““Birth is not only about making babies.  Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”
— Barbara Katz Rothman

Learn more or Contact the Manhattan Birth Mentors by clicking on their photos

Tanya Wills is a graduate of the midwifery program at Yale School of Nursing, where she received her Master of Science in Nursing and also earned her R.N. (Registered Nurse). ​ A former actress, Tanya was drawn to this work after the powerful birth of her son, Milo, in 2008. She completed her initial birth and postpartum doula training with Debra Pascali-Bonaro through DONA, International. She went on to complete her holistic doula training with Whapio Diane Bartlett through The Matrona deepening her capacity to nurture and connect with couples and their babies while reaffirming her belief in the human instinctual knowledge of how to birth. Tanya obtained her Certified Lactation Counselor credential in 2010 through Healthy Children's Center for Breastfeeding enabling her to provide evidence-based lactation support and received additional training while at Yale with Julie Bouchet-Horwitz at Hudson Valley Breastfeeding as an IBCLC candidate. She trained as a midwife's assistant with Ina May Gaskin and other midwives at The Farm. Tanya completed the Sacred Birth Mentor Program in 2014 with Stephanie Dawn as her mentor, earning her certification as a Sacred Birth Counselor. With a background in theatre, she brings warmth and a sense of humor to her classes and clients. Now a mother of two, Tanya balances her time working with pregnant folks and their partners with her own midwifery and lactation work, teaching, and learning from people who are in the process of giving birth. "I feel so privileged to be doing this important work." ​ Tanya practices as a home birth midwife and also provides annual gyn care, primary care, and lactation consultations in partnership with Robina Khalid, CNM through their practice, Small Things Grow Midwifery.

Emilie Rodriguez is a DONA trained birth doula (via Rina Crane) and a Birth Mama trained holistic postpartum doula (via Mama Ma’at) that addresses mothers' nutritional, physical, emotional, and spiritual well being. She believes every woman should have the birth she desires, the information needed to see it come to fruition, and be an advocate for herself and her family. She believes that giving birth is one of the most sacred, yet normal, experiences in a woman's life and I want to help women/birthing people stand in that power. She takes a holistic approach to help get them to the other side of the mountain we know as birth, using plant based medicine, aromatherapy, low guttural vocalization, rebozo, counter pressure, guided meditation, breath, etc. depending on the needs of the birthing person. Her interests first started in medicine where she worked as a veterinary technician for years before becoming interested in the influences of culture on women's bodies. She received her BA in Medical Anthropology from the City College of New York, with a focus on reproductive health in the United States. She did her first ethnography on doula work in Brooklyn, shadowing Chanel Porchia from Ancient Song Doula Services, and then another exploring birth experiences in the US and abroad. She was also a Colin Powell Fellow for Health Justice, advocating with Health Leads in Harlem Hospital's OB/GYN Unit to give low-income families access to resources they needed to stay healthy, as well as writing health policy to advance equality and civil rights at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. Emilie always knew she wanted to work with women and children, but did not know in what capacity. It wasn't until she experienced labor and childbirth myself when giving birth to her son at home that she realized how transformative and empowering it could be.

Working with women in labor and the birth of her son in 2005 inspired Annette Perel to focus her studies towards becoming a midwife. Growing up bilingual in two different cultures, New York and Panama City, Annette draws from a time-honored tradition in which supporting women is an integral part of community life. Annette has a great enthusiasm for babywearing and Diaper Free Infant Hygiene (“Elimination Communication”). She has a respect for and interest in exploring different parenting styles and traditions. Annette is honored to be a new parent mentor helping new moms and dads make the transition confidently into parenthood.

Sarah Anne Lovell is a Certified Holistic Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Childbirth Educator, Homebirth Assistant and she is voracious in her desire to deeply understand birth and how to support birthing people and their families. Sarah has completed the Holistic Doula Training as well as Tending the Postpartum Psyche through Whapio and The Matrona, studied Neonatal Resuscitation and completed additional courses in Comforting Touch (massage), Acupressure for Pregnancy, Labor & Postpartum, The 4th Trimester, Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum, Advanced Doula Training with Penny Simkin, Supporting LGBTQ Families in Birth & Postpartum and most recently a workshop on Homeopathy for Birth & Postpartum. She also has nearly a decade of experience working in natural health clinics with chiropractors specializing in the Webster Technique, pediatric and perinatal care. She feels her work is centered around the whole family, connecting deeply with them while supporting, empowering and protecting their choices and desires for their birth. Sarah has an unwavering belief in the process of birth, no matter how it unfolds. “Our society bombards us with such negative images of birth, it has been such a blessing for me to be able to tell someone, ‘I know you can do this.’ and see them do something they never thought they could.” Sarah has been teaching with Manhattan Birth for 3 years, lives in Inwood and supports births in hospitals, birthing centers and at home in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey.

