Meet Our Team

Leah Frederick, RN, CLCPostpartum Doula, Founder & Owner

Since childhood Leah possessed a passion and fascination for Newborn, Child, and Women’s health. During college she worked by educating and supporting multiple families with newborn care and lactation support and continues to provide this same support today. She pursued her dream of helping mothers, infants, and children by obtaining a degree as a Registered Nurse specializing in maternal/child health as well as a certification in Lactation Counseling. She previously worked at Ochsner Medical Center on their Mother/Baby Unit, at St. David’s Medical Center in the Newborn Nursery and at OBGYN North – Natural Beginning Birth Center. Leah has been trained by DONA international as a labor doula to further her knowledge and experience to support expectant and new mothers with compassion and trust.
Throughout her professional career Leah found a strong need for additional support, assistance, and evidence based education from patients and friends regarding pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding support and care of the newborn. She desired to spend more time with her patients by providing in-home support through professional consulting. Leah also has three wonderful children of her own, Amelia, Ellis, and Evan.

Leah keeps up-to-date on current research and prepares new and expectant mothers and fathers for their journey into parenthood through her warmth and genuine nature. She provides families just what they need to feel at ease with the changes a new baby brings. She has built an amazing team to help support, guide, educate, and empower families during pregnancy and beyond.

Katie Coyne, MS, IBCLCLactation Consultant, Owner

Katie is a lactation consultant with nearly 10 years of experience supporting and educating in the field of women’s health and infant feeding. She previously worked for the Texas WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program, serving a variety of roles over the years as a nutritionist, breastfeeding trainer, and state breastfeeding coordinator. She spent years traveling across the great state of Texas providing breastfeeding training to hospital staff and community workers. She began her career in the field of nutrition, but quickly realized helping moms and babies was her calling. Which then started her path toward becoming an IBCLC.
Katie has a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences and a Master’s degree in Health Studies. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), teaching prenatal breastfeeding classes and providing one-on-one support for new moms. But she really just loves helping parents-to-be navigate the overwhelming, but sweet, world of babies — and making sure they have the support they need to meet their goals. Katie has one sweet daughter, Claire, in heaven and two kiddos here, Avery and Charlie!

Labor and Postpartum Doulas

Taylor Plattor, RNPostpartum Doula

Taylor’s passion for women’s health began early on in her nursing career and quickly expanded to newborn care and education. After completing her RN in 2016 she immediately began working as a postpartum nurse. By interacting with women and families from all walks of life, she realizes that each postpartum period will have its own set of unique challenges. Through encouragement, empowerment and support, her goal is to provide personalized care to help women navigate the 4th trimester. Getting to love on her families and babies is truly a gift and she is so honored to be a part of some of the most challenging yet beautiful parts of families lives. Taylor currently resides in Round Rock, TX and when she is not working she enjoys spending her time with her husband and son.

Alison Davenport, CDLabor Doula

Alison has been a labor doula serving families in the Austin area since 2015. She became interested in doula work after the birth of her first child when she realized what a life-altering experience birth can be, and what a difference the right support team can make. Alison received her training through Tiny Love Doulas and is passionate about supporting and empowering women throughout their pregnancy and birth. She loves working with women and their partners to help them achieve their goals and believes that a knowledgeable and loving support system is vital to creating happy and healthy families. Alison has experience in hospital, birthing center, home birth settings, and is experienced in the Hypnobirthing method. She lives in Cedar Park with her husband and three children.

Savannah Taylor, CD(DONA), CLCLabor and Postpartum Doula

Savannah came to doula work after the birth of her daughter in 2017. She is a holistic doula, and believes that birth is an event that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. She works with families from all different walks of life to provide individualistic and trauma-informed care, taking into account different backgrounds and social structures, and using clients’ specific hopes and concerns to uplift and support each birth and postpartum experience.

Savannah has a degree in political philosophy from Southwestern University, and she has published multiple papers on birth and breastfeeding. In 2018, she spoke at the TEDxBarton Springs Women Conference. Her TEDx Talk “Birth: Science and the Sacred” can be found at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=besiUyx7kkM

Savannah is queer inclusive and affirming, and believes that birth work is one of many powerful tools that can be used to create a more equitable world.

For placenta encapsulation, Savannah offers both raw and Traditional Chinese methods of encapsulation from the comfort of their own home. She is also a Certified Lactation Counselor through Healthy Children Project.

Savannah lives with her husband, two children. She is an avid gardener, soap maker, and amateur herbalist.

Meagan Noble CD (DTI)Labor & Postpartum Doula

Meagan is a full spectrum doula whose passion is providing support and community for families throughout their journey to parenthood. She provides unbiased information and hands-on support so you can discover what works best for you. As a veteran of three home births, Meagan believes all birthing people hold the power to birth in a way that is nurturing and self-affirming.

