Namaste!
I’m Tory Whitney; birth and postpartum doula, newborn care specialist, sleep consultant, mindfulness and Hypno Babies, educator, intuitive guide, and author of Sacred Sleep on Amazon.
I am the founder of Whispering Lullabies, bringing 7 years of perinatal experience and over 30 years of hands-on childcare experience into the families I serve. I support parents through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and infant sleep with a calm, regulation-first, whole-family approach that honors both science and intuition.
As a sleep consultant, my work is guided by a core belief: sleep is not forced or trained through distress—it is conditioned through safety, nervous-system regulation, and connection. I blend evidence-based physiology, nervous-system education, mindfulness, and intuitive attunement to help babies and parents settle into sustainable sleep rhythms—without rigid or one-size-fits-all methods. My birth and postpartum services mirror this belief.
I believe parenthood is more than a transition—it is a sacred awakening. My mission is to help families feel seen, supported, and deeply aligned with their instincts as they move through birth, bonding, and beyond. Through in-home and virtual care, I hold space for families to soften, settle, and trust themselves—one breath, one night, one season at a time.
Wisdom Design Insitute - Certified Life Coach (2019)
Madriella Birth Doula Post Partum Certificate (2024)
NCTA Twins Certification (2023)
NCTA LGBTQ+ Certification (2023)
NCTA 24/7 Certificate (2023)
Renewed First Aid CPR (2023)
Pregnancy and Infant Lost Certificate (2023)
QC Wellness Sleep Training (2022)
Memberships and affiliations
Secretary of the Virginia Doula Association
A Brighter Birth Collective's Sleep Trainer
Specialties
Abortion Doula CareAbuseAnger ManagementAnxietyAnxiety and DepressionAromatherapyAssertivenessAttachment problemsAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Baby and Toddler Sleep CoachBirth and Lactation Birth DoulaBirth SupportBirth TraumaBreastfeeding Assistance and SupportBreastfeeding SupportBuilding Healthy CommunicationCareer CounselingCaring for Special Needs ChildrenChildbirth EducationChild/family TherapyCognitive-Behavioral TherapyCognitive Processing TherapyEarly Parenting EducatorGrief and LossGrief CounselingHome BirthHypnobirthing MethodInfant CareLabor DoulaLactation ConsultationLactation Home VisitsLatch IssuesLife TransitionsLoss and Bereavement DoulaLow Milk Supply/Over SupplyMental HealthMindfulnessMood DisordersOvernight Newborn CareParentingParenting SupportPerinatal and Infant LossPerinatal Anxiety and DepressionPlacenta EncapsulationPositive ThinkingPostpartum AdjustmentPostpartum CarePostpartum DepressionPostpartum Doula CarePostpartum LifePost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Pregnancy LossPregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum TherapyPremature InfantsPrenatal and Postpartum Massage TherapistPrenatal LifeSelf-ActualizationSelf-CompassionSelf-EsteemSibling PreparationSleep ConsultantSolution Focused TherapySpiritualityStress ManagementSupport during Labor, Birth, and PostpartumSupport in Pregnancy LossToddlersWell-Woman Care
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Languages
English
Accepted insurances
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)CignaMedicaidTricareOptima HealthOptimum HealthCareOptum Health
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Service introduction
I support families from bump to baby with personalized, regulation-first care from pregnancy through six months postpartum. From birth preparation and mindset coaching to newborn care, sleep setup, and discreet overnight support, my role is to help you feel calm, capable, and well-rested during this tender season.
Whether in-person or virtual, Whispering Lullabies offers a thoughtfully designed care ecosystem that fills the gaps traditional support often misses—providing clarity, continuity, and empowered confidence so your family can truly thrive.
Packages
Fast Track Sleep Direction Session
One-time gentle guidance, nervous system education, and clear next steps to improve sleep
$35.00
USD Flat rate
Gentle Birth One Day Intense Childbirth Education Session
One Day immersive preparing parents for a calm, regulated, and connected birth experience with a focus on utilizing sports psychology summered in mindfulness.
