Holly Heller

As founder of Birthing Tree it’s important for you to know me as much as I will know you so that we can work together in a harmonious environment. Learning a small amount now and A LOT as we grow together starts here.

My path to becoming a doula has taken many twist and turns. After the birth of my first daughter I realized my passion for lactation support. My sweet girl would not nurse, take a bottle, and barely would take breast milk from a syringe. It was a lactation consultant that helped me get her feeding where it should be and what thrust me into the birth world. My second pregnancy was a curveball! I was on bed rest from 17 weeks to 37 weeks! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. My daughter and I both needed a babysitter while my husband was at work. It was after my second pregnancy with many ups and downs that I decided being  doula was where I needed to be in life. I wanted to help mothers know all of the options that maybe they were not learning about from their doctor. Better outcomes for YOUR pregnancy, YOUR delivery, and YOUR postpartum.

In realizing my dream to become a doula my family was right behind me and supported me all the way. In 2012 I started my doula certification process and was certified with Childbirth International. I was eager to share with moms the knowledge I had learned. I wanted to educate moms on all the vast options that I never knew existed. I wanted them to know that they had support emotionally, spiritually, and physically that they could count on. Soon after I added my postpartum doula certification so that the healing process could also be a smoother transition not just for mom but for the WHOLE family. A doula for the whole family? Yes; I wanted to be a postpartum doula too. I knew that I wanted to help families transition from pregnancy to parenthood. Allow your bodies to heal and give yourself time to bond with baby and family. I am beyond excited for the families that I have served and made lasting friendships with and I am honored for those that will choose me to be on their birth team in the future. My goal is to assist you in the ways that you feel best supports your family. At Birthing Tree our desire is to take the most holistic, whole body approach to pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and beyond that we can with all your wishes at heart’s center.

Credentials

Caitlin Archer

Hey, I’m Caitlin! I’m a mama of two beautiful children and a devoted wife to my husband, Jason, since 2011. I graduated from Fortis in 2013 with my Associates Degree in Nursing and went on to finish my Bachelor’s Degree at Kaplan University in 2016. During nursing school, I was fortunate to witness many beautiful babies come earth-side which led to my passion for Maternal Health.

After my son was born in a very “traditional” and lackluster hospital setting, I became more aware of my options. I educated myself on more natural and holistic ways to experience pregnancy and labor. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I hired Holly Heller as my doula. My birth experience the second time around was uplifting, empowering, and overall amazing. I realized that receiving support during my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was essential as I transitioned into motherhood.

My hope, as your birth doula, is to be a source of support that strengthens and empowers you to be brave and at peace during childbirth. I will be there to remind you that you are strong and capable. You’ve got this, mama!

I am unbiased and respect all families and all births. I am committed to helping you achieve a personalized and blissful experience for you, your family, and your beautiful new life.

Caitlin Archer, RN
BEST Doula Certified

Alicen Carr

Many times we’ll hear a doula say that a distressing or even traumatic birth experience was what compelled them towards this role. My beginnings as a doula, however, are from an entirely different origin. I was in a quandary during high school about what my course of action would be after completion, knowing that my passion was working with mamas and babies but not being quite sure at the prospect of becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife.

Hearing my sister detail the help her doula had been in her recent delivery was my lightbulb moment, she was describing the dream job I had never even heard of! Midwives are wonderful at treating mama’s medical needs, but my vision for myself was to be able to purely focus on supporting families emotionally and physically through pregnancy and delivery.

With encouragement from my wonderful then boyfriend, now husband, I earned my certification through the International Doula Institute and have been privileged to fulfil a mentorship under Holly’s experience here at Birthing Tree. The birth of our own baby girl early in 2021 was beautiful and that inspires me even more so now to help mamas have that marvelous experience of a positive birth.

Melissa Glibbery

As the youngest of 6 kids, I was fortunate to watch my family grow as my siblings birthed their babies. In my teenage years, my sweet nephew was born and I was able to be by my sister’s side, holding space and cheering her on while she birthed her baby boy.  I was young and I didn’t understand much about how babies were born or the journey parents embark on once their little one is in their arms. What I did know and understand in that moment was the beauty, power, and strength behind mothers performing miracles and birthing their babies, and I knew someway, somehow it would become part of my life and who I am.

When it came time for me to become a mother, I felt comforted by all those around me that had done it before. I followed everything I was told instead of researching on my own and knowing my options. I thought those were my options and that was it. My choices led me to have a less than desirable birth experience that left me hurt, confused, and scared. I longed for certain precious moments I felt I missed out on. So with each of my consecutive births, I researched anything and everything and made changes each time. One thing that I chose after my first birth and never changed was having a doula by my side.

Having a doula by my side for my second and third births made a huge difference in my experiences and journey through motherhood. Not only did I receive so much support, love, and comfort both physical and emotional, but so did my husband and my children with each new babe. As your birth or postpartum doula, my goal is to hold space for you, to uplift and empower you in your choices, and to support you and your family through this beautiful new journey.