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Specialty: Free Consultation (Virtual)

Akiwele Burayidi

Aki serves the Chicago area as a certified labor support and postpartum doula at Birthways, while also being a certified childbirth educator and yoga instructor. Aki is passionate about maternal health, and has a unique ability to keep people calm and make people feel cared for, even in stressful situations.

In addition to her birth work, Aki is a certified yoga instructor who teaches classes weekly. Her personal yoga practice has taught her so much about mindfulness and somatic awareness. These give her a unique perspective on coaching people through their births and helping birthing people and their partners to deepen connection to their own bodies and needs during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum time.

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My intention is to support people through the perinatal period as they grieve, celebrate, endure, and love. I hope to be one part of a community that uplifts each other to be the best version of ourselves possible, especially in the turbulence of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Julie Skripka

Julie is a certified birth, bed rest, and postpartum & infant care doula, as well as a certified lactation consultant at Gold Cost Doulas in Grand Rapids, MI. Julie has over 20 years experience in childcare; ranging from nannying, babysitting, running the church nursery, and being a mother of four. She has an English Degree with minors in Child Development and Communications from MSU.

For as long as she can remember, Julie has been a caregiver. She loves babies! From infants to adults, she strives to make others feel comfortable, loved, and supported in a judgment-free space. Each family is different and unique. Julie appreciates the variety of families she has had the pleasure of working with. Establishing good relationships and connecting with the families she cares for is a priority.

Kristin Revere

Kristin is the owner and founder of Gold Coast Doulas, located in Grand Rapids, MI. Her primary passion as a birth and postpartum doula is to offer women and families resources, unbiased support, and understanding. Kristin is a listener, a friend, a confidant, an expert, and women intuitively feel stronger in her presence.

Kristin is the host of Ask the Doulas Podcast. Her writing has been featured in Rapid Growth Media and First Time Parent Magazine. Kristin was selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan by the Grand Rapids Business Journal in 2016 and in 2022.

Trini Hertz

Trini is a certified Birth and Postpartum doula, Midwife, Childbirth Educator, and Photographer in Chicago, IL. She is passionate about creating a safe and supportive environment where birthing people and their partners feel seen, heard, and valued. Trini will advocate for your rights and provide care rooted in respect, compassion, and cultural humility.

Trini is committed to serving her community and working towards equity in healthcare. She is honored to be able to make a positive impact in the lives of the women and families that she serves. She focuses on listening and observing with kindness, so she can empower and support others.

Jeanine OToole

Jeanine attended a Birthways training in 2001 and after a hiatus filled with great opportunities in her music career, returned to Birthways in 2014 as a postpartum doula. Focusing on daytime support, Jeanine brings a strong foundation and ever-deepening knowledge around women’s health and wellbeing, newborn safety and development, and lactation support.

Many in her circle of friends and acquaintances have called on her to visit and answer new parent questions and her experiences working as a private childcare provider over the years lead her to pursue this path of a postpartum doula. Jeanine brings a kind, focused attention to each family she supports, helping identity what will be most impactful now and looking ahead to future milestones.

Jeanine’s warmth puts one at ease and her thoughtful approach ensures that families will get the resources they need. She enjoys tending to the practical needs of meals, laundry, and tidying up. She is fun and creative at engaging the older siblings, and calm and soothing for the newborns and their parents.
In addition to full-term singletons, Jeanine has also cared for premature and medically-fragile infants, fussy babies, and supported older sibling adjustment. She has supported families through the Baby Blues and Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders. Her awareness and sensitivity to each member of the family bring much-appreciated ease and nonjudgment into the home.

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I love to empower people to find their own way of parenting, to listen to their newborns and their own instincts. I try to give my wisdom and experience and evidence while seeing and supporting their own journey… The joyful surprise of finding what “works” is a delight for them and me.

Jenn Schumacher

Birth work is my passion, and has been my entire life. I grew up watching Birth Story on TLC and reading books like What to Expect When You’re Expecting in high school. Originally from Ohio, I graduated from The Ohio State University in 2013 with a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). There, I was part of a group called Moms to Be where we helped educate mothers during their pregnancies. I became a labor and delivery nurse in 2013. I’ve worked at both small and large hospitals which have given me so many amazing experiences with birthing families. I still work part of the year as a labor and delivery nurse, when I’m not taking clients. In my free time, I love to play beach volleyball and board games, spend time with my family, and travel.

