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Specialty: Labor Support

Kat Schussman

Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator

Kat is certified as a Birth Doula (DONA International), a childbirth educator (ICEA), and Perinatal Mental Health (PSI) and has additional training in trauma-informed care and Evidence-Based Birth Practices.

She is a strong advocate for the rights of birthing people, and firmly believes that each birthing person deserves to know and understand their options, and choose for themselves what is best for them and their baby.

Kat believes that evidence-based childbirth education is the foundation of a positive birthing experience and envisions a world where everyone giving birth has access to the tools and information they need to choose what is best for them.

She provides an optimistic and grounding presence in the birth room.

Kat is part of Harmony Doula Group. Other members of the team are:

Teri Nava-Anderson

Susan Jessee

Victoria Ramirez

Certified Birth & Postpartum Doula (fluent in Spanish)

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Victoria offers compassionate, evidence-based support for families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. With a calm and grounded presence, she helps parents feel informed, empowered, and nurtured throughout their journey. Her approach blends professional care with genuine warmth, honoring each family’s unique needs and choices. From birth planning to postpartum recovery, her goal is to be a steady and supportive guide every step of the way. When she’s not supporting moms, she’s tending to her home, volunteering at her local church, and staying active outdoors when she can!

Victoria is part of the team at Great Expectations Doulas, run by Maria Pokluda.

Courtney Jones

Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Lactation Consultant & Childbirth Educator

Courtney is a proud mother of 3 kids and wife. Born and raised in Texas she enjoys toiling in her garden and baking. Courtney’s journey into all things baby and birth began in 2020. She had her daughter April 2020 during Covid. After that experience, it kicked off her passion for helping new parents feel empowered and prepared for birthing their own babies. Whatever type of birth you desire that being, homebirth, medicated, unmedicated, induction or c-section she is well versed to support you.

Courtney is part of the team at Great Expectations Doulas, run by Maria Pokluda.

Misty Gigler

Certified Birth Doula.

Misty is a native of Texas but feels blessed to have had the experience of traveling and living in a lot of different places in the world, She loves to travel and experience different cultures. Misty had a hospital birth in 2000 and a home birth in 2003. After those experiences, she knew her passion was to support women through their pregnancy and birth journey.

Misty is part of the team at Great Expectations Doulas, run by Maria Pokluda.

Sarah Munoz

Sarah is a certified birth doula with over 3 years of experience providing emotional, physical, and informational support to families during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

As a calm and nurturing presence, Sarah empowers mothers through evidence-based education and continuous compassionate care. Her strengths lie in creating a safe, comfortable birth environment and facilitating open communication between families and medical staff. She has attended over 50 births and is highly skilled in pain management techniques like breathing exercises, massage, and labor positioning. 

Clients benefit from Sarah’s background in yoga and movement as well as mindfulness and meditation. She brings a wealth of knowledge of chronic pain and pregnancy, pelvic floor physical therapies, symphysis pubis dysfunction, and postpartum pelvic floor rehabilitation. 

Sarah is truly passionate about advocating for her clients’ birthing wishes while providing reassurance every step of the way. With a depth of knowledge and a warm, patient demeanor, she helps new parents embrace the birthing journey with confidence, support families through infertility treatments, and hold space for those suffering from pregnancy and childbirth trauma.

Natasha Jewell

Natasha is a certified Full-Spectrum Doula, serving the Milwaukee area with various offerings: Prenatal, Labor and Birth, Postpartum, End of Life, Critical Care, Abortion, Religious Freedom, Alternate Lifestyle, Mental Health, and Lactation support. She attended her first birth 35 years ago with her sister, and has since became a go to person for labor support among friends and family.

Natasha learned how to make her own labor easier through self hypnosis, calming techniques, pain mindfulness, and birthing methods, which she now utilizes to help others, and train fellow doulas. With her expertise, various certifications, and a degree in Psychology, Natasha is equipped to help you along your journey to parenthood.

Inquire about Natasha’s one on one sessions for Breathwork, Potential Birth Outcomes, Q&A on What is a Doula, Golden Hour and Latching, Birthing Positions, Stress Relief methods, and Placenta Encapsulation!

Emylee Shultz

Emylee is a Labor Support and Postpartum Doula at Birthways, Inc., serving the greater Chicago area. Her passion for doula work was truly awoken from her own pregnancy and postpartum experience. She believes the new normal for postpartum families includes support, resources, and rest, and she is honored to be part of that reality.

Emylee supports families during this transitional phase in their lives, helping to lay the postpartum foundation that leads to better outcomes for the entire family unit. In pursuit of obtaining her BSN, Emylee continues supporting local families during the postpartum period with a holistic approach to care.

Joy Yama

Joy is a Labor Support and Postpartum Doula at Birthways, Inc., serving the greater Chicago area. Joy has extensive experience with infants and children, as well as supporting mothers through labor and the postpartum period. Joy is passionate about coaching women through labor and supporting mothers learn to breastfeed, care for their body after birth, and build confidence in caring for their newborn.

In addition to doula work, Joy owns a licensed home daycare business. Joy is honored to be a listening ear, wealth of knowledge for new parents, and an overall support during the labor and postpartum period. Doula work brings Joy peace and happiness, as she understands the love and help needed through the journey of early parenthood.

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It is my passion to help mothers feel safe, loved, and most of all to get through that tough time before and after labor. It is my passion to be there for families that need my help and to respect their home culture, doing what they need to feel safe, confident, and rested to get their body and mind back.

Maia Díaz

Maia is a certified Birth Doula and Breastfeeding counselor at Birthways, serving the Chicago area. Maia has a love of infant care and passion for child rearing. She has witnessed first hand the profound physical, mental and emotional changes that take place for the mother and family during the postpartum period.

Her experience giving birth to her own daughter in late 2022 only intensified her passion, and she feels a profound connection to, respect for, and obligation to support all birthing people every step of their journey.

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My passion for labor support comes from a place of absolute wonderment and awe at what our bodies are capable of, and my belief that pregnancy and childbirth can and should be an incredibly empowering experience. Whether via c-section, induction, medicated, unmedicated, no two birthing experiences will be exactly the same, and at the end of the day, to help bring babies into the world and empower birthing people to do so confidently is both a privilege and an honor.

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.

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