$150.00
USD Flat rate
Essential Newborn Care for Parents Instructional
A gentle parent coaching class teachg the essential of newborn care, cue, soothing feeding sleep basics and confident care giving
$150.00
USD Flat rate
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Fast Track Sleep Direction Session
One-time gentle guidance, nervous system education, and clear next steps to improve sleep
$35.00
USD Flat rate
Gentle Birth One Day Intense Childbirth Education Session
One Day immersive preparing parents for a calm, regulated, and connected birth experience with a focus on utilizing sports psychology summered in mindfulness.
$150.00
USD Flat rate
Essential Newborn Care for Parents Instructional
A gentle parent coaching class teachg the essential of newborn care, cue, soothing feeding sleep basics and confident care giving
$150.00
USD Flat rate
Baby and Me Meditation
A gentle guided meditation class supporting parent and baby relaxation bonding nervous system regulation and emotional connection
$150.00
USD Flat rate
Overnight Newborn Care Premium Service
In home overnight newborn care with regulation first support. 8 hours minimum per night. Feeding soothing and parent support. Will support and guide newborn towards sleep goals discussed. Each additional hour is 40.00.
Financial need based scaled payments can be discussed.
$320.00
USD Flat rate
6 Week Regulation Support Sleep Guidance
Six weeks of gentle regulation first support with ongoing virtual and by phone guidance, check in and personalized direction for your baby and family. Comes with a personal plan nervous system education and messaging support
$333.00
USD Flat rate
Chakra Aligned Accelerated Sleep Direction Service
This option is for families who need focused, decisive support without committing to long-term care. Includes:
Accelerated hands-on guidance.
In depth case review and pattern analysis
Personalized action plan
Nervous System education
Assertive follow-up support for up to two weeks
$666.00
USD Flat rate
Ms Tory is Coming to Town
In person overnight care with Ms. Tory, providing regulation first support, soothing, feeding baby, and parent rest coupled with a week of sleep conditioning service (cost of travel will be added)
$1,600.00
USD Flat rate
The Night Owl Newborn Care Package
***Best Value***
Support to parents during the most challenging nighttime hours to include hand on one-on-one education.
To include:
Gentle Birth Childbirth Education
Day of labor birthing support
Transition to home guidance
10 nights of premium overnight newborn care
Gentle soothing and settling techniques
Nervous system informed care approach
Parents education and hands on guidance
Emotional support for birthing parents
Sleep environment optimization
$3,800.00
USD Flat rate
Ratings and reviews
Average
5.0
# of Reviews
8
5.0
We had the absolute best experience with Tory, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. From the moment she walked into our home, she brought an immediate sense of calm and confidence that we desperately needed. After just one visit, our entire household felt more settled.
She didn’t just care for our newborn—she taught me how to care for him with new techniques, hands-on guidance, and so much patience. She showed me how to soothe him, how to read his cues, and how to manage those fussy moments that had felt overwhelming before. Her approach was gentle, practical, and incredibly reassuring.
On top of that, both the baby and I were coming down with a cold, and she handled the situation with so much compassion. She showed me how to help a congested newborn, helped me feel more confident in what to watch for, and even let me get much-needed rest. I truly felt cared for as a new mom, not just supported in caring for my baby.
If you are looking for someone who brings expertise, calm energy, and genuine care into your home, Tory is absolutely exceptional. One visit made such a meaningful difference for us, and I am so grateful for her. I am excited to work with her again and ensure that I’ve really taken her lessons to heart.
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- Huong T.
5.0
Tory helped my daughter who lives many miles from me. While I was able to be with her right after the birth, I cannot now easily return to help out in person. Her service was exactly what I was looking for as my daughter navigates the challenging newborn stage. She not only offered hands-on support with her newborn, she also gave my daughter the confidence, tools, and emotional support she needed.
I genuinely believe she made a lasting impact.
She was there when I couldn't be, and for that, I will always be grateful.
- One happy mama and grandma- Jacki Case
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- Jacki Case
5.0
My boyfriend and I are expecting our first son together and meeting with Tory was absolutely amazing . She gave us a lot of good tips for labor and also helped my partner out a lot with a hands on learning experience including bathing, feeding , diaper changing , changing clothes , and swaddling etc. This experience made up both more comfortable and prepared for our baby boy coming soon . She also provided us with a lot of good resources for labor support and postpartum support . We are truly grateful for our experience with Tory!
