About Us

Toni Auker, LCCE

Birth Doula, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Babywearing Consultant

When I graduated with a degree in psychology and women’s studies, I had no idea what I would do with it. I knew that I wanted to work with families, but never seemed to find the right fit. After the birth of my first son in 2011, everything changed. I became passionate about pregnancy and helping women feel empowered in their birth experiences. I attended birth doula training and I immediately knew that I had found what I was looking for.
Since 2011, I have taken classes to teach babywearing, began teaching childbirth classes, and continue to attend as many births as I can. As a birth doula, I aim to give you informational, emotional, and physical support so that you can feel in control during your birth. It is your birth, and I am lucky to be a small part of the story.

Contact Toni:  734/730-2909 or toni@treetowndoulas.com

Learn more about Toni

Martha Baum

Birth and Postpartum Doula, Placenta Encapsulation, Breastfeeding Support, Private Childbirth and Infant Care Classes

Hi, I’m Martha and I have been a doula for over 20 years.  My love for moms and babies has led me to have a career that I love and  hope to continue for a long time to come.  I am a mom of two awesome young men and grandma to three fun little humans.  My own journey began with my boys births, breastfeeding and challenges, but I have been fortunate to have people that helped to guide me through.  As a doula, I am here to lend comfort, support you and your family, educate, nurture, and provide resources to help you with your journey. I became a placenta preparer five years ago and truly believe it is the best natural supplement to help heal you own body. I would love to answer any of your questions about birth and beyond.

Contact Martha: 734-366-3188 or martha@treetowndoulas.com

Anna Fernandez, CPM, M

Birth Doula, Certified Professional Midwife, Community Herbalist offering Herbal Support for Fertility, Birth, Postpartum and Women’s Health

During my first pregnancy, I lived with two doulas. Before that time, I had never even heard the word doula. These women opened my eyes to the power of support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. They would come home after births and despite the often late or early hour, I would beg for details and was fascinated with every word.

When my son was 6 months old in 1999, I took a doula training course and began attending births. Since then I have also become a Certified Professional Midwife and have attended hundreds of births. I have two children myself. I love working with each unique family, tailoring my skills around each birthing mother’s desires and working as part of a team to make the birth experience the most positive it can be.

I am also a Community Herbalist and offer herbal support for those interested for before and during pregnancy as well as postpartum and beyond.

Anna is currently in school to become a Certified Nurse Midwife and unfortunately is taking a break from doula work.

Contact Anna:734/395-5868 or anna@treetowndoulas.com

Cynthia Gabriel, Ph.D.

Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, Medical Anthropologist

I love birth! I started attending births in 1998 in California before I had my own children. Since then, I’ve attended births in Russia, Canada, and across the United States, at home, at birth centers, and in hospitals. Along the way, I gave birth to three children of my own. In addition to attending births, I’ve interviewed over 200 women who had achieved natural hospital births and wrote the book “Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds.” With a PhD from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Post-Doctorate Fellowship from the University of Michigan, I have conducted research on a variety of childbearing issues. My current projects are about Muslim-America women’s birth experiences in U.S. hospitals and African-American birth choices.

Contact Cynthia: 734/929-7317 or Cynthia@treetowndoulas.com

Learn more about Cynthia

Lisa Anderson

Postpartum Doula, Clinical Social Worker, Support group facilitator

I love helping families navigate transition into new parenthood!  I have been working in the Perinatal Mental Health field as a Clinical Social Worker and am now  branching out to provide excellent care and support to the family in the home.  It is my belief that great beginnings lead to happy families and that it is critical to support mother's mental health through this radically changing period of life.

I offer routine postpartum doula care as well as perinatal mental health assessments and adjustment counseling.  I also facilitate MomShare, a drop in, support group for new mothers.  https://womenscentersemi.org/momshare/

I have 3 wonderful girls and have been married to Steve for 21 years.  I have completed training through DONA  for postpartum doula services and I look forward to helping you in your home!

Contact Lisa:734/646-1864 or Lisa@treetowndoulas.com

Anna Kreiner, B.S.

Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Support, Microbiologist

Additional training: Racism & Privilege in Birthwork by Birthing Advocacy, and Indigenous Birthing: Trauma and Resilience by Birth Bruja

Throughout my life I have always had a passion for supporting others. In addition to this I spent several of my adolescent years living in the Netherlands, where I grew up listening to the stories of parents and their experiences of pregnancy/ parenthood in different countries. These interests grew into a passion for community healing, education, and empowerment that I continue to fulfill through birth work, and working with teens to process poverty-based trauma. I received my Bachelor's of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Spanish Language from the University of Michigan.
I have been a birth doula since 2016, and have since fallen in love with birth work. I have been fortunate enough to support parents from many diverse backgrounds through natural, VBAC, Cesarean, and adoptive births. I fully believe that each parent deserves a positive and empowering labor experience. It is my priority as a birth doula to ensure that the parents I work with have access to knowledge, resources, and support (both physical and emotional) that validate their experiences, identities, uplift their voices, and help them work towards creating the birth experience they envision. I know pregnancy and birth can be overwhelming. There is so much information coming from all directions. My hope is to support you in navigating this process to obtain the clarity and information you need to make informed decisions, and know that both you and your baby are in good hands. After your baby is born I will help you settle in, start breastfeeding/chestfeeding/bodyfeeding if that is part of your plan, and provide you with support in adjusting to your new role. I have seen the life-changing influence that compassionate and non-judgmental support can create. I hope to help you navigate your journey through pregnancy and into parenthood smoothly and with confidence.

