https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/placenta-encapsulation daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/01a6c32e-dfd4-404a-9b2e-7e9133aa5bcd/placentapills.jpeg Placenta Encapsulation - Placental Encapsulation There is some evidence that placenta consumption may provide various health benefits after childbirth including increasing your milk supply, balancing hormone levels, and replenishing depleted nutrients. To read more about the evidence for placenta preparation, visit Placentabenefits.info. Your placenta can be processed for consumption in one of two ways: Encapsulated – The placenta is dried, powdered, and put into pills which you swallow during the postpartum period to help stabilize moods and give your body a nutrition boost. Tincture – Your encapsulator takes a small piece of the placenta and distills it in a 4oz jar of vodka to release any properties. This normally takes 6 weeks and will be dropped off once it’s finished. You can also commemorate this amazing organ and connection with your baby with a placenta print. Prints – Printed on water color paper with black paint. The placenta print makes for a beautiful keepsake to remember where your baby grew. The placenta is referred to as the tree of life, which you can normally see clearly with the prints! Our doulas who provide placenta encapsulation and prints: Alexis Ewan Keana Lofton https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/alexandraharper-brees daily 0.75 2025-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/b1dd9a16-96d7-4c05-aea9-e19e56800989/294636974_480750497385332_1413358030472447803_n+%281%29.jpg Alexandra Harper-Brees - Alexandra Harper-Brees Owner of Bear & Nurture Birth Services A mother, writer, and empowered birth advocate, Alexandra (she/her) has been a Certified Professional Birth doula for 9 years, a Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor for 5 years and a Childbirth Educator for 3. Alexandra is passionate about centering you in the decisions around you birth and supports families giving birth in both home and hospital births and a wide range of birth visions. She is particularly passionate about providing evidence-based resources, nurturing support, and radical space-holding for the families she serves. She has worked all over the world gathering birthing wisdom and pursing her passions at the intersection of birth and cultural anthropology. One word to describe her practice is “open-minded.” Her foremost goal is to understand your wants and needs, work through your fears, and do everything in her power to keep your birth an empowering experience no matter the setting or scenarios that may arise. Alexandra has been serving mothers since completing her training in 2016 with The Center for the Childbearing Year (now Lifespan Doulas) in Ann Arbor, MI. Her first month of clients was also the month she got married and she even attended two births in one night! In the years since, she has moved out of the country and back again, never stopping doula work and birth consultation. She once even flew back to the States from Kazakhstan for a month to be on-call for a birth! Alexandra’s initial journey to becoming a doula is much like her journey into becoming the mother of her two daughters: unexpected, messy, and now she can’t imagine doing anything else. It all began with a serendipitous car ride with a young Navajo mother in rural New Mexico. The mother’s passion and feeling of empowerment from her own birth center and home births started a lot of questions in Alexandra’s head. Isn’t birth always horrible and full of screaming? How can birth be empowering? What does a “good birth” even mean? These questions led to connections and the answers are her life’s work of faithfully supporting the informed choices of all the birthing people she serves. When not at a birth, she is usually either in the garden, working on her farm, hiking with her husband, or enjoying the imaginations of her children Mira, Sasha, and Remy. Reach out today to set up a free interview and consultation! Bearandnurture.com 517.917.0090 alexandra.harperbrees@gmail.com https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/home daily 1.0 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/81fb9a32-c9a0-47ec-b445-9e567f92830f/2764164752.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/6a8251e1-4088-4583-ace3-763aa7876127/2797085129.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/65fe2001-08f0-4a4a-a4f1-1dc26638bfa8/2736302396.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/6b4b21d7-e84a-4264-b110-bd8edc44386d/Allison+k+BIRTH-06266.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/3a703d52-657c-4dd7-ad8c-427f8df7f166/heather+p-03901.jpg Home https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/resources daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/birth-photography daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/6ea52dca-e749-45d3-9f40-7b8bfb5e60ce/lorena.jpg Birth Photography - Birth Photography Would you like to document one of the most momentous days of your life? Many birthing people love to look back on photos of labor—an experience they can only fathom from the deep haze of labor—and see what was really going on, how their baby arrived, and relive all those emotions. A birth photographer can help you do just that. Maybe you want to immortalize your pregnancy, fresh newborn, or the new days of being a bigger family—these are all options with a photographer. Our doulas: While most of our doulas provide non-professional iPhone photos of labor and birth as requested, some have done specific training for labor, birth, newborn, or fresh 48 photography. These doulas are: Elizabeth Beeker Kate Beal Kristen Schell https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/birth-doulas daily 0.75 