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- Taylor Mullins
5.0
I absolutely love Ms. Toya ! I been thru a traumatic situation with my 23 week old baby and Ms. Toya is a god sent. She gave me so much advice and definitely fought for me ! She made this experience so worth it. Even tho my angel is in heaven she still
Checks on me she is definitely my go to doula. She’s the mother bear for her tribe
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- Kira King
5.0
LaTory has been an incredible asset for our family since the day we got home from the hospital with our son Lachlan. She arrived right on time as soon as we got home from the hospital and has been with us every week since. She has a calm yet upbeat and optimistic demeanor, and she always puts my mind at ease. She follows my direction for how I want him to be fed, where and when I want him to sleep, what swaddles to use, etc but she also has very helpful suggestions when I need them as his needs are growing and changing every day. Our older kids love her too, she always has such a nice energy and a smile on her face. She is reliable and punctual, and very responsible. We are so lucky to have her!
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- Janet A.
5.0
K. Murphy
September 2023 till December
Tory is the absolute biggest blessing to our family. She cares for my twins so well and has seamlessly joined our family dynamic. She is a wealth of knowledge and encourages me daily. She is a natural caretaker and a baby expert. I don’t know how we would manage without her. I get restorative sleep knowing my babies are in such caring hands. My husband and I cannot recommend her enough.
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- Kelsey M.
5.0
I hired LaTory a month before giving birth in a panic because my 9-month-old was still waking up frequently at night. My goal was to get my baby settled in her room and sleeping through the night before his little brother arrived. With an open-ended arrangement, LaTory achieved this in less than a week! By the second night, my baby dropped her night feeding and was sleeping through, self-soothing back to sleep by the third night. I was amazed. I highly recommend LaTory for anyone seeking baby sleep training!
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- Chrissy R.
5.0
LaTory has provided exceptional care for several of our clients over the past few years She’s passionate about her work and generosity cares for families that she serves
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- Amy W.
Frequently asked questions
How to get my newborn to sleep at night
Getting your newborn to sleep at night isn’t about one magic trick—it’s about creating predictable, sensory-safe rhythms that support your baby’s developing nervous system. Newborns sleep best when their bodies feel safe, regulated, and gently guided through the day.
By using frameworks like E.A.S.Y. scheduling and building healthy sleep associations, you’re not forcing sleep—you’re teaching the body when it’s time to eat, connect, rest, and reset. Consistent cues, mindful timing, and calm transitions help your baby gradually differentiate day from night and settle more easily into longer stretches of rest.
When rhythm, regulation, and responsiveness come together, sleep becomes a natural byproduct—not a battle.
Why Does My Baby Sleep on My Shoulder Longer
If your baby sleeps longer on your shoulder than anywhere else, it’s not a habit—and it’s not a problem. It’s regulation.
When a baby rests on your shoulder, their nervous system is receiving multiple layers of safety at once:
Vertical positioning supports easier breathing and digestion
Chest-to-chest contact stabilizes heart rate and temperature
Rhythmic movement and breath provide co-regulation
Firm, contained pressure reduces startle reflexes
Your scent and voice signal familiarity and safety
In this position, your baby can fully downshift from a protective, alert state into a deeper parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. Sleep may happen in many states—but sustained sleep only happens when the nervous system feels safe enough to let go.
This is why babies who wake frequently in bassinets or cribs often sleep longer when held upright. The body isn’t “fighting sleep”—it’s asking for more regulation at the moment of sleep onset.
The goal isn’t to hold your baby forever. The goal is to replicate the regulation your body provides—through timing, transitions, sensory cues, and state-based support—so your baby can eventually sustain sleep in their own space.
Longer sleep on your shoulder isn’t a dependency.
It’s communication.
How do I encourage labor and trust my baby's timeline
How do I encourage labor and trust my baby’s timeline?
The urge to “get things going” near the end of pregnancy is real—especially when exhaustion sets in or outside pressure starts to creep up. What’s often overlooked is this: your baby initiates labor. The hormonal cascade that begins birth—especially the cortisol signal from baby to parent—is a biologically timed conversation between your bodies.
When that conversation is rushed or overridden too early, it can influence newborn breathing, feeding, temperature regulation, and even longer-term sleep and digestion rhythms. If your baby is full term and thriving, supporting labor doesn’t mean forcing it—it means creating conditions that allow the body to respond when the signal arrives.
