DoulaConnect
Professional Birth Services

Connecting You to The Care You Deserve

My Motto

You have the wisdom already, let me assist you....

As the owner of Doulaconnect, I am dedicated to promoting better birth outcomes such as lowering the need for caesarean, vacuum or forceps-assisted births, and the use of pain medications which are all linked to having a doula-assisted birth. Doulas provide continuous support both prenatally and during labor which helps to reduce negative attitudes about labor and birth.

I am dedicated to reducing the risk for maternal and infant mortality through information advocacy, and promoting a more holistic approach to infant health through breastfeeding promotion. I support and believe in women’s ability to birth naturally, but I also believe that each individual woman has her own wisdom to choose what is best for herself and her baby. My goal as a doula is to help you have a satisfied birth experience no matter what you choose.

About Me

Nicole McCollum

Doula, Lactation Consultant & Childbirth Educator

Providing Professional Birth Services in the Chicagoland Area since 2006

I am originally from Michigan and first received training and certification as a doula there. I have now been a doula and lactation consultant for over 14 years. I am a trained childbirth educator and have facilitated Breastfeeding Peer Counselor trainings for various organizations in Illinois. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Women Studies from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and practiced as a Massage Therapist, with certification by the State of Michigan, for six years prior to relocating to Chicago. I have continued to practice throughout the years, specializing in prenatal massage. I am currently enrolled in an MBA program and expect to earn my degree in Healthcare Administration. My most important qualifier is being the mother of a very vibrant 10 year old with whom I birthed naturally among doulas.

I have had the pleasure of assisting over 183 births throughout my career and have provided lactation support to countless women both in my private practice as well as volunteering at various hospitals in the Chicagoland area.

My motto is to "Mother the Mother” no matter what the family situation may be or what choices one makes for their birth. The act of nurturing is infectious and a positive birth experience perpetuates a healthy and loving parenting relationship. I believe everyone within the childbearing year deserves the opportunity to have a doula. I would be honored to serve you.

Contact Me

Prenatal Visits

Informative and Compassionate

After beginning our relationship with a meet and greet, as your doula I am committed to your health and the wellbeing of your growing family, available whenever needed throughout your entire pregnancy as well as after giving birth. I will be there to provide you with continuous emotional and physical support, and answer any and all questions you may have.

In the comfort of your own home you can learn about:

Nutritional eating for pregnancy and recovery
Newborn care and safety education
Breastfeeding
Prenatal Anatomy
Infant massage
Birth planning
Comfort measures for labor and delivery which includes’

Breathing and relaxation
Affirmation
Meditation and visualization
Water therapy
Movement and position change
Massage & techniques for partners
Dancing for birth
Caesarean delivery
VBAC
Pain med options: pros and cons
Medical interventions

My services promote family involvement, all family members/friends involved in your birth experience are welcome to attend our home meetings. Home visiting frequency is personalized for each client.

Birthing Guidance

Here for You

Get extra personal support throughout the entirety of your birthing journey. As a Doula, I promise to offer unwavering support to you and your family before, during, and after birth. I will stay in close contact in order to routinely check how you’re doing and offer any support needed.

Postpartum Support

Committed to Promoting Healthy Outcomes Long-term

From our initial meeting all the way through your pregnancy and delivery, I take the time to get to know you, your concerns and your needs. I’m always available to contact by phone/email throughout and will provide everything you require to make sure your experience is as calm and positive as possible. During your postpartum period, I will provide 3-4 visits to assist you and your family however I can to help ease the transition of your new lives.

See for yourself.....

Talk with my past clients

I am proud to serve the birthing needs of anyone who is looking for support and guidance throughout the pregnancy process. I make an effort to maintain a lifelong connection with my clients, and check up on their progress as new parents. Curious about my past clients’ experiences? Many of my previous clients have agreed and are eager to share their experiences with me as their doula. Ask me for my references and I'll connect you with them personally!

Get in Touch

Testimonials

"Nicole was such a valuable member of our delivery team! Having a baby for a first-time mom is already scary enough. Deciding to focus on a natural, unmedicated delivery made it seem somewhat terrifying. I knew very few women in my generation who intentionally had a natural, unmedicated delivery. The few people that did, described it as this painful, debilitating process. I knew I needed help. My husband on the other hand was firmly against the idea of a doula. After many arguments, he finally relented. We interviewed a few doulas and Nicole was just the right fit. In our initial meeting, she was professional, but personal and seemed to really know what she was talking about. She was flexible enough to offer us additional classes to provide support and education prior to delivery. Meeting with her helped me have a solid understanding of what was going to happen to my body and what my husband and I could do to ease any discomfort or pain during labor. Working with her helped me to feel empowered and ready for the delivery process!

