Doula Support

Pregnant person

Births with doulas tend to be less complicated.

Doulas:

Are covered by Medi-Cal and Partnership Health Plan, along with other Managed Care Plans.
Improve birth outcomes as part of a team including health care providers like midwives and doctors. Read more about doulas here
Support birth as non-clinical helpers in hospitals and community settings- like home and birth centers.
Can support all kinds of labor plans and births, whether unmedicated, medicated, natural or cesarean.
Help with your birth plan, birth, and baby.
With a doula at your birth, babies tend to have an easier time adjusting. They’re less likely to have low 5-minute Apgar Scores.

Local Doula Support

First 5 Mendocino recommends doula support but does not endorse specific doulas and does not employ the doulas.

They work for themselves for the most part. But we think it’s great to know who you can reach out to, so here are some of the doulas that work in Mendocino.

Click here to find a local doula

Here's a little of what doulas can do:

Prenatal visits

Doulas visit for an hour or longer during most prenatal doula visits to share information about birth choices and help prepare you for the birthing process.

Labor and birthing support

Doulas join you and stay with you during labor until your baby is born. They help parents with comfort and movement, encourage the birthing person with their goals, amplify parent voice in birth, and stay an hour or two after the birth supporting your family.

After the baby is born

Doulas join you and stay with you during labor until your baby is born. They help parents with comfort and movement, encourage the birthing person with their goals, amplify parent voice in birth, and stay an hour or two after the birth supporting your family.

Read about Doula Week 2024

Local Doulas

Lenny Aguayo

Indigenous
Doula

Contact Info

Phone: 707-494-7477
Email: elenaroseaguayo@gmail.com

Location
Based in: ???, CA
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

  • Indigenous Doula

As your Doula, I will come to your home free of charge for an initial intake and to feel if the match is right for you. From there, we will create a Doula/client plan, meet an additional time, and I remain available on call 24/7 until your labor begins.

Jade Aldrich

Se habla
español

Contact Info

Phone: 707-357-1733
Email: expandyourdreams@yahoo.com

Location
Based in: Mendocino, CA
Serving: Lake and Mendocino Counties

Specialties

  • HBCE HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator
  • Certified Peer Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Certified Hypnotherapist

Angelica Avina

Indigenous
Doula

Contact Info

Phone: 707-628-1500
Email: avina5@yahoo.com

Location
Serving: Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties and Arizona

Specialties

  • Certified Community Health Worker Advocacy
  • Postpartum Support
  • Prenatal Massage & Reiki
  • Breastfeeding Service & Lactation Support

My name is Angelica, and I am a certified full spectrum doula dedicated to supporting families through one of life’s most transformative journeys—pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. With a deep commitment to holistic care, I provide emotional, physical, and informational support tailored to each family’s unique needs and values.

Let’s create a birth experience that honors your voice, your story, and your strength.

Hailey Blair

Hailey Blair

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-456-7929
Email: haileyablair@gmail.com

Location
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

  • Trauma-informed Care
  • Lactation Support
  • Reiki Certified
  • Emotional Support & Processing
  • Holistic Wellness
  • Nutritional Support
I’m a certified postpartum doula through DONA International, serving families in Mendocino County. I’m also a certified breastfeeding peer support specialist, have been practicing as a certified counselor for over five years, and have been in the holistic wellness field since 2011. I’m a mama of two littles and a teenager. My approach blends holistic healing, emotional wellness, and evidence-based care to create a nurturing environment where new parents can rest, recover, and thrive. I offer lactation support, infant care, meal prep, light housework, educational guidance, or whatever is needed at the time of visit to support you as you settle into life with your new baby.

Valerie Capri

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-489-9315
Email: Valerie@westsidedoula.org

Location
Based in: Ukiah, CA
Serving: Mendocino and Lake Counties

Specialties

  • Calm – Grounded
  • Lactation Support
  • Intuitive

Born and raised in Ukiah, CA., I’m a Mendocino County local who has raised my four children here with my husband. For the past 25 years, I’ve had the honor of serving as a Doula across Mendocino County, walking alongside families through some of the most transformative moments of their lives. I’m currently expanding my services to include lactation support, believing deeply in the power of breastfeeding to give babies the best start in life. I am proud to serve the greater communities of Lake and Mendocino Counties and to increase access by accepting Medical and Partnership Healthplan of California insurance. Whether supporting clients prenatally, through birth, or during the postpartum period, I strive to ensure each family has a memorable and cherished experience. I value meeting my clients where they are in their pregnancy journey, and it would be an honor to support you -or your loved one- whenever you feel the need.

