Cynthya Dzialo, Owner and Founder

"I think about my birth experience often and am so thankful that I was able to avoid medical intervention entirely in a hospital setting. Cynthya helped make that possible and I am forever grateful!" - Julia Lamp

Specialties: Birth photography, evidence-based educator, LGBTQ+ families

18 months, peek-a-boo!

Hi, I'm Cynthya, the founder and owner of The Happiest Doulas. I see to the individual needs of each agency client and guide them through the process of working with our team. I also teach our private childbirth class, which we’ve nicknamed The Labor Lesson.

I am a Professional Member at Evidence Based Birth® where I receive frequent continuing education on the best practices in the field. As an evidence-based instructor and doula, I offer my clients a balanced approach to using mind-body relaxation techniques specific to pregnancy and labor.

For over 15 years, I’ve held certification with Hypnobabies as a Hypno-Doula, and as a Labor Doula with Childbirth International. In 2015, I trained as a bereavement doula through StillbirthDay to support all birth outcomes, and in 2022, I completed my training at the Center for Breastfeeding/Healthy Children Project to become a Certified Lactation Counselor.

Many moons ago, I studied graphic arts and design at Atlanta College of Art where I focused on photography in advertising. During the Covid shutdown, I picked up my old film Nikon again and documented life in the many months since. With an upgrade to mirrorless equipment, I’m delighted to capture baby’s first birthday for those who invite me to do so as well as provide Pregnancy, Fresh 48, and Family photography in St Pete.

I currently serve as President of the Tampa Bay Birth Network to carry on our mission of raising awareness for holistic and informed pregnancy and birth for all families. We serve both the community at large as well as birth professionals. If you'd like to learn more about me and my path through this awesome profession, please visit my personal site.

Get To Know Me

• At Christmas, I adopted a Cheagle puppy from Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue and named her Vixen.

• I lead a flag/color guard group for the Gulfport Geckos marching band, am an auxiliary member of the Second Time Arounders marching band, and spin a flag with the ROTC St. Pete and Tampa Bay Pride performers. It’s all silly fun and every quarter, I’m in a couple of local and national parades - look for me at the 2027 Rose Bowl!

• I’m a Nuptial Notary and officiate weddings and elopements anywhere in FL but mostly ceremonies held in the Sunshine City.

What do you want most for your clients? I want them to know they are heard, cared for and will be helped in whatever way I can do so.

Who do you like to work with most? My ideal client is someone who wants a boost toward reaching their set goals - whatever they may be. I am their biggest cheerleader and resource to help in whatever way needed during pregnancy and labor.

What differentiates The Happiest Doulas agency from the others? Our team is a tight-knit group of professionals who stay in frequent contact with each other. We attend various trainings throughout the year to further our knowledge and better serve our community. By working as a team rather than as individual doulas part of a collective, The Happiest Doulas provide the best back-up care for each other and our clients to be ready for any birth situation. We adapt to our client’s needs, compassionately providing tailored instruction, labor coaching, and postnatal guidance to ease your transition to parenthood.
 

Helpful blog posts that I’ve published:

Read This if You Don't Want to Bodyfeed
A Good Night’s Sleep
Episiotomy and C-section Rates in St Pete Hospitals
Labor Tips For Birth Partners

Megan Ciampa

"I was so thankful for Megan throughout my whole pregnancy, as she was a great resource to ask questions and was such an encourager through the whole process." - Amanda M.

Specialties: Natural Birth Preparation, Childbirth Ed, Breastfeeding

Strolling along...

Megan is a former school counselor and a mom of 4 kids. She has personal experience with both in and out-of-hospital births and has an affinity for helping women solve breastfeeding challenges. Her passion for guiding women led her to become a childbirth educator.

Get to Know Megan...

• She's a proud Minnesotan native, but absolutely loves the Florida sunshine.

• Megan minored in Spanish and has an M.A. in School Guidance Counseling.

• She's obsessed with personality profiles. On the MBTI, she is an ENFP and is a 7 on the enneagram. Connecting with others gives her life.
   

