Meet Our Team

Mary Kate (she/her) is a passionate woman with a thirst for knowledge. Originally on the path to a career in medicine, Mary Kate quickly realized that the difference she had always dreamed of making had more to do with empowering the people she works with rather than diagnosing and treating. With the matriarchs in her family setting a clear example of caring for and educating new parents, Mary Kate refocused her energy and pursued her passion of maternal and child health by becoming a professional doula.

As a child, Mary Kate told anyone who would listen that she would one day grow up to own an adoption agency and an animal shelter. The two businesses would be side by side so that each child would be paired with an animal for love and support. Mary Kate knew then the power of attunement and continuity, and in her work today as a doula, she is constantly reminded of how powerful one can feel when they have the support of someone they feel attuned to by their side.

Mary Kate is a trained and experienced birth and postpartum doula with a background in maternal and pediatric medicine, behavioral and mental health, emergency medicine, and bereavement.

She has specialized training in multiples, high risk and medically complicated pregnancies, and specialized postpartum care.

Mary Kate is also experienced in education (childbirth, postpartum, infant care), photography (birth, postpartum, pregnancy loss), and NICU families (transitions, coping, bonding).

Mary Kate’s doula related training includes the following: DONA International Birth Doula Training; CAPPA Labor Doula Training; CAPPA Postpartum Training; UVMMC Volunteer Doula Program Training; Childbirth Educator Training with Birth-Media;Bereavement and Loss Education; Mental Health & Substance Abuse Counseling; ProDoula Labor Doula; Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care Certificate Program; NILMDTS Medical Affiliate.

Mary Kate’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of New England. She is a formerly Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)/ EMT Educator and Practical exam facilitator. Additionally, she is a Certified Pediatric Clinical Assistant, a trained OB/GYN Medical Assistant, and a Certified Pediatric Behavioral Health Professional for the state of Maine.

Mary Kate is a national conference speaker with guest spots on Vermont Public Radio. She is also the cheerleading coach for a competitive youth team and a volunteer for an animal rescue program. In her down time, Mary Kate lives an active lifestyle but also very much enjoys downtime cuddling with her rescued sled dog, Sirius. She and her fiance, Jake, met singing together in a contemporary a capella group called Root7. You’ll know it’s them on the road when music is blaring from the car and they’re dancing behind the wheel while singing along at the top of their lungs!

Haley (she/her) is a pediatric RN, a professionally trained and certified labor and postpartum doula, a new parent educator, and an infant feeding educator. Haley’s extensive compilation of training, education, and accomplishments enhance her support of Vermont families. She has experience supporting a wide variety of families, varying from families with multiples, high-risk pregnancy and birth, cesarean birth, surrogacy, LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and home birth. She has extensive breastfeeding experience and particularly loves and specializes in postpartum overnight support.

Growing up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, birth and early parenting was normalized by the life experiences that surrounded her. Stemming from a lifelong interest in birth and babies, and following in her aunt’s footsteps, she decided to pursue a career in nursing. While finishing her degree she spent three months as a nurse extern on the Birthing Pavilion of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Here she gained invaluable experience in labor and delivery, as well as newborn and postpartum care.

Shortly after she graduated from UVM with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, she began working as an RN for a small pediatric practice in Richmond, Vt (Richmond Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine), where she continues to work to this day. She enjoys the continuity of care that working for a small practice brings and can’t believe how quickly all of her patients are growing up! Haley also worked for two years per diem as a nurse at Northwestern Medical Center (St. Albans, Vt) in their Family Birth Center. While working at the birthing center it became clear to her that something was missing for her. Due to the role of a modern nurse (focusing mostly on the medical aspect of care, administering medications etc…), she was unable to give the individual attention and support to each of her patients that she so desired to give. Her passion for education and individualized support led her to end her time at NMC and pursue her doula career. Haley trained and was certified as a labor doula through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association).

It wasn’t until the taxing postpartum period that followed the birth of her son, that Haley’s true passion for providing postpartum support was ignited. A long, difficult, medication-free birth, with no sleep for many days, followed by extensive breastfeeding difficulties, and undiagnosed postpartum anxiety led Haley to the revelation that planning for the postpartum period should be as equally emphasized as planning for birth. She trained and is certified as a postpartum doula and new parent educator through CAPPA.

