Meet the postpartum doulas
Most of our postpartum doulas started off supporting births, then got passionate about the chance to keep nurturing new families right through their fourth trimester. We value professionalism, expertise in caring for you and your newborn, kindness and nurture. If there's a doula whose bio calls to you, we'd love to connect you directly. Otherwise, Jessica and Tye'Ya are great doula matchmakers. Let us know a little about your personality and what you're thinking about your postpartum time, and we can get you connected with a doula for an interview.
JESSICA ENGLISH, OWNER
AdvCD/BDT(DONA), PCD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE
Jessica is the owner and founder of Birth Kalamazoo. She is an advanced certified birth doula, certified postpartum doula, and certified childbirth educator. Jessica has advanced training in preventing and treating birth trauma, postpartum mood disorders, and equity. In her sister business, Heart Soul Birth Pros, Jessica trains new doulas for DONA International and new childbirth educators for Lamaze International. She's also a frequent speaker at national conferences and is hired often by hospitals and nursing organizations to train nurses in hands-on skills. As a postpartum doula, she loves watching moms and dads grow into their new role, discovering strengths and resources they didn't even know they had. When she's not taking care of families or training birth professionals, Jessica is also a hockey mom (x2) and she loves spending time on the water with her husband Keith and their boys. Learn more about Jessica.
TERESA YOUNGBLOOD, CERTIFIED POSTPARTUM DOULA
CD(DONA), PCD(DONA), CLC, SBD
Teresa's background as a registered nurse and a VBAC mom informs all of her work with families. In addition to her postpartum work, she is also a birth doula and especially loves the continuity of care when she can provide both services for families. Teresa also offers breastfeeding support to new families as a Certified Lactation Counselor, and she has special training in grief and loss and is certified as a Stillbirthday Birth and Bereavement doula. She also runs Birth Kalamazoo's VBAC & Cesarean Support group, where women gather quarterly to talk about their cesarean birth experiences and VBAC plans. Her favorite part of being a doula is seeing a woman become confident in herself as she makes the best choices for herself and her family. Teresa especially enjoys working with twins and higher order multiples, and she is a twin herself. When she's not with clients, Teresa stays busy as the mom of five and turning the food her family grows into delicious meals. A doula since 2015, Teresa is dual certified as a birth and postpartum doula with DONA International.
TIFFANY BERNSTEIN, CERTIFIED POSTPARTUM DOULA
PCD(DONA), LEC
Tiffany Bernstein has been working with postpartum families since 2017. Whether she's supporting first-timers or veteran parents, she works hard to get families to the point where they feel confident in their new roles. Tiffany loves listening deeply and diving into her toolbox to help make the fourth trimester as smooth and enjoyable as possible. She also has advanced training in grief and loss, and in breastfeeding support as a certified Lactation Education Counselor with UC SanDiego. Together with Jayni Angeli, Tiffany co-teaches Birth Kalamazoo's breastfeeding/chestfeeding class for parents. When she's not working as a doula, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her husband and their two wonderfully energetic boys, tending to their family garden, and preserving and cooking delicious food. Tiffany is a certified postpartum doula with DONA International.
DESIREÉ HORROCKS, POSTPARTUM DOULA
Desireé found her love of birth and breastfeeding after the birth of her first baby in 2011. She has worked as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor through the WIC program and is committed to working to help end the disparities in care for under-served and under-resourced families. She trained as a birth doula in 2018 and as a postpartum doula in 2021. As a Black doula and mother, addressing the Black maternal health crisis is a passion and a calling for her. Desireé loves tuning into each family to assess the kind of nurture and support that will serve them best in the fourth trimester, whether that's breastfeeding help, household support, or a compassionate listening ear. When she’s not taking care of new parents and babies, Desireé can be found cooking, listening to podcasts, and making forts with her children. She's finishing up the requirements for her postpartum doula certification with DONA International.
KAITLIN ROSE PARMENTER, POSTPARTUM DOULA
Kaitlin Rose Parmenter is the mother of three and a musician. Her passion for the childbearing year ignited in 2008 with her first pregnancy, when she attended Birth Kalamazoo's childbirth class. After her own empowering birth, Kaitlin became a strong advocate for empowered and peaceful pregnancy, birth and postpartum times for families. Her experience with her own babies as well as helping her brother's family through the fourth trimester fueled her desire to offer holistic, compassionate support to parents. Her empathic approach has always shined through in her songwriting, and now she brings that same spirit to the families she nurtures as they settle in with their new babies. Kaitlin was trained as a postpartum doula with DONA International.
MEGAN MUNN, POSTPARTUM DOULA
Megan’s role as a postpartum doula began with caring for her sister-and-law and nephew. As a professional birth and postpartum doula, today she supports a variety of clients throughout the childbearing year. She especially loves helping people achieve their personal postpartum goals, and providing reassurance to new parents navigating life at home with a newborn. Megan has experience with singletons and multiples. Her clients appreciate her calm and nurturing presence, along with the moments that she’s able to inject some humor into the fourth trimester. Megan is currently finishing up her certification requirements with DONA International and she continues to support clients while she attends nursing school. When she’s not working with families or in school, Megan spends time with her friends and seeking outdoor adventures with her partner and their two dogs.
JESSIE REYES, POSTPARTUM DOULA
Jessie knows how overwhelming life can be for a new family, and she loves helping everyone settle in after a little one arrives. She brings happiness and calm into her clients' homes during the fourth trimester, dedicating herself to whatever new parents need to heal, process and connect with their babies. In addition to her role as a birth and postpartum doula, Jessie has worked in nonprofit services for almost a decade. She loves to sing and crochet, as well as gardening, camping and road tripping with her family. Jessie finished her DONA International postpartum doula training in 2020.
NORA SEILHEIMER, POSTPARTUM DOULA
CBS
Nora is an educator, writer, and mother of one. She navigated her first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Becoming a parent during that period of isolation and reckoning fueled her passion for supporting other families through what can be a challenging, transformative time. Nora is committed to demystifying pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period so that families can enter these thresholds with knowledge, clarity, and love. She is a certified, trauma-informed prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher with over a decade of experience. She is also a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and is currently finishing her requirements for her birth and postpartum doula certification with DONA International. When she is not supporting families, you can find Nora practicing yoga, reading books about matrescence, or working on her essay collection.
ALISON SEE, POSTPARTUM DOULA
CD(DONA)
On her journey to welcoming her first baby, Alison became captivated by pregnancy and birth and the fourth trimester. After two wonderful births (one in a birth center and one at home), she wanted to share the skills and knowledge that had helped her on her journeys. In addition to the joy of welcoming new life, Alison also experienced the loss of her mother during her second pregnancy. She's especially dedicated to holding space for others who may be experiencing grief or trauma. She's beyond excited to support all birthing parents, their partners, and families through this transformative moment in life. Alison transitioned into birth work from a career as a lighting designer. She is completing a prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher training, and she loves sharing yoga techniques with her clients. When she's not supporting families, she enjoys spending time on the water and reliving childhood through the eyes of her son and daughter. Alison is a certified birth doula and is currently working to finalize her certification requirements as a postpartum doula with DONA International.
SARAH CUFFE, OFFICE COORDINATOR
Sarah came to Birth Kalamazoo as a childbirth education student and doula client, and today she supports doulas and families as the group’s office coordinator. Working from home while she cares for her daughter Evie, she loves seeing the doula calendar fill up each month and envisioning all of the Southwest Michigan families that are benefitting from support. Sarah has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and she plans to train as a doula herself in the future. She loves to read, cook, visit local coffee shops, and spend time in nature.