The NOVA Birth Services TEAM
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OWNER
CD(DONA), CVD(TVL) - C-VBACS
BIRTH DOULA/V-BACSCHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR
NRP
Shannon has seven years of study focusing on child development, which cultivated her passion for childbirth, advocating for families, and more. Shannon has completed Child Birth Education classes, DONA Doula training, Lamaze training, and breastfeeding classes. She is also a VBAC certified doula through the VBAC link. She also works with other local birth workers to learn and expand her understanding of evidence-based birth.
Shannon’s experiences with her four pregnancies taught her the value of information, flexibility, and understanding patient rights as she struggled to receive quality care to manage her Hyper-Emesis Gravidarum. Because of this, Shannon strives to advocate for expecting mothers to ensure they receive the care they deserve during their pregnancies and deliveries. Her experience working in hospitals with surgeons also helped her be able to translate medical terminology into common man language for her clients.
Serving: Northern Virginia
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Birth Doula
L & D NURSE
My journey into doula support began in 2008 with the birth of my son while serving as an air traffic controller in the United States Navy. Introduced to the concept by my crew leader’s wife, Heather, a doula, I was initially unfamiliar with their role. Being far from family and fearing the unknown, having a doula on my birthing team felt like the perfect choice. Heather became a beacon of light during my childbirth journey, providing calmness that alleviated my early pregnancy fears. Informed by my doula about what to expect, I borrowed Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth during the prenatal phase, solidifying my desire for an unmedicated birth. The support of my doula allowed me to achieve my desired birthing experience.
This transformative experience led me to become a guiding presence for individuals and families in the intimate process of childbirth. Commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps in 2013, I began my career as a maternal newborn nurse, feeling a true calling to this specialty. Despite leaving labor and delivery to prioritize my son’s life, my passion for childbirth persisted. Becoming a doula has enabled me to live my passion fully while providing the flexibility to create precious memories with those dear to my heart.
With eight years of experience in the labor and delivery and mother baby units as a registered nurse, I’ve been privileged to be a part of over fifteen-hundred beautiful and transformative maternal newborn experiences. I completed my doula training through DONA International, the oldest, largest, and most respected doula organization in the world! In addition, I’ve attended training through Premier Birth Tools and Spinning Babies as my commitment to optimize your desired birth..
Serving: Middle and Northern Virginia Areas
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POSTPARTUM DOULA
Jessica came to NBS with years of childcare and infant support knowledge and over a decade of EMS work. Jessica offers families a calm voice and supportive care during the transitional time of bringing home and caring for a newborn. Providing evidence based postpartum support helping parents rest, recuperate and nurture their children in a way that aligns with their individual values and needs.
Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia
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POSTPARTUM DOULACPR/AED
Certified Doula
Amanda is a certified Postpartum Doula specializing in overnight care. She loves to serve families as they grow. As a mother of four, she knows how challenging those first nights can be. She loves to come alongside families and share her knowledge to help in any way possible. As your postpartum doula, she will provide you with evidenced-based information on things such as infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, mother-baby bonding, infant soothing, and basic newborn care. And, perhaps most importantly, she’s there to listen to you! Amanda is First Aid, CPR and AED trained and has received special training in caring for twins. She wants to nurture your entire family as you transition into life with a newborn!
Serving: Nighttime Clients
WV/Northern Virginia Clients
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CD(DONA), CVD(TVL), C-VBACS
BIRTH DOULA/VBAC DOULA
PERINATAL FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR
NRP
Catherine has been helping pregnant women and families since 2019. Giving birth to her own six children – one cesarean and five VBACs – gave Catherine a passion and respect for birth. She has been a DONA certified birth doula since 2021, and a certified VBAC doula (The VBAC Link) and VBAC specialist (Pro- Doula) since 2022. She is a CrossFit Level 2 trainer and certified Pre/Postnatal \ Fitness Instructor (MamasteFit). She has completed Spinning Babies training courses, a breastfeeding course, and is an Evidence-Based Birth professional member.
Catherine’s goal is to provide families with individualized care during the prenatal period and compassionate, in-person support and advocacy during labor. She helps with bonding and breastfeeding, if you choose, after your baby is born. She respects and values the richness of your family’s birth experience and would be honored to support you.
Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients
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CD (DONA)
Birth and Postpartum Doula, Lactation Counselor, Spinning Babies Parent EducatorAs she learned from teaching for more than 30 years, there is more than one way to solve a problem, and the best way is the way that works for you! It’s no different in childbirth. There are so many options in childbirth, and it can be overwhelming. It starts with knowledge! Beth’s superpower is helping you find what works best for you in an inclusive, nonjudgmental way.
Every birthing person deserves to have an advocate there to guide and assist them in making educated choices about their pregnancy and remind them that they can trust the strength of their bodies during this time. As a certified DONA International doula, and Spinning Babies trained birth worker, Beth will inform clients with facts, provide resources, and listen with empathy to help them curate a safe, healthy, and beautiful childbirth memory.
As a postpartum doula and lactation consultant (training by Childbirth International), Beth loves to help families transition to life with a newborn. Whether it’s your first baby or your fourth, this new little life will dramatically change the dynamics of your family. Helping with household logistics, feeding your baby by breast or bottle, bathing and cord care, and watching the baby so the new parent(s) can rest are some of the ways she can help you. Feeling safe, nurtured, and cared for is as important for the new parents as it is for your baby.
Beth is a mother of 4 adult children. She enjoys walking her two dogs (both rescues) and having deep discussions with her African Gray Parrot. She recently retired from Loudoun County Public Schools to doula full time! Her greatest wish is to be a grandmother.
Serving: Northern Virginia and some Maryland clients
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I am a birth, postpartum and sibling doula. My journey to this point began over 20 years ago when I became a certified massage therapist, an infant massage instructor, and a Reiki master. I have enjoyed working with a wide range of clients, but I have to say my favorite type of work was always prenatal and postpartum massage. While working on expectant mothers, it was magical to feel the baby move and react to the things I was doing to help Mom. I retired last year from massage work and became a doula to continue working with the birthing community.
I trained to become a birth doula through The Matrona Foundation. Their philosophy resonated with me, which is providing an environment that invites others to witness the birth, rather than manage it, empowering the family to have the birth that they desire.
My Postpartum Doula training was through DONA International.
Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients
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Birth Doula CVD(TVL)
Postpartum Doula
Certified Birth Educator, Prenatal Nutrition, Breastfeeding CounselingBirth professional, experienced and educated in birth comfort, support, and advocacy for expectant families. Focused on what a person's individual family needs are and walking the journey with them. Trained in comfort measures and coping strategies as well as optimal positions for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
My name is Whitney. I am Certified through the International Doula Institute for Birth Educators, Prenatal Nutrition, Breastfeeding Counseling, Birth Doula, and Postpartum Doula. I have over 15 years of experience in taking care of babies but 3 active years of being a doula. I believe that these tools have helped me make each mother’s pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care as exceptional as the little one(s) they are bringing into the world. I am enthusiastic to comfort, support, and educate.
As a mother of three, I felt it important to show my
daughters to follow their passions. My passion is being a doula, what sparked this passion for me was being there for the births of my nieces and nephews. Being with my siblings and their partners and helping them when they were in need brought such a feeling of satisfaction. Helping mothers is just as important to me because we need to be cared for, advocated for, and properly educated throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care.
Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients
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CD(DONA) Birth
LMT- Licensed Massage Therapist
CPR Certified/ Background Checked
Christine has a special heart for pregnant mammas.
She serves women and their families during pregnancy, birth, and beyond. As a doula, her goal is to empower mothers through education and advocacy toachieve the birth they desire. She brings her training, research, personal birthexperiences, and giftings to the table to support and walk beside mom and dad, in one of the most defining moments of a mother’s life, the birth of her child. She specializes in VBAC and VBAmC.
As a certified massage therapist with 20-years’ experience, Christine provides a variety of professional and personally tailored bodywork services, including prenatal and postnatal massage. Often asked which is her favorite modality, she responds that, “blending them to meet individual goals and making positive changes within the body is my favorite.” “I also enjoy bringing massage into the birth journey by using techniques or teaching self-care techniques for mom and baby.
She holds a Birth Doula certification through DONA International, a current CPR certification, 18 massage certifications, and licensure in two states. Christine recognizes that it is an honor to walk with a mother in her birth experience, and she would be delighted to support and serve in your next birth journey.
