Beth Nichols CMT, CIMI
A 1991 graduate of the Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy, I have been the Director of Birth Doulas of Pittsburgh since 2003 (previously known as Birth Partners Inc). I specialize in Relaxation Therapy, Childbearing Massage (Pregnancy Massage), Infant Massage Instruction, Deep Tissue and Trigger Point Therapy, and Reiki.
Earlier in my career as I worked with infants and pregnant women, I saw the difference that massage made for mothers and their babies. The natural progression for me was to begin to work with women giving birth, so they can have a more positive birth experience and help to nurture their infants. So in 1996, I decided to become a birth doula. Since then, I have found this work to be very rewarding both personally and professionally. It has changed my life in a profound way.
We have a son, Justin Robert. He has completely changed our life, everyday is a new experience. I was blessed to have a doula present at my birth, which was truly a fulfilling and joyous experience. It is a privilege and honor to be able to give that same experience back to others.
I am dedicated to the field of Massage Therapy and being a Birth Doula. I am a member of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, Doulas of North America, and International Association of Infant Massage. I continue to take various classes to enhance my knowledge, education and profession.
Heather Domenico
I am a previously DONA-Certified Labor Doula, Certified Hypnobirthing Instructor, breastfeeding activist and midwife attended -homebirth supporter. I have been caring for children and serving women for the past 22 years and loving every moment. I feel so lucky to have found something I truly love to do. There is something to be learned from every birth, every baby and every mother. I have come full circle by having four children of my own – the joy of my life!
My goal is to “plant seeds of confidence” in women during their pregnancy and the immediate period after and watch them blossom into caring, attentive and strong mothers. This sacred part of the journey of womanhood needs to be protected and respected. My hope is that every woman will be empowered by this experience. I am also the director of the Pittsburgh Doula Network (Postpartum Doulas) since it’s creation in 2000.The dedication of the doulas in this group and their desire to continue to do the work they love has kept PDN thriving. This is very fulfilling career and both doula and mother benefit! I am currently not taking clients, but I still support birthing mothers and keeping in contact with our wonderful group of doulas.
Gretchen McNary
My 1st child, Soren, was born in January of 2001 via esarean. My husband and I had no idea what was about o happen. Yes, we took the standard hospital birth reparation classes but nothing can prepare you like he real thing. There was no one there to hold my hand nd walk me through all the steps of labor and delivery. I gave up all my power to the nurses and ther. on call. In the end, it left me feeling empty and powerless although I do remember looking at what my husband and I created and he was the most perfect and beautiful thing in the world but still there was something missing. A year or so after my experience I figured out what was missing. I was missing a doula and from that point on, I vowed to serve women and to ensure that their birth experience left them feeling strong and empowered no matter what the outcome. After being a doula for a couple of years, I found myself pregnant again. This time was so different and way more challenging. My previous OB had suggested that I sould never be able to deliver a baby vaginally and said “once a cesarean always a cesarean”. I knew I wanted a VBAC and set off to have just that. I took great time in picking the best place to have my baby and the best provider I felt could help me achieve this goal. I had not 1 but 2 doulas (fringe benefits),
a great midwife and a very supportive husband and in August 2004, I birthed a beautiful baby girl, Sloane, via VBAC. It was an amazing birth experience. Did everything go according to plan? Nope it didn’t but that was ok because I felt supported and empowered and what a big difference that made. After that birth, I added on another vow and that is to give strength and courage to all those mothers wanting a VBAC. This is something I hold very near and dear to my heart.
I’m a stay-at-home mother living in Peters Township with my amazing husband, 3 spirited children, 1 enormous old dog, 1 cat, and 2 fish. In addition to my doula training, I went to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for Photography. I really enjoy documenting birth experiences with a photojournalist view if that is what you’re looking for. In addition to the photography, I enjoy seeing live bands, camping, cooking, unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes and enjoying being in my 30’s.
Shannon Williams
I became a doula following the birth of my youngest daughter in 2001. The goal that I had set for myself was: if birth support really does improve the experience, then I’ll attend a doula training. I won’t go into the ‘if not,’ because it did and it does. My passion for this subject has led me into many a birthroom and beyond. I have taught childbirth education classes for various groups and will be certified to teach Birthworks education classes by the close of 2007. I love birth work and feel lucky to share this gift with other families.
