care support than what was available, which at the time were only two other organizations specifically training doulas. The discrepancies between what was available to women (either very pro-conventional medicine, or very anti-conventional medicine) led to the development of a comprehensive, standardized curriculum that could be moulded and used internationally. MaternityWise is unique in that we are the only Internationally recognized organization that holds such a standard. Our curriculum is based on whole-earth practices and "pure information". What this means is that while you will learn what is practiced locally in your country and community, you will also learn what the rest of the world is doing and how to incorporate that wisdom to challenge the status quo and bring improvements to maternity care everywhere. ​ "Pure Information" is a term we use to categorize the knowledge we share as an organization. It is pure, because no one profits from this information. We use intuitive wisdom blended with logic where science fails to provide answers. It is our favorite thing when science "proves" what we already know in our hearts to be true, as women and as mothers. ​ In 2017, MaternityWise International was re-born as The MaternityWise Institute. We remain an international, board-certifying organization providing education and credentials for labor and postpartum doulas as well as lactation support people. This is the year we also introduced the MaternityWise Educator program and the first of it's kind EpiDoula Program, training labor support companions how to decrease cesareans in mothers who have an epidural. ​ As MaternityWise Institute International grows, it continues this new chapter of excellence, with diverse leadership, continued educational enhancement and a premier mentoring program. What we have learned from the past and from participating in other programs around the globe, we are using to meet the real needs of our students so that MWI can become a standard to follow by all maternal health education programs out there! Our premier programs, and forward momentum, developing unique education to meet the ever-changing needs of the birthing family sets us apart. We invite you to join with us to change the birthing world!

Hello and welcome! I’m Stariera, a certified full spectrum doula, wellness coach and a master’s level social worker serving people throughout New York City. I enjoy working with people and have developed an understanding of human behavior psychology, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving. My decision to become a doula was born from a desire to support women earlier in the journey — from pregnancy through birth and into postpartum — helping them assess, explore, and process both the joyful and challenging emotions that can arise. I believe that when we recognize and tend to difficult feelings early, we can create space for healing, confidence, and connection in the newborn phase and beyond. Prior to Doula care, I bring 10 years of experience as a Social Worker supporting individuals and families overcome challenges such as health issues, emotional stress, housing instability, family conflict, and behavioral or socio-emotional needs. In addition, I supported mothers navigating postpartum depression and the emotional complexities that can come with new motherhood. Through that work, I developed a deep understanding of how critical emotional support, self-awareness, and self-care are to the postpartum experience — not just for surviving, but for thriving. This background allows me to hold space for clients with empathy, nonjudgmental, and a deep awareness of the complexes life can bring; especially during the perinatal period.

Hello, my name is Brielle, and I am a birth worker supporting families through both home and hospital birth experiences. All aspects of comprehensive birth support are my passion, and I believe deeply in empowering families to make informed choices that align with their values and circumstances. Coming from a background that honors both traditional wisdom and evidence-based practices, I believe birth can be a transformative experience when families feel genuinely supported, heard and empowered in their chosen birth setting. My practice serves as a bridge between different approaches to birth, bringing personalized, mother-centered support into all birthing environments. I'm guided by three core principles: Trust in women's innate capacity and their ability to make the best decisions for their families, Presence that creates calm space for families to process and navigate their birth experience, and Respectful Witnessing - being fully present for families without imposing my own agenda on their journey. With almost ten years of experience as a doula beginning in New York City, I've supported families across diverse settings and circumstances. My understanding of birth support has been enriched through studying with traditional practitioners internationally, and I come from a family lineage of midwifery that spiritually informs my approach to this work. I remain committed to empowering families to access their own strength and wisdom wherever they choose to birth, combining time-tested support techniques with respect for modern medical care when needed. I believe every family deserves compassionate, knowledgeable support that honors their unique path to parenthood. Reach out if you'd like to connect on an intro call!

Dedicated Birth and Postpartum Doula, while pursing a nursing degree during my labor and delivery clinical I knew this was my passion to provide compassionate support throughout the birthing process and postpartum. As a certified doula, I bring a wealth of 15 years experience and expertise to every birth and postpartum service, fostering a nurturing and informed environment for birthing individuals and their partners. My journey into birth work began with a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of childbirth and the importance of holistic support during this profound life event. With an open mind for hospital settings and pain relief when needed. I have supported numerous families through various birthing experiences, including hospital births and home births. Allowing couples to have a safe and informative space to relax and have their birth be just as intimate as they'd like. Natural hormones are key into relaxing mom! Music, sound and lighting plays a part in allowing that intimacy to play out. This sets the tone for a calm postpartum recovery onto healing and adaptation to a new routine. My approach to doula care is centered around empathy, education, and advocacy. I have worked seven years as an investigator for medical malpractice and seen what goes wrong when women aren’t allowed informed consent. I am committed to ensuring that each client feels empowered, informed, and respected as they navigate the journey of pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. My goal is to provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support, tailoring my services to meet the unique needs and preferences of each individual and family whether it be medicated or unmedicated. All women deserve the right to make informed decisions based on there individual needs. Also being a certified life coach for five years has gifted me with the skills to help families navigate through postpartum, new routines/added or changed. But most importantly to give clients the support they need to not feel alone or overwhelmed during these times. Normalizing chaos and not feeling okay, but empowering them to know that they can and will get through these times and they will adjust. While also providing them with lactation support whatever that may be for each families preference. With a warm and nurturing presence, coupled with a steadfast commitment to my clients, I strive to create a positive and empowering birth and postpartum experience that will be cherished for a lifetime. Whether providing emotional support during labor, advocating for informed decision-making, or offering guidance and or resources in the postpartum period, teaching newborn care and up keeping self care. I am forever honored to be a part of each family's unique journey into parenthood. I take great pride in working with woman giving them the care and support they need to trust their mind, body and soul.

It was in 2019 that I interviewed my grandmother about her birthing experience, she told me about her mother, and how in the south at that time it was common to have a home birth, and your neighbors would serve as seasoned midwives and doulas. I felt called to this story, of your village coming to provide you with support and care at your most vulnerable. As a birth and postpartum doula, I have served over 100 families from all walks of life, offering calming, comforting support to them and their support system! I believe in providing physical, informational and emotional support to the families I work with. I meet every family I work with where they are in their journey and offer the kind of comfort and advocacy that is needed for a beautiful and holistic experience. My mission is to make sure you have the birth or postpartum experience you want, and to aim higher than safety

I’m Johanny Luna, mother of two and lifelong New Yorker, devoted to supporting birthing individuals and families through one of life’s most transformative experiences. I believe birth deserves compassionate, respectful care that honors each person’s unique journey. With over a decade in healthcare, I offer holistic support that blends evidence based knowledge with ancestral wisdom. As a bilingual doula, I’m especially passionate about empowering diverse communities to make informed choices and feel truly seen and supported through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. My work is rooted in trust, respect, and the belief that reproductive health thrives in strong, connected communities.