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

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