2024-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/1620525516045-DCJK78P9YSGRT69S1WIA/christian-bowen-I0ItPtIsVEE-unsplash.jpg Birth Doula Services - Birth Doulas Birth doulas are your guide for bearing a child. They provide prenatal appointments during which you can learn about common interventions during birth, pros & cons to hospital procedures, natural ways to endure contractions, labor poses, what to pack in a hospital bag, basic newborn care, and more. Birth doulas are on-call 24/7, usually from week 38 of your pregnancy until you give birth. This ensures that they are always ready to be by your side, encouraging you, advocating for you, supporting you, and helping you work through every step of your labor to the birth of your child. They may do massage or counter-pressure to help take the edge off labor. They may suggest positions to help baby’s descent or encourage labor to go quicker. They may help you process big decisions as you make them during the birth. Birth doulas stay at the birth setting during the immediate postpartum, helping you start breastfeeding, bonding, and ensure your recovery is going smoothly. They usually also do one postpartum visit to make sure you are getting enough sleep, support, and nutrition during newborn days. All of our doulas provide birth doula services. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/emma-langshied daily 0.75 2025-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/f6388f39-d587-4555-9642-88ad8be7cf60/head+shots-09592.jpg Emma Pence - Emma Pence Owner of Little Lamb Doula Care My interest in supporting women during birth started years ago when a neighbor told me the story of her natural birth (it included a doula, hypnosis, and a buried placenta). It planted a little seed of fascination that I didn’t forget. Years later, in my final year at MSU, I was watching childbirth education videos for fun (as people do :) ) and stumbled upon a video by Bridget Teyler about birth doulas. I thought to myself, “I could do that!”, and the little seed began to bloom. Within a year, I took a DONA approved workshop (March 2021) and received my training certificates. I attended my first few births and became a Certified Birth Doula through Lifespan Doulas. As I started putting down roots in the birth community, I learned about midwifery and the option to birth with Certified Professional Midwives. This snowballed into me travelling to Montana to take a survey midwifery course (Modules of Midwifery) through GoMidwife. The highly interactive course ran from mid-August to mid-November 2021, and was my foundation for learning about natural birth. From September 2022 through March 2025, I apprenticed as a student midwife with two homebirth practices in Michigan and attended many births in that capacity. My favorite thing about working as a doula is the time I get to share with doula clients and the relationships we build. I love connecting over a hot cup of tea, listening, and helping clients learn about their birth options. I give support at natural births, hospital births, inductions, c-sections, and births that have a change of plans. I support the birth you want, and I am all in with being on that journey with you Emma Pence https://www.littlelambdoula.com 248-982-6981 emma@littlelambdoula.com https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/ethics daily 0.75 2021-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/1620269534822-BOEWB49XX23OJGKPV7YT/BBJ+Code+of+Ethics+copy.jpg Ethics https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/alexis-ewen daily 0.75 2024-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/be4c2348-a1f8-4c7f-a9ac-cda15d5ffd46/_3501255.jpg Alexis Ewen - Alexis Ewen Alexis Ewen N.D- started her career in corporate fitness after earning a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. After several years, and many clients later, Alexis realized there was more to helping people achieve true health. She began pursuing the field of natural health where she learned about whole food, herbs, affirmations, quality supplements, essential oil, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, sound and light therapy and fell in love with the lifestyle. Alexis spent 4 years studying Naturopathy and earned a Traditional Naturopathic Doctor degree and practices through her company Essential Wellness, LLC. Her drive for information and education lead her to completing a Holistic Labor Companion certificate which include 100 hours of class room work and another 100 hours of internship experiences, where she learned about the childbearing years, and the beauty and magic of pregnancy, labor and delivery from a natural health perspective. Alexis offers many services to meet clients where they are at on their health journey. Alexis’s passion is to help transform the health of her clients from the inside out. Reach out today to her- 517-404-4937 or at hannarusso.com where she is part of the duo doula partnership with Hanna Russo. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/the-beginning-of-bbj daily 0.75 2024-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/ba1232a3-7fed-404d-b5dc-71fe65d01637/Region+9+Doula+training-00992.jpg The Beginning of BBJ - One Question. Better Birth Jackson started with a question posted to a group message board: “Are any doulas who serve Jackson interested in starting a collective?” Two more doulas jumped on board and as soon as Better Birth Jackson was brainstormed, the pandemic hit and progress ground to a halt. A year later it was re-initiated with much more help: it seemed many people had used the pandemic year to become doulas, invest in their new businesses, or expand their birth work. So, we banded together with a purpose. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/ebc7763f-ac55-4ad0-a24e-9130192b12ff/Region+9+Doula+training-01031.jpg The Beginning of BBJ - Mission: Jackson. We banded together with three goals in mind. 1). Improve the birth outcomes and experiences of families living around Jackson. 