Throughout 49 hours of labor, Nicole was a priceless resource!!!! She made sure my husband got some rest. She helped me manage the discomfort of contractions and knew just what to tell me to do to help labor progress more quickly. Nicole offered not only advice on physical interventions, but she was emotionally and psychologically supportive – which was critical for me to accept and dive into the final stages of labor. My husband cannot stop singing Nicole’s praises. He now says that every couple should have a doula. He recommended Nicole to his brother and when I got pregnant with our second child he hounded me until I scheduled Nicole. He said, “Make sure you get on Nicole’s schedule, we want to make sure she’s there!” He later told me that initially he didn’t want a doula because he felt like that was his role and she might get in the way. Now, he says that she knew what to do when he was lost. He noted that she “took the pressure off” and she helped him to feel like he could be a better source of support for me. My take is that she complemented our partnership well during a really beautiful and intense process and made it a more positive and intimate experience for us because I wasn’t looking at my husband expecting him to do something he didn’t know how to do. Post-partum, Nicole was phenomenal! She checked on me often and supported me when I had trouble breastfeeding. She offered tips and suggestions and followed up consistently the first couple of months after delivery. Nicole was a godsend! I’ve recommended her to every pregnant family member and friend since my first delivery. I’m so excited about sharing another birth with her."

Faithful customers and fans,

Juba & Allyse W.

"My husband and I used Nicole's services in 2015 when our daughter was born 3 weeks early and we were a little lost on what to do after my OB-GYN left the practice suddenly. I hadn't even met Nicole yet when I called her and asked her for help when my water broke. It was my first pregnancy and I had no idea what to do. Nicole answered her phone promptly and was calm, supportive and reassuring, telling me to go to the hospital soon but to make sure I was relaxed, showered and well-fed. She arrived at the hospital a few hours later and was such a strength for me as I went through contractions and was anxious and scared about the next steps. This permitted my husband to rest after he had worked all night and had not planned on needing to be rested up just yet. He was unsure of how a doula would help us initially but after experiencing Nicole's calm presence and reassuring guidance, he is now a convert. I am so grateful that Nicole helped me navigate the whole childbirth experience and appreciated her visits afterwards where she came to check-in on me at home and supported me in any possible way. She is such a kind and gentle soul who met my needs, without pushing any agendas that people had warned me about when working with a doula. I had assumptions myself about what a doula would entail but loved that the experience was tailored to what I wanted it to be. I highly recommend Nicole to the moms out there that are wondering how to make their childbirth experience as comfortable as possible."

-S. Kanukollu

"Having Nicole as my Doula was the best decision that my family and I could have made. Nicole was there from the time we needed her for early labor until after the birth of my son. She was my advocate, my massage therapist, my peace and comforter doing the entire labor and birthing process. She was there when family members were tired and needed to rest. She was there to coach my husband on tactics to do to ease labor.

During the time when my doctor was trying to push me a cesarean and I was tired of arguing with him to continue with natural labor Nicole stepped in and was my voice. She helped keep my birth plan implemented as I wished. She didn’t step down when the doctor got pushy. She showed him she was knowledgeable about the process. My doctor ended up backing off pushing me to go for a c-section and let me labor more. Nicole’s presence, knowledge and skill were more than a blessing to the successful arrival of our son.

I also appreciate Nicole being there to help us with breastfeeding and continually encouraging me to breastfeed which led to my son nursing for over 2 years. Nicole didn’t leave our family when my son was born, she kept in touch with us and checked in for anything we might need. Nicole became an essential part of family and we couldn’t have thought of a better Doula to be involved with this precious time in our life."

Best,

Alexia Dowd

"Nicole was more than a doula to me. She was the blessing that allowed me to have the type of birth I always envisioned. There are not enough words to express the ways in which she impacted by life, but I will try.

Prior to meeting Nicole, I had interviewed 4 other doulas to assist with my first pregnancy and none of them felt right. The instant I met Nicole I felt comfortable. She felt like a friend and that was important to me given that she would be witnessing some of my most intimate moments and assisting me on one of the most important days of my life. After I decided to retain her, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Nicole went above and beyond.

She constantly stayed in touch with me and offered words of wisdom throughout my pregnancy. She provided one on one education in my home, let me borrow books, attended multiple doctor’s appointments and called or text me regularly to see how I was doing.

She offered words of encouragement when I faced a minor complication and she supported my decision to change hospitals late in my pregnancy. Her support in changing providers was really helpful because even though I changed doctors, I still had someone who I was comfortable with assisting me through the process.

On the night before and day of my daughter’s birth, Nicole was amazing. I know without a doubt that I could not have had such a smooth, natural birth without her. She talked me through my early contractions over the phone then drove to my house to help me labor at home before going to the birth center. She was the peaceful force that let me know everything was going to be ok. Her energy was a stark contrast to my family who was nervous and unsettled. She helped keep everyone calm and her confidence was reassuring. Nicole helped calm my mother when she was starting to panic. It was very clear that Nicole had attended many births and as she was unfazed by some of the things that might have freaked others out. This is one of the reasons I now recommend all my pregnant friends consider getting a doula. Most partners don’t know how to support their pregnant loved one and having direction from a doula is comforting for the whole family. Nicole was able to communicate effectively to my midwife over the phone, which was really helpful. She gave the midwife all the information about my progress so my family and I didn’t have to.

During my contractions, Nicole coached me with breathing techniques and affirmations and she helped me try different positions to be more comfortable. She even massaged my back and held my hand when I needed it. I could go on, but I hope you get the picture. Nicole was amazing before, during and after my daughter’s birth and I’d highly recommend her to anyone.

If anyone wants to talk to me personally about my experience, I am happy to do so."

Regards,

Tameka Abney

Check out more reviews on my Facebook page!!