Alana Catanio

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 415-488-5432
Email: info@adoulaformama.com
Website: www.adoulaformama.com

Location
Based in: Petaluma, CA
Serving: Marin, Sonoma, Lake, Napa,  and Mendocino Counties

Specialties

  • Antepartum doula support
  • Postpartum Support
  • Aromatherapy

I completed training to become a Birth & Postpartum Doula in 2017 and I have been supporting families in Marin & Sonoma Counties ever since. I am a member of the Marin Doula Circle, I work collaboratively with Marin Community Clinics & Better Beginnings by volunteering my birth doula services to mothers in need locally.

Tanya Estrada-Ruiz

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Indigenous
Doula

Contact Info

Phone: 707-391-3297

Location
Based in: Mendocino, CA
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

  • Prenatal Massage
  • Massage Therapy/Holistic Care
  • Indigenous Doula

I am an Indigenous Doula that practices with a holistic polarity approach. I bring decades of experience as a massage therapist to my doula work. I am here to support Mom, Dad, and family to welcome baby with a cultural approach.

Shelby Goates

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-391-7202
Email: shelbygdoula@gmail.com

Location
Based in: Ukiah, CA
Serving: Mendocino, Sonoma, and southern Humboldt Counties

Specialties

  • Advocacy
  • Education on Birth Rights in the Medical System
  • Breastfeeding Support

I attend any and all births- home, hospital, or birth center, medicated or not, vaginal or cesarean. I truly believe that a birther’s intuition knows what is safest and best for them and their baby. I also offer support for abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

Michela Hernandez

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Se habla
español

Contact Info

Phone: 707-223-5715
Email: SacredBridges707@gmail.com
Website: www.sacred-bridges.com

Location
Based in: Southern Humboldt, CA
Serving: Mendocino and Humboldt Counties

Specialties

  • Bodywork (Massage)
  • Herbal Support
  • Birthwork practice rooted in Traditional Mexican Medicine

I see our bodies as the keepers of our stories. To work with it intentionally and in an informed way, can be like speaking another language. Each body I work with being a dialect of it’s own. As I continue to learn the nuances of the way fascia, the nervous system, and our tissues communicate (with us and each body system), I feel more honored to support my clients’ experience of ease within them.

Quincy Howard

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-472-7633
Email: doulaquincy@gmail.com

Location
Based in: Mendocino County
Serving: Mendocino and Lake Counties

Specialties

  • Massage
  • Intuitive
  • Respectful

I’m a Mom of two daughters living in Mendocino County and honored to be serving local families. I offer Birth and Postpartum Doula support.

Mandela Linder

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-472-7937
Email: mandela@mandelalinder.com

Location
Based in: Mendocino County
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

  • Certified postpartum support
  • Breastfeeding Support
  • Somatic Coaching
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Miscarriage & Abortion Support

Hi, I’m Mandela. I’m a certified postpartum doula, somatic empowerment coach, and mom to a toddler, so I know how tender and overwhelming it can be after bringing a new baby home. I provide nonjudgmental support to families across Mendocino County, including care during and after miscarriage or abortion, with many insurance plans covering visits. My support is tailored to what your family needs most, whether that’s holding the baby so you can rest or shower, preparing meals, caring for siblings, helping with household tasks, or simply being a calm presence to talk to. My goal is to help parents feel cared for, supported, and empowered so you don’t have to navigate this season alone.

Bailey Locatelli

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 559-474-1960
Email: thebirthpassage@gmail.com
Website: www.thebirthpassage.com

Location
Based in: Humboldt County, CA
Serving: Humboldt and Mendocino Counties

Specialties

  • Placenta Medicine
  • Cacao Medicine
  • Ritual & Ceremony

Bailey Locatelli is a Full Spectrum, Certified Medi-Cal Doula Provider, & Devotee of the Divine Mother currently living on the ancestral lands of the Wiyot people in present day Humboldt County. It is her deepest honor to hold space for Women to feel empowered in the belief of their body’s innate wisdom while feeling informed of their sovereign choices throughout their birth journey~ from preconception to postpartum.