“No one should have a baby and be left to feel isolated, alone, and trapped in a dark and scary place. The postpartum period is powerful and requires tremendous support.” - Haley Parizo

In 2018 Haley officially founded Island Doula, LLC, providing pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support to countless Vermont families. In addition to running Island Doula, in 2019 Haley helped build UVMMC’s Volunteer Doula Program, and then coordinated it until September 2021. She is one of the program’s trainers and still participates in their biannual training for new volunteer doulas.

Over the years Haley has taken various courses to complement her training and certifications: CAPPA’s Annual Conference for Perinatal Professionals; several breastfeeding classes; ProDoula’s Postpartum and Infant Care Doula training; ProDoula’s Infant Feeding Specialist training; childbirth education class; hypnobirthing class; and Postpartum Support International (PSI)'s "2020 Mom" 8 week maternal mental health training. Haley is currently working toward certification with Stillbirthday for bereavement doula services, and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep; a photography training to provide services for families who are experiencing fetal or infant loss.

Haley reminds her clients that this is their birth, their body, their baby, and their family and that they have choices even when things seem like they are spiraling out of control. She encourages them to take in all of the (usually unasked for...) advice, and information with a grain of salt, and then proceed as it feels most right for THEM!

Haley lives in Grand Isle with her husband, Dustin, who is as passionate about his business, Island Excavating Corp., as she is about Vermont Doula Company! Together they have 2 children, Bryson and Tenley, as well as two cats and two dogs. When not working with clients, you can usually find her listening to audiobooks and podcasts via a single earbud. She also enjoys taking pictures, reading, camping or boating with her family, and traveling to tropical places.

Sarah (she/her) trained in 2018 as a labor doula with the UVMMC Volunteer Doula Program through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and had volunteered at many births when she started working full-time at VDC in October, 2022. Sarah emphasizes helping the birthing person find their own strength and power in labor and birth. Her calm, cheerful, grounded energy is at the birthing family’s service.

Sarah’s interest in birth work started when her own children were born a whole generation ago. She fell in love with the process and did some preliminary apprenticing with her homebirth midwife before she realized that an on-call schedule would not work for her young family. Working as a birth doula now answers a call from thirty-five years ago. Sarah’s pull towards assisting at births is not necessarily an interest in the medical aspects of pregnancy and birth (although that is quite interesting) but more in the emotional transformation that happens as a birthing person, through their body, creates and extends their family. This rite of passage brings forth undreamed of strength; it is a miracle to be around and a privilege to help with.

Sarah worked for 15 years as a medical editor and then completely changed careers and spent 10 years working on a vegetable farm. She combined farming with working as a nanny during the winter months. Sarah lives in Burlington with her husband, loves to garden, walk by the lake, and volunteer at the library.

Halle (she/her) trained as a postpartum doula through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and is working on her formal certification.

Halle studied Early Childhood Education at the University of Vermont. After teaching in preschools around Vermont for several years Halle decided it was time to change gears. In August of 2020 she left teaching to work as a nanny while beginning her postpartum doula career. Halle has loved postpartum work so much that she is now a full-time postpartum doula with Vermont Doula Company. Infants have always been her favorite age group to work with for as long as she can remember. Halle also worked for two years as a receptionist in a small pediatrician’s office in Richmond, Vt.

When not working, Halle can be found dancing, reading, hiking, taking care of her plants, drinking tea, learning about ways to reduce her carbon footprint, dabbling in the use of essential oils, walking to her local grocery store, spending time with friends and family, and spoiling her hamster, Luna.

Emma (she/her) is a heart-centered space holder and compassionate advocate who is passionate about offering holistic support to birthing people and their families.

Emma is a DONA International certified birth doula as well as a certified massage therapist with specialized training in prenatal and postpartum massage (book a session with her today!) She loves integrating this healing modality into her birth work.

Emma has a professional background in early childhood education, as well as nonprofit communications and development. She is also a volunteer with UVMMC’s Volunteer Doula Program and a certified end-of-life doula. Her work is guided by her commitment to empowering people to reclaim ownership over their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing while working to dismantle the power structures and conditioning that can make that so challenging.

Emma finds joy in gardening, bouldering, yoga, cold plunging, kayaking, playing with her three-legged rescue pup, and her role as a foster parent. She lives with her family in Essex Junction.

