Water Birth Doulas in Philadelphia, PA

These providers list water birth as a specialty. Browse their profiles and reviews, then message the ones you would like to talk to.

33 Water Birth Doulas near Philadelphia, PA

Melissa Wiltsey

Audubon, New Jersey 16 years of experience

5.0 (7 reviews)

Melissa Wiltsey

Responds within an hour Accepts insurance

Hi! I’d love to chat and learn about the needs of your growing family. Please reach out at anytime!

Recent review

We cannot recommend Melissa enough. My husband and I were looking for overnight care for our newborn son, and from our very first video call, we had that immediate feeling: she was the one. What stood out was how much she wanted to understand us as parents. She asked what we needed, what we hoped to learn, and what would help us feel more comfortable and confident. As first-time parents, we had so many questions, and Melissa always welcomed them, no matter how silly we worried they might be. She made us feel comfortable asking anything and took the time to talk things through with us. Melissa was there for our very first night home with our son, and I cannot imagine a better person to have alongside us as we figured everything out. From the moment she walked through our door, I felt at ease. Being able to go to sleep knowing our son was safe, loved, and so thoughtfully cared for meant everything. Her guidance covered so many of the things we were trying to figure out: caring for our newborn, feeding, breastfeeding, pumping, safely storing breast milk, and building a freezer stash. Having someone help us work through those things in our own home was incredibly valuable. And, of course, getting some sleep so we could function during the day was a huge gift! I was also recovering from a C-section, and Melissa’s understanding of what my body was going through was such a comfort. There is so much information online, and trying to make sense of it all while recovering and caring for a newborn can feel overwhelming. Having someone knowledgeable and reassuring to turn to made such a difference. Melissa also set us up to feel confident after her time with us ended. She shared so much practical information and guidance that we felt prepared to put what we had learned into practice on our own. Her support stayed with us long after she left. Melissa will always be such a special part of our first weeks as parents. She gave us rest, reassurance, and confidence when we needed all three, and we are so grateful for the care she gave our whole family. We would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for newborn care.

- Leah R.

Grace Kovitch

Emmaus, Pennsylvania 3 years of experience

5.0 (6 reviews)

Grace Kovitch

Responds within an hour

My name is Grace Kovitch and I am a certified birth and postpartum doula, as well as craniosacral therapy practitioner located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. When I started off as a birth doula, I quickly saw the drop off in care that happened with postpartum mothers, and have dedicated my career to making sure every new mom is educated, supported, and cared for. Postpartum support is truly where my heart is, and I love seeing the moment where a new mom starts to feel confident in her new role. When I'm not supporting families, you can find me hiking, backpacking, or spending time with my loved ones.

Recent review

I am delighted to recommend Grace Kovitch as a postpartum doula. Her sweet nature, care and compassion, and knowledge of newborns made her truly invaluable to our family throughout our daughter’s first four months. Her presence allowed our family to rest, recover, and truly enjoy the precious moments with our newborn. From the moment she stepped into our home, Grace provided a calming presence and a great knowledge about newborn care. She not only assisted with practical needs—such as soothing techniques, infant care, and light household tasks—but also provided the emotional support and reassurance that every new parent needs. Her warm and nurturing nature made all the difference during such a transformative time. (We knew she was the perfect fit for our family when our doberman wouldn’t leave her side! He now waits for her every night!) Additionally, her punctuality and reliability show the level of care she possesses for her clients. I wholeheartedly recommend Grace to any family in need of postpartum support. She is an incredible resource, and any family would be beyond lucky to have her by their side during the postpartum journey.

- Emily B.

Chelsea McShane

Stafford Township, New Jersey 7 years of experience

5.0 (3 reviews)

