ABOUT US
We believe that you are stronger than you know and we are here to support you along your own unique and individual journey. We are so grateful to be supporting people during this huge life transition: from pregnancy through birth and early parenthood.
ABOUT VICKIE
Hi! I am Vickie (she/her) and I am the founder of Nurtured Beginnings. I am a birth doula, a postpartum doula, a lactation counselor, a certified childbirth educator, a doula mentor and a home birth midwife’s assistant-in-training. Over the past 4 years and a half as a doula, I have supported over 230 families during the perinatal period and have attended over 130 births.
I truly understand that there are so many choices and decisions for you to navigate during this time. There is not a right or wrong way to be pregnant, to birth or to be a parent. I care that you feel informed and empowered during this process/journey.
I believe that birthing people’s bodies instinctively know how to birth and my goals are to help keep you as calm and centered as possible during your labor and birth and to believe in yourself and your body! I aspire to help you connect to your birthing instincts (which you DO have!), to help you listen to your body’s needs and trust the birthing process.
I am a native Brooklynite, Latina, and former educator/administrator. I received my B.A in Economics from Williams College and my M.S. in Teaching from Pace University.
MEET MY TEAM
Rachel André and I have been doula partners since November 2022. Since that time, together we have supported over 50 clients as they have navigated their pregnancy through postpartum experiences. While we wrote our bios separately, you will see so many common threads in how we like to support families. We would love to learn more about you and hear your story.
Hi! I’m Rachel (she/they). Although I have been a witness and sometimes an active participant in births since a very young age, I’ve been working as a trained birth and postpartum doula since June 2018 and have supported 250+ families throughout the NYC area. I am a certified lactation support counselor, integrative lactation and baby feeding specialist, a trained lactation educator, doula mentor, placenta specialist and currently obtaining clinical hours at Jamaica Hospital to become an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
My philosophy is simple - there is no wrong way to birth as long as your choices and decisions through the journey are being heard and respected. In working together, I hope to co-create the vision for how you would like to feel during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum; helping you move through this time building confidence in your ability to decide what feels right for you. My style is rooted in mindfulness; working with the tools we already have to help us stay grounded and present in the moment.
I have been a Brooklyn resident since 2004 and live one block away from Prospect Park with my child, Simone, and dogs, Elfie and Gyda. I have a BFA in Studio Art from Hunter, own a recurve bow, have a depth of knowledge in native new york plants and study herbalism. I am a LGBTQIA2S+ friendly doula - gender affirming care matters to me!
Aixa was my birth doula client in 2021 and I was honored to have supported her and her husband for the birth of their son, Leo. She is an incredible person and I am beyond excited to mentor her as she is navigating her birth doula/lactation specialist/birth photographer journey. Read more about her below.
Hi, I’m Aixa (she/her). I’m a birth + postpartum doula, birth photographer and lactation specialist.
I had my son, Leonardo, in the middle of a pandemic with the support of my wonderful doula, Vickie, and guided by the incredible Shawna King (the midwife who delivered both Vickie and my’s babies.) My birth team was phenomenal. They helped educate me or point me to resources where I could educate myself, inspired me to make my own informed decisions and listen to my body cues. When I had a hard time finding my own inner wisdom, they offered extra guidance while still honoring my individuality and autonomy throughout my entire birth and postpartum experience. Their approach was so transformative that it inspired me to want to give to others what they gave me. So, within two years of my birth, I decided to pursue a career in birthwork myself!
I hope to bring all of my training and parenting experiences to inform my relationships with parents, so that they too feel supported in their own individuality like I did during my birth. I believe it’s our right to birth and parent the way we’d like to. One of my biggest priorities is to echo your choices, not advocate for you, but alongside you, and help guide you in finding your own way through this wild adventure that is parenting.
I am an immigrant, a Latina, and an artist. I hold a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film from Columbia University.