My best friend asked me to be "her doula" 17 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 Perinatal Nutrition Educator, Birth Educator and Lactation Counselor. I hold a certification in Diversity Equity and Inclusion. I am also first aid, AED/CPR certified for pediatric and adults through the Red cross. Being present, and relying on my emotional intelligence, knowledge and discernment, 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!
BFA in Acting, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (1993)
Certified Birth Doula with International Doula Institute (2022)
Certificate of Completion in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with International Doula Institute (2022)
Certified Postpartum Doula with International Doula Institute (2023)
Certified Breast Feeding Counselor with International Doula Institute (2023)
Certified Child Birth Educator with International Doula Institute (2023)
Certified Perinatal Nutrition with International Doula Institute (2023)
Certified Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED with the Red Cross (2023)
Birth Education, Sophia Luis - Carriage House Birth (2023)
The Doulas Doula Program, Domino Kirke - Carriage House Birth (2024)
Newborn Care, Sophia Luis - Carriage House Birth (2024)
Comforting Touch for Doulas, Yiska Obadia (2024)
Supporting Sleep Postpartum by Kaitlin Klimmer (2024)
Home Birth, Lindsey Bliss-Carriage House Birth (2024)
The Doulas Container, Domino Kirke-Carriage House Birth (2024)
Home Birth for the Doula, Sam Huggins-Carriage House Birth (2024)
Preperation for Postpartum, Jada Shapiro-Boober/BirthDay Presence (2024)
Affiliated Doula with Boober
Afilliated Doula with Carriage House Birth
Afilliated Doula with DoulaMatch.net
English
Your birth partner knows and loves you. I know birth! It makes for a great support team alongside your Midwives, Nurses and/or Doctor. In preparation, we will create your birth wishes for your sacred day. As your Doula, I come alongside with flexible collaboration. Home birth, Birthing Center or Hospital, I bring a calm steady presence, positive mindset, often infused with quiet focused energy, to support you in moving thru each surge with strength, love, humor and grace.
“ I cannot recommend Julia enough as a birth prep doula. From our very first conversation, her warmth and approachable nature made it so easy to connect. During our in-person pre-natal sessions, she provided us with a wealth of information that empowered us throughout the process. Julia created a space that felt safe and comfortable enough for us to do some insightful exercises together and encouraged us to create a vision board. Julia helped us build an arsenal of tools that deepened our communication and connection in ways we never anticipated and that all came in so handy during my labor. Her support was invaluable, transforming our preparation for birth into a calm, meaningful and enriching experience. We felt truly guided and cared for every step of the way!”
- Claire D.
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. 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!
- Alanna C.
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. 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.
- Evan H.
My husband and I recently had the pleasure of working with Julia this spring after welcoming our first child. I knew we would need help given our families live far away. I searched for postpartum doulas online and managed to find Julia. Once I met her I knew we were in very capable hands! Even before giving birth, she was so kind checking in and sending me labor & delivery tips. After our son was born, she provided invaluable support, offering non-judgmental advice with newborn care as well as emotional reassurance. Julia's expertise made the early days much smoother as my husband and I navigated the transition to parenthood. She was always calm, knowledgeable, and attentive, creating a nurturing environment that allowed me to focus on bonding with my baby and recovering postpartum. Julia was also incredibly patient with our hyperactive Frenchie, giving him massages when the baby was asleep. I highly recommend Julia’s services to any new parent looking for compassionate and professional support during the postpartum period. Thank you Auntie Julia!
- Katie K.
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.
3/5/2024 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 G.
Provider’s Professionalism: 5/5 Provider’s Compassion & Understanding: 5/5 Provider’s Knowledge: 5/5 Likely to recommend Provider: Yes Comments: Having Julia with me for the postpartum period was truly gamechanging. She introduced me to techniques and supported me through challenges in ways I know I wouldn’t have done on my own. She helped with newborn care for my son from 3 days old to 6 weeks old, helped me get breastfeeding established, made great recommendations for my own recovery from a c-section, helped me get extra much-needed sleep, and provided stability for our family making those important first weeks. She brought loving care, wisdom, humor, and authentic support to every member of our family, including our 7-year old going through the transition to being a big sister. She is truly a bright light and a joy, and I heartily recommend working with her!
- Stephanie B.
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 great with medical staff. 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 with 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.
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.
- Caroline P.
KNOWLEDGE 5.0 COMPASSION 5.0 PROFESSIONALISM 5.0 C.Z. Postpartum Doula November 2023 From the moment Julia joined our family's journey when William was just 5 months old, she has been nothing short of a blessing. Her passion for her work is evident in every interaction, lighting up our experience with her warmth and dedication. Julia's knowledge about baby care is astounding. She has been a treasure trove of information, providing us with invaluable advice and support. Her ability to infuse humor into our sessions not only made the journey enjoyable but also helped ease our anxieties. What truly sets Julia apart is her exceptional communication skills. She is an incredible listener, always attentive to our concerns and questions. Her responses are thoughtful and insightful, making us feel heard and understood. She has been with us every step of the way, offering support, laughter, and a listening ear. Her presence has been a source of comfort and joy for our family. One of Julia's most thoughtful gestures was creating a customized music list for William. It's not just any playlist; it's a collection of soothing melodies and rhythms that seem to magically calm and delight him. This personalized touch demonstrates her commitment to providing care that's tailored to our baby's unique needs.
- Cathy Z.
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 share bond forever. She comes highly recommended. Please use her services!!
- Ice D.
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 non medicated birth. I had originally planned a home birth, but I needed to go to the hospital for induction. I was extremely nervous to be in the 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.
Julia was encouraging, uplifting, lots of energy, supportive, caring, on point, helping me and our partner stay focused on our goal which was to have a natural birth.
- John R.
Julia attended the birth of my son and It was the most magical experience of my life. She has a very loving and calming presence and was so attentive. Julia cares deeply about the health and well being of both the mother and baby and is focused and knowledgeable. My hope was to have a home birth but after laboring and pushing for too long, I eventually needed to transfer to a hospital. I was disappointed, but Julia stayed with me the entire time and was at my feet, literally, helping with the final pushes that welcomed my sweet Oliver into the world. I was able to deliver naturally and go home fairly quickly. It ended up being a fantastic birth all around! I am so grateful Julia was with me— she is so competent and compassionate and she will always put the needs of your baby and family first. You are in the best hands possible with her and I cannot recommend her as a doula highly enough!
- Catherine E.
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 M.
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