Chelsea McShane

Responds within a few hours

Welcome! I'm Chelsea, a mom of 2, and owner of Moonlight Maternity, where I practice as a Full Spectrum Doula, Lamaze International trained Childbirth Educator, and Newborn Care Specialist! I truly feel my purpose is to spend my life trying to make a positive impact on motherbaby health and wellness, and to help foster thriving families from the start. Changing things for the better in the maternal healthcare field is a monster to tackle, but I know that being able to positively impact even just one family at a time will lead to a generational ripple effect, and there's nothing more beautiful to me than to imagine a future like that. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be in the world of birthwork! My favorite show as a kid was "a baby story", (I know... I was a weird kid lol) a show that followed pregnant people through their journey and birth experience, and by the time I was a teenager I knew I wanted to become a Midwife. I was enrolled in a Midwifery program for over a year and on the way to making my dreams come true. Then, when I was 19, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant and everything came to a temporary halt while I spent time focusing on raising my son as a single mother, and working full time to support us. The birth of my son was an incredibly traumatic experience unfortunately, but inspired within me an even greater drive and passion to make a difference. I knew more than ever how important information, advocacy, autonomy and empowerment are during pregnancy and birth experiences. Having those things directly relates to how confidently you begin your motherhood journey, the way you trust your intuition, and the way you raise your babies. I realized on a more personal level exactly how important it is to try to prevent negative outcomes and experiences in the birth space...something which I knew before, but deeply understood now. Over the years, I spent my free time educating myself more, reading anything I could get my hands on, watching birth vlogs on YouTube- still always deeply passionate about birthwork, and longing to find my way back to it. I found my wonderful husband along the way when my son was 2 years old, and we got married a few years later. He has always supported my love of birthwork and encouraged me to chase my dreams. I helped friends and family through pregnancies, birth, the postpartum period, and breastfeeding using everything I had learned, and loved any opportunity I had to talk to people about the subject. The idea of becoming a doula was something I talked about frequently, but didn't feel it was possible for me to act on timing wise. The people in my life who love me always encouraged me and believed I could do it, and one day, a conversation with an amazing friend flipped that switch for me to take the leap, and the stars finally aligned! That same day, I immediately started researching training organizations and what type of doula I could become, spent a while finding the program I felt was best for me, went to start the application, and it just so happened they had a scholarship opportunity available that closed the very next day. The requirements were to write an essay about why I wanted to become a doula, any issues or hardships that have kept me from doing so, a bit about my life story, and to share how I dreamed I could impact my community through my work. To me, this seemed like a no brainer and the easiest, most exciting thing I had ever written...my dreams becoming reality were on the other side of that essay. I got it done quickly and submitted my application for the scholarship before dinner time that night. I nervously waited to hear back, and a week later, I received an email congratulating me with a full scholarship opportunity! The most beautiful and affirming part of all of this to me, is that the day it all happened- the conversation, taking the leap, the scholarship opportunity... just so happened to be my birthday...a sign I took to be the universe confirming & guiding me on the path to my life's purpose. I still get chills thinking about how it all fell into place perfectly, and am so grateful it did. Once training began a few weeks later, it affirmed further everything I felt about my passion for this work... I finally felt aligned with my dreams, and a sense of knowing that this is how it was all supposed to happen- all in the right timing for me. In 2022, I had now been a Full Spectrum Doula for over a year, and my husband and I were elated to find out we were pregnant with a baby girl! I felt so much more confident throughout my pregnancy, knowing that this birth was going to be fulfilling, redeeming, and everything I had always hoped for. My experience was truly something incredible...I was able to see the beauty of knowledge, empowerment, and healing come full circle. I gave birth on my own terms, my body and my choices were respected and held with care, I was surrounded by support and love, and my soul was healed as my daughter was born- a re-birth of me as well. A beautiful opportunity to step into a new phase of motherhood and womanhood confidently! Experiencing pregnancy and birth again myself through new perspective was cathartic, eye-opening, and truly life changing for me. I will forever hold that in my heart, and an experience like that is ALWAYS my goal for my clients. In practicing birthwork, I offer a holistic and practical approach, ensuring that in the balanced approach I take, my clients feel confident in themselves and in my support. I take pride in being able to support the entire reproductive journey and have a personal connection to each modality of care that I offer, so my heart is in it all. Whether you're with me for pregnancy & birth, fertility, postpartum, loss support, or anything else, I will give you an unmatched level of attention and care- something I hold with the utmost importance. I will always offer quality time and opportunity for real connection. I don't believe in being surface level with each other, because birthwork is intimate and sacred. Connection is comfort and a nervous system at ease. I want you to feel safe, nurtured, and at-home in my presence. I want to hold space for your thoughts, feelings, needs, and comfort. I'm always a safe space, a non-judgmental listening ear, and shoulder to lean on when you need it most. All of it matters to me, and the way it impacts your experience is important. During your pregnancy, we will spend plenty of time on evidence-based education, so you feel confident and empowered in informed decision making, and more clear on what you may experience during your birth. We will craft your ideal birth plan together so we can prepare to make it attainable. I'll make sure you understand the "why" behind birth experiences changing (as they always will), and that in creating that birth plan, what we're really doing is creating a woman who feels confident in standing strong in her choices, and in control of her own birth. I will never judge you for changing your choices or doing what you feel is best for you in the moment, and will continue to make sure you feel confident and supported no matter what. I will always be authentic and forthcoming, because I don't believe in infantilizing women when you deserve transparent information. Inauthenticity is not the kind of person I am anyway lol, and I hope that encourages you to be yourself around me too! Authenticity builds trust, comfort, and a feeling of safety in communication. I want to build on that connection with you, learn about you, have conversations that make you feel seen and held, and allow you to get to know me as well. As I said above, It means everything to me if you feel safe, nurtured, and at-home in my presence. Birth is intimate, raw, humbling, and empowering- honoring that for you is an honor to me. By extension, fertility beforehand, the postpartum period afterwards, your lactation journey, newborn care, and every part of the path to and through parenthood is intertwined. That's why I chose the path of Full Spectrum work, to be able to support you through any and every part of your journey should you want me to. I will dedicate myself to you, respect you, hold space for you, be a friend to you, and help you see that YOU are the most powerful and important part of it all. I'm excited to be a part of your journey- we're in this together ❤️