Jenny Langbehn is a Certified Advanced Holistic Doula, Lactation Counselor (CLC), Childbirth Educator (Lamaze), Midwifery Assistant ( The Farm Midwives in Tennessee), and Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor. Jenny supports home, birth center, and hospital birth. Her particular passion is supporting New York City families in a complex- and often overwhelming- hospital system. Meanwhile, she's in school on track to Midwifery, and is honored to be a part of the Manhattan Birth community. Jenny is the (very) proud mother of a certain redheaded boy named Robby, born unexpectedly at 29 weeks. Robby escaped his "life pod" after 10 weeks in the NICU, and has amazed his mother ever since.

Maggie Rosenfeld is a birth doula in Westchester County who provides services in the Tri-State Area. She completed her DONA training and is working toward her certification. For years she has served people as a mental health counselor, crisis counselor, and organizational psychologist. Maggie views life as an ongoing opportunity to express her strengths, creativity and passion through her work. Her desire to use her hands and build intimate relationships has led her to the birth world. She comes from a large family with six adopted siblings and Maggie being the seventh is the youngest. This upbringing allows for a celebration of the diversity each family holds in her eyes. ​She supports women and their families through the birth journey whether at home, in a birth center or a hospital. Maggie values building lasting bonds with families and supporting them as they make informed and instinctive decisions during pregnancy, birth and postpartum care.

Morgane Richardson- I've been a birth worker since 2011 and I wear a variety of hats in this field including: Head of Practitioner Relations for Allbodies, Former Director of the NYC Doula Collective, DONA International certified birth doula, childbirth educator, certified breastfeeding counselor, placenta encapsulation specialist and doula mentor. I also facilitate workshops for birth professionals on supporting queer, trans & gender nonconforming families during the conception and perinatal periods. My reflections on gender, race & sexuality have been published in numerous media outlets including, Feministing, BirthFit Podcast, Doula International & InsideOut. When I squeeze in some "me-time" for self-care, it often includes reading a good book, hiking or taking a stroll along the waterfront and mermaid spa. I was raised in the art districts of Korea Town, Los Angeles and DUMBO, Brooklyn. I currently call Kingston, NY, my home with my wife, Alexandra, our daughter, Woolf Rose and our dog-kid, Joplin.

Myla Flores began attending births in 2007 as a homebirth midwife’s assistant. Her educational path took her through Nursing, Theater, Psychology, Drama-Therapy; yet throughout her journey, and no matter her other interests, she found she could not resist a deep-seeded passion for birth. It just came naturally for Myla to support mothers and families through the unforgettable experience of welcoming their babies into the world. While studying at Rutgers University, dear friends and midwives asked Myla to join in the developmental stages of opening a birth center in Uganda; Myla was able to work with and learn essential skills from traditional midwives to better support women in labor. Myla received her DONA professional doula training and certification in 2010, and has since become richly experienced. Myla is grateful to have followed her calling as a birth doula, childbirth educator, certified lactation counselor; and she remains actively involved with Mother Health International. Myla has worked in many settings beyond local homebirths – developing wisdom and awareness of how to best support families through hospital births in NYC. Serving ​150+ families as a birth doula, Myla has witnessed a rainbow of experiences in supporting women of various cultures, circumstances, and birth outcomes. Myla has supported women with vaginal breech deliveries, premature labors, inductions, planned Cesareans, epidural births, and lots of natural birth. She has insight about “high-risk” circumstances, and has a wealth of training to support VBAC / HBAC mothers, twins (whether vaginal or via Cesarean). Myla is fulfilled by offering support, guidance, and comfort to pregnant women, and also enjoys being creative in the process (i ​.​e​​​.​ birth art, belly casts, photography, and writing). Myla aims to doula with love, having no judgments, feelings, or expectations of how your birth should be, with an ultimate goal to support her client's vision.

Erica St. Lawrence is an experienced birth and postpartum doula, a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor and a pediatric R.N. who has spent the last 12 years caring for hundreds of NYC families both in the hospital and at home. Erica’s experience as a doula and her deep knowledge of physiology informs her belief that women intuitively know how to birth and can have a transformative birth experience with the help of a supportive team, no matter the path they take to get there. Erica loves working with families at all stages, helping you feel knowledgeable about your options and confident in your ability to birth and nurture your babies in a way that makes sense to you. With her practical, non-judgemental, evidence-based and warm-hearted approach, Erica is passionate about helping you welcome your child into your life and easing your transition into parenthood. When she is not supporting new families in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, Erica happily resides in Sunnyside, Queens where she spends her time voraciously reading, honing her cooking and knitting skills and biking as much as possible.

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