Megan Winfrey

Bolingbrook, Illinois

Megan Winfrey

4 years of experience

Hi, I’m Megan Winfrey – and I’m here to support you through one of life’s most powerful moments. As a certified birth doula with over four years of hands-on experience, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside many families through a variety of birth experiences—natural births, cesarean births, and even NICU stays. I understand that every birth is unique, and my mission is to help you feel empowered, informed, and deeply supported every step of the way. My approach is compassionate, calm, and grounded in evidence-based care. I offer emotional, physical, and informational support to help you navigate your options and make decisions that feel right for you and your baby. Whether you’re planning a hospital birth, home birth, or something in between, I’m here to advocate for your wishes and create a space of peace, confidence, and joy. I’m also currently pursuing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Chamberlain University, further deepening my understanding of maternal and newborn care. And beyond my professional journey, I’m a proud mom to a vibrant one-year-old boy who inspires me every single day. Becoming a mother myself has given me an even greater appreciation for the strength, beauty, and vulnerability of this sacred season of life. You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s create a birth experience that reflects your values, honors your strength, and welcomes your baby with love. Warmly, Megan Winfrey Birth Doula | Student Nurse | Mother & Advocate

Iryna Paulovych

Hanover Park, Illinois

5.0 (6 reviews)

Iryna Paulovych

2 years of experience

Hello Beautiful Person, My name is Iryna. I'm a new birth doula located in Schaumburg, trained by DONA International. Also, I am a lactation consultant and have certification for using a TENS unit stimulator during labor. Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian are the languages in which I provide services. Privately I am a proud mum of two beautiful children. My passion for birth started when I was pregnant for the first time. I recognized that confidence and support during labor mean everything to a birthing person. For me, birth is not only about a child's birthday, it's also the day when YOU reborn as a mother/parent/person. As your doula by your side, I will ensure that you will have the support, care and guidance that you need to feel confident and supported. I can't wait to become a part of your journey. Kindly, Iryna

Recent review

Iryna was beyond amazing!!!! She helped me with before labor info explaining everything in details as for me and a baby. She was great support during delivery as well as after. Super attentive to every detail always available. If you ever hasitate …dont she is best!!!!

- Olga R.

Heather Karlson

West Chicago, Illinois

Heather Karlson

15 years of experience

I have been a Birth Doula since 2010 (15 years). I have supported near 500 births I support hospital, births, birth centers,and home births.. My goal is to help you find a provider who is a good match for what you are seeking, support you and help you with Birth education so that you feel equipped and informed.

Aubrey Tambellini

Warrenville, Illinois

Aubrey Tambellini

2 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hello! I'm Aubrey and I am a Birth Doula serving greater chicagoland! My interest in birth has been a consistent theme throughout my life. Long before starting my own family, I found myself asking every little detail of the birth stories shared by friends and family. However, my true passion for the subject emerged during my own pregnancy and through the birth of my daughter. It was then that I dove into a myriad of birth resources, podcasts, and books, which is a habit that continues to this day! As a firm believer in the power of education, I advocate for individuals to approach their birthing experiences with confidence, armed with knowledge. This philosophy led me to pursue a career as a doula, where I can actively support and empower others during their own amazing journeys!

Yvette Mayo

Homewood, Illinois

5.0 (13 reviews)

Yvette Mayo

26 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hi everyone! My name is Yvette and I am owner and doula @ The Babyz House LLC in Homewood ILLinois. I would love to help you build healthy spaces where your baby can grow and thrive. I specialize in comprehensive perinatal care, including newborn and childbirth education classes, birth photography, labor and delivery doula support, overnight postpartum doula care, newborn sleep shaping, and infant sleep management.

Recent review

Yvette was an absolute lifesaver for our family during a challenging time. She provided overnight support for several weeks while I recovered from major surgery, caring for both our newborn and toddler with exceptional professionalism and warmth. Yvette’s knowledge, experience, and nurturing presence gave us peace of mind, allowing us to rest and focus on healing. In addition to her outstanding care for our children, Yvette went above and beyond by helping with light housework and chores, ensuring that our home stayed organized and comfortable. Her attention to detail and willingness to step in wherever needed made a tremendous difference during such a stressful period. We are incredibly grateful for her support and would highly recommend her to any family in need of compassionate, reliable, and thorough care.

- Renee C.

Mari Rangel

Romeoville, Illinois

5.0 (3 reviews)

Mari Rangel

2 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Certified Birth & Postpartum Doula | Childbirth Educator | Lactation Specialist As a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, I provide calm, nurturing, and evidence-based support for families through pregnancy, birth, and the newborn stage. My goal is to help parents feel informed, confident, and cared for every step of the way. Safe With Me Doula Services – Loving, professional care for growing families. 🌐 www.safewithmelovingcare.org 📧 safewithmedoulaservices@outlook.com | 📞 (331) 328-1459 Instagram: @birth_doula | Facebook: Safe With Me Doula Services

Recent review

My experience with Mari Rangel has been wonderful. She is warm, patient, and truly listens, which made me feel understood and supported. Her guidance was clear and reassuring, helping me build confidence in my parenting journey. I’m grateful for her dedication and would happily recommend her to other parents.

