Doulas

“Birth is powerful, let it empower you.”-Unknown

  • Hi friends!

    My journey in birth started at age 16 when I had the privilege of attending the birth of my nephew. (Fun fact, our very own Midwife Lori was in attendance for this birth!) This experience, as well as my lifelong obsession with birth, babies, and mothering, inspired me to become a doula. Since then, it has been an honor and a great joy to witness and help mothers through the amazing feat of birthing life into the world many times over the past 7 years since taking the leap to become a doula in my senior year of high school.

    I trained as a birth and postpartum doula through Birth Arts International in 2017 and loved every minute of learning and growing through the program. In 2021, I also became a certified placenta specialist through WCPS and have enjoyed being able to offer placenta encapsulation and prints to my clients.

    Bringing my firstborn into the world with the Tree of Life midwives in 2020 tremendously impacted my journey as a doula. It gave me a personal experience of what labor is like and heightened my passion for helping other women go through it themselves. There was nothing quite as incredible as catching my son in my arms and lifting him up to my chest as he concluded his journey from womb to world. I have felt this feeling again now two more times as we welcomed our daughter in 2022 and our third baby, a boy, in 2024. Now, every time I witness the miracle of life, I am brought back to these moments and reminded of how truly amazing it is what we women accomplish each time we bring a little one earth side. 

    When not attending births, I spend most of my time at home with my three little ones and thoroughly enjoy completing new projects to improve our house and 11 acre homestead, cooking, and spending time with my loved ones.

    I also work a part time job as Birth/Postpartum Mentor at Mary’s Shelter, a local maternity home that takes in homeless expectant mothers and their children. Because of the experience I’ve gained at this job, I am able to bring to the table several years of experience in supporting and guiding single moms from many different backgrounds and situations through their pregnancy and birth experiences which has also been an asset to my job as a doula.

    I am truly, truly passionate about empowering women by showing them how natural and beautiful the art of giving birth is, and how capable we are of doing it.

    We were wonderfully created to do it and the process is designed to work. All we have to do is get out of the way and trust! I am here to guide you through that and aid you in the journey.

    I embrace the opportunity to serve you through this magical time.

    Phone: 540-429-1751

    Email: maddielucie5@gmail.com

  • Hello! I am a birth Doula with 15+ years of experience, the wife of a retired Navy sailor and the mother of 2 beautiful children (boy/girl). I have a BS in PE and I’m a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) currently working at Paraclete Physical Therapy. I entered the birthing world through word of a friend who saw that there was a place where I could share my love and compassion for the body with other women.

    During my 1st pregnancy I was able to take childbirth Ed classes but still didn’t feel prepared enough which led to a very complicated birthing experience. My mission as a doula now is to provide women and expecting parents with the understanding and knowledge of the birth journey so that they are able to make informed choices.

    My philosophy is to enhance each woman birth experience through hands on support and physical exercise. Every woman has her own complaints and fears of her ever-changing body before during and after birth. I want to help you find your self autonomy and become secure in how your body is suppose to move during your pregnancy.

    I am committed to teaching women how to birth with their whole body though mind and spirit. “HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THIS BIRTH” is always on my mind.

    I look forward to meeting you.

    Email: napperdc@msn.com

    Phone: 360-969-0960

  • Hey friends, I’m Ariel. Born and raised in Annapolis, I was brought up to be passionate about community and caring for other people. I moved from Philly to Alexandria in 2015 and fell in love with my now husband, which made Virginia my home. My husband is a first responder and I am a public health professional, Certified Birth Doula (CD-DONA), and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). We moved to Stafford in 2019 and dove into community with our church as well as with local activities like dog training, line dancing and hiking. In August 2024, we welcomed our first baby, a little boy, born in our sweet home in Stafford.My path was inspired to become a doula by my familial experiences with birth. My mother’s first birth with me was very traumatic and difficult to recover from so when she planned to have my sister, she chose to have a doula. As a soon-to-be sister at age 9, I was inspired by how her doula supported my mom and empowered her to have a beautiful natural birth, one that my mother still to this day claims changed her whole perception of her inner strength. After years of working in global public health on mother-baby and sexual health programs across 13 countries, I became a Certified Lactation Counselor in 2015 and Certified DONA Doula in 2022 . I launched my personal Birth Doula business, RIL Doula Services, in 2022 and joined Tree of Life, as a Birth Doula, in 2023. 

    As a doula, I am passionate about supporting women in stepping into their instinctual and physiological strength in birth. I love to help mothers understand how to connect and trust their bodies and babies throughout the birthing process as well as understand how to interact with the medical system in the U.S. I love helping partners support mothers in birth with kindness and confidence as well as creating moments of comfort and connection throughout one's labor journey. I love seeing a mother trust herself and lean into the intensity of labor as I support her with touch, encouragement and a calm environment. My favorite part of being a doula is seeing the transformation of women as they become mothers, it is magic and I love being a part of that transformation. I also love helping mamas bond with their babies as they navigate breastfeeding! When not doula-ing or working as a CLC, you can find me in the mountains hiking; hanging with my husband, our growing babe and our two Portuguese water dogs; dreaming of having my own farmette; and/or cuddling any cute dog and horse I can find. 

    I would love to help you have a beautiful birth and feel supported as you welcome your baby earthside. 

