Meet the creators
of Intentional Birth

Meredith Nelson

DOULA, EDUCATOR + RESTORATIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST

Once upon a time Meredith was a Hebrew professor, with a side gig a few times a week as a professional violinist, happily considering a lifetime in academia. Then she experienced the primal. She gave birth at home to her son, a joyful experience followed by a long, challenging recovery. These sparked her calling in birthwork and perinatal movement. Ten years later she hasn't looked back, and in the meantime welcomed a daughter in a surprise unassisted and totally euphoric birth, with a blessedly easy recovery.

Meredith is a certified biomechanics nerd (RES-CPT), advocate-doula, editor, storyteller, and a teacher of two decades. She has supported families in over 20 hospitals and many homes and birth centers across the country, and utterly believes in women.

Located in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, Meredith may be found hiking barefoot, homeschooling, and still hitting the fiddle on the weekends.

Alicia Fishbein

DOULA + EDUCATOR

Alicia has been a lover of babies and birth all her life. It’s rather telling that her favorite book as a child was, Where Do Babies Come From? Many years later, she married Shane, a chiropractor, who started her on the path of loving birth simply by asking the question, "Why don't you learn more about natural birth?"

All four of her children were born at home, with the support of midwives and doulas, and her births changed her life. In 2013, Alicia decided to convert her love of babies and birth into the fantastic, dynamic, magical work of a birth doula. Since then she has been honored to attend nearly 300 births.

Watching parents learn and grow, and achieve as they move through their birth, and postpartum is what feeds Alicia's soul. She wholeheartedly believes in women's innate power, she knows that birth can be trusted, and she deeply values the role that dads and partners play. Again and again, Alicia has seen that when a woman is equipped with excellent education, dogged determination, and serene support, that woman can do ANYTHING!

Alicia is happiest curled up with a snuggly blanket, a good book and a cup of tea. Her other loves include hiking through the mountains, devouring ethnic foods, live music, period dramas, and long juicy conversations with friends.