Melissa Shaw, Birth Doula

Melissa brings 8 years of experience as a birth doula and 9 years as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) to her work supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and the transition into parenthood. Over the years, she has had the privilege of working with hundreds of families and has experienced a wide range of births and family circumstances.
Alongside working privately with families, Melissa spent 7 years working on a hospital maternity floor as both a birth doula and CLC. Her hospital experience gave her the opportunity to work closely alongside medical teams while supporting families through both routine and complex pregnancies and births. She was also frequently called upon to assist in the NICU with breastfeeding and feeding challenges, gaining valuable experience supporting families whose babies required additional medical care or had more complex feeding needs.

Her years of experience in both private practice and the hospital setting have allowed Melissa to support families through everything from straightforward, uncomplicated births to complex pregnancies, unexpected interventions, medical complications, NICU stays, and changes in birth plans. This breadth of experience has become one of Melissa’s greatest strengths as a doula. She understands that every birth is different and that families need a doula who can remain calm, flexible, and supportive when things don't go exactly as planned.

Melissa takes an individualized approach to birth support, providing calm, knowledgeable, evidence-based care while helping families feel informed, confident, and heard throughout their experience.

Melissa brings extensive experience supporting families with breastfeeding and infant feeding. Her experience with feeding challenges extends beyond typical newborn feeding concerns, including working with families navigating more complex circumstances and babies requiring additional support. She recognizes that the transition into parenthood continues well beyond the delivery room and strives to provide families with compassionate support through those first important days and weeks.

She is also Spinning Babies® trained, giving her additional tools to support maternal comfort, positioning, and optimal fetal positioning throughout pregnancy and labor.
After supporting hundreds of families, Melissa understands that sometimes one of the most valuable things a doula can provide is calm in the middle of uncertainty. Her experience allows her to recognize when something is outside the expected course, adapt when plans change, and continue providing steady, nonjudgmental support.
Above all, Melissa strives to ensure that every family she works with feels respected, informed, supported, and confident in their own birth experience.