Baton Rouge's Choice For The Most Experienced In Childbirth Education And Doula Services
Birth Help's childbirth educators and doulas offer more than 40 years experience educating families and serving as doulas at over 500 births, serving Baton Rouge, Zachary, Plaquemine, Hammond, Covington, and Lafayette. Birth Help doulas have also attended births in New Orleans, Alexandria, Donaldsonville, and Opelousas, Louisiana as well as Boston, Massachusetts.
Sue Kenyon, Karen Cuellar, and Rene' Johnson
René Johnson BS Ed, ICCE, CD(DONA) and DONA Approved Doula Trainer
Rene' Johnson birthed both of her children naturally, but it was the birth of her first child in 1978 that drew her into the childbirth field. She trained with a local non-profit organization in Baton Rouge and was locally certified as a childbirth educator in 1980. By 1984 René completed the childbirth educator training program through International Childbirth Education Association and has maintained that status for over 25 years. In 1995 René became a Certified Doula through Doulas of North America, the oldest and most respected international organization for doulas. She achieved the status of DONA Approved Doula Trainer in 1998. René began attending births while training to be a childbirth educator and served as a doula before it was a recognized profession. René has worked as the Childbirth Education Coordinator for Baton Rouge Parent Child Association, the first location for childbirth classes in Baton Rouge. She has also served on staff at Hosanna House, a maternity home where she provided group and private childbirth classes and doula services for pregnant teenagers. René also provides childbirth services for local adoption agencies. She is the owner of Birth Help, LLC and has attended births in hospitals, with licensed midwives at home births, and at free standing birth centers.
Many in our community attribute the birthing options Baton Rouge women enjoy today to René's sustained professionalism and deep commitment to empowering birthing women.
Karen Cuellar CD(DONA)
Karen Cuellar, DONA Certified Doula, began her journey as a doula following the birth of her fourth child where René was her doula, and Karen achieved her goal of natural childbirth.
Karen completed Birth Help's apprentice learning program, attending 25 births before serving as primary doula. Her apprenticeship also included reading assignments, birth observations, hands-on experience, completing a DONA Approved Doula Workshop and serving as a doula at a variety of births while being trained and evaluated by an experienced, certified doula. Karen has attended over 100 births.
Karen's compassion for working with women and their partners during pregnancy and birth is evident to her clients as well as the professional medical community.
Angela Daniel
Angela Daniel, mother of a toddler, is completing her birth doula certification through Doulas of North America
(DONA). When planning to start a family Angela began attending the Exceptional Birthing Group sponsored by Birth Help and has made several lasting connections to other birthing women and birth professionals in the community. She began pursuing doula training and certification after having Rene’ as her doula during her beautiful, challenging labor and birth of her first child.
Angela is passionate about working with women and families to meet their childbirth goals and providing post- partum support and encouragement. She chose to go beyond the DONA certification requirements to participate in Birth Help's apprenticeship program which is contributing to her knowledge and experience surrounding labor and birth. Upon completion of her DONA certification including required readings, essays, and DONA workshop attendance, she will have attended 35 births.
With a Masters of Social Work, Angela has combined her passion and career to encompass helping birthing and new families. Her background is rich in direct service work and advocacy on behalf of women and children. Her training and experience prepare her well to work with women and families during labor and birth.
Courtney Troxclair
Courtney Troxclair received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology at LSU in 2004. She has worked full time at LSU since 2006, but found her calling when she stumbled upon doula work in 2009. Serving moms and families is her passion and she feels childbirth is a sacred time in each family's life. Courtney is currently apprenticing through Birth Help and completing doula certification through DONA. She has attended more than 30 births and looks forward to serving many more families in the future.
Sue Kenyon, CD(DONA)
Sue Kenyon, DONA Certified Doula, experienced natural childbirth with her three children and began her training as a doula in 1998 after reading an article about Birth Help in the Advocate. Sue completed Birth Help's apprentice program and became a certified doula in 2000. She has attended more than 30 births.
Sue offers her experience as a mother and grandmother. She is also the Deputy Director of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, Inc. and has worked in the field of crisis intervention and grief counseling for over 30 years. In addition to rejoicing with families who experience an uneventful birth, Sue has also been a support to families who have experienced prenatal complications and perinatal loss. Sue serves as a back-up doula for Birth Help clients.