What shaped your attitude about birth? On a whim, one fateful day in 2008, I accepted an invite from a friend in the throes of nursing school to go see a special screening of The Business of Being Born at the University of South Florida. That night, with motherhood seemingly years away from me at that point, my eyes were opened forever. I was surrounded by doulas and medical professionals, as well as moms and dads who cared passionately about birth, and decided that whenever the time came for me to have a child, I would do things differently.

Little did I know, less than a year later I would become pregnant with my first child and begin researching all things related to childbirth. And at 28 weeks, I did a very brave thing, and my husband and I transferred care to a local birth center to increase my chances of having a natural birth.

Where did you find your passion to become a childbirth instructor? 11 weeks later, my first child was born on a very peaceful, sunny and serene day at the birth center. After she was born, despite several obstacles she and I both had to overcome after her birth, I became a huge birth advocate.

Fast forward several years, and I’ve seen been blessed to deliver three healthy babies in a hospital setting each time using a doula to help achieve our goals. Each pregnancy I learned more and more about one of the most incredible highs a woman might ever experience: birth. I was officially obsessed, and I wanted to equip other women in the same way I had been.

After my third baby I decided it was time to do something about this obsession and became certified as a childbirth instructor. I love empowering other women with tools and knowledge to achieve the birth they desire!

Erika Washburn

Specialties: 
Breastfeeding, Hypnosis for birth

Just a kid, sitting on a mountain top...an average afternoon in Bergen, Norway.

After experiencing paradigm-shifting empowerment during her first pregnancy, Erika discovered a calling to guide women through pregnancy and birth. She certified as labor doula with DONA in 2017 and attends births in Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater areas.

Get to Know Erika...

• She’s visited 24 countries and lived in 3 countries on three separate continents. 

• Her husband is a musician and she sings, and over the years they’ve performed together at several weddings and various events. They joke that when their four kids are older, they’ll start a family band!

• Erika has an eye for design and is 100% a DIY’er! 

Why did you become a birth doula? The experience of my own three births led me to this calling. I am in awe of the entire birth process and of what women’s bodies and minds can do. My focus prenatally and during labor is to help clients replace any fear with joy; to become empowered through knowledge and understanding, and gain a self-awareness of the strength they truly possess.  

While I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way/place to birth, I do believe you deserve the right to discover what choices are right for you, and feel respected and affirmed for those selections. During labor, I am attentive to needs on both an emotional and physical level, facilitating a positive birth experience in line with your wishes.

Jeni Standard, Atlanta Team Lead

"I had seen all the research about how having a doula reduces medical interventions in birth, but was nervous about having another person in the room. Jeni made me feel extremely comfortable, and I felt like I had a great team supporting me in something that I could be awesome at." - Laura Eloyan

Specialties: Lactation, Childbirth Education, Stillbirth Bereavement, Parent/Newborn Support

Jeni, age 3, sits relaxed and full of laughter and warmth. Much like she is today.

Jeni is an herbalist, nutritionista, and friend of the new mama. She is a StillBirthday bereavement and birth doula, and completed her DONA labor doula certification well over a decade ago.

Jeni attends birthdays and serves as the Team Lead in Atlanta. She provides private instruction for childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care both in-person and virtually.
 

Get To Know Jeni

• She dislikes spoons and avoids using them at all costs.

• Her wedding was themed The Great Gatsby and everyone dressed like flappers, gangsters, or some expatriate, beatnik version of themselves.

• She's terrified of canned biscuits and gas grills for the same reason - they will explode when you least expect it!
  

How do you see your role in the birth process? As a doula I am there to journey with, bear witness to support and light the way for parents regardless of the choices they start from or end up making. There are a multitude of influences that bring a person to parenthood, and that impacts their birthing experience. As a doula, I find that it's so important to support from an impartial place. This is such an intimate time and space in a person/couple/family's life. Folks just need support wherever they are, without judgement. It's my job to understand where you start from, keep up with where you go, and support you every step of the way.

Why do you think that doulas are an important part of a birth team? Women have circled around other women in birth and babies at least as long as we've been writing our history down. Recent times have taken birth into the hospitals. Our grandmothers and aunts, replaced by doctors and nurses. The part we left out of the proven model was the circle of experienced, unwavering support.

