Experience & Credentials:
Certified Birth Doula, DONA
Trained Postpartum Doula, BADT
Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator
CPR and First Aid Certified, Adult and Child
OR Certified Doula, Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital
Trainer for Vanderbilt Volunteer Doula Program
BA (Psychology), Boston University
MA (Forensic Psychology), University of Denver
Head of Birth Doula Services, Terra Cotta Perinatal Services
Meet Amanda
Amanda (she/her) knew from an early age that her passion was advocacy and supporting people as they navigated life’s changes and this passion led her to study psychology at Boston University before earning her Master’s in Forensic Psychology at the University of Denver. She worked in victim advocacy for law enforcement and had the honor and privilege of walking alongside people as they experienced the hardest moments of their lives. Several years after graduating, Amanda, a born and bred East Coast girl, moved to Nashville to experience all that Music City had to offer.
Having always thought that birth work was fascinating and so needed, the pull of advocacy eventually led Amanda to research being a doula and to complete her birth doula training with DONA-approved trainer Robin Elise Weiss. A huge believer in following one’s heart, Amanda was completely hooked after only one birth and knew that this was her calling: THIS was how she could employ her passion for advocacy, THIS was how she could provide trauma-informed care, THIS was how she could wake up every day and feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing one’s work is meaningful and makes a difference in the world.
Amanda practices a trauma-informed model of care and, as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, believes in serving all families while honoring everyone exactly as they are. She loves to educate, empower, and uplift all of her clients and supports all of their choices without judgment. Known for shedding a few tears at every birth, she always has chocolate on hand for a little post-delivery pick-me-up!
When not working, Amanda can usually be found tearing through the latest psychological thriller (she always welcomes recommendations!), experimenting with new recipes, and visiting her many far-flung loved ones.
“I could not be more grateful for East Nashville Doulas. We matched with and hired Amanda during my first trimester, and I absolutely cannot imagine going through our pregnancy, labor, and delivery without her. She recommended our new OB when I wanted to switch practices (and it was exactly who I ended up needing) as well as a counseling center when I had perinatal anxiety, a pelvic floor specialist when I was having pelvic pain, and a lactation consultant that all turned out to be amazing. We planned for a birthing center birth, but I ended up needing to be induced and Amanda was the perfect knowledgeable and calming presence during our time at the hospital, and I truly believe things went as well as they did because I had her there. I would 100% recommend Amanda (and East Nashville Doulas) to any of my expecting friends.”
“The amount of support that was provided to us by our doula, Amanda, before, during, and after delivery was simply amazing! She was attentive, knowledgeable, and helped us navigate our first pregnancy/birth in a way that mitigated my severe anxieties. Amanda helped us not only formulate our birth vision by explaining all the potential procedures that could arise during birth, but she helped us make on demand decisions in the delivery room, which gave us a sense of control in such an unpredictable situation. All in all, hiring through East Nashville Doulas was one of the best decisions my husband and I made after finding out we were expecting. Honestly, we wouldn’t look back at our daughter’s birth story with such pride and a sense of peace without Amanda’s physical and emotional support throughout. We are forever grateful, and therefore, I would highly recommend East Nashville Doulas to anyone any day, and more so if they could work with Amanda during their pregnancy journey!”