Marrina Lunas

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Email: marrinadoula@gamil.com

Website: Marrinadoula.com

Location
Based in: Mendocino County, CA
Serving: Lake and Mendocino Counties

Specialties

  • Nutrition
  • Lactation Support
  • Holistic Care

My name is Marrina Lunas, I am a doula serving Lake and Mendocino County. During this sacred time, I work from a holistic approach to best support your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. My professional and academic background in nutrition and lactation support equip me with the necessary tools to empower you. I cannot wait to support you and your family.

Georgette Patterson

Se habla
español

Contact Info

Phone: 707-391-7595

Location
Based in: Anderson Valley, CA
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

  • Reiki Certified
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish
  • Holistic Nutritional Consultant

Being a mom of two energetic young boys, I am constantly adapting to meet my family’s evolving needs. My passion lies in guiding other families through the challenges of parenthood, helping them discover their own path to harmony and fulfillment beginning with pregnancy and birth.

Nicole Patton

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-684-9875
Email: nicole@mendocinocoastdoulas.com
Website: www.mendocinocoastdoulas.com

Location
Based in: Mendocino, CA
Serving: Mendocino and North Sonoma County

Specialties

  • Massage Therapy
  • Acupressure
  • Therapeutic bodywork

Nicole is very passionate about supporting the Mendocino Coast community in pregnancy, birth, and life after baby arrives.

Stephanie Reynolds

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Contact Info

Phone: 707-972-8933
Email: stephaniereynoldsbcn@gmail.com
Website: stephaniereynoldsbcn.com

Location
Based in: Redwood Valley, CA
Serving: Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma Counties

Specialties

  • PhD in Traditional Naturopathy
  • Holistic Nutrition Consultations
  • Therapeutic Bodywork/Massage

Stephanie Reynolds, Naturopath, focuses on collaborating with healthcare professionals to offer evidence-based, trauma-informed practices that promote optimal health and well-being. Whether you’re seeking holistic nutrition consultations, life coaching, therapeutic body work, or support during pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period our goal is to help you achieve your health and nutrition goals holistically and compassionately. By combining expertise in Doula services, Traditional Naturopathy, and Psychology, we are dedicated to guiding individuals and families toward healthier lifestyles and empowering them to thrive.

Jane Shadoin

Contact Info

Phone: 707-984-6131 ext. 238

Location
Based in: Long Valley, CA
Serving: Mendocino County

Specialties

Hi, I’m Jane. Northern California has been my home for the past 8 years, and I’ve had the privilege of serving as a doula in Mendocino County for the past year. As a doula, I meet my clients where they are on their journey, offering resources, education, and support. My goal is to help parents navigate the many choices they have, so they can feel confident, connected, and empowered throughout this sacred time. I’m passionate about supporting women through their pregnancy journey, providing care and comfort every step of the way.

Rose Steele

Indigenous
Doula

Contact Info

Phone: 707-671-3532
Email: rsteele@knwi.org

Location
Based in: Sonoma County, CA
Serving: Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties

Specialties

  • Indigenous Doula
  • Indigenous Breastfeeding
  • Postpartum Support

My name is Rose Steele I am Yokayo, Elem and Kanaka Maoli. I am a birth worker and want to share the love of reclaiming birth as our first ceremony the way our ancestors did for thousands of years.

Doula Kya Williams

Kya Williams

Accepts
Medi-Cal / Partnership HealthPlan

Accepts
Kaiser Northern California

Contact Info

Phone: (585) 466-1045
Email: Kyawilliams101@gmail.com

Location
Based in: Redwood Valley, CA
Serving: Lake, Mendocino, and Northern Sonoma Counties

Specialties

  • Postpartum
  • Abortion and Miscarriage Support
  • Chronic Illness Support

My name is Kya Williams I was raised in Mendocino County and I am now choosing to grow my family here. I strive to create a relationship based on trust, respect and a mutual love and care for your new baby. I know how challenging and rewarding this time can be. I offer physical and emotional support, birth processing, light household chores, sibling care, maternal rest and recovery support as well as lactation and baby needs education. I look forward to helping families of all kinds ease into this new chapter of life.