Meet Our Team

  • Vanessa Wright

    CD, Childbirth Educator

    Vanessa moved to Redding in 2012 to attend Simpson University to study Cross-Cultural Studies and to run Cross-Country. After graduating, she married her college sweetheart Josh, and they have four beautiful babies.

    Vanessa started to pursue birth work in 2019. After having both positive and negative birth experiences herself, she is passionate to support women to have empowering stories of their own. Vanessa became a certified doula through the Doula Alliance in 2019. Currently, she is enjoying co-teaching the childbirth classes while being on hiatus as a doula.

    In her spare time, she loves to be outdoors with her family. She enjoys gardening, hiking, camping, and bike riding.

  • Yoli Koenig

    Birth & Postpartum Doula

    Yoli is happily married and the mother of five beautiful kids- four living on their own and one still at home. Having the experience of five non-medicated hospital births myself, I find the role of doula to be an immense benefit to the expectant mother.

    Yoli began her birth career in the Bay Area serving as a volunteer translator on the OB unit. She worked in this capacity from 1989-1997, when she relocated to Redding. She completed her doula training in 2019 and also continues work with medical billing.

    She believes that childbirth is an essential right of passage- a transformation that creates memories lasting a lifetime. With the tools of evidence-based education and personalized emotional support, new parents can achieve a satisfying birth experience and begin their parenting journey with a sense of strength and self-confidence. I am eager to pass on the knowledge and skills I’ve gathered to the families I serve.

    She is certified with Doula Alliance. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her family, hiking, camping and snowboarding.

  • Becka Frankie

    LM, Childbirth Educator

    Becka has been a homebirth midwife for 18 years and has lived in Redding for the past 14 years. She is married to Craig and has three kids, who are 6, 4, and 21 months. Her own birth experiences ended in hospital transfers and c-sections, so she loves to have the opportunity to help parents be prepared for whatever may come in their birth. When not doing work in the birth world, she loves to swing dance, bake, garden, and take trips with her family.

  • Carolee Abbott

    RN, CD(DONA), SpBCPE

    Carolee is a registered nurse with experience in the home health setting. She has 4 grown children, one high schooler, and 4 adorable grandchildren. She became a certified childbirth doula through DONA in 2010. and began Grace Doulas in the same year with her longtime friend Patty.

    She loves empowering families with a solid knowledge of physiological birth so they can trust their bodies through the process. Equipping dads to feel valuable in their coaching role while acknowledging their birth experience is a particular goal both as an educator and as a doula. Becoming a certified instructor of the Spinning Babies® Parent Class in 2019 was another highlight for her, gaining practical tools that encourage optimal baby positioning. She views participating in birth as a sacred honor and truly wants her students and clients to feel loved and supported through their pregnancy journey. She enjoys kayaking and hiking in the North State in her free time.

FAQ’s

1. Are your classes appropriate for home births or just hospital births?

Our classes are not "geared for the hospital." What we teach can be implemented in any birthing situation: home, birthing center, or hospital. The teachers have been doulas in all three settings, as well as having personal experience giving birth in both home and hospital settings.

2. What's the difference between your classes and other childbirth classes?

Our classes are a fusion of principles taught in Bradley and Lamaze classes. We believe birth is a natural process which may require help at times. We also believe every medical intervention has its proper place and time. Learning to work with your body's natural knowledge of birth helps you surrender to the process, allowing for better progression as well as less discomfort. Acquiring tools to work together with your coach provides a safe and supportive atmosphere. Implementing the hallmarks of balance, gravity, and movement from Spinning Babies® also promotes better fetal positioning which can result in more comfort for mom as well as increasing the chances of experiencing a more physiologic labor and birth. Gaining confidence to ask appropriate questions helps you advocate for yourself and make decisions that commonly arise.

3. Why should I PAY for classes when the hospital offers them free of charge?

This is one of those situations where “you get what you pay for.” Sometimes “free” isn’t worth the price! Our classes are intentionally kept small, with no more than 7 couples per class. This way we can give individual attention, having time to answer any questions you might have, while providing accountability in the areas of diet and proper class exercises.

While we teach relaxation and how to effectively work with your labor throughout every class, the following topics are also covered:

  1. the importance of good nutrition and prenatal exercises during pregnancy

  2. birth physiology (what happens when during labor and birth)

  3. the “good, the bad, and the ugly” about medical interventions

  4. how to prepare a birth "plan" that reflects your desires

  5. building the foundations for successful breastfeeding

  6. the post-partum period for mom, newborn, and family

We talk about everything you might need to know during labor, encouraging you to ask questions if anything unexpected happens to arise. Our goal is for you to learn to relax and effectively work with your labor together, as well as to be well-informed about your options, thereby being an active part of any decision making to be made during pregnancy, labor or birth.

4. Does health insurance pay for doulas?

Currently, health insurance doesn't 'technically' pay for doulas. Sometimes insurance plans will reimburse for doula services. We can provide invoices with correct coding in these case. We can also provide receipts for pre-tax medical savings accounts when requested.

5. Do I have to pay all fees up front for your doula services or childbirth classes?

If you can do so, that’s great! However, we offer payments plans as long as you talk to us about this ahead of time. We want your birth experience to be a positive one, so we are willing to work with you to make it financially feasible.