Rachel Gilliam, CD-L, CPD

When you finally find your calling, you feel at peace and grateful with the path you had to take to lead you to that place. Birthwork is my calling as it combines all of my strengths and my passions of learning and teaching. My strengths of being a strong sounding board that allows space for processing and questions, being a naturally nurturing person,being a teacher and providing education, learning new things and gaining new skills, empowering and uplifting those around me and my ability to adapt quickly.

My career as a birth, postpartum, and bereavement doula, newborn care specialist, and childbirth educator combines my calling and passion of birthwork and my background as a babysitter, nanny, tutor, and teacher. I have always loved to help people especially as a little girl and spending days in the summer spending time with my grandma and sister being out in the community. My grandmother who passed away in 2025 had always showed what the power of empathy, compassion, and the eagerness to help can really impact people for a lifetime. She was a true pillar of the community and I strive to continue her legacy through my work as a doula.

I am a mother of 3, a daughter and twin sons. Having preeclampsia twice and being a NICU mom to premature twins helped me reflect and appreciate the support of my colleagues and fellow doulas. The support that we provide really impact families for a lifetime and fosters long lasting connections. One of my favorite things are receiving milestones, birthday, family and updated pictures of the babies and families that I have been able to serve and feeling that they think of me in their story of parenthood. Families that I have had the privilege to support have described me as the comforting voice of reassurance and encouragement, someone that is able to support and uplift them in challenging moments, someone that pays close attention to details and the care I pour into their experiences, and having me as someone that they will have a special bond with forever.