The NOVA Birth Services TEAM

Shannon Mathews Birth and Postpartum Doula Nova Birth Services
  • OWNER

    CD(DONA)
    BIRTH DOULA/ POSTPARTUM DOULA

    CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR

    NRP

    Shannon has seven years of study focusing on child development, which cultivated her passion for childbirth, advocating for families, and more. Shannon has completed Child Birth Education classes, DONA Doula training, Lamaze training, and breastfeeding classes. She also works with other local birth workers to learn and expand her understanding of evidence-based birth.

    Shannon’s experiences with her four pregnancies taught her the value of information, flexibility, and understanding patient rights as she struggled to receive quality care to manage her Hyper-Emesis Gravidarum. Because of this, Shannon strives to advocate for expecting mothers to ensure they receive the care they deserve during their pregnancies and deliveries. Her experience working in hospitals with surgeons also helped her be able to translate medical terminology into common man language for her clients.

    Serving: Northern Virginia

Judy Pendergrass Postpartum doula
  • POSTPARTUM NIGHT DOULA

    Judy has 30 years of experience serving families both as a nanny and as a postpartum doula. She has extensive experience with setting up new family routines and has supported families from all different backgrounds. She loves working nights and helping families adjust to their new normal. She is incredibly supportive and helpful around the home.

    Serving: Middle and Northern Virginia Areas

Jessica Pope Postpartum doula
  • POSTPARTUM DOULA

    Jessica came to NBS with years of childcare and infant support knowledge and over a decade of EMS work. Jessica offers families a calm voice and supportive care during the transitional time of bringing home and caring for a newborn. Providing evidence based postpartum support helping parents rest, recuperate and nurture their children in a way that aligns with their individual values and needs.

    Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia

  • RN
    ACCE
    BS
    MHA
    POSTPARTUM DOULA

    Sue is a retired nurse and educator with years of postpartum, nursery, and pediatric experience. She brings her wealth of experience and knowledge to help expecting mothers and their partners navigate their journey into parenthood as they learn all about their amazing newborn.

    Her top priorities are the physical and emotional well-being of mothers throughout their pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum periods as well as ensuring their partners feels like a pivotal part of the experience.

    Serving: Daytime Fairfax Virginia Clients

Catherine Young Birth and Postpartum Doula Nova Birth Services
  • CD(DONA), CVD(TVL), C-VBACS

    BIRTH DOULA/VBAC DOULA

    PERINATAL FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

    CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR

    NRP

    Catherine has been helping pregnant women and families since 2019. Giving birth to her own six children – one cesarean and five VBACs – gave Catherine a passion and respect for birth. She has been a DONA certified birth doula since 2021, and a certified VBAC doula (The VBAC Link) and VBAC specialist (Pro- Doula) since 2022. She is a CrossFit Level 2 trainer and certified Pre/Postnatal \ Fitness Instructor (MamasteFit). She has completed Spinning Babies training courses, a breastfeeding course, and is an Evidence-Based Birth professional member.

    Catherine’s goal is to provide families with individualized care during the prenatal period and compassionate, in-person support and advocacy during labor. She helps with bonding and breastfeeding, if you choose, after your baby is born. She respects and values the richness of your family’s birth experience and would be honored to support you.

    Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients

Beth Marks Birth and Postpartum Doula Nova Birth Services
  • CD (DONA)
    Birth and Postpartum Doula

    As she learned from teaching for more than 30 years, there is more than one way to solve a problem, and the best way is the way that works for you! It’s no different in childbirth. There are so many options in childbirth, and it can be overwhelming. It starts with knowledge! Beth’s superpower is helping you find what works best for you in an inclusive, nonjudgmental way.

    Every birthing person deserves to have an advocate there to guide and assist them in making educated choices about their pregnancy and remind them that they can trust the strength of their bodies during this time. As a certified DONA International doula, and Spinning Babies trained birth worker, Beth will inform clients with facts, provide resources, and listen with empathy to help them curate a safe, healthy, and beautiful childbirth memory.

    As a postpartum doula and lactation consultant (training by Childbirth International), Beth loves to help families transition to life with a newborn. Whether it’s your first baby or your fourth, this new little life will dramatically change the dynamics of your family. Helping with household logistics, feeding your baby by breast or bottle, bathing and cord care, and watching the baby so the new parent(s) can rest are some of the ways she can help you. Feeling safe, nurtured, and cared for is as important for the new parents as it is for your baby.

    Beth is a mother of 4 adult children. She enjoys walking her two dogs (both rescues) and having deep discussions with her African Gray Parrot. She recently retired from Loudoun County Public Schools to doula full time! Her greatest wish is to be a grandmother.

    Serving: Northern Virginia and some Maryland clients

  • I am a birth, postpartum and sibling doula. My journey to this point began over 20 years ago when I became a certified massage therapist, an infant massage instructor, and a Reiki master. I have enjoyed working with a wide range of clients, but I have to say my favorite type of work was always prenatal and postpartum massage. While working on expectant mothers, it was magical to feel the baby move and react to the things I was doing to help Mom. I retired last year from massage work and became a doula to continue working with the birthing community.

    I trained to become a birth doula through The Matrona Foundation. Their philosophy resonated with me, which is providing an environment that invites others to witness the birth, rather than manage it, empowering the family to have the birth that they desire.

    My Postpartum Doula training was through DONA International.

    Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients

Whitney Holsey Birth and Postpartum doula Nova Birth services
  • Birth Doula
    Postpartum Doula
    Certified Birth Educator, Prenatal Nutrition, Breastfeeding Counseling

    Birth professional, experienced and educated in birth comfort, support, and advocacy for expectant families. Focused on what a person's individual family needs are and walking the journey with them. Trained in comfort measures and coping strategies as well as optimal positions for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

    My name is Whitney. I am Certified through the International Doula Institute for Birth Educators, Prenatal Nutrition, Breastfeeding Counseling, Birth Doula, and Postpartum Doula. I have over 15 years of experience in taking care of babies but 3 active years of being a doula. I believe that these tools have helped me make each mother’s pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care as exceptional as the little one(s) they are bringing into the world. I am enthusiastic to comfort, support, and educate.

    As a mother of three, I felt it important to show my

    daughters to follow their passions. My passion is being a doula, what sparked this passion for me was being there for the births of my nieces and nephews. Being with my siblings and their partners and helping them when they were in need brought such a feeling of satisfaction. Helping mothers is just as important to me because we need to be cared for, advocated for, and properly educated throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care.

    Serving: Maryland and Northern Virginia Clients

  • Founder

    Perinatal Counselor and Therapist

    Andrea has served the families of our region for 13 years. She has moved from birth work into Therapy as her main emphasis of supporting families both before and after birth. You can find her at Care of Self Center.

2024 Nova Birth Services Team Picture- Sue and Debbie Not Shown