- Afiya B.

Errin Bald

Batavia, Illinois

Errin Bald

13 years of experience

I am a holistic fertility, birth and postpartum doula with over a decade of experience.

Daneita Blalock

Aurora, Illinois

Daneita Blalock

10 years of experience

I believe that families should be provided the safe-haven and community that empowers, equips, and allows them to thrive.

Evelyn Bello-Schrag

Libertyville, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Evelyn Bello-Schrag

2 years of experience

Hi, I'm Evelyn – a mama to two beautiful kids, a nature lover, and an advocate for women. While I didn’t plan to become a doula or childbirth educator, I now know that it’s my true calling. Growing up in a close-knit Mexican household, I was always drawn to community and mentorship, especially for girls. After earning my degrees in psychology and Spanish, I worked with survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Becoming a mom ignited my deep curiosity about pregnancy and birth. I became fascinated by the process, eager to learn everything about labor and advocate for my own birth experience. After having profoundly empowering births, I realized that every woman deserves a birth that is powerful and free from trauma. This curiosity soon grew into a passion for supporting other women in my community. In my journey as a home visitor, working with Spanish-speaking moms, I saw firsthand the lack of resources and perinatal education available to them. It fueled my desire to help these women advocate for themselves, find their voice, and feel empowered in their birth experiences. After the birth of my daughter, I took a step back to reflect on my passions, and that’s when I discovered the amazing combination of doula and childbirth educator. And so, La Vid was born – a community for mothers to feel rooted and empowered, from pregnancy through motherhood. I believe in the strength and connection of women, and my mission is to empower you through your entire journey, so you never have to walk alone.

Recent review

One of the things that I loved the most was that Evelyn offered online birthing classes on Saturdays. This was my 3rd pregnancy and I had never attended any birthing class. Knowing what to expect for birth, I was amazed at how much she goes over in her classes that the content is real and raw. Before my birth she set time to get to know my birth stories, know me, and discuss her role as my doula. I really appreciated that she listened without any judgement. Evelyn always listened to my concerns and actually validated them. In the last weeks of pregnancy, she would check on me and give me tips to be ready for when it was time to head to the hospital. Her words and knowledge would always calm my nerves and anxiety. During my birth, she was ready to help me voice out my needs and was not afraid to roll up her sleeves to help. She provides so many words of affirmation and was part of my successful birth. I would definitely recommend Evelyn to any mom looking for a doula. She is also so kind, humble, and really knows what it takes for a mama to birth.

- Melissa C.

Lynn Morley

North Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Lynn Morley

8 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Lynn began her indie doula and photography practice in 2018. Her background is in reproductive health and non profits as an educator, direct care professional, and in state policy and project management. She has a BA in Gender Studies, is a certified birth, postpartum, and full spectrum doula, a childbirth educator, and a member of the Queer Doula Network. She hangs her fanny pack in Andersonville where she lives with her wife Mercedes -- a deep-hearted middle school teacher she's spellbound by, and with whom she shares the creative practice called home. Weaving together modern and traditional approaches, her support with families focuses on body literacy and agency, trauma and healing, educating and preparing for birth and postpartum, collective care, caretaking and parenting, honoring transitions, and nurturing relationships (including sex and intimacy). Knowledge building is a collaborative mixture of education, experience, and intuition. At the heart of it: you belong to yourself and are the expert of your own experience. She is committed to trauma-informed practices and co-creating safer spaces by being body- and sex-positive, anti-racist, pro-choice, queer and gender affirming, and welcoming to solo, poly, blended, or communal families. Your care should be designed for your comfort, needs, and wants. It should see you in your full context – your stage of life, unique body, lived experience, culture, community, ability, desires, and dreams.

Recent review

Liam is an extremely caring, intelligent and respectful doula. She sat with me in a lot of grief and anxiety in my fifth pregnancy, (my last one, following three miscarriages.) She rode through the dark moments with me and really helped me mentally prepare for giving birth to a living baby, which I had struggled to mentally accept as possibility. She made sure that I was comfortable enough to take my last birthing experience into my own hands. I truly couldn’t have done it without her experience, care and dedication.

- Amy R.

Samantha Exner

Oswego, Illinois

Samantha Exner

I have a BA in pre-medicine and I am currently working towards a master's degree in reproductive science and medicine, which I expect to complete in June 2025. I am planning to apply for physician's assistant programs next, with the goal of working as an OB/Gyn provider. Being a doula allows me to connect with and support the women in my community while I am in school to become a medical provider. Because of my background in science and medicine, my practice as a doula is research-based. I provide clients with personalized, accurate information to help facilitate conversations with their doctors so they can make the best decisions for their birth plan. I support hospital-birth clients, and I aim to eliminate the stigma surrounding medicated births.

