Birth Focus Group- New York Labor Support and Childbirth Education

Monthly Meet the Doulas Open House

First Wednesday of the month

6:30PM - 8:00PM
Beth Israel Medical Center
17^th Street at 1^st Avenue
7^th Floor
Please RSVP (space is limited)

Third Wednesday of the month

6:30PM - 8:00PM
Ob/Gyn Office of Drs. Corbett, Cummings & Simon
1090 Amsterdam 6^th Floor
Please RSVP (space is limited)

BirthFocus doulas attend births at all area hospitals.

~ Read Individual Doula Bios

by clinking on the links below ~

Novice Doula $500

Qualified Doulas $1000

Seasoned Doulas $1500

Birthfocus Agreement (hire a doula)

-BirthFocus-

Novice Doulas

A novice doula has attended up to six births.

The fee for novice doulas is $500.00

* Provider of ‘First Nights’ Overnight Doula Service

	Ruchi (Rachel) Cohen is a mother of two currently pursuing her DONA-certification. Having spent significant time in both Austria and Israel, she is fluent in English, German and Hebrew and has a BA in English Literature and Communications. The VBAC-birth of her daughter inspired her to help other women by becoming a doula. Ruchi believes that women should feel secure, comfortable and in control throughout the birth process. She strives to create that nurturing environment for the laboring woman through her warmth, personal touch and support in all realms. Ruchi lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and looks forward to enhancing your birth. Ruthie is on maternity leave through Feb. 2009

	Lindsay Carleton first became fascinated with birth at age 11 after serendipitously attending her dog's birth of five puppies. Lindsay's passions lie in unconditional support and empowerment of women especially in their most primal moments. She feels strongly that every woman should be given the opportunity to birth their baby with confidence in their body and in the most empowering way for them. Lindsay is very excited to work with the women at Inwood House and to assist

	Aisha Domingue is pursuing her DONA certification and has studied with Ilana Stein. She is also currently completing her training as a Certified Holistic Health Counselor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Teachers College at Columbia University.Aisha is a dancer, youth worker, and former domestic violence counselor who is passionate about community education and self-empowerment. Her warmth, compassion, endurance, openness and creativity make her a welcome support for mothers and families. Aisha is on Maternity leave through Feb. 2009

	Kate Leddington, a certified Kripalu and Prenatal Yoga instructor, teaches Prenatal, Baby & Me Yoga and Yoga to children. Having done her doula training with Ilana Stein, she now nears completion of her DONA certification. It is her belief that women become empowered when they feel safe and secure in their bodies, finding their voice for expression in all facets of life. Love and support is key to this process, and this is what Kate most looks forward to providing as a doula. A graduate of Oberlin College with a Dance minor and Law and Society major, Kate also lived in Brazil for two year where she studied and taught dance. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

	Amy McCaffrey provides doula support in a warm, calm and caring manner. She believes that birth can be a transforming and empowering experience for every woman. She uses a variety of relaxation techniques, as well as physical and emotional support to assist the laboring mother through the powerful experience of childbirth. Additionally, as a breastfeeding mother herself, Amy can help new mothers get breastfeeding off to a healthy and positive start with their babies.

	Jordana Phokompe decided to become a doula after having the positive experience of giving birth to her daughter at home in Brooklyn. She strongly believes that each mom is a unique individual and tailors her nurturing and sensitive support to fit each mom’s specific desires and needs. It is her hope to care for and empower other women and their partners so that they too will have a positive experience with childbirth. Jordana holds an MFA in Directing and works in the performing arts. She has lived in East and Southern Africa. Jordana finds it a true honor to attend to a laboring mom and partner during childbirth.

Photo to come	Kat Raynor - Inspired by the power of having a natural birth with her two children, Kat trained with Celeste Rachel and is currently pursuing her Dona-Certification to share her insight with other women. She grew up in the loving and cheerful chaos of a large, close-knit Irish-American family in Brooklyn. In and out of each others homes, family members provided mutual nurturing and shared child-rearing in an atmosphere that encouraged humor and tolerance. From this background, Kat almost instinctively offers tenderness and support to expectant mothers and their partners. With a firm belief in a woman’s innate abilities, she infuses the birthing process with a gentle spirit of joy dedicated to making every birth a positive and empowering experience! She began her journey as a doula with the honor of coaching her sister through her labor and delivery. Kat lives with her husband and children in the same neighborhood where she grew up.

	Grace Veras has been a doula since 2002, attending the births of mostly friends and family members. In the last year she has expanded her doula practice and is working toward her certification. Grace has had experience with home births, birthing centers and hospital births, and even twins! Originally from the Dominican Republic, Grace is fluent in Spanish. She lives in Brooklyn where she has a Holistic Health Counseling Practice.

Photo to come	Joan Sherwood is a certified infant massage instructor, pre, peri-natal, and postpartum massage specialist, and also a certified holistic health counselor. She trained at the Swedish Institute of Massage Therapy and Applied Health Sciences and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Joan worked for 34 years on the New York Stock Exchange and for the last few years has provided doula support for women and their partners.

Photo to come	Koyuki Smith, who gave birth to her first child in December 2007, has found great joy and fulfillment in pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering. As a doula, she hopes to help create and support the same joy for other mothers and families. Koyuki, a longtime yoga practitioner, is also pursuing certification as a childbirth educator. She works with laboring women and their birth partners to provide physical and emotional comfort on their journey towards gentle, joyful, and healthy births.