    Email: rildoulaservices@gmail.com

    Website: www.rildoulaservices.com  

    Phone: 540-300-2654

  • Hi, I’m Mishka

    My love for supporting birthing women began with my own journey to motherhood. Sixteen years ago, my first born came into the world and I discovered “my thing.”  I’ve been a student of birth ever since.

    I grew up and went to school in South Africa, where I studied philosophy and law.  I moved to the USA when I married my husband.  When my first baby came along, we stumbled into out-of-hospital birth almost by accident.  It changed everything I believed about myself and about birth (in the best possible way).  I have been blessed to birth all four of my children at home, supported by midwives and doulas who protected and respected the intimacy of the birth space.  

    I’ve been working with and serving new families since 2013, when I certified as a childbirth educator. I've continued to work with families during the childbearing year, as an educator, postpartum doula, breastfeeding counselor and most recently as a birth doula.

    I’ve continued my education on special topics such as postpartum mood disorders, postpartum support and birth trauma. In an official capacity, I’ve trained with Childbirth International, ICEA, Still Birth Day, Breastfeeding USA and DONA International.  I also have an unquenchable thirst for birth/postpartum related literature and have spent hundreds of hours engrossed in books, studies, trainings and conferences on these topics. 

    In my life outside of birth work, I find most joy in my family, faith and home.  I love to create art, tend my garden and chickens and hang out with my bulldogs. 

    I would be honored to walk alongside you as you navigate the path of bringing your little one into the world.

    mishka@motherwellbirth.com 

  • Birth is beautiful and natural and I believe that you are naturally equipped with everything you require for this journey. I have been enamored with birth before I could put it into words. At 18 I attended the birth of my best friend's child and I was enthralled. I became a doula in 2018 after researching and learning about natural birth. I lived in North Carolina and created my own company with a doula friend. My journey of motherhood has been one of beauty and ashes, as a series of losses led us to pursue adoption. Our journey wasn’t complete, though, and in 2023 I gave birth to my son, at Tree of Life, after spending the first half of my pregnancy under the care of high risk OBs. While I am so grateful for the sometimes necessary medical care, I am passionate about allowing pregnancy and childbirth to be embraced and to feel like a natural and normal part of a woman’s life. While COVID and motherhood put a pause on my serving families for a few years I am so excited to assist clients again, with Tree of Life.  I strive to enrich your birth experience with education, confidence and  grace. As your birth doula, I will do all that I can to make sure you are educated about what is happening to your body and mind during and after birth as well as informed on choices you have throughout the process. I hope to be your strongest advocate through combining experience and skill with your partner's love and knowledge. I desire to support both you and your partner throughout the entire duration of labor and delivery, while  promoting  a confident and satisfying experience for all. I believe that medical practitioners and advanced medical research are a gift to us in this age and when medically necessary should be relied upon with wisdom and grace. Your birth matters. It would be my great honor to help you welcome your little miracle on their birth day. 

    In my free time you will find me reading, crocheting, playing with my babies, enjoying a coffee date with my husband, or enjoying the great outdoors. 

    ksrpegram@gmail.com

    540-419-9982

  • Hello, I’m Destinee! I am a certified doula through the state of Virginia. I have two wonderful children, who are my reason for everything I do. Together, we enjoy baseball, Kings Dominion trips, Pokemon, going to the park, and just being together!

    I joined the postpartum scene in 2019, after my son was born via c-section. A labor, birth, and postpartum experience that I do not look back on with fond memories. With my daughter, I knew that I did not want to experience anything like my last pregnancy & birth. I am forever thankful to TOL for allowing me to have the birth I desired.

    Personally, I needed breastfeeding support and found a community that I fell in love with! I have attended the TOL breastfeeding support group almost every single month since November 2019. Although latching my babies never quite went the way I wanted, I was able to provide breastmilk for them by exclusively pumping. I find so much joy in being able to help mothers gain pumping knowledge, while also helping them build their “village.” After years of being a peer support for the community, I dove into Germanna’s first doula class! 

    I truly believe that women are amazing creatures who are capable of doing the impossible. I want you to feel confident, strong, and capable of having an experience that you look back on with nothing but happiness. 

    Email: Cunninghamdj95@gmail.com

  • Hi, I’m Chloe! In 2022, I had a beautiful, transformative birth experience at Tree of Life. Immediately, I knew I had to help other mothers experience that, too. Although I had been curious about becoming a doula for a while, my birth and the support I received from my doula ignited the fire that was building within me.

    In January 2024, I completed my doula training and officially became a Certified Birth and Bereavement Doula. As a CBD, I am trained and educated in supporting families through all pregnancies and births, no matter what turns there may be.

    As your doula, I will empower, support, and educate you throughout our entire time together: from pregnancy to postpartum. I am committed to providing you with the education, resources, and tools to have the birth you envision!

    During pregnancy, I can answer any questions that arise, help you mentally and physically prepare for birth, and provide evidence-based resources to help you make the best decisions for your family. During labor and birth, I provide physical support such as position changes, gentle massage, and various comfort measures, as well as emotional support for you and your partner. I can help you ease into the postpartum period by guiding you in healing, breastfeeding, babywearing, and more. I am here for you every step of the way!

    In my free time, you can find me cooking, reading books, spending time outside, or most likely, chasing my toddler.

    Phone: 540-878-6825

    Email: naturallyclo@gmail.com