My best friend asked me to be "her doula" several years ago. I flew to LA and planned to be there for 10 days in hopes the baby would come in that window of time. I sang and whispered into her belly and Introduced myself to her baby. We had quite a time during the labor as her midwives guided her through the experience. She was incredible! She chose a home birth which ended at the hospital. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Witnessing the birth was transcendent and inspiring! When I flew back to NYC, I vowed that when our youngest daughter was in college, I would become a Doula. I grew up in Minnesota. I graduated with a BFA from the acting program at the University of North Carolina School of the Performing Arts. I have a background in dance, singing, yoga and martial arts. I was an American Council of Exercise certified personal trainer for 12 years. When I became pregnant, becoming a certified prenatal trainer was ideal. I especially loved working with all my pregnant clients. Having an online health and wellness business with Arbonne International has been another passion of mine. Over the years, I have coached a team on how to build their own online businesses and shared this opportunity in a public speaking setting for large groups. I teach my clients the benefits of aligning with a vegan brand they can trust and the value of choosing a B corporation, and living a more green lifestyle. I am a certified Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula with the International Doula Institute. I am also certified as a Birth Educator, Nutrition Counselor, and Breastfeeding Counselor. I hold a certification in Diversity Equity and Inclusion. I am also Adult and Pediatric, CPR/AED certified through the Red Cross. Being present, relying on my emotional intelligence and discernment, and tapping into my knowledge, helps me to navigate how to best listen and anticipate a person's needs. I embody joyful humor as my way to serve others. I bring warm energy, passion and authenticity to the people I spend time with. I'm a lifelong student who loves to learn, grow and collaborate. I believe these qualities, as a birth team member, contribute to the overall outcome and experience of all involved. I live in Harlem with my husband. We have two daughters. Hobbies: singing in choir, biking, and lifting weights. I also enjoy baking, reading and traveling. I love conversations over dinner with my husband and friends, and going to the theater and jazz clubs. Walking in nature each day is key to living in my joy, and of course, fitting as many plants and flowers into our home as humanly possible!
Birth Doula Services
Julia was our birth doula. With her caring demeanor and wicked sense of humor, we knew she was a good fit for us from the moment we met her. Julia has a wealth of knowledge about pregnancy, birthing, post-partum, and many external resources to help you through the whole journey. Most importantly for us, she really takes the time to get to know you, which made her feel like family. She has a lot of experience as a doula helping mamas labor in hospitals and knows how to navigate that system, which can be intimidating for first-time parents! She's a great person to have in your corner. She'll fight for you if needed to help you have the kind of birth that's right for you. She even brought disco lights and battery candles to create a fun atmosphere for laboring that all the nurses wanted to be a part of. We were so grateful to have her go on the journey with us, and, looking back, it's hard to imagine going through all of it without her. We just wish our journey with her didn't have to come to an end! - Jay H. <br> "I am so grateful to have had Julia as my Doula! As a first time Mom, this is the support I needed to get through a unmedicated childbirth. I had originally planned a home birth, but I needed to go to the hospital for an induction. I was extremely nervous to be in a hospital setting, but with her, I felt safe. She was a pro at advocating for me and definitely had my back in the delivery room. I highly recommend her if you want to have a great birthing experience!" -Gabby B. <br> "She was encouraging, uplifting, lots of energy, supportive, caring, on point, helping me and my partner stay focused on our goal, which was to have a natural birth." -John R. <br> Julia was literally the best! 5 star experience. She labored with me for over 24 hours. She helped in labor positions, food, water, positive energy and intent. She was fully supportive especially when I couldn’t think and she advocated on my behalf which is really the most important. I love her and my family loves her. We will share this bond forever. She comes highly recommended. Please use her services!! - Ice D. <br> It was very daunting starting a search for a Doula, but when I met with Julia I felt at ease. She felt familiar, like someone I could really talk to about anything in a non-judgmental way. She’s warm, funny and such a positive person that you can’t help but feel excited about your birth!! One of the things that stood out to me was the way she wanted to not only support me, but support my partner. From the very beginning she was actively involved, easy to communicate with and there for whatever I needed. Even though she had other clients at the same time, I always felt prioritized and she was always very flexible. Our prenatal visits were comforting, fun, informative and just what I needed to feel ready for labor. We went over multiple laboring positions that I could work with my husband on and we felt fully prepped on what happens in early labor and ways to move through it. Most importantly she advocated for us & helped guide us at the hospital when we got there. We were basically given the option to either return home to labor more or become admitted and be induced. Julia helped us come to a decision- we asked to be admitted to a room for a couple of hours to see how much I would dilate naturally. The PA said yes, I was admitted and Julia and I labored down for the next 5 to 6 hours. She lead me through different positions and we welcomed the contractions together. It was truly a transformative time that I will never forget and I couldn’t have done it without her. While the pain was intense, Julia was with me every step of the way, lifting me up and encouraging me and I went from 2 to almost 6 cm in about 6 hours. Even after I got an epidural she kept me moving in the hospital bed, which was a goal of mine. She was a source of support and someone you could really