After a 15 year career in engineering, Meagan pivoted to follow her passion for birth and wellness and became certified as a full spectrum doula through Doula Trainings International in August 2021. She is also certified in the rebozo method for labor support and loves sharing it with families as a means of connecting partners during birth.

Meagan lives in central Austin with her husband, three kiddos (ages 11, 8, and 6), two rescue dogs, one ancient cat, and six chickens! In her (rare) free time, she loves to hike, take ballet class, read, and play the piano.

Carley Pearson, CD(DONA)Labor Doula

Prior to becoming a doula, Carley worked as a member of the Child Life team at Dell Children’s Medical Center where she provided normalization of the hospital environment to her young patients and their families. Carley’s passion for serving others began long before she immersed herself in the hospital environment. During her time as an undergraduate at The University of Texas, Carley assisted a family with a child with special needs for over three years. But it wasn’t until she witnessed a family member experience a difficult postpartum recovery in the fall of 2015 that she began to explore alternative ways of supporting mothers and their loved ones through the birth experience.

Carley embarked on the process of becoming a certified Doula and recently completed a graduate certificate in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She practices the “Slow Doula Method” by bringing intention and education to your birth experience and supporting you in your decisions. In addition to believing all interactions should be free from judgment, Carley strives to help all women feel empowered through motherhood and is your wholehearted cheerleader.

Carley completed her doula training through DONA International, is a member of the Central Texas Doula Association (CTDA), a volunteer with Giving Austin Labor Support (GALS), and CPR/First Aid certified.

Ashley DiStefanoPostpartum Doula

Ashley is certified postpartum doula & “life with baby” partner serving the Central Texas area. She provides evidence-based information and discreet support to families of all kinds.
The first weeks home with baby is a time of adjustment for the family. Her aim is to provide families a sense of comfort, confidence, and calm during the this time by providing to the family:
Nourishment
Knowledge
Emotional Support & Understanding
Rest
Ashley has a bachelor of science in family studies with an emphasis in birth to adolescent development and family dynamics. She is passionate about educating new mothers on postpartum mood disorders and positive mental health.

When she is not loving on new babies she spends her time on her homestead in Lockhart with her daughter, husband and two dogs.

Laura CroleyPostpartum Doula

Laura is passionate about meeting families where they are and supporting them in their journey through parenthood. She has 10 years of experience working with children – newborns and beyond. Her love of newborn care encouraged Laura to expand her training and become a postpartum doula. She received her birth and postpartum doula training from DONA International. Laura likes to focus on active listening and holding space for new mothers – while also balancing providing evidence-based information and resources. Laura knows the importance of support in the early weeks and months of parenthood and feels it an honor to be invited in on your journey.

Bonus for exhausted families: Laura LOVES cooking and nutrition and truly enjoys preparing nurturing, healing, and delicious foods beneficial for the postpartum period. She looks forward to providing your family non-judgmental, unbiased, and loving support and care!

Kristyn de LanceyLabor Doula

Kristyn discovered her passion for supporting growing families after taking a child development class her senior year in high school. She values caring for the individual as a whole, remembering that the mind and body are interconnected. She comes to doula work with a Masters in Social Work and uses these skills and her knowledge of mental health to support clients. She loves getting to know her clients and tailoring her services to best meet their needs.

Kristyn likes to focus on providing evidenced based information to assist clients in their decision making. She offers nonjudgmental support, recognizing that what works best for one family might not work best for another. Helping her clients know what their options are and feeling empowered to speak up for what they want is central to her practice. Kristyn has experience compassionately supporting families with high risk complications. She is trained in Spinning Babies and Hypnobabies and values continuing education.

Kristyn lives in East Austin with her partner, Peter. She loves being in nature, playing with her rescues dogs, Teddy and Roxy, and exploring the Austin food scene.

Educators

Darla Payne DNP, WHNP-BCEducator

Darla is a native of South Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls State University with a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1998. Early in her nursing career, she was given the opportunity to work as a Labor and Delivery nurse. Through that experience, she developed a strong passion for women’s health and their healthcare needs. In her desire to further her education in women’s health, Darla received a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama in 2009 and recognized as a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner by the National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecological, and Neonatal Nurse Specialties. In 2017, Darla obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a Nurse Educator subspecialty from the University of South Alabama and currently enjoys working as a lecturer for Southeastern Louisiana University College of Nursing.

Leigh Walinski, RNLabor & Postpartum Doula + Educator

Leigh is a birth and postpartum doula as well a registered nurse. She has always been fascinated by the human body and the process of pregnancy and childbirth, (no surprise there since her mother was a midwife)! She has recently come to birth and postpartum doula work after being a charge nurse in labor and delivery for the last 3+ years. Though she is new to officially being a doula, she has been a registered nurse for over 12 years, almost exclusively in women’s services. She has worked with both midwives and physicians and has attended home births, birth center births, and hospital births. Her vast experience from the lowest risk home births all the way up to very high risk deliveries where NICU and even ICU stays are planned, have earned her a wide array of skills and knowledge. Leigh feels her experiences as a registered nurse and also her own birth experiences help her to connect deeply and support women and families during such a momentous time in their lives. She is passionate about patient advocacy and informed choice, and fosters this through education and support. Leigh has done her best to live out her life’s passion by honoring women during their journey to and through motherhood, and is so excited to continue to support new mamas and families as a doula.