What is your "birth philosophy"? It's pretty simple really. Birth is diverse, it is as unique as the people that come to it, and the families that come away from it. Birth is transformative and deserves to be honored. Birth is courageous, and so often our first opportunity to fiercely mother. We should be able to look back at the births of our children with pride and joy.

Why did you become a doula? Before getting pregnant, the closest I had been to pregnancy and birth was when my chihuahua had pups (at least a hundred years ago). I always wanted to be a mom, but I never thought about what it would mean to be pregnant and birth someone into the world. So I got pregnant, and realized I had no idea how to do the next part. I'm one of those people that when I find myself up against something I can't run from, I resort to voraciously seeking out information. Thus, you could gauge my most significant life experiences by my bookshelves.

The questions I asked, and the choices I made led me to a home birth, surrounded by people who knew how to hold a space. It was an amazing, heart searing experience. It scared me half to death, and forced me to find places of strength within I did not know existed. I had without question, a birth as I saw fit. What I discovered after was that many, many women do not leave birth more whole, or at least unharmed. It's totally cliche, but I fell in love with birth and knew that I wanted to help.

Why have you remained a doula? Because I love staying awake all night. Nah, I'm kidding! I love many, many things about being a doula, but I have to say my favorite part is standing at the brink with people, and watching them turn into parents in an instant. It is such an honor to me, to have been there and helped navigate the outcome as a team. It's simply where I find my groove.

What would you wish for every woman to possess before having a baby? The confidence to trust her body, and a team of her choosing to help her make decisions from a place of empowerment.

Jeni serves clients who live in Atlanta and Decatur, and the surrounding areas (Sandy Springs, Stone Mountain, Chamblee, and Clarkston). An out-of-area travel fee applies if you give birth at a hospital within her zone but live outside of it.

"We had the BEST experience working with The Happiest Doulas! The Birth Boot Camp class was very educational and helped us prepare for the big day and what to expect. Jeni, our instructor, was so knowledgeable and a great resource." - Jennifer R.

Posts by or about Jeni:
7 Tips For Skin Elasticity During Pregnancy And Beyond
Nutrition Tips for Postpartum Thriving

Christina Thomson

“The moments of eye contact and reassurance from Christina were immeasurable. They allowed me to find strength I never knew I had.” - Lydia McMillan

Specialties: Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices, NICU Lactation and Parent Support

Age 2, always smiling! 

Christina has served Atlanta area families for over 10 years as a nanny, early childhood educator, and doula. She began her training with CAPPA in 2015 as a labor and postpartum doula, and has since trained as a Lamaze childbirth instructor to provide private labor preparation for our clients.

Christina attends births as a sibling and labor doula in the northwest area of metro Atlanta area, Marietta, and Chattanooga.

Get To Know Christina

• If she could, she'd spend all of her money on fancy yarn.

• At 15, her first job was as a bag girl at Food Lion. She has to stop herself from taking over when people don't bag groceries "the right way."

• She simultaneously is a food snob and lover of Velveeta Cheese.
  

Why did you become a doula? My background is in early childhood education and nannying. When I got pregnant with my first son, I became really interested in birth, in the whole process and the options available to pregnant women. I saw birth as something to embrace and prepare for and felt like my experience should be how I wanted it to be. It was hard and intense, but I felt so strong and empowered afterwards. The call to become a doula came when a friend asked me to be with her during her birth. Being with her during that time made me realize how passionate I was about birth and helping women have the experience they want to have and to know how to prepare for it. I began my training with CAPPA and have recently recertified with Birth Boot Camp DOULAS, and it feels right, like this is what I'm meant to do.

What differentiates you from other doulas? People find strength and confidence in my calm demeanor. It helps them to stay relaxed, focused, and confident in the birth process. I'm a natural caregiver. I draw knowledge from my experiences as a mother, teacher, and nanny to help ensure a satisfying and safe birth experience. I have a gift for knowing how to hold space in a room. It’s important to know what I can do or say to assist during labor, but it is just as important to know when to not say or do too much. There’s an art to allowing birth to unfold and happen, and your doula should know how to let that happen and guide you, whether you are delivering naturally or you are laboring with pain medicine or an epidural.