Recent review

I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it was having Chelsea as our doula for the pregnancy and birth of our baby girl. Being that this was our first baby, we were looking for guidance when it came to almost everything birth and labor related. Chelsea was so genuine, sweet, caring, knowledgeable, and considerate from the start. She was there for me via text/call and in person throughout my pregnancy, and her presence during my (long) labor and delivery was so invaluable. She was a calming wealth of knowledge when it came to labor techniques and advocating for me all the way through to baby girl’s arrival, and even postpartum. I’m so thankful to have had her with us and to have made a lifelong friend! I would highly highly recommend her to anyone and everyone in their birthing journey.

- Nikonia G.

Xiomara Gittens

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 7 years of experience

5.0 (5 reviews)

Xiomara Gittens

Peace and blessings! My name is Xiomara, I am a mother of a beautiful girl. I am from the very small town of Pemberton, located in Southern New Jersey. I take pride and I am inspired by my (Afro Caribbean-Latina) Panamanian roots and culture. I believe in holistic and wholistic healing and practices, and the balance between the two. I am 2x certified full spectrum doula, (through Doula Trainings International and the state of NJ via NJMIHIA), Reiki Master, and Placenta Specialist. I became a doula because of my own birthing experience, which led me to my passion for birth-work. Helping families by educating, advocating, and providing a safe space for a meaningful and purposeful birth. No birth is the same, no pregnancy is the same. However, by providing a safe space, and exceptional services, we can shift the narrative so that more families are aware of birth-workers within and outside of the healthcare system, with a focus on culturally competent care. Our mission at The Purple Purpose LLC is to inspire our clients to become the highest most confident versions of themselves, while embracing their journey, from the beginning until the end. We aim to bring forth a new way to assist families in maintaining their health and wellness, before, during, and after birth. We want to bring a deeper level of holistic and wholistic practice that will allow personal and professional growth, but most importantly, a safe, successful, and purposeful birth .

Recent review

I had the pleasure of working with Xiomara for prenatal, birth, and postpartum support, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. She is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate about her work, and truly attentive to the needs of her clients. From the very beginning, she was professional and supportive, helping me create a birth plan that reflected my wishes and values. During labor, she was a strong advocate for me and played a key role in making the experience smooth and empowering. Thanks to her support, I was able to have an unmedicated birth, which was a significantly better experience compared to my first. Her care didn’t stop at birth—she continued to check in during the postpartum period and even recommended excellent services, like a lymphatic drainage massage, that really helped with recovery. She’s very well-connected and a great resource all around. If you’re looking for a dedicated and compassionate doula, Xio is absolutely the one to call.

- Cassandra M.

