Meet Your Expert Doula

Hi Guy's, I'm Jael

You could say birth work is in my blood. My mother has been a doula for more than 22 years, so I grew up seeing firsthand the difference dedicated, compassionate support can make for growing families.

My own professional journey began in full-time infant care in 2015, when I became a nanny for a set of twins who were two months old, followed by a second set of twins. Caring for them sparked a deep interest in newborn development and the transition into parenthood. In 2018, I became a Certified Newborn Care Specialist and began supporting private families while working with some of the DMV's most respected agencies.

My passion for caring for families naturally expanded beyond newborn care. I became a postpartum doula in 2019 and a birth doula in 2020, allowing me to support families throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and the early postpartum period.

In 2021, I entered a direct-entry midwifery program. Over the next several years, I completed clinical rotations and student placements with respected midwifery practices throughout the region. I gained experience supporting families in hospitals, birth centers, and home-birth settings and participated in more than 161 births.

I progressed through every stage of clinical training, from learning the rhythm and dynamics of the birth room, to supporting families through long and complex labors, to serving as the student primary midwife under supervision. I graduated from midwifery school in May 2025 with a degree in direct-entry midwifery.

Although I currently practice strictly as a doula, not as your medical provider, my midwifery education and clinical background deeply shape how I support my clients. I understand the perspectives of maternity-care providers, the protocols families may encounter, and the questions that can help clients make informed decisions.

This experience allows me to anticipate what may happen next, explain options in accessible language, and remain a calm, steady presence without stepping outside the nonclinical role of a doula.

My background also includes lactation counseling, advanced neonatal resuscitation, newborn care, safe-sleep education, infant development, and extensive postpartum support. This allows me to care for the full transition, not simply the moment of birth, from preparing for labor to establishing feeding, understanding newborn behavior, and adjusting to life after the baby arrives.

As an NRP Advanced Provider, I have advanced training in recognizing and responding when a newborn needs help breathing or transitioning immediately after birth. Although I do not provide medical care while working as a doula, this knowledge gives me a deeper understanding of newborn transition and the clinical steps a medical team may take. It also helps me remain calm, informed, and supportive when birth takes an unexpected turn.

My approach is warm, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed. As a Black birth professional, I am especially committed to helping Black families feel heard, respected, and supported while navigating a maternity-care system in which their concerns are too often minimized.

I believe every family deserves care that protects their dignity, respects their decisions, and makes room for their voice. My goal is to provide a steady relationship that helps you feel prepared, informed, and genuinely cared for throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

When I am not supporting families, I live in Laurel with my husband, our three children, and our dogs, Andy and Xena. You can usually find me coding, reading, or dreaming up new ways to use technology to improve pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care.