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United States:

 

California

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Nikki Helms

Location: San Diego, CA

Service(s) provided: Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, Midwifery

Biography: http://practicallypostpartum.com 

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions: DONA trained birth doula (2003), CAPPA trained postpartum doula (2014), Student Midwife (Class of 2017), Innate Postpartum Care Provider (2017), Newborn Care instructor (2014)

If you are a student doula, what kind of study or assistance do you need to perform in order to get your certification/license: Once I've completed my midwifery didactic schooling, I'll still have some more primary catches to complete and then I'll sit for my license, hopefully in early 2018.

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: No

Signing level: I am an intermediate signer. I trained as an interpreter in 2004-6, but never got certified. I have a daughter with a bilateral hearing loss and she's helping me get back up to speed. :D

Contact information: practicallypostpartum@gmail.com

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Kristen Stratton, CD(DONA)

Location: Serves all of San Diego County and parts of Orange County and Riverside County.

Service(s) provided: Birth and Postpartum Doula, VBAC Educator, Childbirth Educator, Placenta Encapsulation.

Biography: Kristen is the founder and owner of In Due Season Doula Services LLC. She is also the founder and owner of The VBAC Coach which provides comprehensive childbirth education to parents seeking post-cesarean birth education and birth professionals seeking to add to their education about supporting cesarean and VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) mothers. She teaches a couples VBAC class in Poway and Temecula. Kristen is a DONA Certified Birth Doula, a CAPPA Trained Postpartum Doula with additional training in high order multiples, CAPPA trained Childbirth Educator, Rebozo Certified through Gena Kirby and has trained with Spinning Babies founder, Gail Tully. She is trained in the art of Placenta Encapsulation and Bekung Belly Binding. Her goal is to provide quality and comprehensive support during pregnancy, birth and beyond. She is the mother of three children and wife to an active duty Marine. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from California State University, Long Beach and also works as a Marketing Consultant for local business and birth professionals.

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions: Certified Birth Doula, CAPPA Trained Postpartum Doula, CAPPA Trained Childbirth Educator, Rebozo Certified, Spinning Babies Trained, Evidence Based Birth BirthPros Trained

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: No

Signing level: Intermediate. 

Contact information: Kristen@InDueSeasonDoula.com

Any additional information or comments you wish to share with your clients: www.vbaccoach.com I'm hard of hearing and the mother of one Deaf child and two hard of hearing children.

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District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia

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Ally Balsley & Brittany Noschese

Location: Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Biography: Between the two of us, we have so much in common including, being mothers to awesome and fun little ones, sharing our passion for birth and the belief that every birth is beautiful, and filled with so much love. We are also partners for every birth, we work together in a lot of different ways. Each family will get, not one, but two Deaf energetic doulas!

Service(s) provided: Childbirth Educators, Full Spectrum Doulas & Placenta Encapsulators

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions:

-Certified childbirth educators with Doula Trainings International (DTI)

-Birth and postpartum doulas with Doula Trainings International (DTI)

-Certified childbirth educators with Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings

-Full spectrum doulas with Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT)

-Placenta encapsulation certified with International Placenta & Postpartum Association (IPPA)

-Rebozo certified

-Pediatric CPR and First Aid Certified

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: Contact us to discuss this further

Signing Level: Fluent in American Sign Language 

Contact Information: Doulas@HandWavesbirth.com 

Additional Information: We see birthing as an event of a LIFETIME. Pregnancy and birth is a challenging and beautiful experience. No birth is the same, and we believe that families has the right to be fully supported and fully informed.

Your birthing experience MATTERS. We want you to have the beautiful birthing experience that you deserve. As full spectrum doulas, we offer non-judgmental support, guidance, evidence based education and hands on support. We have a variety of tools that we will use throughout your pregnancy, labor and beyond. We strongly believe in reproductive justice, birth justice and advocacy. Feel free to contact us for more information or questions.

Check out our website for more information! www.HandWavesBirth.com

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Rachel Frier Carbonneau

Location: Greater Washington, DC area (including Maryland and Virginia)

Biography: I have been a doula since 2010, and I founded Family Ways doula agency in 2013 as my practice grew. We have been honored to support many beautiful new families, including many signing families, through their life transitions. I provide primarily birth doula support, but offer additional services such as postpartum support, bereavement support, childbirth education, placenta encapsulation, and Reiki. I would be happy to chat with you regarding your family's specific needs and how I can best support a healthy and informed life transition!

Service(s) provided: Birth, postpartum, and bereavement doula; childbirth educator; placenta encapsulator; Reiki master

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions:

- DONA Birth & Postpartum Doula
- SBD Bereavement Doula (in training)
-INELDA End-of-Life Doula
- Bradley Method Childbirth Educator

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: Only upon agreement

Signing level: Intermediate. I minored in Deaf Studies as part of my Bachelor's degree, and attended classes at Gallaudet as part of this program. At the time my signing was nearly fluent, but it has gotten a little rusty since I don't use it as regularly. I have worked with many d/Deaf and HoH clients, and we have had no communication barriers.