Shari Corr (she/her) has been immersed in the birth and perinatal world in Vermont for the past two decades. After her two daughters were born she realized her calling was to help support others through the huge transition of growing a family. She knows that there are lots of “right” ways to do it (both birth and early parenthood) and she loves getting to know families and helping them to discover their unique style.

Shari has certifications as a massage therapist (2004), birth doula (2006), postpartum doula (2009), childbirth educator (2010), and is a practitioner of the Arvigo Techniques for Maya Abdominal Therapy (2012) and is a Certified Professional Midwife (2021). For 16 years Shari ran her own successful massage and doula business in Vermont. She is honored to have been part of hundreds of births, as well as supporting countless postpartum families. She is now thrilled to be on the team at Vermont Doula Company!

In her free time you can usually find Shari in nature; hiking, swimming, cross country skiing, kayaking, or at the beach. She also loves hot yoga, live music, crossword puzzles, and getting lost in great books. She is as passionate about traveling as she is about birth and has traveled to 22 different countries so far. She is on a lifetime quest to find the world’s most beautiful natural hot springs.

Rebecca (she/her) is a certified full-spectrum doula through Doula Trainings International (DTI). Full spectrum doulas specialize not only in labor and postpartum care but also reproductive health as well. Rebecca is a strong believer in the power of education and knowledge when it comes to navigating the ups and downs of pregnancy and beyond. Rebecca brings her passion for connection, her empathy, and her doula knowledge to each family she has the honor of working with.

A native New Yorker, Rebecca relocated to Vermont to attend UVM in 2009 and obtained her BS in Wildlife Biology before taking on a number of careers including administration, project management, baking, bartending, horse training, and operations management. She now adds birth work to this list! Rebecca and her husband left Vermont in 2020 to travel in their renovated RV, returning to Vermont in the winter of 2021 in order to give birth to their first child, Marlow. They recently added to their flock again this spring with the birth of their second child, Juniper, at their home with the help of their wonderful midwife. Rebecca uses her own recent experiences of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period to help others navigate these life-changing events.

In addition to doula work, Rebecca is also an operations professional and of course a mom of two. She thrives on staying busy and loves the life balance that being a working mom brings! Spending time traveling and adventuring with her husband, kids, and two dogs is always the number one priority for family time.

Morgan (she/her) is trained as both a labor and a postpartum doula through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and her ambitions extend to becoming a childbirth educator. Morgan's role as the oldest child of five has nurtured her caregiving abilities, a quality that complements her doula role seamlessly. With a diverse background in alternative medicine, nursing assistance, and handling emotionally charged situations while working in childcare settings, Morgan brings a rich tapestry of insights to her doula practice.

Morgan's unwavering commitment is to empower birthing individuals, shifting their perception of childbirth from a daunting experience to one of beauty and intensity, offering unending support and helping them make choices that align with their well-being. Embracing the full range of experiences that doula work offers, Morgan also loves using her creativity, practicality, and open-mindedness to nurture new babies and their families in her role as a postpartum doula.

In her spare time Morgan enjoys crocheting, reading, writing poetry, and creative thinking projects. Her favorite city is Boston, and has been since she was 9, when her Girl Scout troop visited the Museum of Science. She fell madly in love with all things dinosaurs and science there too. Morgan resides in Fairfield with her fiance and their dog, Greta.

Izabel (she/her) is a birth doula trained through DONA International and a postpartum doula trained through CAPPA. She is in the final stages of completing her formal certifications for both. Izabel made her way into birth work in 2021 due to a strong desire to be with families at a monumental time. Supporting you and your family through something as special as birth makes her heart sing. She looks forward to supporting your family’s journey through pregnancy and throughout the postpartum period of time.

Izabel is a new resident of Vermont. She moved here from Wisconsin and is originally from Kentucky. Izabel loves the outdoors and Vermont has all the things she appreciates from both places such as the mountains and beautiful snowy winters. In her free time she loves to hike and go white water kayaking and is an avid reader. Izabel expresses her creativity through crocheting, painting, and metalwork, and she loves cooking for others and sharing a love of food with those in her community.