Gentle ways to support the process without urgency:
Daily movement: walking, stairs, or time on a birth ball to support baby’s descent
Oxytocin activators: laughter, massage, intimacy, emotional safety
Warm baths and grounding rituals: calming the nervous system so the body can soften and open
Breathwork and visualization: syncing your body with readiness rather than pressure
Acupressure or red raspberry leaf tea: only with guidance from a trusted care ally—not because TikTok said so
Birth doesn’t begin on a schedule—it begins within the bond between baby and parent. Your body knows. Your baby knows. Trust that conversation and respond with intention, not urgency.
Consent: What if my provider is recommending something that doesn't feel right
You don’t owe your body, your baby, or your birth to anyone else’s timeline or preferences.
If a recommendation feels rushed, unclear, or misaligned, it’s okay to pause. You have the right to ask questions, to decline, or to explore alternatives. Birth is not a performance—it’s a physiological process that unfolds best when the birthing parent feels safe, respected, and informed.
Implied Consent vs. Informed Consent
Implied consent happens when agreement is assumed—because something is “routine,” because no one explained it, or because silence was taken as a yes. It often lacks conversation and transparency.
Informed consent means you’ve been given clear information about what’s being suggested, why it’s being recommended, the potential risks and benefits, what alternatives exist, and what happens if you choose to wait or decline.
You don’t consent because something is offered.
You consent when it feels safe, aligned, and fully understood.
Use Your B.R.A.I.N.
This gentle framework (often used in conscious and gentle birth education) supports real-time decision-making:
B – Benefits: What are the benefits of this option?
R – Risks: What are the risks—for me and for my baby?
A – Alternatives: What other options are available?
I – Intuition: What does my inner guidance say?
N – Nothing: What happens if we wait or do nothing right now?
Practicing B.R.A.I.N. during prenatal visits helps center your voice before labor even begins.
Two grounding questions can also reset the conversation:
Is my baby okay? Am I okay?
If both you and your baby are stable—heart rate steady, no signs of distress—you often have time. Time to ask. Time to weigh options. Time to breathe.
If a provider feels uncomfortable with your pause or your questions, that reflects their comfort level—not your obligation. Your care should feel like a partnership, not pressure.
How do you know its not the baby blues but PMAD
The baby blues are common and temporary, affecting up to 80% of new parents. They typically begin a few days after birth and ease within two weeks. During this time, you may feel weepy, irritable, overwhelmed, or emotionally raw—but you can usually still access moments of calm, connection, or joy between the waves.
PMAD stands for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. It’s an umbrella term that includes postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and related conditions. PMADs tend to feel deeper, last longer, and interfere with daily functioning or your ability to feel like yourself.
Watch the timeline
Baby blues: Peak around days 4–5 postpartum and resolve within about two weeks
PMAD: May begin during pregnancy or anytime within the first year postpartum and does not typically resolve without support
Notice the intensity and impact
Baby blues: Emotional ups and downs, but you still recognize yourself underneath
PMAD: Persistent sadness, anxiety, rage, numbness, or intrusive thoughts that disrupt sleep, bonding, eating, or day-to-day functioning
A helpful check-in to ask yourself:
Is this improving with time and rest—or does it feel like it’s taking over?
If symptoms feel heavy, persistent, or isolating, it’s not a personal failure—it’s a signal that support is needed. Early care makes a difference, and help can coexist with being a loving, capable parent.
Why are the rates so high?
Because this level of care is not basic childcare—it’s specialized, high-touch, professional support during one of the most critical windows of family life.
My rates reflect:
Years of experience and specialization in newborn care, postpartum support, and sleep regulation
On-call availability, overnight hours, and emotional labor that require sustained presence, alertness, and expertise
Personalized, in-home care tailored to your baby, your nervous system, and your household—not a one-size-fits-all approach
Risk, responsibility, and continuity of care during a medically and emotionally sensitive period
Ongoing education, training, and professional readiness to support feeding, sleep, recovery, and regulation safely
This work supports more than sleep—it protects parental mental health, supports infant development, and helps households stabilize during a vulnerable transition. Families aren’t just paying for hours; they’re investing in peace of mind, informed guidance, and regulated support when it matters most.
High-quality care during early postpartum isn’t an expense—it’s an investment in rest, bonding, and long-term well-being.
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