Larissa Melo Pienkowski

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2 years of experience

5.0 (2 reviews)

Larissa Melo Pienkowski

I’m Larissa (she/ela/ella), a birth and postpartum doula based in Philadelphia, PA. My practice is rooted in the beliefs that birth is a sacred act of transformation, that birthing people hold innate wisdom in their bodies, and that we all deserve safe, affirming, size-inclusive reproductive healthcare. As a birthworker, I offer a compassionate and comforting presence, intuitive and evidence-based information, physical support, fierce advocacy, and space for birthing people of all identities to move through pregnancy and labor peacefully and confidently. I myself identify as queer and Latina. Eu falo português e adoraria trabalhar com famílias brasileiras. 🇧🇷 In my free time, I love to cook, read, journal, play volleyball, practice Pilates, and make pottery, and I’m passionate about weaving mindfulness, movement, and nourishment into birthwork in ways that uplift radiant, full-body joy. I’m lucky to live with my wife and our Siberian husky, Olaf, in Germantown, Philadelphia.

Recent review

Have you ever experienced the joy of working with someone who is so clearly doing what they were meant to do? Such is the radiant experience of working with Larissa as a doula. From our first conversation, I connected with her unique combination if confidence, optimism, and groundedness. She always listened with true intention, never trying to push me any which way but instead helping me figure out my own needs and wants for my pregnancy and delivery. She helped fill in gaps in my knowledge and, most importantly, guided me through tough decisions and helped me feel confident in those decisions. She was equally supportive of my partner and their experience. During labor, delivery, and birth, Larissa was my steadfast advocate, and I delivered a healthy baby. Thank you Larissa!

- Frankie

Maria Silver Pyanov

Abington Township, Pennsylvania 19 years of experience

5.0 (1 review)

Maria Silver Pyanov

Hi! I'm Maria Silver Pyanov and I’m a birth doula, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and parent educator since 2007. What does that mean? It means my job is to help you have your best birth experience and feel confident during early parenting. I specialize in prenatal education, personal and privately tailored parent education during and after pregnancy, and in-home postpartum support. I provide practical and emotional support and education from conception through early parenthood. Looking for a childbirth class? I provide group and private classes. Looking for continuous labor support? We're there every step of the way. Need in-home help after you baby arrives? My team and I are the Mary Poppins for new parents, working our magic to make sure YOU feel supported and cared for. Beyond exhausted? I’m here to help you get overnight rest with a postpartum doula or with sleep coaching and guidance. I’ve been affectionately referred to as the living Google of pregnancy, birth, and parenting . And as a mom of six living kids who have been birthed at home, in a birth center, a hospital, and via c-section, I have the personal experience behind all of my professional education and training to really prepare and support families.

Recent review

She is incredibly knowledgable, compassionate and kind. Her very unique journey makes it possible for her to meet anyone where they are, understand one's needs or goals and help them through the birthing and parenthood experience. Highly recommend!

- Kay L.

Dorian Jackson

Winslow Township, New Jersey 25 years of experience

5.0 (1 review)

Dorian Jackson

Hola!! I am a certified Birth and Postpartum Doula serving the Southern New Jersey area. I am a former Labor and Delivery Nurse and in current practice as an OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner. The core of my philosophy for the work that I do is Education, Empowerment and Advocacy. I believe that your journey deserves more than what is offered as the standard for prenatal and postpartum care. I am here to facilitate exactly that! I am bilingual in Spanish and offer individual services through my website. I look forward to connecting with you!

Recent review

I cannot recommend Dorian enough! She provided my prenatal care during my first pregnancy, and from the very beginning, I felt supported, educated, and genuinely cared for. She took the time to answer questions, ease concerns, and ensure I felt confident throughout my pregnancy journey. What stands out most is her calming presence and compassionate heart. She has a way of making you feel heard and empowered while providing exceptional guidance and advocacy. Her knowledge and experience are invaluable, but it’s her kindness and dedication that truly make a difference. Even after my baby was born, she remained available and present during the postpartum period, offering support, reassurance, and encouragement when I needed it most. Knowing I had someone I trusted to turn to during both pregnancy and postpartum brought me so much peace of mind. She goes above and beyond for the families she serves, and I am incredibly grateful for the care, support, and genuine compassion she has shown me. Any family would be lucky to have Dorian as part of their birth and postpartum journey.

- Jessica P.

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