Birth Kalamazoo

03/16/2026

The VBAC and Cesarean Support Group is tomorrow night! You can register at any time before we meet, or register to get on the list to be notified of future group meetings. The third Monday of the month is just for you. Free with virtual and in-person options. Teresa and Ashley are looking forward to welcoming you for some nurture, support and community. 💕 Southwest Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative - Region 8

03/14/2026

Come see us noon - 2 p.m. at the Cradle Kalamazoo Community Baby Shower at the Urban Alliance, 1009 E. Stockbridge Ave.

This celebration is open to all Kalamazoo County residents who are pregnant or parenting an infant under 1 year old, including parents, foster parents, and caregivers.

Join us for an afternoon of games, snacks, community connection, and a chance to win many raffle prizes. Every participant will receive a free diaper or postpartum bag. 💕

03/13/2026

We were thrilled to host a Spinning Babies Foundational Workshop in Kalamazoo this week, with none other than founder Gail Tully! Our doula Izzy Harper took the lead on planning, with support from Jessica. Many of our doulas attended to broaden their toolbox to support families, along with colleagues from Milk Like Mine and Rootead, as well as other independent birthworkers from around SW Michigan and the state. Special thanks goes to Cradle Kalamazoo for providing partial scholarships for area doulas, which made this incredible training more attainable for so many of us. Making more space for babies to rotate and be born with ease can help prevent cesareans, vacuum and forceps, prolonged labor and all the accompanying complications and risks. Here’s to new knowledge and tools to make more space for babies to (hopefully!) be born with ease.

03/11/2026

Last chance for yoga with Alison See (starts tonight!), and our free VBAC and Cesarean Support Group is Monday. Nurture and connection await! 💕

03/07/2026

New location! See you next week at the Urban Alliance. 💕

📍 Location Update for the Cradle Kalamazoo Community Baby Shower

Please note that the location for our upcoming Community Baby Shower on Saturday, March 14 from 12:00 to 2:00 PM has changed.

New Location
Urban Alliance
1009 E. Stockbridge Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI

This celebration is open to all Kalamazoo County residents who are pregnant or parenting an infant under 1 year old, including parents, foster parents, and caregivers.

Join us for an afternoon of games, snacks, community connection, and a chance to win many raffle prizes. Every participant will receive a free diaper or postpartum bag.

If you are planning to attend, please take a moment to share this update so families know where to find us.

Register here:
qrco.de/marchbabyshower

Questions:
cradlekalamazoo@ywcakalamazoo.org

03/06/2026

UPDATE: the spot is filled, but comment below if you'd like to be a backup. 💜

We are looking for a pregnant model, preferably between 38 and 42 weeks of pregnancy, to attend a Spinning Babies training next Wednesday, March 11, from noon - 1:30 p.m. This is an AMAZING chance to have Spinning Babies Founder Gail Tully help you with some techniques and bodywork that will support you in your birth preparation! Truly, just such a great opportunity. Comment here, or email izzy@birthkalamazoo.com 🥰

03/06/2026

UPDATE: birth class is full, next session starts in May or reach out about private classes. Yoga still has a spot left for you!

There's one spot left in our childbirth class that starts Tuesday, and three spots left for prenatal yoga, which starts Wednesday. We'd love to see you! Register soon.

03/04/2026

Thank you so much to all of the incredible IBCLCs in our community! When our clients are struggling with breastfeeding/lactation, your assessment, insights, support and recommendations make all the difference. We're celebrating you today with so much gratitude and love! 💜

03/04/2026

March is a big month at Birth Kalamazoo! Anything here catch your eye? It would be great to see you. (Just two spots left for the birth class, so don't wait to register.)

03/02/2026

We'll be at this Cradle Kalamazoo event on Saturday, March 14. Swing by to learn about all sorts of amazing community resources, and they usually have very fun prizes too.

A new baby brings hope. A community makes it possible. 💛
Join us for the Cradle Kalamazoo Community Baby Shower on Saturday, March 14 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 120 Roberson St., Kalamazoo.

This celebration is open to all Kalamazoo County residents who are pregnant or parenting an infant under 1 year old, including parents, foster parents, and caregivers.

Enjoy games, snacks, and the chance to win many raffle items. Every participant will receive a free diaper or postpartum bag because support should meet you where you are.

Register today at qrco.de/marchbabyshower

Cradle Kalamazoo is a community led collective impact project proudly operated by YWCA Kalamazoo. For questions, email CradleKalamazoo@ywckalamazoo.org

02/16/2026

We're celebrating new certifications this month! 💜🎉🌟

Our doula Ashley Whitt earned both her birth and postpartum doula certification with DONA International. Ashley is a co-facilitator of our VBAC and cesarean support group. She has a deep commitment to addressing disparities for Black and Brown families, as well as a special place in her heart for her fellow military parents.

Rebekah Olson from our team has been a certified birth doula for several years, but she recently earned an additional certification as a postpartum doula with DONA International. A former medical assistant, Bekah sees each birth as sacred and she's a strong advocate for families.

You don't have to be certified to be a doula, but certification is a value we hold at Birth Kalamazoo. All of our doulas are either certified or actively working toward certification. DONA International's certification process is rigorous and meaningful. After training, doulas support clients and document their strategies, get evaluated by clients and others, complete additional reading and equity training, create an extensive resource list for their community, and answer essay questions about how to best care for clients within our standards of practice and code of ethics. Certification packets are thoroughly reviewed, and recertification requires continuing education in the field. We don't see these as hoops to jump through, but instead as a rigorous vetting of our work for families. Our doulas also have strong mentoring and support available through Birth Kalamazoo, day and night.

These doulas are out there doing amazing work! Congratulations, Ashley and Bekah!