Doula Offerings
Following nearly a decade of birth & postpartum doula care in Portland, Oregon, I’m now offering postpartum support in the Seattle, Washington area. I aim to be a warm, anticipatory presence during this wondrous yet challenging transition in your family's life. Holding space, providing rest, offering resources, and helping you care for your little one is a true honor.
My hope is that when you look back on this sacred time, you’ll remember the love, care, and self-compassion that helped your family recover and grow together.
CURRENT RATES
Overnight Support: $65/hour, 8hrs minimum/10hrs maximum per shift
Day Support: $60/hour, 5hrs minimum/8hrs maximum per shift
Availability for day shifts is location-dependent
"Awake” overnight support is offered upon request
(generally for medically fragile babies): 8 hour shifts at $80/hour
AREAS OF SUPPORT
Helping you process your birth experience, support with lactation and other feeding methods, self care and recovery support, identifying and understanding your baby’s cues, caring for baby and or siblings while you and family members rest, shower, or spend time together, babywearing techniques, cleaning and sanitizing bottles, home tidying, stocking, light meal or snack preparation, and errand running.
PRENATAL SUPPORT
For clients pre-booking ongoing postpartum care, one complimentary prenatal visit in your home is provided. This visit is to start preparing for your postpartum period.
TRAINING
Labor Doula training through Birthingway College of Midwifery
Postpartum Doula training & certification through Birthingway College of Midwifery
Emergency Childbirth for Doulas
Basics of Lactation Management for Doulas
Basic Life Support (BLS) Infant and Adult CPR/AED certified, American Heart Association
HIPAA Certification
Feel free to look around my website to learn more about my photography offerings. Clients receive 10% off!
Kind Words.
“What I appreciated most was her approach: she offered thoughtful suggestions and gently helped us try new things with our baby, but never once pushed or forced anything. She respected our instincts while empowering us with knowledge.
From the moment we met her, she was extremely considerate, arriving masked and being so thoughtful and respectful in our home. Each morning, she left extensive, detailed notes about the night, including progress made and exactly how our baby was doing, which gave us so much peace of mind.
Her care was professional, deeply knowledgeable, and incredibly nurturing. Having her during the overnight hours was truly invaluable, and I cannot recommend her enough to any family looking for exceptional postpartum and newborn care.”
“Mel has always been so patient and calm in the face of any meltdowns and has taught us how to face our child’s feelings with grace. Not only does she make our lives easier, but I truly believe she has helped us become better parents.”
“Working with Mel as our night doula was one of the best decisions we made as new parents. We have worked with other doulas before, and Mel was truly exceptional. Her level of care, professionalism, organization, and emotional support was on a completely different level.
From day one, Mel helped us establish a structured and sustainable sleep routine for our baby. Even on nights she was not with us, we never felt stressed about bedtime because she had guided us so well. Thanks to her consistency and expertise, our baby developed day and night routines surprisingly quickly.
Mel was always incredibly prepared, organized, and detail-oriented. Every morning she left us thorough notes with detailed timelines of feeds, diaper changes, sleep patterns, observations about our baby, plus helpful resources and recommendations. Her communication and thoughtfulness gave us confidence and peace of mind.
What made Mel especially amazing was how deeply she cared for our entire family. She thoughtfully prepared everything I needed overnight for postpartum recovery and breastfeeding, including water, snacks, and pumping parts, so I could truly rest. She was also patient and caring with our dog during the newborn transition, offering guidance on helping our anxious dog adjust to the baby.
One of the greatest gifts Mel gave us was peace of mind. There were many nights when I could leave the house, breathe fresh air, and fully relax because I knew our baby was in loving and capable hands. She has such a calm and special way with babies — somehow our baby never cried when Mel was here, even during diaper changes.
On top of being an amazing doula, Mel is also a talented photographer. She took beautiful one-month photos of our newborn that we will treasure forever.
The biggest mistake we made was not booking Mel for more weeks in advance. She gets booked out for a reason, and we cannot recommend her highly enough.”
“Mel was an incredible night doula for our family. She’s attentive, caring, and immediately made our nights feel calm and manageable. Beyond helping overnight, she also taught us practical, easy-to-follow tips on how to build a better sleep ritual for our baby.
After the shift, she left detailed notes in a Google Doc, including her observations throughout the night and specific suggestions for improving our bedtime routine. We followed her recommendations and were able to shift our baby’s bedtime from around 11pm to 8pm.
I highly recommend Mel to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, thoughtful, and dependable night doula.”
“She was professional, informative, supportive and respectful throughout the entire process. The day of my birth Mel brought a calm presence to the hospital room and made us feel so comfortable. It was honestly like having a friend there.”