Photo to come	Abigail Walker Valencia is a Birth Doula, Reiki Practitioner, Breastfeeding Educator and Holistic Health Counselor. She decided to become a doula to fulfill her passion of working with babies and parents. Abigail received her training from Integrative Institute of Nutrition, NYC. Abigail leads workshops on nutrition and offers individual health counseling to parents and families. Abigail is also fluent in Spanish.

	Joanna Winograd is pursuing her DONA certification and has studied with Ilana Stein for her training. After attending her best friend's beautiful birth, Joanna knew she had found her place. Through her nine years of working with and training parents of children with special needs, Joanna possesses a special ability to support and nurture families. With kindness and compassion she respects her client’s perceptions and ideas first and foremost. Joanna is on leave and is coming back but on leave through Feb 2009.

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-BirthFocus-

Qualified Doulas

A qualified doula has attended up to fifteen births.

The fee for qualified doulas is $1000.00

*Provider of 'First Nights' Overnight Doula Service

Photo to come.	Gina Arias is a DONA and ALACE trained doula. Her work experience include two years in West Africa conducting health/nutrition education in collaboration with traditional midwives. She is fluent in Spanish and proficient in French. Gina holds graduate degrees in public health and international affairs and is currently working at an HIV/AIDS organization. She is the proud mother of a six year old son, whom she is homeschooling. Gina considers it an honor to attend births and to help women create their ideal birth experience.

	Annette Fobbs is a DONA trained doula and Lamaze certified childbirth educator. A native New Yorker and eleven-year veteran of the Marine Corps, Annette is the mother of a beautiful daughter born in 2001. Through her experiences in the Marines she learned that every woman has the ability to discover and channel her own inner power and the right to control her own body and destiny. Annette is dedicated to providing continuous support to the laboring mother and her family. She is trained in pre- and post-natal fitness using the birth ball.

	Kat MacMillan was inspired to become a doula after the transformative experience of birthing her son in a small pueblo in Mexico in 2005. Now, back in New York and pursuing her DONA certification, she is excited to accompany other women on this life-changing journey. A yoga practitioner for over 10 years and a teacher as well, she brings a healthy, grounded perspective to women during pregnancy and labor. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

	Rebekah Schrecengost is a DONA trained doula. She has spent the better part of her life caring for and nurturing friends and loved ones through some of the most challenging aspects of their lives. Her greatest joy in life so far was giving birth to her son. Rebekah is looking forward to nurturing couples through what she considers the most beautiful and blessed event in a persons life. Rebekah is an ordained minister and has a certificate in Pastoral Care.

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-Birthfocus-

Seaonsed Doulas

A seasoned doula is certified and has attended over 15 births

The fee for a seasoned doula is $1500

Provider of 'First Nights' overnight Doula Service

	Eden Bertrang is a DONA-trained doula who attended her first birth by accident! While she was having tea in a dung hut in Kenya, her hostess went into labor and invited her to stay for the delivery. This experience inspired her to become a birth doula. Eden feels blessed to have been involved in the transformative experience of labor and birth and looks forward to offering support to laboring women and their partners in the New York City area. Her compassion and insight create a safe environment for women and their partners during this intimate experience Eden is currently on Medical leave.

	Elizabeth Mangum, LCSW, CD(DONA) has been working as a labor support doula since 2004. She is also a social worker and has a private practice in which she provides individual and family therapy related to issues of pregnancy and birth, as well as providing services for adolescents. She has worked for 10 years as a social worker in the NYC foster care system; through connections she made with many of the teen moms, with whom she worked, she developed an interest in becoming a doula. As a doula, she hopes to empower mothers of all ages to use their voices to create the birth they desire! Her warmth, calm demeanor, and sense of humor will also add to the birth experience

	*Jami Nelson CD (DONA), the mother of four children, has given birth once by Cesarean section and three subsequent times un-medicated with midwives. Jami breastfed her children and advocates for nursing mothers. In the education field for eighteen years and now pursuing her dream of being a doula, Jami believes it is every woman's right to have a safe and nurturing birth experience. Jami provides postpartum doula care and is a member of the Metropolitan Doula Group.

	Anne Marie Polak, a former EMT and Physician’s Assistant student, is the mother of six breastfed children and the grandmother of one. A certified doula, childbirth educator, Lamaze Breastfeeding Support Specialist and Reiki Master, Anne Marie has training from Calm Birth, Birthing From Within and Hypnobirthing childbirth methods as well as DONA International doula and postpartum care instruction. She enjoys crafting beautiful, keepsake, pregnant Belly masks for women. Ann Marie’s calm reassuring presence has afforded many women comfort during vulnerable times. She is an original member of The Metropolitan Doula Group - passionately serving birthing families since 1998.

	Esdras Santana is an indigenous woman from the Dominican Republic. She is married and has two children, a boy and a girl. Esdras does volunteer work as a doula and is a healthcare advocate for pregnant women having problems with insurance coverage. She has dedicated her time to helping women and their families have a better birth experience. As a second year nursing student on her way to becoming a midwife, she enjoys her doula work fully. Esdras provides post-partum doula care and has training in hypnosis for doulas.

	*Susan Tapley, CD (DONA), LCCE - Mother of three, Susan has been providing warm and compassionate labor support since 1998. Susan states: “I am your guide, your emotional rudder, I will help you achieve YOUR birth plan. I believe in the miracle of birth! I will bring two helping hands and a warm heart to the birth, along with every trick in the book to help you have a safe, comfortable and memorable experience. I will support you in whatever YOU want for this birth!” Susan, a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator, Member of the Metropolitan Doula Group, and Lamaze trained Breastfeeding Specialist, was recently featured online at www.nyc-plus.com. Susan is on temporary leave to train for the NY marathon. She'll be back in November. Go Susan!

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