2). Work to secure funding and business relationships to support the mission of a doula for every family that wants one. 3). Help our businesses flourish while building a supportive birth work community. Are these goals close to your heart too? Well, we’re glad you’re here. Let’s make better births in Jackson. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/prenatal-yoga daily 0.75 2024-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/1620526667771-JI5CPCOJ3QR86T7AIFJP/avrielle-suleiman-GpVak9-cL6E-unsplash.jpg Prenatal Yoga - Prenatal Yoga Yoga is a centuries-old tradition shared by multiple religions and people groups as a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of prenatal yoga include better sleep during pregnancy, increased flexibility and range of motion, support for good fetal alignment for birth, pelvic floor strengthening, decreased joint and muscle complaints, and increased strength. Most prenatal yoga teacher do private in-home classes and some also teach in-studio. Alexandra Harper-Brees is our Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RYT200/RPYT) certified though Yoga Alliance. She teaches private yoga classes as well as weekly prenatal yoga classes at Yoga on Kibby in Jackson. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/postpartum-doula-services daily 0.75 2025-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/7455d505-82ec-42d3-9cf0-38204c6315a1/postpartum.jpg Postpartum Doula Services - Postpartum Doulas Postpartum doulas help you navigate newborn days. Whether you want a postpartum doula to take over baby-care during the nighttime so you can sleep, or you want them to instruct you on good breastfeeding, diapering, or baby-wearing, they can do it all. Postpartum doulas are mavens of motherhood, here to help you get good nutrition, navigate setting newborn-day boundaries with your family, and easing in gently to having life with a baby. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/standards daily 0.75 2021-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/1620269173158-GNV6V3YZ9AET5UDAIFXN/BBJ+Standards+copy.jpg Standards https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/doula-overview daily 0.75 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/3a6693a3-a872-43cc-b453-f987cb427154/_3501255.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/b919bca1-2efd-466c-91ca-0a1eb1e4266a/amyy-07469.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/b149834a-d2ba-428c-b035-2f0eb7358a10/aisha.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/d7793e3b-dab8-42d1-8b65-246a00f96ce2/e%2Bbeeker.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/0a314fab-4b59-4217-82fb-5e596c19eedb/karina%2Bg.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/3c09a2a5-6be5-4dde-8f63-188b3a6d49bd/294636974_480750497385332_1413358030472447803_n+%281%29.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/e0f592ec-7b56-4558-bfa0-187c49dfd4f7/IMG_5543.jpeg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/14fd907c-6daf-49f7-940d-8797f2938b4c/head%2Bshots-09592.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/0a90c2cf-9a5f-430a-beef-a71613be50cd/KristenSchellBirth_CamilleLydiaPhotography-5234Square.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/b1c5ab5e-e3eb-4179-bd2e-485db55e284d/SALTEATERS-077.jpg Overview of All Doulas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/9c3f97e2-8f92-43d8-a49a-b6ab705dc99e/image1.jpeg Overview of All Doulas https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/kristenschell daily 0.75 2025-11-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/0a90c2cf-9a5f-430a-beef-a71613be50cd/KristenSchellBirth_CamilleLydiaPhotography-5234Square.jpg Kristen Schell - Kristen Schell Kristen (she/her) is a certified birth and postpartum doula. She is also a birth photographer and childbirth educator. Kristen is passionate about supporting families during one of life’s most transformative experiences. She helps empower birthing individuals to embrace their unique journeys. She believes in the importance of informed decision making and supporting births to reflect each birthing family's birth values and desires, all while amplifying the birthing person’s voice. Her wish is that every birthing person and their partner feels safe, supported and loved through the birth and postpartum period. Whether it’s your first child or your fifth, she is there to help you navigate the joys and challenges of labor with confidence. When not being a doula, Kristen enjoys spending time with her two kiddos and spouse by going on walks, bike rides or just watching a cute movie together. She enjoys playing board games with family or friends, as well as doing pottery. You can see her pottery work on her Etsy shop. She welcomes and supports ALL types of families and birth stories, birth types and locations. LGBTQ friendly and Transgender Safe Space. Kristen Schell, CD(DONA), LCCE kristenschellbirth.com hello@kristenschellbirth.com Call or text: 269-332-1022 Facebook Instagram Other services offered: Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator Birth Photographer BRM Pro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/3aede5e9-3aa3-4fda-bbdb-faffa4ba3ebb/KristenSchell-3969-1280x853-1-768x512.jpg Kristen Schell - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/contact-bbj daily 0.75 2026-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/b291e90b-19aa-46c6-92ae-4d85a81da5df/3004062193.jpg Contact - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/childbirth-educators daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/7b1024c5-8260-49e8-85fa-cc4cbcc6dd96/Region+9+Doula+training-01012.jpg Childbirth Educators Childbirth Educators Even though the members of Better Birth Jackson fully believe that birth is a natural event, we also know that the intricacies of birth are not always intuitive. Preparation is your most powerful tool in attaining the birth you want. Childbirth educators don’t just teach you what happens during pregnancy, labor, and birth, but what evidence-based options you have to keep your birth centered on you as the decision-maker. Our doulas who provide childbirth eduction are: Elizabeth Beeker Alexandra Harper-Brees Kristen Schell https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/elizabeth-beecher daily 0.75 2025-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/21992f49-0a03-4ff2-a0bf-ebef8b5eabdb/bbeker.