Shauna Davis

Woodstock, Illinois

Shauna Davis

2 years of experience

Hi! My name is Shauna and I am a DONA International certified birth doula located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago - Woodstock to be exact. It is my honor to support families that are giving birth in home, birth center and hospital settings. I have five years of experience working in obstetrics and gynecology, which facilitated my love for all things pregnancy related. While I thoroughly enjoyed supporting my patients in a clinical setting during their prenatal and postpartum phases, I truly wanted to be more involved in supporting women throughout the birthing process. I 100% believe all women should be supported and have the right to birth as they want, whatever that looks like for them. I believe women's bodies are remarkable and amazing. As a mom of three myself, I know first hand the power a woman's body has, from growing a baby, to delivering that baby, and then to be able to nourish that baby. In my free time, I enjoy going on walks with my husband and our two dogs. I also enjoy reading and staying up-to-date on all things pregnancy, birth and lactation related.

Dawne Herbert-Withers

Salem, Wisconsin

Dawne Herbert-Withers

14 years of experience

I believe every person has the right to informed care and the right to birth their baby with respect and dignity. I meet my clients where they are at, and walk alongside them, helping them to navigate through their journeys to parenthood. It is an honor and a blessing to hold space for the families I support during these pivotal moments in their lives.

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.

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.

Jenny Mills

Chicago, Illinois

Jenny Mills

3 years of experience

I help women navigate every season of life — from infertility to pregnancy and childbirth to postpartum parenting to peri-menopause and menopause — with compassionate and personalized support. I am a Bebo Mia Certified Maternal Support Practitioner who's a fierce advocate for a woman's right to decide what they want for their body. That includes deciding what's right for you regarding your birth plan.

Darnicia Holt

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (2 reviews)

Darnicia Holt

8 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.

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.

Rachel Bolin

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (2 reviews)

Rachel Bolin

5 years of experience
Accepts insurances

Hi, I’m Rachel — a doula, birth photographer, and placenta encapsulation specialist proudly serving the Chicagoland area. I grew up in small-town Kentucky and moved to Chicago five years ago. Since then, I’ve been deeply rooted in the birth world, supporting families through every stage of their journey. I’m a full-spectrum certified doula through Sokana’s Full Spectrum Birth Justice Training, with extensive education in lactation and over four years of personal breastfeeding experience. I’m also certified in First Aid and CPR. I accept Carrot clients and will soon be accepting Medicaid, because I believe everyone deserves access to compassionate, personalized support. That’s also why I offer sliding scale payment options for those in need. My approach blends evidence-based care with a holistic touch, holding space for whatever birth looks like for you. Outside of birth work, I’m chasing around my two toddlers, trying new recipes, camping, fishing, and checking out new restaurants — I never say no to a good steakhouse. Let’s schedule a consult and see if I am a great fit for your birth team!

Recent review

Having Rachel on my birth team was the best decision I could have made. She was a rock for me throughout, and was such a source of peace and calm for me. Rachel valued my preferences for my birth plan without judgment and held true to advocating for me at all times. My birth story had many unexpected turns, and Rachel stayed by my side, along with my husband, for the wild ride. I had Rachel with me in the birth center and at the hospital after a transfer was needed. She never missed a beat and took care of me so thoughtfully. From the first interview to prenatal appointments to the actual birth of my first baby, Rachel kept looking out for me and helped me feel empowered throughout my birth journey. She even took pictures and helped transport my placenta for encapsulation, which was so helpful because we remained at the hospital for longer than expected. I felt like Rachel was one of the best parts of my birth story, and I know she would be a wonderful addition to any birth team!

- Harmony Z.

Carly Ann Marshall-Braun

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (23 reviews)

Carly Ann Marshall-Braun

7 years of experience

I am Chicago based childbirth educator, doula, and soon-to-be midwife. I am passionate about supporting undisturbed physiologic birth. I believe in healthy-at-any-size. I've been teaching Evidence Based Birth for two years and I recently finished Midwifery school (to be licensed in 2026). I adore working with queer families, trans folks, and families who have used fertility support. My expertise spans home birth, birth centers, and hospital birth. Most people who take my class are at a birth center or hospital. Many want an empowered low-intervention birth, but most also want information about the benefits of epidurals, and when is the best time to get one. I am passionate about you having the birth YOU want, and having agency over your body and birth, no matter what this journey brings. I provide evidence based information, grounded energy, and listening ear.

Recent review

Carly Ann was our doula for the birth of my second child and she was so incredibly supportive, knowledgeable, and her presence was deeply grounding for me. Having her guidance in the hospital room was incredible for my husband and me both, and it just felt like we didn't need to worry about anything with Carly Ann there to remind us of anything or prompt us in important moments! She also came by to support after the baby was born and I appreciated feeling like I could just relax and be cared for by her. Super grateful that we got to work with her and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in working with her!! x

- Nic Strack