My own family consists of my husband Nick and our two daughters, a family of three with whom we live, many dear relatives and a close circle of friends. I really do believe in the value of support! I’m always up to something, and you may have seen any combination of us at the Carnegie Library, volunteering at Phipps, knitting at a coffee shop, or playing at Riverview Park. Our potlucks are fabulous. I am currently not taking births as I am working towards a nursing degree but I still support birthing mothers and have an active role with our wonderful group of doulas.
Courtney Williams
I stumbled across the wonderful world of doula-ing as a student of medical anthropology, with a special focus on maternal and child health. After learning about the importance of strong support and advocacy during the birth and labor processes, I became passionate about doing my part to support mothers during this transitional time from pregnancy through delivery into post-partum. My wonderful experiences as a birth doula, and the wonderful experience of having a doula at the birth of my daughter, have only added to this passion ”it is truly an honor to serve women and families in this way.
I live on the city’s Northside with my husband and daughter. As a family we are passionate about greening-up our neighborhood and growing healthy food in the city helping to make good food accessible to all. We work together at a local non-profit, creating gardens on vacant land with youth from our community. When I’m not at a birth or working in our gardens, you might find me taking a hike through the park, reading a good book, or working on one of my many half- finished knitting projects. I am enjoying life with my little one at the moment, but I still support birthing mothers and keeping in contact with our fabulous group of doulas.
Batsheva Williamson
My motto regarding birth Every woman should be supported and pampered during this most special time. I am so thrilled that today’s woman is becoming reacquainted with the timeless practice of having a Doula. This tradition allows a laboring woman to have a private advocate who is dedicated solely to her needs.
I have been assisting mothers through this miracle of birth for over 20 years. I have trained with the renowned Birth Specialist Kathy McGrath. I am certified by DONA and I am also CPR certified. I am experienced with VBAC, and have experience helping woman who like to start their birth’s at home.
I have a very supportive family consisting of my husband, 5 children, 5 grandchildren (I was at all their births) and various pets.
I LOVE what I do and look forward to helping you on this journey!
Kelly Jackson
When the opportunity to become trained as a doula came about, I jumped at it! I have been helping women and their partners/families ever since. I love every minute of it. It is truly a pleasure to provide such a needed service and to help women to have their best possible birth.
When you have the opportunity to care for a woman in one of life’s most significant moments it is not only a privilege but an honor. I delight in the opportunity to be invited into the circumstances of a woman’s life to encourage her and to bring hope, comfort, and peace. I have had the privilege to do this through counseling, teaching, and mentoring but to have this chance during the pregnancy, labor and delivery of a child is truly rewarding.
My husband and I live in the NorthSide of Pittsburgh. And what I love about supporting a family during birth is the opportunity to make the road to the blessing a blessing as well.
Bethany Brown
I became a birth doula because the birth of my first son left me with feelings of confusion and frustration. I felt as though his birth was happening to me, but I didn’t know I had any other options. I now know that the presence of a doula would have been such a beneficial addition to my birth because I would have had someone there to hold my hand, answer my questions and encourage me to make my own decisions.
Becoming a doula was a very important step in my life. A doula is such a valuable addition to a woman’s labor team because every woman deserves to have a positive birth experience! Every mother needs and deserves to be loved and nurtured throughout her pregnancy and labor so she feels empowered and has a sense of ownership of the events that lead up to the birth of her child.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and am working on my Master’s degree in Counseling. Before I became a doula I was a therapist in the North Shore area of Boston working with teenage girls. Now, I stay at home with my two sons and our dog.
Danielle Schmidt
I have been lucky to be working with women and babies for the past 8 years. I have been able to be a part of pregnancy in each stage and a part of many births. I have had the privilege to be involved in the lives of many newborn babies and their families. My job involves providing education and support to teen mothers. After seeing young women go through labor I knew I wanted to find a way to support women in labor and wanted to find a better way to do so. This is what lead me to become a Doula. After going to the Doula training I felt extremely inspired and knew that this was the newest path in my life. Following the training I had the privilege to become a part of Birth Doulas fo Pittsburgh. This truly make me feel like on of the luckiest women, to be able to do something that I am so passionate about and that makes me feel so blessed!!
My husband, Rob and I live north of Pittsburgh. We live very close to my mother and father and they are a wonderful source of support for my family. I wouldn’t be able to pursue being a doula without them. My husband and I have three wonderful children, and a basset hound, named Stella. Our daughter, Victoria is 12. We also have two sons, Connor, 6, and Dane 3. Our children each have their own personalities and constantly keep us laughing. I had wonderful deliveries with my children, however they were very focused on the hospital. Knowing what I now , I feel I would have benefited from having a doula and feel a doula would have enhanced my experience.
