Meet The Northern Star Network Doulas!
These amazing Doulas are ready and waiting to support you and your family through one of the most important and transformative experiences of your life. Each Doula comes with their own unique personality, style, and skill set. Finding the right match is so important, so you’ll want to have conversations to see which Doula feels right for your birth and/or postpartum support team!
Doulas are there to support you in preparing for childbirth, assisting and supporting you throughout labor/birth, and guiding you as you navigate the postpartum transition, lactation establishment, and early parenting challenges. Some Doulas are trained to provide support during pregnancy and birth, some are trained to provide support through the postpartum period, and others are trained in both birth and postpartum, childbirth education, lactation, etc. All NSD Doulas serve South Jersey and Philly, attending births in all settings with a qualified provider (CNM, CPM, OB).
Reach out if you would like to set up a discovery call with one of these doulas, to see if there’s a connection there. We know how important it is to make the right match!
*Please allow 24-48 hours for a response. If you don’t receive one, please check your junk/spam/promotional folders or reach back out to me (Nicole) and I will help you connect. Cheers!
RACHEL
Birth Doula Support
Childbirth Education
Postpartum Care
Rachel is a birth doula, postpartum doula, and Evidence Based Birth® Instructor serving the South Jersey and Greater Philadelphia areas. Her goal is to help you reach your goals, no matter what your plan may be. She strives to make sure you have all the facts, as well as the emotional and physical support you need as you navigate your pregnancy and birth – and make the incredible transition from person to parent or expanding your family. (And to get in a few laughs along the way.)
She became a doula for a lot of reasons. When she first graduated from college, she wanted to work as a clinician, directly with people — children in particular. She started out working with kids on the autism spectrum as well as children and adolescents in mental health crises. As her career progressed, she got further and further away from the front lines, and descended deeper into the desk jobs that she never really wanted. She felt she was losing sight of her passion, but didn’t know exactly what she was meant to do next. Then she became a mom. Having her own two children was a wild ride, and with her vastly different birth experiences and the support she had (or didn’t), she felt more and more called to contribute to the birth space.
During each of her births (one c-section, one VBAC), she desperately could have benefited from a doula by her side. Although each birth was different, both times she felt steamrolled into decisions or situations she hadn’t planned on being in. But in contrast, she had all the support in the world during her postpartum recoveries. She wants you to have BOTH — unwavering support during your birth AND while you heal. This is why she is committed to equitable access to birth and postpartum care to all, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your needs may be.
She is mother to two rad little boys, a wife to a talented sound engineer who moonlights as Cross-fit coach, and a deeply devoted and loyal friend, daughter, and sister to those she holds dear. She was born and raised in Cherry Hill, NJ, spent a decade living in Philadelphia, and has since returned to her hometown to raise her own family. When she is not working as a doula, you can find her attempting to grow her own food in the garden, making delicious messes in the kitchen, loving on her (and her friends’) babies, reading, and consuming every true crime or mystery podcast, book, movie, or TV series she can. She loves music, grammar, a well-timed comedic moment, and the nuance of the human being. She looks forward to hearing more about you!
Rachel’s Professional Development & Experience:
Certified Labor Doula through Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA)
Professional member of Evidence Based Birth®
Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Instructor
Experienced birth/postpartum support for VBAC and Cesarean parents
Two decades of experience as a volunteer bereavement counselor specializing in children and families
Breastfeeding, twin care, and adoption experience
Testimonial:
My husband and I were so incredibly lucky to have Rachel as our doula! Rachel and I were introduced to one another at 41+ weeks since our original doula had an emergency, however she was an immediate support to us. At ten days past my due date, there was talk of a medical induction at a hospital, despite my wish to deliver at the birth center. Rachel was a constant comfort throughout and offered reassurance as I tried a last ditch effort to get things started with a foley bulb catheter. Rachel stayed in constant communication and made herself available to meet us at our home if labor intensified. Ultimately, things progressed quickly and we decided to meet her at the birth center. Rachel was there minutes after we arrived and despite not having physically met her prior to labor, it was an immediate bond and she jumped right in to help me cope with each intensifying contraction. Rachel had such a calming demeanor! She was at my side throughout the entire labor giving encouraging words, suggesting various positions to help cope with pain, and applying pressure to my back throughout each contraction. Ultimately when it was time to push, she paged the midwife. With Rachel's support, I was able to deliver naturally at the birth center! Rachel took wonderful pictures of our first moments and stayed with us post delivery to relive this amazing experience, answer questions, and provide breastfeeding support. She stayed in touch with us when we were discharged home later that day and within the first week had come out for a postpartum visit. Rachel was so incredibly sweet and thoughtful - she had brought some postpartum essentials and even got our toddler a big sister gift! My husband and I were so fortunate to have her as our doula - Rachel was an amazing coach and support and has had such a positive impact on our birth experience! We are forever grateful!
