Meet the Doulas - Doulas of Marquette

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Meet the Doulas

Melinda Briton Marquette MI Doula Birth Services

Melinda Britton

Founder & Owner, Certified Labor (Birth) Doula, Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Postpartum Placenta Specialist, Mother Roaster, Spinning Babies Trained

Welcome! I am so glad you are here.

I’m Melinda Britton, Owner and Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula at Doulas of Marquette. I have been a doula since 2010, serving Marquette and surrounding counties. After seeing firsthand the increased need for quality doula services, I created Doulas of Marquette in 2015. I am proud to note that Doulas of Marquette is the first collaborative doula group in the entire UP! My doula journey and business began when my daughter was one, and we welcomed two sons after her. Raising babies, along with a business all-in-one, has not been easy, but they are my “why”. They remind me daily of why the work we do as doulas is important and irreplaceable.

Prior to becoming a doula, I attended Northern Michigan University (Go Wildcats!) and graduated with a Bachelor of Electronic Journalism and Sociology. Through mentorship from the late Professors Ira Hutchison and Louise Bourgault, my focus started to turn to women, children, and mental health in my latter years at NMU. If I wasn’t a doula, I often say that I would be a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) specializing in maternal/paternal mental health, especially around the childbearing years. It’s a huge passion of mine – personally and professionally.

As the owner of Doulas of Marquette, I wear a lot of hats. While most days you can find me working behind the scenes doing a lot of administrative work, my truest passion is in supporting our clients, building relationships with the team at DOM, and pursuing continuing education. I love to learn, teach, and share resources with our community so that we not only help make birth and parenting better for each of our clients, but for our community as a whole.

When I’m not working, I can be found spending time with my husband, Phil, our children, Zemi, Kiah, and Aza, and the sweetest puppy ever, Lulu. As a family, we love exploring and living in the UP. Our favorite adventures are beach days at Mother Superior, fishing in inland lakes, and winter hikes in the woods. I also love sitting down with a cup of tea, enjoying some peace and quiet; if it’s around a fire and with a friend, even better.

Andrea Caron

Affiliated Doula, Certified Labor (Birth) Doula, and Birth Consultant

Please allow me to introduce myself!

I’m Andrea Caron, Certified Birth Doula with Doulas of Marquette. Some of you may know me from this role. Others may recognize me from my role as an employee with Steigerwaldt Land Services. And there’s those of you that may know me from my favorite job: Mom to our three boys, Elijah, Matthew, and Isaac.

In 2016, I set a goal to become certified as a doula to saddle alongside my Bachelor of Forestry and Masters in Community Services degrees. I have been an independent contractor with Melinda Britton, owner of Doulas of Marquette, ever since.

My role at Doulas of Marquette includes prenatal and postpartum support as well as business development. Being a doula fits snuggly with the skills and experience I have gained in life as well as aligning with my personality and belief in women.

Being a doula is truly my passion. It is an endless honor to share and be with families as they prepare for and welcome the birth of their child(ren). Being part of their journey enhances my own.

Outside of work, I can be found hanging out with my best friend, Jason, who also happens to be my husband, biggest support, and endless coffee cup filler. We like to make maple syrup, explore the outdoors, read to our boys, and plan adventures big and small.

Kristen Erdmann

Affiliated Doula, Trained Labor (Birth) Doula, Birth Consultant, and RYT 200.

Hey there, Mama!

I’m so glad you’re here taking the steps to an empowered mothering journey. My name is Kristen Erdmann, trained Birth Doula with Doulas of Marquette. Some of you may recognize me from my role as a prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher at Rohana Yoga and Wellness or from my pelvic floor health workshop series at Be Well. As you may have gathered, it is a passion of mine to assist women in deepening their connection to self from the birthing years onward. I firmly believe that YOU know your body best, and when you really hone in that inner wisdom, then you get to be the one in charge of your journey rather than just along for the ride.

My journey toward women’s health and birth work began with the birth of my son. My husband, John, and I were very fortunate to have a close friend who happened to be a midwife. She attended many births and was there to support us as a doula. After our son, Atlas, was born both John and I talked about how different things could have been without our birth team. The gratitude ran deep. I knew then that this was something I wanted to do for other women. I decided after my son was older to attend doula training with DONA International, worked as a doula for a number of years, then took some time off from doula work to care for myself and family.

Through prenatal and mama and me yoga classes, my heart stayed connected to mothers by helping them to tap into their own inner strength and calm. After the birth of our daughter, Indira, my focus began to shift towards postpartum women’s health. I began my training as a Prenatal/Postpartum Core Exercise Specialist with Dr. Sarah Duvall with extensive training on pelvic floor health. It brings me such deep joy to see the “ah-ha” look on a woman’s face as she re-learns better breathing techniques, better body mechanics, better body awareness after, quite possibly, years of moving their body on autopilot.

Today, I feel as if it is providence to join forces with Melinda and Andrea. It is like stepping into the “Dream Team”. I couldn’t be happier. Empowering women, whether it be in their birth journey or health journey, is my true path in life, my dharma. It is a big part of what gives me purpose in life. Outside of that work, you can find me on the trails, be it running in the summer or cross-country skiing in the winter, with my family and our dog Lucy.