As a Doula, I make every effort to get to know the families I “work” with. I feel that it is very important to know the family and to know their desires and needs that they have for their delivery and their family. I am truly honored to work with each family, I feel it is such a huge honor to be a part of such an amazing and special time in their life!!
Gabrielle Anne Smith
After hearing stories of unsatisfactory birth outcomes (including my own), I wanted to work with women in a supportive and powerful context—birth! Pregnancy is an exciting time to be with women, I feel, because there is so much beauty, creative potential, and often a ripeness to grow in many ways–physically, personally, and spiritually. It is a privilege to work with an expecting mother and father and be present for the birth of their child. I feel I can lovingly support a mother through labor, no matter what her choices may be and I am committed that families have the best birth experience possible.
In addition to my doula work, I’m pursuing my degree in Psychology and Expressive Arts Education. I currently lead an Expressive Arts workshops here in Pittsburgh called, the Artful Mamas Circle. These workshops are open to any woman who has an interest in self-discovery by way of a spontaneous, intuitive process-oriented painting method. The practice of Expressive Arts compliments my interests in the psychological aspects of childbearing and give me an opportunity to grow by assisting others on their creative path. For more information about these workshops you can visit my blog at www.truenortharts.wordpress.com
My family and I have made our home in Pittsburgh for the past several years now. My interests include holistic health, the arts, eco-villages, and personal growth/development.
Shannon Winnowski
At the age of 13, I witnessed my sister give birth to her first child. She was surrounded by people in her life who would provide loving support for her as she embarked on her journey into motherhood. It was then that I realized how important the role I played that day was. Supporting women in childbirth, telling them they can do it when they’ve convinced themselves they can’t, and preserving such a special day in their lives was a role I knew I wanted to some day fill – not only for my sister, but for any woman who needed support. Every opportunity I have been given since then to provide support to women and their loved ones as their doula has been an honor and a privilege.
Born and raised Pittsburghers, my husband and I now live in the South Hills. I’m grateful for the strong support system that I have in my husband, my close family and friends, that support led me to become a doula and do what I love.
I believe in and am continually amazed by the power of women’s bodies during childbirth. This strength inspires me to provide the best care I can for laboring mothers and their families. Each birth is unique in its own way; from the first births I witnessed at The Midwife Center as an intern to the many births I attended as a Peace Corps volunteer with local midwives in a rural village in Turkmenistan to high technology births at hospitals. No matter what type of birth, I’m there 100% for you as a calm, guiding presence. I believe that support and informed decision making during labor is a human right. Therefore, I try to make my services as accessible as possible to women of every cultural, social and financial background and take DONA’s mission statement, “a doula for every woman who wants one” to heart. 
Having lived in The Netherlands for several years I was exposed to a different view of birth than what is the norm in the United States. The mother and infant mortality rates in The Netherlands are some of the lowest in the world, yet they are having their babies at home with a midwife, unless they are high risk. Not hindered by medical interventions they are free to move about in the comfort of their own homes.
On my return to Pittsburgh I was invited to the birth of a friend and, although it was not quite The Netherlands, she was laboring in a home-like environment birthing center with a midwife and a doula. She was not tethered to a bed with IV lines and monitors but able to walk around with friends and family while she had contractions. This was my first experience of the role of a doula and and the beginning of my journey to becoming one.
Unable to have children of my own, being in a position to “mother the mother” has brought me countless rewards and gives me a true passion for this work. The privilege of being a part of this intimate and miraculous experience never fails to amaze me. I marvel at the way a woman’s body innately knows what to do and her ability to listen to the cues her body gives her. It is an honor to witness women discovering their own power and reveling in what they are capable of. Whether she chooses to have a medicated or unmedicated birth, a woman needs to be free to make that decision based on what her body is telling her and I want to be there to support her in that decision.
I love spending time with my family and friends and value how important they are in life. Nothing makes me happier than to spend an entire day working in the garden, reading a good book with a cat on my lap or baking up enough muffins to share with everyone.
When I met my husband 38 years ago, I could never have imagined what joy I would experience as his wife. His constant love and support have given me the courage to venture down many different career paths. But, in my journey to become a doula I know that I am finally home.