Credentials/education: Purple Lotus Doulas’ Professional Labor/Birth Doula Training – 2020; StillBirthday Bereavement Doula Training – 2020; Spinning Babies Workshop – 2020; Urban Breath’s Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training – 2022; CPR/BLS and NRP (active)
Contact: michaela@purplelotusdoulas.com
Services offered: Birth Doula Services; Lactation Counselor Services coming soon
Service area: Greater St. Louis region
**Michaela is temporarily living in the Seattle area until August 2024 to complete the final phase of her midwifery training. During this time she is not accepting doula clients. She will return to the St. Louis area in the fall of ‘24 and will resume taking doula clients by the end of the year.
Bio
Hello! My name is Michaela Baldwin. I grew up in the small town of Millstadt, Illinois, and I am now growing a family of my own here. Through my own unique experiences, I fell in love with the miracle of childbirth and the community that surrounds it. I am very passionate about improving birth experiences, increasing options for under-resourced communities, creating inclusive spaces, and addressing injustices in the healthcare system.
When I was 22, I found out I was going to become a mother. Growing up in a world where birth was often feared, I found that the antidote to fear was knowledge. Two extremely vital decisions my family made were: hiring a doula and taking Birthworks classes with Sarah Baker. I switched providers late in my pregnancy and we were blessed with a home birth with some of St. Louis’s wonderful CPM’s. When my labor stretched on for two days and I experienced “back labor,” I felt immense relief with the presence and determination of our doula, and I was prepared with the confidence I had received from our BirthWorks classes. I walked away with so much more satisfaction than I had ever anticipated, thanks to this support team.
During this transformational experience, I caught a glimpse of my future calling. I spent the next few months falling in love with motherhood, with the strength of this new community behind me. As friends and family reached out to me for resources, I realized I could give back what I had received. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to begin doula training. I studied through the Stillbirthday Birth & Bereavement program, as well as the Purple Lotus Doulas’ Professional Labor/Birth Doula Training. I was also accepted into Midwives College of Utah and began my midwifery education in January 2021, while continuing to work as a doula.
Everyone deserves to be presented with evidence-based information and holistic support so they can make informed, confident decisions that are best for their unique family. My role as your doula will be to provide structure to the mass of information available to you, help you navigate your options, validate you, and comfort you. Your autonomy and your preferences are my priority. I truly believe that every family, regardless of birth location or plan, can benefit from this – and that’s what brought me here!
My professional growth continues every day through my mentorship with Purple Lotus Doulas and with every family I am privileged to serve. I would love to support you on your empowering journey.
You can reach out to me through our contact form – I look forward to hearing from you!
Testimonials
STEPHANIE: Michaela was exceptional and I don’t know what I would do without her presence. She provided lots of hands on support and showed my partner how he could help assist me during labor/birth. She had lots of great tools at hand that we utilized well to ease the labor process. Michaela was the first one to be at my home, besides my partner, and she knew when it was time to call my midwife over. She provided powerful words of affirmation at times when i doubted myself. She provided emotional support pre and post partum. She also took beautiful photos of my labor/birth experience. Michaela is highly passionate and educated about childbirth and I highly recommend her as a doula.
KATIE: I had Michaela Baldwin as my doula for my VBAC and she was amazing! We met to see if I wanted to hire her and when I did hire her, we had two more meetings to prep. We discussed my previous birth and any other fears/concerns I may have and worked through those. She was going to meet me at my house to labor before going to the hospital, but my water broke so she just met us at the hospital. During labor she continued to check on where I was mentally, and was so hands on! I pushed for over 5 hours and she was there for every contraction- applying counter pressure, getting me into new positions, holding my legs/supporting my body where needed, cheering me on, giving me snacks that she brought. I could not have done it without her and my OB!
Experience, Availability and Pricing
- Michaela takes up to 3 doula clients per month. Price for doula services is $1200.
- Michaela’s service area is the greater St. Louis region
Ready to contact or interview Michaela?
Fill out the Contact Purple Lotus form or contact her directly: michaela@purplelotusdoulas.com
Inquiry Form
Email