In addition to being a nurse and a doula, Leigh is the mother of 2 NICU graduates. She has a 7 year old daughter who spent 5 weeks in the NICU, and a 5 year old son who spent 5 days there. Her pregnancies were both high risk, and her deliveries were no exception. If she has the honor of caring for you, you should ask her how she and her husband came to choose their son’s name

Tanja Knutson, IBCLCLactation Consultant, Breastfeeding Educator, Communication Specialist

Tanja’s aim is to help parents through all the steep learning curves of parenthood starting with prenatal breastfeeding classes, couples classes called Keeping the Spark Alive, lactation consults, new moms’ groups, and parenting workshops called How To Talk So Kids Will Listen. Since 2001, she has volunteered with La Leche League International, a breastfeeding support group that helped her overcome her own breastfeeding challenges with her first child. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, (IBCLC) working in private practice in the Austin area. She is trained in Communication Skills Development, Human Relations Enrichment, and had the privilege of being trained specifically for the How To Talk parenting program by psychologist Roseline Roy, who worked directly with Faber & Mazlish, the best-selling authors of this world-renowned program.

Linda Zeccola, RN, IBCLCEducator, Lactation Consultant

Linda has over 30 years of experience working with childbearing families, teaching prenatal classes, providing care during the hospital stay, and after hospital discharge. She has worked as a nurse in medical-surgical, labor/ delivery, and postpartum units. Early in her career, she realized her passion was in helping with breastfeeding and that passion continues today. She also has worked with the state WIC program, creating and presenting educational programs for health care professionals across Texas. Linda is a mother and grandmother. She loves spending time with family, volunteering, taking ballet class, and training for triathlons.

Danielle Duquette, APRN, CNM, MSN

Danielle’s passion to become a midwife was led by her desire to provide gentle, compassionate care while empowering women and their families to take charge of their health care decisions. She is proud to offer her clients personalized care and education. Danielle has worked in labor and delivery for over 11 years in various capacities. She entered this field as a doula, followed by 5 years of work as a labor and delivery nurse. Her professional experiences range from the most acute, high-risk deliveries, to birth center and low-risk home births. Danielle graduated with her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Mercy College of Health Sciences in 2011 and graduated from Frontier Nursing University as a Certified Nurse Midwife in 2016. Danielle lives here in Austin with her husband of 16 years and their 6 children. Life for them is full of family activities and just enjoying the Austin life.

Lactation Consultants

Jessi Cano, RD, IBCLCLactation Consultant

Jessi has been supporting families in reaching their nutrition and breastfeeding goals since 2004. She is a Lactation Consultant for Stork and the Infant Feeding Strategist for the Texas Department of State Health Services WIC Program. She leads a team of dietitians and lactation consultants that train and support medical staff, community partners, and parents across the state on all aspects of infant feeding. She earned her degree in Nutrition from Baylor University and went on to become a Registered Dietitian through Texas Woman’s University. She consulted with clients and taught classes on weight management, sports nutrition and nutrition in pregnancy /postpartum. Breastfeeding is such a beautiful and rewarding experience, and as Jessi learned through her own struggles, it can also come with unique challenges.

Karin Ali, MSEd., IBCLCLactation Consultant

Karin began working with babies and their families in 2005. She loves living in Austin, and also truly loves working as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Postpartum Doula. When supporting parents and families, she draws on her many experiences as a mother of three children (including twins), her education and knowledge, and her hands-on experience in order to provide personalized, sensitive, and informed care. She is also a La Leche League Leader, which along with her other work, has enhanced her ability to provide compassionate one-on-one support.

In addition to her lactation and postpartum work, Karin has a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Secondary Education. Within La Leche League, Karin works internationally as an administrator, accrediting new Leaders around the world, including in the U.S., China, India, Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. She feels strongly about respecting families’ diversity, cultures, and beliefs, and continuing to learn as much as she can to help families, both in the present and in the future. She is a member of both the Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition and the Central Texas Doula Association.

Spa Professionals

Rita Fish, LMTLicensed Massage Therapist

Rita has a special passion for Prenatal and Postpartum massage. She understands that a woman’s body undergoes rapid transformations during pregnancy. With a strong foundation in Anatomy and Kinesiology she provides a targeted approach to relieve leg cramps, swollen feet, low back and hip pain, sciatic nerve pain, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and other tension patterns. Prenatal massage can also reduce blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression. She graduated from The Lauterstein-Conway School of Massage in Austin in 2012 but her interest in massage therapy began when she was only 13. Having a mom that practices massage therapy gave her a unique insight to the power of bodywork that fueled her passion at a young age.