My name is Joelsy, and I’m a Caribbean Spanish speaker from the Dominican Republic. I am the mother of two beautiful boys living in the Bronx. I did my doula mentorship with Manhattan Birth for birth and postpartum. I have a degree in Dietetics and nutrition, and I’m in the process of becoming a Registered Nurse.

Birth work and reproductive justice are very personal to me. Back in 2016, I had a traumatic birth experience with my first child. After the birth, I started looking for information on how to advocate for myself. With that, I became very passionate about advocating for others so that my experience was not repeated. In search of my inner healing, I came across the word “doula.” On the day of my son’s birth, in that frightening hospital room, a doula was exactly what I needed. The support of a dedicated, knowledgeable person who was just there for us instead of serving a broken health care system.

Respecting your rights and birth wishes is detrimental to your birth experience being positive. Everyone deserves to make an informed decision and give birth however they feel more comfortable. I want to help you to accomplish that; I want to empower you to birth your way.