Contact information: http://www.family-ways.com or rachel@family-ways.com

 

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Florida

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Jenn Randall

Location: Orlando, FL and surrounding areas

Service(s) provided: Birth Doula Childbirth Education

Biography: Hi! My name is Jenn and I am a loving wife and the mother of 5 beautiful children: ages 23, 20, 15, 11 & 5. I have been serving as a birth doula and childbirth educator since 2015 and it has always been my desire to share the same opportunities for evidenced-based information & loving support to the Deaf Community. Women are at their most powerful and most vulnerable during childbirth and they need to know what their labor options are during pregnancy so that they can have a plan for how they will cope through the intensity of labor. My role is to ensure that anyone who invites me to this sacred event is well prepared with a full understanding of how to work with her body and her baby during birth, what her labor choices are and how her needs meet with her desires, how her birth partner can bring comfort and security to the Mama and helping her feel confident and empowered to choose to birth her way within her abilities.

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions: Certifications from Heart 2 Heart Birth Center with 2 veteran midwives (1 is now retired) for Childbirth Education & Doula services.

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: With regret, I cannot travel out of state at this time.

Signing level: Fluent. I have no certifications or licenses for ASL, but I have been serving as a lay interpreter off an on during Church worship services since January1989. I am now using EVERYDAY ASL (ASLFLIX.com) and YOUR PREGNANCY What to Expect (childbirth educational DVD by Deaf authors) to expand my knowledge of ASL vocabulary in the birthing field.

Contact information: AwesomeBirthJourney@gmail.com or text 407-690-9263. www.AwesomeBirthJourney.com

Any additional information or comments you wish to share with your clients: I have a passion for supporting families during the most precious time of welcoming their new baby. My desire is to help the laboring mother love her birth experience as much as she loves her newborn... or almost, anyway. :) I want to give her and her supporting family present everything they need to make informed decisions, and feel confident about the labor choices that will most likely impact her for many years to come. All women are worthy of love and respect, but especially while they do the honorable work of bringing new life into the world. My service to birthing families is the next best thing to having my own children!

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Kentucky

 

Renee Basham

Location: In and around Lexington, KY

Service(s) provided: Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Education

Biography: My name is Renee and I run a nonprofit, Hope's Embrace. I provide nonmedical maternity services to low income women.

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions: Birth Arts International is my training organization

If you are a student doula, what kind of study or assistance do you need to perform in order to get your certification/license: I am waiting on my certification for birth doula. I still need postpartum clients to be fully certified. I am currently completing classwork for bereavement, childbirth education, and breastfeeding educator as well

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: I live in the middle of the state. I am willing to travel, but going out of state depends on the direction.

Signing level: Intermediate. Took ASL in college and lived fully immersed in deaf culture for a few months working with Deaf Teen Quest

Contact information: www.hopesembraceky.org / renee.basham@hopesembraceky.org / 859-806-0582 for texting

Any additional information or comments you wish to share with your clients: I am only an intermediate signer, but I'm told I pick up the language very quickly. I am always willing to learn more. I believe women shouldn't HAVE to be alone due to lack of providers for birth and postpartum. I am more than happy to help you through the special time of birth and motherhood if you are willing to teach me a few words I don't know.

 

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Louisiana

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Katarina Patterson

Location: Fort Polk, LA

Service(s) provided: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator

Biography: After the birth of my second son I decided to become a doula. My passion is to help other women birth the way they desire, not the way they are told they “have to”. I am currently in the process of getting all my paperwork and final projects approved for my certifications. I have completed all coursework and have been dually trained through Childbirth International (CBI) as a Birth doula and Stillbirthday (SBD) as both a Birth and Bereavement doula. I offer full spectrum services including fertility, prenatal, birth/labor, postpartum, adoption, sibling, and bereavement doula services. I also offer private childbirth education classes for individuals, couples, small birth teams, and groups.

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions: None

If you are a student doula, what kind of study or assistance do you need to perform in order to get your certification/license: I am in the process of receiving my certifications through Childbirth International (CBD) and Stillbirthday (SBD). I have completed all coursework and am awaiting my final projects to be reviewed. I can then apply for my credentials and certifications.

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: Only upon agreement

Signing level: Intermediate. 3 years of ASL in high school; Sign Language Honor Society in HS; best friend’s father is deaf; aunt (degree in Deaf and HH education) taught me to sign at the age of 6

Contact information: Rapha Shalom Birth Services, 503-509-8422, raphashalombirth@gmail.com, Facebook.com/doulakatarina

Any additional information or comments you wish to share with your clients: I have not signed in a significant amount of time so I’m a bit rusty however, I am willing to work with you if you are willing to work with me. :)

 

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International:

 

Canada

 

Candice Tizzard

Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Service(s) provided: Birth Photography, Childbirth Education, Placenta Encapsulation, Sleep Education

Biography: Candice is a mother of three children. She enjoys reading, hiking, and photography. Candice had a doula during her births, and enjoyed the way she was made to feel and the power she felt in controlling her own births, that the doula path called her easily. Candice has a background in Social support and education; it is with this strong community presents that Candice feels is her greatest strength in supporting woman.

Certifications, licenses, and other recognitions:

Sleep education Certification

Diploma in ASL

Doula Certification through Wise Woman Way of Birth

Doula Certification in BEBO MIA

DONA trained doula

Are you willing to travel long distances (ie: out of state) for clients: Maybe

Signing level: Fluent.

Contact information: By text 604-808-4362, Email candice@stagesdoula.ca Website www.stagesdoula.ca