Doula Services
What's a doula? I was trained through Sista Midwife Productions to specialize in supporting moms of color. Sista Midwife defines a doula as, "a professional birth worker who provides non-medical support to mothers and families." As a doula, I am trained to provide you information on all of your birthing options, techniques, support and resources to aid you through pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. I also provide tools to help you advocate for yourself and your baby.
I believe that you can have a positive, beautiful, healthy, and empowering experience and I'm here to facilitate that with you and your family! I aspire to bring a lot of laughter and joy to the process, too. I offer personalized packages to align with your goals, including but not limited to nutrition and herbal supports, birth position techniques, preparing your partner for the birthing experience, and how to manage your mental & spiritual health. I firmly believe in centering you and your desires throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences.
Breastfeeding Support: I am a certified breastfeeding specialist and can provide breastfeeding support.
Ready for your free 45-minute consultation? Contact caridadconsulting@gmail.com.
Crafting Your Birth: Workbook (free download provided by De La Luz Wellness)
"When thinking about the kind of doula I wanted and why I wanted a doula during my pregnancy, these were my main concerns :
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I wanted to feel like I had some power and knowledge during an experience that can be a roller coaster of emotions and can feel so completely overwhelming/confusing and when you are at your most vulnerable.
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I wanted to experience this process of growing/delivering life in a way that honored mine and my babies bodies.
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I wanted my husband and I to have support during this new scary/exciting/amazing experience.
I cannot say enough how Nicole exceeded all my expectations!
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She’s an herbalist and a foodie so she was able to provide me with natural and tasty options to help with discomforts and bodily preparations for labor and lactation support.
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She took time to listen to my concerns, my feelings, and my needs throughout pregnancy and post baby. I could text her any questions I had and she was so quick and attentive with her answers.
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Her education and training background made it so natural for her to facilitate and encourage pre/post conversations to help my husband and I have a strong foundation of trust and open communication for labor and delivery and navigating entering into parenthood.
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Her strong, direct and curious personality was the perfect combination to make her a strong advocate in the delivery room for my desires to be as natural as possible especially when Pitocin, an epidural, and cervical checks were so heavily promoted by the hospital staff.
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On top of all this mentioned above, Nicole’s friendliness and joy made each meeting we had and the 30 hours of laboring in the hospital, filled with laughter and encouragement to squat/walk/ and stay active through the pain.
Lastly, words from my husband, “it was so helpful and informative to have Nicole as our Doula, especially in the delivery room. She helped explain our options and kept the experience fun and enjoyable!”
If you’re considering a doula, I say do it! If you decide to have a doula, Nicole is your number one option that you will not regret!"
-T. Salas-Buise
"My experience with Dr. Ralston was the perfect amount of support and push for self-advocacy that I needed during and after my pregnancy. The flexibility with the packages, frequency to meet, and adapting to virtual and in-person visits made me feel respected and reassured. It was a huge relief to be able to call or text at any time with questions or concerns, and not only did she provide answers, but she also sent over literature, connections, and tips to further my own understanding of what I was going through. Having Dr. Caridad Ralston's support as a doula was particularly meaningful during the pandemic since my family could not be my side. It was very reassuring to have someone in the delivery room who was so calm and collected, that helped me face what I had always considered to be an absolutely terrifying experience. I believe that all of the exchanges, preparation and steps taken prior to delivery helped lead to a short and basically enjoyable labor and delivery. Nicole also captured some priceless moments on film that neither I nor my husband had the mental space to do in the moment at birth.
What was unique about the experience and what I valued the most was her openness to what kind of path I wanted to have, and how she made sure I explored all options until I felt comfortable with what was the best match for me. No two births, moms, or babies are alike, and even though I wasn't particularly dead set on one thing or another, I realized as we were going through the process that there were plenty of aspects I was unaware of or just had never considered that she helped me review and prepare for. Additionally, she has connected me with many local breastfeeding, lactation coaches and first time mom support circles, which has been instrumental in me gaining confidence in breastfeeding and normalizing the struggles and to not feel alone in them.
I deeply appreciate all of the time, work, care and thought that Dr. Ralston provided to me, my partner, and my baby, and I am very grateful to have been able to count on her in this journey!"
-C. Sanchez