Laura Martin
Laura has a BA in Early Childhood Education. She is a trained Labor Doula and Childbirth Educator with ProDoula. Her passion for birth and family support began over a decade ago as a nanny of five children, before staying home with her own three boys. Currently, Laura is working with families to reduce fear and provide support during a major life event: Childbirth. As a mom herself, Laura has personally experienced a natural epidural-free delivery, a birth with epidural, and a cesarean birth. She specializes in VBAC support and emphasizes the importance of confidence and a feeling of security during the prenatal journey. Laura continues to support other moms and new families to navigate through the new experiences and challenges that pregnancy and parenthood may bring. Having a doula will enhance your birth experience, by providing you education, physical comfort, and emotional support so that you may feel confident to labor how you desire, and experience birth the way you envision it.
Marianna Alpaslan
Marianna has a BA in Early Childhood Education and Development from Hungary, where she worked as a kindergarten teacher for several years. She transitioned to hospitality field when she was offered a job in New York. After getting married Marianna had three children. Her main focus for the majority of the next two decades were her children and supporting her husband in building a successful financial planning business. During these years she worked at a Montessori school, was teaching Zumba for kids and started volunteering in the NICU at Capital Health in Pennington, NJ. In 2020 Marianna took a job as a nanny to take care of a newborn and help with 6 year old twins. That’s when she realized how much she would love to focus on taking care of newborns and provide the emotional and physical support to the entire family upon the arrival of a new addition. Marianna became a certified Postpartum Doula and Infant Care Specialist with Prodoula. She currently resides in West Windsor with her husband, Burak, their three children , Jon, Justin and Emma, and their special needs rescue dogs, Boo Boo, Morgan and Marley.
Jessica Porter
Jessica is a master at facilitating opportunities for connection between baby and family. With Jessica, your family can prioritize bonding, rest, and recovery. Jessica brings a warm and down to earth personality, along with her love of newborns, to each session. Her goal is to ensure that routines and patterns work for the entire family as they adjust to a new family member. Jessica is familiar with the growth that accompanies becoming a new parent and has a passion for helping ease that transition with support and empathy (along with a little singing and laughter!) Jessica holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Music Education from Syracuse University and taught in the Boston area for many years prior to becoming a mother. After having her first child, she and her husband moved back to New Jersey, where she grew up, to be closer to family. Jessica practices yoga daily. She can be found exercising, reading, listening to music, or working on calligraphy, in between taking care of herself, her husband, and their two boys. Jessica is a gentle and reassuring support for families as they transition into their new roles in parenthood.
Leanne Pelke
Leanne Pelke wears many hats including Postpartum Doula, Pediatric Sleep Coach, and Full-Time Mom. Before having her daughter, she worked in the start-up world where she held positions that were fast-paced and fun, but required a lot of her time and energy. Once becoming a mom herself, she decided to find a career path that would afford her time home with her daughter, but also give her back the feeling of purpose and independence that she once knew. She is now the owner of her own Pediatric Sleep Coaching company and a Certified Postpartum and Infant Care Doula. Leanne has a new found passion in helping families with similar struggles that she, herself, faced as a new mom. Leanne specializes in customizing a sleep/wake/eat routine that lays the groundwork for positive sleep hygiene. She brings an upbeat personality and active listening to her postpartum clients. Leanne’s focus is on ensuring Mom is healing well from her birth experience and adjusting to her new role as parent. Leanne is creating an opportunity for parents to rest and reconnect, while baby is cared for. Leanne is providing space for education on common first-time-parenting pitfalls and the opportunity to grow as a family with support from someone who has been there. Leanne knows that parenting is amazing, but that the challenges can feel overwhelming too. She is here to help growing families navigate those challenges.
Nicole Cannon
Nicole is a wealth of information and support for new and growing families! With her as your doula you are getting a little bit of everything: sleep expertise, emotional support during the speed bumps of new parenthood, and even some know-how on the skill of multitasking she has developed as a mom of 4. Nicole is a certified postpartum doula and sleep consultant. A former nanny, Nicole has run her own sleep consulting business for over a decade and has recently expanded to offer postpartum doula services. Nicole has completed a certification in Infant Mental Health through the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto and also completed a Maternal Mental Health certificate course from Postpartum Support International. She is a board member of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants. Nicole has previously worked as a Sleep Expert for Hatch Baby and Mommy’s Bliss and been featured in publications such as Today Parents and NJ Family. In addition her vast experience with infant sleep, Nicole’s goal is working with families to help transition into new parenthood while also supporting the mental health of the parents and child. A mom of 4, Nicole draws upon her education and experience not only from her business, but also from raising her own children. Nicole resides in Cranbury with her husband, four children and two crazy dogs.
Barrie “Bunny” McAvenia
Barrie, nicknamed “Bunny,” began her adult life on Wall Street and then moved into the field she is most passionate: newborns and families. Bunny is college educated in Early Education, Special Education, Early Child Development and Child Psychology. She is a trained Montessori Teacher and loves working with infants and toddlers. She has supported families as a Newborn Care Specialist and has been a Nanny for several years.
A Princeton area local, Bunny is a proud mother, wife, and dog mom. She enjoys baking and spending time in her organic flower and vegetable garden, as well as swimming.
Bunny recognizes the importance of supporting moms in the weeks following childbirth. From her own traumatic birth experience and struggle with postpartum depression, Bunny has developed strategies to recognize and support challenges in the postpartum period. She knows first-hand the significance of providing emotional and physical help so that her clients can concentrate on healing and recovery. Sometimes that respite comes in the form of a conversation, and sometimes it means space for the family to take a restorative nap. Meal preparation, infant care, and helping families establish a functional routine, that is unique to their specific family, are some of the skills she brings to her clients. New parenthood is an adjustment period for all members of the family, and Bunny is the person who fills in the gaps wherever they may be.
Alyssa Visco
Alyssa has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing. She has experience in Pediatric Intensive Care and after having her first child, she became a Labor and Delivery nurse. After her own struggles with breastfeeding she also became a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. In a session with Alyssa, you can expect thoughtful goal-setting and hands-on feeding support for you and your baby, whether that means chest, bottle, or combination feeding. She is passionate about maternal and neonatal wellness and empowerment. Having a family of her own, living through many of the common emotional and logistical pitfalls of new parenthood, made Alyssa see that there is a deep need for support amongst growing families. Alyssa is equipped to be that support for you: to set growing families on a path for success. In her downtime, Alyssa enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike, and her children, Ofelia and Milo.