Laura (she/her) is a natural caregiver and fierce advocate. She is trustworthy and dedicated when it comes to being a true ally. She has worked in childcare and education for most of her professional life, but more so, Laura has always been a caregiver in general. She is also a dedicated wife and mother of four. She has birthed two children, and has two bonus children! Both of her pregnancies were high-risk in the 3rd trimester and after having her firstborn, she realized that she felt compelled to be a source of empowerment, knowledge, and encouragement for birthing people. In 2015 Laura trained with CAPPA, learning about birth work, advocacy, and the right to choose in childbirth, and also about how important it is to have a rock-solid support person in the perinatal time. Her life grew busy as her family grew in size with little ones, so she put a temporary pause on birth work to be a dedicated mother.

Now that her children have grown and are in elementary and middle school, she is ready to continue her labor doula certification and be that advocate for other folks. She is currently in the process of completing her certification through DONA International. Laura believes that it is so important for a birthing person and their partner to feel heard and honored during their birthing experience. She also feels that the postpartum period is a crucial time for the well-being of new parents and their babies, and believes that support in the weeks after birth is key to a successful transition to parenthood. In addition to being trained as a postpartum doula with CAPPA, she has 5 years of personal experience breastfeeding and studied with Le Leche League in 2015. With great guidance and success with breastfeeding her two children, she hopes to also become a lactation and childbirth educator, and perinatal massage therapist in the future.

Laura grew up in Vermont and lives with her family in Waterbury. In her free time, she likes to go on adventures with her family, make various crafts, garden, listen to music, spend time outside, and hike the Green Mountains. You can often find Laura sitting by the Mad River skipping stones and soaking up the sun.

Abbie (she/her) is a birth and postpartum doula, originally from Washington, DC. With family roots in Vermont, she spent much of her childhood in the Champlain Islands, and after attending college in Boston decided to move to Burlington permanently!

Abbie has always loved babies, kids, and families, and worked previously as a child development specialist with kids 0-3 before finding herself in the birth world. After being invited to photograph a friend’s labor and delivery, she was hooked, and began looking for more ways to be involved. Becoming a doula seemed like the perfect next step and addition to her birth photography offerings.

In her work as a volunteer labor doula at UVMMC, Abbie quickly came to the same realization she had in every job that came before: the kids and babies are fun, but the most rewarding part of this work is being able to support families through uncertainty and big life changes. Abbie is currently finalizing her formal certification for both birth and postpartum through CAPPA. She has found, in birth and postpartum work, the opportunity to build equity and social justice for families.

In her free time, Abbie can be found watching Survivor with friends, drinking a borderline obscene amount of chai lattes, and sailing on Lake Champlain.

Cynthia (they/them) is VDC's Admin Assistant and general tidy-upper/handy person. Cynthia also teaches English and Literacy at the Center for Technology, Essex. They have a background in musical theater and tailoring, but after the birth of their child 14 years ago, decided to go back to school for their teaching degree at UVM.

Cynthia met Mary Kate through the a capella group Root7, and is thrilled to support VDC’s work by helping organize schedules and information so they can focus on supporting clients and community members who are going through the life-changing transition of parenthood. Cynthia is extremely passionate about building community, inclusion, and acceptance through education and serving others.

They live in Essex Junction with their human child, Sterling, and two fur babies: Hufflepuff the cat and Flapjack the guinea pig. They love spending time reading, creating art, and sewing at home, going on hobbit-like adventures in the woods, or being with their found family at Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, VT.

Ashwil is a kind, caring, and funny individual. Her interest in birth work and nursing began in her work as a nanny and preschool volunteer. Currently, she is working as a Junior Doula through VDC as she prepares for medical school. Ashwil is eager to learn and gain hands-on experience through the Junior Doula program.

This year, Ashwil is working towards obtaining her certifications in Lifeguarding, CPR, AED, and First Aid through the American Red Cross. She also plans to attend the National Student Leadership Course on Medicine & Health Care at Yale University. Ashwil is passionate about healthcare, particularly in the areas of childbirth and infancy. In addition to her college pre-med classes, Ashwil is dedicated to gaining as much hands-on medical experience and knowledge as possible.

Ashwil has two years of experience working with children ranging from 4 months to 11 years old. She has combined her experience in teaching summer camps with working as a nanny during the winter months. She is excited to now fully concentrate on the medical aspects of birth and postpartum work.