With Charlotte Birth Collaborative, you get two doulas for the price of one! Our Labor Doulas work in teams to support you from pregnancy through the first week or two of postpartum. Labor Doulas provide informational, emotional and physical support. Your primary and back-up doula will both meet with you to practice labor techniques during your pregnancy. Then, they will be by your side from beginning to end of your labor and birth, including help with your first breastfeeding.
For more information about how the Charlotte Birth Collaborative works, please click here.
Look through the bios of our professionals below and contact the ones you are interested in to request a free interview. Or send us an email and we’ll connect you with the perfect doula for your unique needs!
Emily Schell, Labor Doula
(West Charlotte)
Emily lives right outside of Hickory, in the city of Newton. Together, she and her husband have 5 children, 2 dogs and 5 chickens. In her free time, Emily loves to hike in the mountains, listen to live music, host get togethers, bake, and enjoys stand-up comedy.
Experiencing her five very different births (including teen pregnancy), Emily developed a passion for the labor process. She witnessed firsthand how important it is to be informed and to have unbiased and individualized support through childbirth. This is why she chose to become a labor doula. Just as every family is different, so is every birth! Emily longs to bring personalized support both physically and emotionally, unbiased research based information and to give parents the tools to feel confident in their decisions made in pregnancy, labor and birth.
Emily is CAPPA trained and plans to further her educations and certifications to benefit and serve her community.
Hannah Himes, Labor Doula
(West Charlotte)
Hannah is a CAPPA trained birth doula, who values birth as a key life experience that you and your partner will remember all of your lives. She believes that every family has the right to a joyous, empowering birth. Hannah is married, and has four beautiful children, Jayden, Keeylie, Avonlea, and Charis.
Hannah is a CAPPA trained labor doula. She offers services in English and Spanish.
Julie McGlinchey - Childbirth Educator, Labor Doula
(South Charlotte)
Your birth – your way. Your motherhood journey is special and unique like you. You were made for this! Let’s create an amazing birth experience.
Julie is a CAPPA trained labor doula and childbirth educator
Kenyetta Garth - Labor Doula
(North/East Charlotte)
Greetings! My name is Kenyetta and I am the mother of two handsome boys and one angel baby. I have been working with pregnant friends, infants and children since childhood. I have my Bachelor’s in Child and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology and my Masters in Psychology with a Specialization in Child and Adolescent Development. I have been a school teacher and daycare teacher. I am also a Midwife Assistant to a known Certified Nurse Midwife who exclusively provides home birth services. My own personal birth experiences inspired me to press forward and assist expecting parents in having their ideal births. I believe every parent-to-be deserves to have a beautiful experience. My goal is to be able to support you, your partner and family in every step of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.
Kenyetta is a CAPPA certified labor doula, a certified placenta encapsulationist, and trained Stillbirthday doula. She is also CPR/First Aid certified and is a Wellcare Medicaid Provider,
Leandra Bliss, Labor Doula (*Currently On Maternity Leave)
(North/East Charlotte)
Leandra is a mom of seven. Six birthed from her body, one birthed into her heart through adoption. She has had many different experiences and types of births which have led her down the path of becoming a doula. During her third pregnancy, after not such great experiences with her first two, she became more immersed in the knowledge of the woman’s body and how it was designed so intricately and beautifully to birth babies. As her passion grew to understand more and more what a woman’s body was created and capable of doing, so did her desire to help women experience the beauty of birth. No birth is exactly the same, no woman is exactly the same, but all women desire to have a positive birth experience that they can look back upon and treasure for years to come. Leandra would be honored to walk along side of you in your journey of motherhood
Leandra is a CAPPA certified labor doula.
Mya Burgoon - Labor Doula, CPM
(North/East Charlotte)
Mya started out on her journey to birth work 10 years ago after her first baby was born at home to an amazing midwife. That was all it took – she was hooked on birth and how wonderful it could be. She asked what books she needed to start reading to become a midwife and slowly, new baby in tow, started on this long journey to the many forms of birth work she does. Having lots of littles at home (she currently has 5 kids, 10 and under) she knew that diving into midwifery full time would be hard. So, she began this journey into doula work! It has been a good balance to keep herself involved in birth and how amazing women are as she homeschools and learns what she needs to eventually enter midwifery full time.
Mya took a CAPPA doula training in 2014 and has been attending births and helping women ever since. A few years later after her best friend had her second baby, she started learning and preparing placentas for encapsulation as well as attending the births. This has been a wonderful addition to her doula work and she has come to respect and awe at the organ that our bodies create each time we create a baby.
Mya is a CAPPA trained labor doula, and offers placenta encapsulation.
Nonya Hunter, Labor Doula
(West Charlotte)
Nonya was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. She graduated from Winston-Salem State University with a BS in Biology. Shortly after that, she worked as a lab technologist for The American Red Cross while she attended Carolinas College of Health Sciences at CMC (now Atrium Health) to become a Certified Surgical Technologist. She’s been in this position for the past 17 years.
As a surgical technologist, She’s developed her surgical skill in all services (ortho, neuro, vascular, robotics, urology, general, GYN, etc.) also including labor and delivery. She developed a strong passion for helping other women with their birthing journey after she had her daughter. Nonya didn’t get to experience labor due to health issues that would not allow her to. Therefore, her only option was a c-section.
She is currently a trained doula working on her certification. She feels with her current healthcare experience, it will help her transition into being the best doula that she can be!
Nonya is a CAPPA trained labor doula.
Patrice Frilot - Postpartum Doula, Labor Doula
(North/East Charlotte)
Patrice has been an advocate for female empowerment for as long as she can remember. Many women who hire her are worried that once they get home with their new baby, everything will come crashing down. They are concerned how they will tend to their newborn and still make time for their older children. They are afraid that they will be too stressed out to exclusively nurse. They worry that their milk supply may not be enough, what bottles they should use when it is time to transition back to work and how to determine a pumping schedule so they can ensure their baby grows healthy. Her goal as your Postpartum Doula is to provide customized support, education, and nurturing as you transition to life with your newborn whether you are new or experienced parents. It is her goal to ease your worries and jump start your transition to life with a newborn.
Patrice is also a mother to three very active children! It’s not unusual to catch her on the sideline of a soccer field, front row at a theater production or running around a neighborhood playground. They keep her on her toes at all times! Each of her three pregnancies and deliveries were unique from the other. After her last delivery, she experienced postpartum mood disorder. Through this personal experience, she became more passionate about mothers having the proper support and care that is necessary for a healthy recovery, after giving birth.
Patrice is a CAPPA certified postpartum and labor doula.
**Please note:Â Each of our professionals is a sole proprietor of her own business. As such, we each set our own prices and individual services as we deem best for ourselves and the families we serve.