- Lauren & Matt
DANIELA
Postpartum Care
Birth Doula Support
Daniela is a full-spectrum doula servicing South Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia area. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Daniela has strived to make a positive impact on her community from a young age. Her purpose has been to make the world a better place one person or child at a time.
In 2014, she became a mother through the State of New Jersey’s foster care system. Through that process, she faced traumas and losses, but gained one of the best gifts of her life, her first son. Daniela also has two biological children and has learned first hand the benefits of having a doula support her through her pregnancies and births.
In addition to her living children, Daniela experienced multiple pregnancy losses of her own. During these hard times, Daniela wished she would have had the support of a full-spectrum doula. After much thought and research, she decided to change her career path and become that support for others.
Daniela believes that empowering and nurturing the parents, regardless of the circumstances, is the key to a healthy family relationship. An inclusive and open-minded approach to parenthood and grief has allowed her to provide families the comfort they need during periods of adjustment. Daniela has first hand experience and values fostering multicultural and multiracial family spectrums. She services the Latinx community and offers her services in English and Spanish.
Daniela is a certified birth and grievance doula, a trained birth doula, lactation consultant, and childbirth educator through Childbirth International (CBI), and is a DONA trained postpartum doula. She is also a full-spectrum doula trained through Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings and an Uzazi trained birth doula. She also has extensive training through the NJ DCP&P Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education (PRIDE) program. Daniela also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Florida Tech and an MBA from University of Delaware.
More About Daniela:
Hobbies: learning, crafting and artwork (glass mosaics, painting, cricuting, coloring), attending her kids soccer games.
“We all have a unique path and journey to parenthood that deserves equal respect and support. My role is to learn your story to help guide and educate you to make the best decisions for your family.”
EMMA
Birth Doula Support
Postpartum Care
Emma is a DONA trained Birth and Postpartum Doula. She has always been fascinated with pregnancy, childbirth, and entering the world of motherhood for as long as she can remember. She feels that giving birth, and becoming a mother/father/parent is such a life altering transition, it deserves to be nurtured and celebrated. Her own experience of entering the world of motherhood has led her to discover this passion of helping others on this beautiful path. She wholeheartedly believes that her role in supporting others on their journey toward motherhood should leave them feeling a harmonious blend of knowledge, support, and personal connection. So that is her doula “style.”
Emma is a wife and mom of 2, living in West Deptford, NJ. She is so passionate about working with mothers and families during the perinatal period because she truly understands, through personal experience, that it is one of the most, if not the most transformative time in one’s life. Many families do not have the support or the information they need to make informed decisions, and she wants to be the change in her community. Because she feels that becoming a mother is special… one of her main goals as a Doula is to help women and families have a positive birth experience, and a supported postpartum experience, on their terms. Emma also has a specific passion for lactation, as she encountered some hurdles herself, and was able to overcome them with solid support and guidance (thankfully). She feels very strongly about helping others reach their goals when it comes to nursing their little ones, and has a unique perspective and confidence in this area due to her own experience.
More About Emma:
Emma loves being outside in nature – alone or with her family, exercise, good coffee, spending quality time with her husband and kiddos, and enjoys learning about nutrition.