Photo by Luis Cruz Photography
Margarita Valbuena
Co-founder, Director of Operations
Margarita (she/her) brings to Third Coast Birth & Baby her extensive book smarts about childhood development, attachment and rearing—as well as the hands-on, hard-won insights that come from mothering two kids of her own and working as a child development specialist for over 16 years. She loves bringing parents together, answering their questions and—most of all—helping them to trust their own parenting instincts. Behind the scenes, Margarita manages all the systems and paperwork that help our studio run so seamlessly and give our parents such peace of mind that the details are dealt with.
Margarita, her two revolutionary kids, plus her two Catcade cats are enjoying their new life near her family in Michigan after 16 years in Chicago.
Cait Sobotka
Co-founder, Director of Postpartum Programs
Cait Sobotka (she/her) has supported hundreds of families through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period since she began working as a doula in 2013. As proactive as she is easy-going, Cait is a master of anticipating the needs of expectant and new moms
As a mother of three and former nanny, Cait understands the needs of new parents and strives to make the transition to parenthood smooth and positive experience for you. Equally motivated as she is easy going, Cait is highly attuned to your family’s needs and can help you make a solid plan for your postpartum time. Cait manages our postpartum support and placenta encapsulation services.
Shawna Mertens
Co-founder, Director of Prenatal Programs
Shawna (she/her) has been supporting families in the transition into parenthood since 2014. She works directly with families and providers to further our mission. She manages our prenatal programs, teaches group and private childbirth education classes and provides exceptional, compassionate labor support to our clients as a birth doula.
Shawna’s emphasis on education and physiology empowers clients to feel confident and calm. Clients often describe Shawna’s presence as soothing, reassuring, and peaceful.
Outside of birth work Shawna enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her family.
Chicagoland doulas
Pippin Mueller
Birth Doula
Sydney Rosenfeld
Birth Doula
Sydney is a birth and postpartum doula. Ultimately, the company of a few wonderful doulas during her own birth propelled her into working in the birth world. Her experience as a doula has led her to supporting a variety of both couples and individual birthing people. Her birth doula support typically includes exploring options from pregnancy through the immediate postpartum period, guiding by encouraging birthing people and couples to find their voice as parents, and honoring the human and awe inspiring experience of giving birth. Her work with each new birthing person is geared towards helping them to explore without judement any options they are interested in and a hands on, physical support during labor, while holding the intention to empower and uplift partners. Sydney also applies her knowledge of community stewardship, belief in accessible care for all, and information sharing with each family she has worked with. Sydney Is on a team with Pippin.
When Sydney is not at a birth, she is likely farming or gardening, studying for nursing grad school, or being silly with her son.
Renee Levine
Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Certified Yoga Instructor
Renee (she/her) is an experienced, nurturing yoga instructor and birth doula. She understands the uniqueness of this special, challenging time of transition and is honored to be part of your support team. Additionally, Renee uniquely incorporates her knowledge and experience as a yoga instructor into her work as a doula. She became a doula herself due to having strong, confident and knowledgeable doulas during the births of her own 2 children.
Annie Walljasper
Birth Doula
Annie feels fortunate to have had her own supportive birth experiences, working with wonderful doulas, which has led her to becoming a doula herself. She finds such privilege in being able to serve other families welcoming new babies. Annie is a board certified music therapist, which she feels has also led her to doula work, giving her unique experiences to support expectant parents with music therapy assisted child birth. Annie enjoys the uniqueness of each birth she attends and is honored to share this intimate moment with parents, always providing the utmost respect and compassionate care no matter what their birth journey looks like.
Stacey Hoekwater
Childbirth Educator
Stacey (she/her) is a childbirth educator, birth doula, and yoga instructor. She has enjoyed supporting individuals and families through their prenatal, birth, and postpartum journeys by offering evidence-based resources, hands-on support, and deep respect for personal birth choices. Stacey enjoys traveling, biking, and making art with reckless abandon. She lives with her husband and two kids in the city of Chicago.
Lauren Franzen
Postpartum Doula & IBCLC
Lauren (she/her) found a way to merge her education in social work and her love for birth work. After being inspired by Ina May Gaskin, and with the encouragement of a student midwife friend, she began her certification process. Lauren has worked as a doula & social worker for teen moms, as a volunteer doula, and also as a private, independent doula. She feels honored to be able to witness the immense uniqueness of each mama’s journey to meeting her baby. Lauren also provides in-home, individualized lactation guidance and support.
Metro Detroit doulas
Brianna Simpson
Childbirth Educator and Birth Doula
Brianna takes pride in providing emotional, spiritual, physical, and informational support to expectant mothers and their families. As your doula, she can demonstrate comfort measures, newborn care, offer breastfeeding support, and be available to fill in the gaps as necessary. When she is not doula-ing, she enjoys reading, crocheting, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her loved ones. Brianna offers virtual doula support and virtual childbirth education classes!
Community Partners
Abby Waychoff
Occupational Therapist
Abby is an occupational therapist and yoga instructor who is passionate about educating and helping women through their transition into motherhood. After her own experience with a difficult labor and delivery and challenging postpartum period she discovered a passion for helping and supporting other women. Abby has additional training in pelvic floor/core function and perinatal mood disorders. She currently offers one-on-one consultation focused on physical birth prep and recovery, logistical and lifestyle preparation and adjustment, and mental and emotional wellness. She also offers private and group pre and postnatal yoga. She is additionally available for small group or workshop format educational presentations.
Abby is the group moderator for Mom to Mom: Creating Our Own Village on Facebook where you can parent in community with moms from all over the Midwest and beyond. Mom to Mom began as a collaboration between MotherLover and Third Coast as way of bringing our beloved playgroups in Logan Square to the masses in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Bābē Maven
Elite Sitter Service and Summer Camp
Bābē Maven is an Elite Sitter Service based in Chicago, Illinois. We provide our network of Client-Families with direct access to our elite Sitter-Mavens who are CPR and first-aid certified. Every Sitter-Maven undergoes an extensive background check and are required to provide reputable childcare references. Our Sitter-Mavens genuinely connect with the children they care for — offering our families the very best personal childcare in your city.
Brittany Gaddy is founding CEO of Bābē Maven with over 15 years of experience in the childcare industry. Through her extensive work with families all over the Chicagoland area the importance of quality childcare became the mission along with the impact it carries in offering the best childcare. It is through the years of experience and networking with other child care professionals that has built this solid network of sitters who we call Sitter-Mavens.
Unfortunately, Brittany could not duplicate herself but believes that every family should have access to excellent childcare. And so we have Sitter-Mavens who are an extension of those elite quality standards and play an intricate part within our elite sitter service in providing the very best childcare for every Client-Family.