Mayra Buitron

Chicago, Illinois

Mayra Buitron

12 years of experience

Compassionate birth and postpartum doula hoping to provide holistic culturally sensitive and evidence-based support. Spanish and English speaking.

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.

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.

Maggie Guindon

Chicago, Illinois

Maggie Guindon

3 years of experience

Hi I am Maggie, a registered nurse with NICU experience for last two years! I love working with newborns and their families to help them with their journey in parenthood!

Seyi Akinwale

Chicago, Illinois

Seyi Akinwale

3 years of experience

I’m Seyi. I have over 15 years of childcare experience in a variety of settings such as a babysitter, nanny, teacher, and now birth and postpartum doula. I am passionate about the field of birth work. After witnessing and hearing about many of the difficulties and abuse of power in hospital settings, my passion for helping people navigate these settings was ignited. It is impossible to guarantee a “perfect birth” but I believe that you should have the opportunity to be prepared for whatever may or may not happen. This includes being aware of medical interventions, having the best people for you in your birthing space, establishing and enforcing necessary boundaries, and ultimately doing the best for you! Childbirth is a beautiful process that is both natural and spiritual.

Dede Ajavon

Chicago, Illinois

Dede Ajavon

6 years of experience

My name is Dede Ajavon, I am 24 years old and I am currently a Montessori assistant infant teacher. I am a compassionate and experienced childcare provider with over 5 years of hands-on experience caring for infants in daycare and private home settings. I recently completed a Newborn Care Specialist Training Workshop(NCTA), strengthening knowledge in newborn development, feeding, sleep conditioning, and family support. I am dedicated to creating a nurturing, safe, and structured environment that promotes healthy growth and development. I am passionate about helping families transition confidently into parenthood while providing the highest level of newborn care.

Darnicia Holt

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (2 reviews)

Darnicia Holt

9 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.

Carolyn Andrew

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (3 reviews)

Carolyn Andrew

9 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.

Kate Brooks

Chicago, Illinois

Kate Brooks

Trained postpartum doula with experience in supporting and caring for newborns. Previously nannied for five years and worked at an early childhood center in the enfant room for four years. Love to support and care for parents postpartum and find best ways to create systems of support for parents postpartum.

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.

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! ♥️

Karen Weeks

Chicago, Illinois

Karen Weeks

25 years of experience
Accepts insurances

I am a Physical Therapist, specializing in Pelvic Health, with over 20yrs of experience. I am a Board Certified Women’s Health Physical Therapy Clinical Specialist and hold a Certificate in Pelvic Health Physical Therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Pelvic Health. I love helping new parents prepare for delivery, remain active during pregnancy and rehab post-partum, physically and emotionally, using a biopsychosocial approach. I have special interest in helping parents who have sustained Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury 3rd or 4th degree tearing), playing a vital role in our perineal trauma clinic.

Colette Semenas

Chicago, Illinois

Colette Semenas

8 years of experience

I’ve been in the world of nannying, infant night nursing, and extended stays for the previous 7 years. I have a passion for the early newborn stages, helping create healthy sleep routines that create easy night time transitions for baby, mom, and family! I have advanced training in SIDS Prevention, Infant Safe Sleep, CPR, and Basic First Aid. I use my degree in Childhood Psychology and my experience working on Labor and Delivery as well as volunteering in the NICU at Children’s Hospital to guide my approach to provide research based care. Excited to meet you and your little!

Chrishon Reed

Griffith, Indiana

Chrishon Reed

8 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.

Zoe Nelson

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (1 review)

Zoe Nelson

2 years of experience

Hi! I’m a responsible and nurturing nanny with a background in Art Education and five years of experience as an elementary art teacher. For the past year, I’ve cared for a newborn and a four-year-old, supporting daily routines and early development. I’m now transitioning into overnight care, bringing a calm, attentive approach to help families get the rest they need. I’m CPR certified, comfortable with infant care and sleep routines, and open to additional training. References available upon request.

Recent review

I’m pleased to recommend Zoe Nelson as a night nanny. Over several months she cared for our newborn and three‑year‑old, allowing my husband and me to sleep soundly. Each morning we awoke refreshed to happy, well‑rested children. Zoe is caring, responsible, and knowledgeable in both infant and toddler routines. She maintained clear logs, anticipated needs, and communicated thoughtfully about each night’s events. Our kids quickly came to trust her gentle approach, and we always felt at ease. Any family would be lucky to have Zoe’s dependable support.

- Suzanne C.

Sarah Baker

Chicago, Illinois

Sarah Baker

15 years of experience

Sarah Baker is a mom of two little boys (one being a hypnobirthing baby), Hypnobirthing Childbirth Educator, Internationally Accredited Meditation Teacher, Postpartum Doula and Holistic Health Specialist. Similar to you, Sarah wanted to feel prepared, confident and calm during her labor, no matter what twist or turn took place. Finding a childbirth education class that provided not only in-depth knowledge on everything that goes down during labor, but proven methods that help you feel calm, confident and empowered (that did not consist of just pain management interventions that hospitals offer), was something that Sarah had a hard time finding in the Chicagoland area. Sarah started Asana Mama to provide parents in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs an incredibly engaged, premier Childbirth classes, both private sessions and group classes: (currently being held completely remotely). Sarah brings almost a decade of practicing as a Holistic Health and meditation specialist with a heavy emphasis on helping women navigating preconception, pregnancy and postpartum.

Jen Mills

Chicago, Illinois

Jen Mills

4 years of experience

Hello! I'm Jenny, a certified and experienced Childbirth and Bereavement Doula based in Chicago. I am also available to support your journey virtually. My passion is pregnancy and childbirth, and I'm especially in love with creating exactly the space and mood that my clients want for their labor and delivery. I am a judgment-free zone, so whether you want a med-free birth or one with an epidural, a home birth or one on the labor & delivery floor, I'm equally thrilled to be part of it. Providing informational, emotional, and physical support is what I do, and what I love. I'd love to talk with you more about it!

Carly Ann Marshall-Braun

Chicago, Illinois

5.0 (23 reviews)

Carly Ann Marshall-Braun

8 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

Amanda Nelson

Chicago, Illinois

Amanda Nelson

3 years of experience

Hi! My name is Amanda, I am a DONA trained birth doula, and I am ready to support you on your journey to parenthood! Whether you're planning a home birth, a hospital birth, or anything in between, my goal is to empower you with information, encouragement, and advocacy every step of the way. I believe in honoring your unique journey and preferences, offering non-judgmental support that respects your decisions and desires. I would love to connect with you for a complimentary consultation! Let me buy you a cup of coffee/tea or we can schedule a zoom/phone call.Booking with me will include one in person pre-birth meeting around 36 weeks, on call birth support, and one in person postpartum visit. Text and phone support available starting at time of booking through postpartum visit.

Stefanie Waldorf

Chicago, Illinois

Stefanie Waldorf

2 years of experience

Focused on spiritual and physical support that follows evidence-based guidelines and empowers self-advocacy in hospital births.