count on in the hospital. We were very lucky to have a wonderful, magical birth- I wouldn’t have changed a thing and I can’t recommend Julia enough!! -Nora and Danny <br> Our new little family couldn’t be more grateful for Julia. We highly recommend her as a doula. We’ll be forever connected. I knew from the moment I met her that she’d be our doula and help us bring our baby into the world. She really sets the standard for doula care, having been there from the moment we partnered with her. She helped us prepare for labor both strategically and most importantly, emotionally, in our prenatal visits. We created a great relationship going into labor. She made room for my husband to partner with her and feel confident in how he could be there for me and the baby during labor. When it came to my labor, she was the exact person I needed on my birth team in addition to my midwife, doctor, nurses and my husband. She worked so well with medical staff and She was prepared for an insane all-night labor, had a sense of humor that was undeniably helpful, and knew steps ahead on what type of care I needed. Our labor and delivery room was set up with magical lights and when the time called for it, laughter. I had fun giving birth! It was such a memorable experience, we’ll be forever grateful. - Colleen M <br> Working with Julia for our labor and delivery was both a magical and empowering experience. She helped us to advocate for ourselves and the type of environment we wanted to bring our daughter into. For us, that meant a Taylor Swift dance party. From making sure I was eating enough during the labor process to massaging and brushing my hair to keep me calm, she allowed me to focus and be present in the moment and made sure that I was 100% prepared for the last remaining steps when it came time to deliver. As a result, I’m so grateful that I can call our daughter’s birth the best day of my life. Julia was also present in all the right ways behind the scenes, even capturing photos of our daughter’s first moments of life that we will treasure forever. I would encourage anyone to work with a birth Doula, especially Julia so that they can make sure that they have the best birth experience possible. A.C. <br> We were also so fortunate to be able to work with Julia during our early postpartum period and she taught us all the skills that we needed to make sure that we were taking care of our baby girl in the best way possible. Being first time parents, we were widely unprepared for all the nuances that come with a brand new baby and Julia was able to show us magical tricks along the way to ensure our daughter was as comfortable as possible. From how to relieve her gas pains to bathing her for the first few times, our daughter instantly bonded with her, and Julia became a part of our family. From a recovering mothers perspective, Julia was also very focused on ensuring that I was healing, from making sure that I was eating enough, hydrating and resting, I was able to take time for myself knowing that our daughter was in the best care possible. Julia blended in with us seamlessly and our daughter has the most special bond with her. We wish we could have Julia with us forever and will most certainly work with her again for future children! <br> From a partner’s perspective, the excitement of having a new baby arrive often felt drowned out by the anxiety of going through the birthing process with my wife for the first time. Julia was essential to help us prepare for the birthing process, plan for the expected and unexpected, and support my partner’s and my vision of how we wanted to welcome our baby into the world. Looking back, Julia not only gave us comfort that we were in the best position to make the birthing process as well planned and smooth as possible, but Julia really helped us transform the experience into one that was really beautiful and magical, and truly one of the best days we could have ever hoped for. <br> And Julia really kept helping and supporting us in the weeks after we welcomed our daughter. The feeling of having a new baby, our first, can be daunting to say the least. But having Julia’s expertise readily available gave us access to a wealth of useful information and advice and, perhaps more important, a calming presence and guide that made it so we felt like we knew what to expect and how to handle things even if something happened that we didn’t expect. I can’t recommend Julia enough. Having her before, during, and after our daughter’s birth was a fantastic decision. E.H.
2 prenatal visits in person 3 hours attend entire labor and stay til baby feeds typically and hour or so. post partum visit 1.5-2 hours within 2 weeks of birth
Lactation Services
Julia is a truly outstanding person. I have nothing but praise for her. Since I chose to become a single parent, I was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm and support before, during, and after my birth. Her advice and words of support were very beneficial. I sincerely valued her help. Her inspirational remarks gave me a sense of power and helped me get through. The way she treated me made me feel at ease in her presence. She was my friend as well as my doula. She was completely open with her responses and made me feel at ease. I want Julia to stand by my side even for my next birth! She really has this positive vibe that made me very comfortable....and Shes really a funny person, I enjoy her company. Fatima A.
In-Home Initial: $295.00 / session (usually 2 hours)
Additional Virtual Follow-ups: $75.00 / session (usually 1.5 hours)
In-Home Prenatal Lactation: $295.00 / session (usually 2 hours)
Postpartum Doula Services
Client Feedback Provider’s Professionalism: 5/5 Provider’s Compassion & Understanding: 5/5 Provider’s Knowledge: 5/5 Likely to recommend Provider: Yes Likely to recommend boober: 10/10 Comments: Julia has been enormously helpful to our little family in these first few weeks following our daughter’s birth. She’s provided invaluable advice and support as we navigate new parenthood. Cannot recommend highly enough. C.P.
In-Person Daytime: $66.00 / hour (min: 20 hours) In-Person Overnight: $71.50 / hour (min: 10 hours) Additional Follow-ups: $66.00 / hour (min: 40 hours)
Virtual: $60.00 / hour (min: 1 hour)
Nutrition Services
Will update soon
In-Home Initial: $295.00 / session (usually 1 - 1.5 hours) Additional Follow-ups: $295.00 / session (usually 1 - 1.5 hours)
Virtual Initial: $200.00 / session (usually 1 - 1.5 hours) Additional Follow-ups: $200.00 / session (usually 1 - 1.5 hours)