Emma Nelson

Hey there! I'm a postpartum doula with a passion for supporting families during the transformative period of childbirth and beyond. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, I found my calling in maternal and infant health when studying sociology and gender & diversity at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After college, I dove into the non-profit world, focused on grant writing and donor relations. However, it was during this time that I felt a pull towards a more hands-on approach to making a difference in people's lives. That's when the universe intervened, in the form of a simple question from my sister: "Would you want to be my postpartum doula?"

My initial response? “Absolutely." Quickly followed by, "What's a postpartum doula?" Little did I know, that question would lead me down a path of discovery and fulfillment unlike any I'd experienced before.

I immersed myself in the magical world of birthwork, and in 2020, moved to San Francisco to continue helping families.

Now, as a certified postpartum doula, I bring a blend of empathy, expertise, and warmth to every family I serve. From lending a listening ear, to cooking, to offering practical assistance with newborn care and household tasks, I love helping families navigate the challenges and bliss of early parenthood.

Whether you're welcoming your first child or fifth, I'm here to advocate for you and provide the comfort and guidance you need to heal, rest, bond, and thrive.

Let’s begin this journey together- one stinky diaper and lactation cookie at a time!

Certifications & Credentials:

  • Trained and certified by Cornerstone Doula Trainings

  • CPR & First Aid certified

  • Liability insured

  • Cleared background check

  • Up-to-date on vaccines

Testimonials

“We were so fortunate to get matched to Emma, another caring, capable, and patient night doula. When Emma stepped in, our baby's sleep was improving but still inconsistent. With Emma, our son's sleep extended further. Emma tracked his sleep patterns and anything that seemed to help him stay asleep longer, and shared this info with us so we could also improve on nights she wasn't there. Our son gradually started to sleep longer and established a more regular pattern. Through the ups and downs with our son's sleep, Emma was a pleasure to work with, upbeat and patient with our hungry little guy. Emma seemed to genuinely enjoy being with our son, even when he was difficult, and this was such a relief and blessing. It's wonderful to get a good night of sleep knowing a caring, capable, and responsible person is watching over your infant” - Esh

“Emma was my postpartum doula after my second child was born. She was the first postpartum doula I’d worked with and I cannot imagine my postpartum experience without her in it. She was intuitive, kind, helpful, thoughtful, gentle, funny and graceful with me, my toddler, my partner and my newborn as we all navigated our new lives together. With her help, I was able to sleep so much more than I did in those first few weeks after my first pregnancy, as she helped with night care for my son. She also helped my healing with her gentle nature, amazing cooking abilities, and open-hearted presence. If I was going to have more kids, she would be an integral part of my postpartum team. 11 out of 10 recommend!” - Abbie

“Emma is incredible! Not only is she extremely knowledgable and has invaluable experience with newborns, her calm demeanor provided so much comfort and was exactly what I needed during the postpartum period. Emma was very professional, extremely punctual and earned our trust from the very beginning. She will always be a core memory of our beginning days at home with our daughter and we are so grateful for her care!” - Maggie

“Emma provided amazing support for our family during the postpartum period. She was nurturing, knowledgeable, and reliable. She took wonderful care of our newborn and also both of us as tired new parents. I felt completely confident that our son was in good hands under her care.  She has a warm and calm demeanor about her that puts all of us at ease whenever she's around.

Additionally, as new parents, we naturally had many questions. Emma provided us helpful advice from her prior experience as well as tailored to the care of our son. Furthermore, she would send me additional information and links to websites to follow up questions that I had.

Finally, she was very reliable and professional. She was proactive in communication with us as we neared the delivery date and throughout our time with her. If there were aspects of night care that I wanted to test (such as pumping while I was sick or trying bottle feeding later on), Emma was open to my ideas and helped guide me in making these care decisions. Our family was new to doulas and we were very appreciative to work with Emma. If we were to do this over again or have another child, we would certainly reach back out to Emma to work with us again.” - Mary

“We were so fortunate to have had Emma enter our lives with the arrival of our daughter. Emma was a calm, warm and steady presence as we embarked on like with a newborn. In addition to taking excellent care of our baby, she was also incredibly supportive of me as I navigated all the changes that come with postpartum. I will always cherish the memories of our late night conversations over feeds. It makes me happy to think of all the happiness Emma will bring other families who will have the opportunity to work with her.” - Kiki

“I was so lucky to have Emma as my nighttime postpartum doula after the birth of my second child. The postpartum period is hard and I don't know how I would have survived round two without her. She took amazing care of the whole family. She was so great with my daughter and knowing this, allowed me to actually sleep easy knowing she was in good hands. Her presence is calming, supportive, and completely nonjudgemental, while at the same time maintaining a sense of humor. She helped troubleshoot issues I was having with nursing, single handedly got my baby on a sleep schedule, cooked amazing and nutritious meals for us, and became a dear friend and confidant. With my first, I dreaded the nights -- they were isolating and frankly, depressing. Having Emma with my second was a totally different experience from my first postpartum period. I actually looked forward to those early nights -- getting to chat with Emma and feeling so supported. She's incredible and I cannot recommend her more highly.”- Samantha