Community Birth/Lactation Professionals

Jessica Westbrook, Birth & Postpartum Doula, Encapsulation Specialist 

Hamden, CT 

Jessica is a New Haven native who is passionate about uplifting and supporting her community. By providing birth services, she is able to be an advocate and provide a safe space for new families. She is a mother of three who has gained a tremendous amount of hands on experience with pregnancy and the postpartum needs of every mother.

She plans to expand her services to other aspiring doulas in the community by offering scholarships for those who are interested in Birth/Postpartum Doula Certification. She is working to decrease mortality rates among women of color by offering her services to underserved communities in Connecticut.

Follow Jessica @thelotusdoulagroup

Shamica Frasier, Birth & Postpartum Doula, CLC

New Haven, CT

Shamica is a Birth and Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Speaker and Founder of New Birth Journey LLC. She's on a mission to equip women with proper support and knowledge throughout the birth and labor process, as well as postpartum and lactation assistance. As a full-time working mother of three, Shamica earned her Doula and Lactation Certification from the International Doula Institute.

Shamica is a native of New Haven Connecticut. She's a proud mother who graduated high school with high honors while raising her son, who inspired her life's calling dream business.

Follow Shamica @issabirthjourney 

Whitley Mingo, MSW, eCID 

Hartford, CT 

Whitley is a Maternal Child Health Social Worker, Certified Interdisciplinary Doula and Childbirth Educator serving the state the Greater Hartford area. With over 8 years of maternal child health experience, she brings a wealth of knowledge and believes all families should have access to evidence based information and resources about birth and parenthood. Whitley is a familiar face within the community through her previous work providing perinatal outreach and parent education to pregnant and postpartum families with Community agencies. Whitley is a dedicated advocate for all birthing families-especially those of color. Her work addresses disparities in pregnancy, birth, lactation, and postpartum outcomes. Whitley also provides free perinatal support groups for BIPOC families residing in or around inner city communities; Including infant CPR classes.

Follow Whitley @nubeing_doula 

Taylor Smith, Doula, CLC

New Haven, CT 

Taylor comes from a background of serving others. Before becoming an Interdisciplinary Doula, her roles always involved taking care of others. Her own birth experiences allowed her to answer the call to Birth Work. Taylor prides herself on her dedication to the families she works with and genuinely loves to see families and their babies thriving. 

Taylor has strong interests in science, nutrition, herbal remedies and lactation. As a current Certified Lactation Counselor, she has added to her personal knowledge of breastfeeding and is extremely passionate about helping women through their pregnancy and breastfeeding journeys.

Follow Taylor @nourishourseeds

Tenesha Davis

Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Hartford, CT

I'm a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor serving women in the Trinity Health Network giving birth at St. Francis Hospital. My offices are located in the St. Francis OBGYN clinic and the Trinity Health Medical Group Practice in Vernon, CT. I offer evidence based breastfeeding education and postpartum support through a free home based program called Breastfeeding Heritage & Pride for up to a year post partum or however long you are breastfeeding.