Contact Anna:248/ 535-6476 or Annak@treetowndoulas.com

Erica McLeod, CLC

Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Postpartum Doula, Wearable Baby Carrier Educator, Breastfeeding Educator

I have four children. Four amazing, spunky, once soft-squishy, now solid children. I vividly remember how each one of them arrived earth-side, and how each one of them nursed. Fortunately, I was not alone in this great and true labor of love; I had support from my midwives, partner, family, and friends. Of special importance was a breastfeeding support person who boosted my confidence, and gave me strength when I needed it most.

I humbly ask your permission to join you on your journey through birth and afterwards. My aim is to support you, to boost your confidence, and give you strength through any breastfeeding or parenting hurdles. Many people joke that a postpartum doula works herself out of a job, and they are correct.

Since the birth of my first child in 2007, I have been wearing babies in carriers, taken classes on how to use wearable baby carriers, and became a leader of a local babywearing group. I have been working as a breastfeeding counselor and educator for nine years and have had the privilege of providing support to thousands of women. I attended my postpartum doula training in 2014 (while seven months pregnant with my fourth child) and received my CLC in 2015. I am fluent in American Sign Language.

As a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and postpartum doula, I will make myself available to meet your needs whether it be in person, on the phone, in text or email, however you feel comfortable reaching out.

 

Contact Erica: 734/913-0794 or Erica@treetowndoulas.com

Tara Sullivan, RN, IBCLC, LCCE

Birth Doula, RN, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator

My journey into the birthing world started with the birth of my son in 2001. He rocked my world and changed my life forever. When I began volunteering in a nursing home in my teen years, I knew I wanted to become a nurse because a passion for caring for others was ignited in me. Then, after my son was born, I knew I wanted to be part of the miracle of birth and help moms with their birth journey. 

As a young, single mom, I qualified for a program where a nurse would come to my home and teach me how to care for my newborn. I was alone, afraid, and inexperienced, and this nurse gave me exactly what I needed: love and compassion without judgment. In addition, she encouraged me not to give up my dream of becoming a nurse. 

With the support of her and many others, I attended nursing school and achieved my goal of becoming a registered nurse. During that time, I met and married my husband and had four more children.

Throughout my 17 year career as an OB nurse, I have worked in the Nursery, Post Partum, and Labor and Delivery departments. Also, I continue to teach Lamaze Child Birth Classes and support  moms with their breastfeeding goals. In 2011, I had the amazing opportunity to work as a travel nurse in Hawaii. There, I had the privilege of working in a hospital in which the Birthing Unit was entirely run by midwives. This was my first experience participating in a more natural and holistic birthing process  within a hospital environment. This ignited the spark which led me to become a Birth Doula, Finish my Lamaze Certification, and  become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. 

My hope is that everyone I help will feel the same kind of love and compassion that I felt all those years ago. As your doula, I aspire to always give loving care and share my knowledge and wisdom to help you make choices that are right for your family. Giving birth is a natural, beautiful and personal experience, and I am always honored and humbled when a family invites me to be a part of it.

Contact Tara: 313/618-4206 or Tara@treetowndoulas.com

Liz Thomas

Postpartum Doula, Babywearing Educator, Group Support Facilitator

My drive for supporting new families began after the birth of my first child, when I experienced the nuanced difference between medical prenatal care, and the personalized prenatal care of a Michigan homebirth midwife. Learning to appreciate the strength of both approaches gives me a balanced perspective for parents to share their birthing story, to help them process and adapt to the changes within their household, and emerge empowered, well rested, and able to embrace new parenthood. 
My background includes founding the Canton Babywearers support group in 2014 after I saw the need for local peer support. I focused our group outreach on identifying local leaders and reducing barriers of location and economic availability of baby carriers in the area. 
In 2019, I completed my Postpartum Doula training through DONA with Patty Brennan at the Center for the Childbearing Year. I also participate in classes of craniosacral therapy for newborns (an approach that can help with breastfeeding) with an established Ann Arbor practitioner. In the past, I have worked at Indigo Forest, a family natural health store, learning about natural ways to support postpartum recovery, and I have attended breastfeeding support groups there and with La Leche in Livonia for years.
To me, postpartum care is both supporting the mother-baby dyad and using my training and experience to guide the family in adjusting to their new dynamic. For the birthing parent, this means breastfeeding support and troubleshooting, helping connect to support groups, and daily postpartum care like healing herbal baths, making meals, and getting naps while I care for the baby.
For the family, this can mean household chores, sibling care, figuring out a system where everyone feels included and supported in their relationship with the new baby, and extensive babywearing support.
I love watching my families transition from what is sometimes awkward new parenthood, to bloom into their new lives with their baby. It's an honor to be of service during this precious time for your family. 

Contact Liz: 773/983-4841 or liz@treetowndoulas.com