Leila’s Way of Holding

Leila is a birth worker born and raised in Oakland. She trained as a full-spectrum doula in 2021 with Sumi’s Touch and has been actively supporting clients in the transformative process of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for about a year. Before that, Leila worked as an infant-toddler teacher and incorporates education on newborn care in her work as a doula. The goal of every birth is to create an environment and process that is uniquely comfortable and grounding for the person giving birth and preparing parents with the knowledge and tools to make their own choices while also being ready to step in and advocate on behalf of the parents’ needs at any point. Leila is particularly interested in mindful birthing and finding the methods of pain reduction that work for each person, building a birth environment that feels as familiar and homey as possible (music, lighting, calming scents, etc), and being anything and everything you may need from home to the hospital, whether that be a coach, cook, massage therapist, fierce advocate, or photographer. Leila also has an affinity for postpartum care that encompasses lactation support, postpartum healing, herbal remedies, baby care, or just doing your dishes so you don’t have to worry about that too.

Leila has experience supporting Black parents, single/solo parents, queer families, and adoptive & foster families.