Nature-based Birth & Postpartum Support

Rebecca Castka

Hi! I'm so glad you're here. I'm a 45-year-old mother of two girls, ages 8 and 11. I live with my husband, children, and two cats on the South Shore of Long Island. I have spent more than two decades in nonprofit community services supporting organizations that offer an array of family and children's programs. And now I'm a birth and postpartum doula! My own personal birth and postpartum experiences are what inspired me to become a doula. My first daughter was born via a difficult labor that ended in a C section. My second was a successful VBAC. During both, I found myself heavily influenced by the medical model of care and swept up in birth interventions that I didn't feel confident enough to challenge. I have always wondered how my experiences might have differed if I'd had more support. I also suffered from postpartum depression after both births, though I didn't know it at the time--I just thought I wasn't meant to be a mom.

My philosophy for birth and family support work is rooted in our innate and spiritual connection to nature and our humanity, listening to and trusting our bodies and our intuitions rather than giving in to the noisy influences of the market-driven and medicalized birth and parenting culture around us. I promote a focused approach to childbirth preparation and the postpartum period with an emphasis on relaxation and mindfulness, meditation and breath work, personal confidence, and building community. Most importantly, I will always respect and support your wishes and preferences--above all I am here to support YOU in your unique childbirth and parenting journey.

I've completed my DONA International workshop requirement, earned my Intro to Childbirth and Lactation certificates, and I'm now officially a birth and postpartum doula working toward DONA certification. I would love to meet you.

​

Memberships: DONA International, Long Island Doula Association (LIDA), New York Coalition for Doula Access (NYCDA)