Doulas and Apprentices

Heather Hilton-Melancon

I completed DONA's Birth Doula/Labor Support training in 2008. I am currently participating in the Midwifery College of Utah's distance learning program and am certified in Neonatal Resuscitation. I have provided labor support to families in many different settings; in hospitals, at the family's home, and in birth centers. I have successfully helped women through VBACs, natural births as well as medicated births.

After experiencing a hospital birth with my first baby, I felt that there was something missing from our medical system. So after much research, I chose to have my second baby at home with a midwife and doula. It was during this process that I found my passion for childbirth. I left my 9-5, got my training, and started assisting women during childbirth!

Shelton Rain Sutherland

In 2009, I attended the Heart and Hands Intensive series and Advanced series for doula certification and midwifery skills. I also trained for childbirth education with Aviva Institute. I am certified in neonatal resuscitation and am working towards my license to practice midwifery through the National Midwifery institute. I am a member of the California Association of Midwives and the Midwives Alliance of North America.

I was born and raised in California. As a teenager, I recognized my passion for natural childbirth and started attending births as a doula. At age 19, I gave birth to my son, Shiloh, in my childhood home. In 2002, I got my doula training with a midwife in Carmel, CA. I went to college to earn my BA in Community Studies with an emphasis on Women’s Health and reproductive issues from UC Santa Cruz.

Sara Vietti

After attending my friend's home birth where Paula was the primary midwife, I was introduced to a new way of bringing life into the world. I was so impressed by the idea of home birth that when Paula invited me to be her apprentice, I happily jumped at the opportunity. I received training from DONA (Doulas of North America) and began assisting women during hospital births as well as with Paula as she cared for women who were planning home births.

I also teach child birth classes which are geared toward those planning homebirths and can now draw on the joyful experience of my daughter's birth, which came naturally, beautifully, and right at home, April 13, 2010.