Erika Maldonado

Erika is certified birth and postpartum doula in Chicago, IL. As a birth doula, Erika provides different comfort measures. She has experience in vaginal, C-section, VBACS, and unmediated births in birth centers as well as hospitals. Welcoming a new baby to your family can be overwhelming in so many different ways.

As a postpartum doula, Erika can provide support in many different areas. She is knowledgeable about breastfeeding, healing, self care and caring for a new baby. She has experience in daytime care, night care and multiples.

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Having Erika as my doula was like have a personal nurse assistant there all the time. It was very comforting to have Erika there postpartum – she had so much knowledge around when and how to comfort a baby, take initiative to support wherever she could in our home and provided support with our toddler, as I recovered. it was like having two moms at once. -Jenny R.

Daisy Johnson

Daisy is a holistic birth and postpartum doula, trained in Advanced Labor Support, Peer Lactation Support and Childbirth Education. She is currently pursuing her Associate’s Degree in Midwifery from the Midwest Maternal Health Institute and expects to complete the program in March 2025.She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was the experience of giving birth to her first child in 2018 that the fire for birth work was ignited in her, when she was told that day by her delivering midwife that one day she would call herself a midwife as well. Daisy has since supported over 45 births in the Chicagoland community and earned numerous advanced trainings and certifications in a myriad of areas: belly binding, herbalism, baby wearing, Mother Blessing facilitation, birth emergency skills, birth assistant training, and so much more. Her mission is to help families have safe and peaceful birth and postpartum experiences that will positively effect them for generations to come.

Daisy is a farm girl at heart, raising backyard chickens and growing food and herbs in my garden. Herbalism and creating products that heal is a practice that feeds her soul. She has coached track and field and has a passion for personal training. Daisy is an avid traveler and engages in various community education projects.

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For me, being a Doula is answering an undeniable call. The current state of infant and maternal care in America across the board motivated me to be the change we needed to see. When I began it was clear that evidence showed that having a doula produces better outcomes and experiences for birthing people. Now that i have experienced almost 5 years in this field I have seen and felt with my own eyes and heart the impact that has been made. Cycles of trauma have been broken for so many and for me that has made my entire journey more than worth it. There is still work to be done and so my fire for supporting birthing people and their families continues to burn brightly.

Carly Ann Braun

Carly Ann has been a doula for five years, attending over 50 births. Before she was a doula she worked in social justice education with teenagers. She began feeling dissatisfied with just talking shop about injustice, and found that doula work was a way to impact people directly while practicing her values of feminism, empowerment, anti-racism, holistic healing, and community.

She worked as a peer support doula for families with Substance Abuse Disorder at PCC Wellness/West Suburban Hospital. She learned trauma informed care, harm reduction, advocacy and some serious doula skills. Over 2021 she took a year-long training for perinatal education. In 2022 she did a year of midwifery school to become a Certified Professional Midwife. She’s taking a break now but plans to return to school in 2024 and hopes to be a practicing midwife eventually!

Carly Ann lives in Albany Park and loves gardening, riding her bike, playing guitar and cooking. She grows more and more fascinated with the healing power of herbs every day. Her current project is planting herbs for the child- bearing year and making postpartum support infusions. Her biggest hobby is playing roller derby for the Windy City Rollers. She loves the community and that derby keeps her grounded and ready for births. Carly Ann identifies as bi-sexual and many of her derby friends are queer and/or have gone through fertility treatments, so families with those experiences are close to her heart.

Carly Ann’s intention with this work is to empower people to achieve their goals and have a fulfilling, powerful birth experience. She wants people to feel deeply supported and validated no matter how they birth.

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Carly Ann was wonderful and helped make our first birth a positive and empowering experience. Her calm, clear-headed manner and dedicated, tireless spirit make her an ideal guide for birth.- Carla H

Chanel Washington

Chanel is a Labor Support and Postpartum Doula at Birthways, Inc., serving the greater Chicago area. Chanel has supported over 400 births in the past 5 years, and is currently a student midwife. Chanel loves meeting families from different backgrounds, and enjoys learning from each one.

As she deepens her calling in this work, Chanel strives to advocate for all her clients, and works to strengthen BIPOC communities in their bodies and births. Chanel understands the importance of unconditional support and encouragement during what can be an emotional and scary time. She recognizes that teaming with the right energies and professionals makes all the difference for you and your baby.

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The mental and emotional support I received during, before, and after birth were more than she guaranteed and truly made my time with her unforgettable. –R Nails

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