Will you support me through any decision? Absolutely! Every birth is different. With my first son, I had the ideal natural birth. I had prepared for a natural birth and was ready for the process. I labored naturally for 22 hours, and he was born happy and healthy and started breastfeeding immediately! It was an amazing experience and one that I was prepared to do again with my second baby. But, when my water broke unexpectedly at 34 weeks, it set me on a totally different birth path. After a slow 4 day induction process he was born strong and healthy but because he was early he had to spend over a week in NICU. He didn’t breastfeed right away and started on formula. I suddenly found myself navigating a totally different world as a mom of a preemie who was in NICU. It wasn’t my ideal birth experience, but it was still an amazing and empowering experience because I felt confident in my decisions and my care provider’s decisions to make sure everyone had the best possible outcome.

As a doula, I have supported women through natural birth and through induced births where pain medicine and epidurals are requested. Whatever your decisions are or even if they change during labor, I support you and help you feel confident and knowledgeable throughout the journey.
 

Christina serves clients who live in Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Marietta, and Chattanooga. An out-of-area travel fee may apply if you give birth at a hospital within/around her zone but live outside of it; she holds 3-4 in-person home visits as part of her doula package.

Posts by Christina:
Make Labor Productive
I Survived a Colicky Baby, And So Can You
Epidural, Please!
How To Be The Perfect Mom

Kalpana Meece

Specialties: Childbirth Education, Postpartum Parent and Newborn Care

Daddy's little girl!
 

Kalpana offers labor support to families in Atlanta, Decatur, and Clarkston. She is a certified labor doula with ProDoula. Kalpana believes in the importance of empowering parents through education and unconditional support throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

She is accepting inquiries for birthdays in the areas of Atlanta metro, Sandy Springs, Clarkston, and Decatur.

Get To Know Kalpana

• When she was a baby and toddler, her nickname was Muhammad Ali because of all the “muscles” (ie..rolls) in her arms and her dad's enthusiasm for boxing.

• Kalpana has worked with horses since she was 13 and looks forward to the day when her family can have their own small farm complete with horses, chickens, goats, pigs, and more!

• Kalpana graduated from college, got married, and moved to Atlanta all within and month’s time in 2000.

How do you involve my partner during labor? My role as your doula is not to simply take the place of your partner, but to support the two of you as a team as you work to bring your baby into the world together. We can work to involve your partner as much as you desire. Providing massage, ice chips or water, breathing with you during contractions, and cooling your brow with a cold towel are just a few ways your partner can help. I am there to make this process as smooth and as positive of an experience as possible for both of you. 

How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor? Whether or not you use pain medication during labor is a very personal decision and one we will discuss during your prenatal visit, but can always revisit during labor as well. Should you decide that you desire an unmedicated birth, I will support you in that goal. If at any point you feel like you need medication to manage your pain, that decision is yours to make. My job is to support your needs and desires, completely free of judgement, and maintain a calm, comforting space for you to labor in. 

What inspired you to become a doula? By the time of my third birth, I was determined to be more "in control" than the previous two by knowing what I wanted and making my wishes and expectations very clear--to myself, my partner, and the care providers. Childbirth is a miracle in and of itself, and every woman deserves the chance to make her birth story her very own. It was then that I realized I could help empower women to educate themselves and support them to create the labor they truly desire. 

What kind of help can you offer after our baby is born? Immediately after your baby is born, I can assist you in getting baby to latch (if you are breastfeeding). However you choose to feed your baby, my goal will be for you to begin bonding with your baby as soon as possible. I am also a trained Postpartum Doula which means that once you are at home with your baby, I can provide invaluable hands-on support. Speeding up your healing, helping with baby care, meal prep, and light household chores are just a few ways I can support you at home. 

Kalpana serves clients who live in the areas of 30060, 30115​, 30076, 30005, and surrounding neighborhoods (Roswell, Marietta, Canton). An out-of-area travel fee will apply if you give birth at a hospital within/around her zone but live outside of it; she holds 3-4 in-person home visits as part of her doula package.