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/kaylynn daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/3b12d3cd-0be8-40e4-8392-e6cd8fb8eb9f/IMG_5543.jpeg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/kate-beall daily 0.75 2025-02-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/25c6084b-3985-4729-bc5e-4823e3efc51d/amy+birth+photos-07466.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/aisha daily 0.75 2024-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/7afc8425-bae0-4b83-bd4e-12ae9ca5d3f6/ash+l-00180.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/08453d90-90ba-4b0c-9029-bd91edf6ef82/ash+l-00027.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/karina-gerbers daily 0.75 2025-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/8579d111-e600-4386-8240-97e065219869/karina+g.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/classes daily 0.75 2025-11-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/6ea52dca-e749-45d3-9f40-7b8bfb5e60ce/lorena.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/26ad72d2-df13-4ddf-b5ce-e69213707a88/allison+-06821.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/support daily 0.75 2025-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/1738773072173-JN30ZPNL0XFPZ2RMGAK3/unsplash-image-_H1ZmUzwp9w.jpg https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/keana-lofton daily 0.75 2025-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/46c1cd54-3f81-4815-b457-503901cfd3c7/SALTEATERS-077.jpg Keana Lofton - Keana Lofton Keana is a full-spectrum doula and community breastfeeding specialist serving Lenawee County and surrounding areas. She is passionate about making sure families don’t have to navigate pregnancy, birth, or postpartum alone. Her approach blends evidence-based education with care that honors each family’s individual needs and journey — whether that’s helping a new mom find her rhythm in breastfeeding, guiding families through the postpartum transition, or simply holding space so parents feel seen, heard, and cared for. Keana welcomes all families, all birth stories, and believes every mother deserves access to nurturing, informed support. Outside of her work, Keana is a wife and mom to two adventurous boys. You’ll often find them camping, hiking, or tending their garden together. Every family deserves support. Let’s connect! Keana Lofton www.kendifamily.com loftonkeana@gmail.com 517-215-2444 Services offered: Birth Doula Postpartum Doula Lactation Support Placenta Encapsulation https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/tonya-wozniak daily 0.75 2026-03-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6086e7335afe4f7fa5c1f278/9c3f97e2-8f92-43d8-a49a-b6ab705dc99e/image1.jpeg Tonya Wozniak - Tonya Wozniak Tonya Wozniak, founder of Bump to Baby Services LLC, is deeply passionate about supporting families through all paths of the perinatal journey, from high-risk pregnancy and birth to postpartum healing, NICU experiences, and tender moments of loss and remembrance. Born and raised in Michigan and rooted in community health, Tonya understands the importance of compassionate, culturally-attuned care. A mother of four, over 16 years in the medical field with three years designated experience working in women’s health supporting high-risk pregnancies. Tonya brings a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to every family she serves. She has completed high-risk doula certification and prenatal group facilitation training, with NICU doula certification currently in progress. Tonya offers comprehensive support for vaginal and cesarean birth, VBAC preparation, postpartum recovery, lactation guidance, and bereavement care for families honoring babies gone too soon. Alongside her doula work, Tonya is a strong advocate for improving birth equity and is committed to reducing Black maternal and infant mortality through education, support, and empowered care. She believes every family deserves safety, dignity, and a steady hand to hold through this sacred season. Outside of supporting families, Tonya cherishes quiet moments with her loved ones, enjoys cheering on the Packers, and finds peace in nature while exploring new hiking trails with her fiancé and their American Bully pup. She is also deepening her meditation practice and embracing a life rooted in gratitude, presence, and connection. Tonya offers in-person support within one hour (70 miles) of Jackson, MI (including Northern Illinois and Northern Ohio) and virtual support nationwide. She accepts private-pay, Michigan Medicaid, and Commercial insurance plans and is committed to connecting families to accessible care options. Tonya provides: • High-Risk & Full-Spectrum Doula Support • Postpartum & Overnight Support • Bereavement & Pregnancy-After-Loss Support • Prenatal Education & Group Facilitation • Lactation & Feeding Support • NICU-Informed Support (Certification in Progress) • Trauma-informed, culturally-attuned, evidence-based guidance Reach out today to set up a free interview and consultation! www.bumpbabydoula.com 517.494.9441 Wozniak.tonya@gmail.com Services Offered Birth Doula Services Postpartum Doula Services Bereavement Doula Services Lactation Counselor Support https://www.betterbirthjackson.com/store daily 0.75 2025-02-03