Lauren Burr
“Birth is part of our shared humanity, coded into our very nature. Yet the experience of childbirth can hold many things at once: hope, fear, excitement, joy, challenge, uncertainty, and elation.”
I strive to honor the full emotional landscape of birth by affirming each family’s unique journey. My care is grounded in the three pillars of birth doula support: emotional support, physical support, and informational support. Together, these elements help families feel empowered, reassured, safe, and supported in body, mind, and spirit.
My journey toward becoming a birth doula began in 2020 when my sister—and best friend—became pregnant with her first baby. She asked me to join her during labor and birth, and nothing could have felt more meaningful. Wanting to be fully prepared, I began teaching myself everything I could about childbirth and labor support.
In May 2021, my sister welcomed her beautiful daughter, Vera. Supporting her through that experience revealed how naturally the role of a doula aligned with who I was.
Birth often exists at the intersection of intensity and beauty. During my niece’s birth, I witnessed pain alongside overwhelming joy, vulnerability alongside strength, and uncertainty alongside transformation. Holding space for all of those emotions sparked something within me that I could not ignore.
When Vera turned one, I reflected on the experience and realized that the calling I had felt was still very much alive. I completed my birth doula training through DONA International in the summer of 2022. With every family and birth I have supported since then, my passion for this work has continued to grow.
Supporting the Strength Within Each Family
We often talk about “finding the strength” to move through difficult experiences. While watching my sister labor, I saw that sometimes strength also finds us—especially in moments of surrender, instinct, and trust.
I believe that regardless of how a baby enters the world, every birthing person has the ability to draw strength from within while also receiving strength from the people supporting them. As a doula, my role is to honor and nurture that process.
I tailor my support to each client’s individual needs, preferences, and definition of a positive birth. My goal is not to direct the experience but to help families feel informed, capable, and genuinely supported as it unfolds.
I want each client to remember their birth with feelings of love, accomplishment, respect, and confidence, knowing their voice mattered and their experience was honored.
Before becoming a doula, I studied economics, cultural anthropology, and public policy. I also worked for a nonprofit organization dedicated to behavioral and social-science research and evaluation. This background taught me how to thoughtfully evaluate evidence, understand different perspectives, and translate complex information into clear, useful guidance.
I bring both intuition and evidence into my doula work—combining compassionate, individualized care with reliable information that helps families understand their options and make decisions aligned with their values.
Outside of birth work, I love cooking and trying new foods, practicing yoga, spending time with my family and my dog, Cleo, enjoying the outdoors, caring for my houseplants, reading, and listening to music.
Dance was also an important part of my childhood, from ballet and jazz to modern dance. I still love dancing in the kitchen, learning ballroom steps with my partner, or simply swaying to music—something that can also be grounding and powerful during labor.
I grew up in a small mountain town in New Mexico and have been grateful to call the vibrant Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia area home since 2018.
Education and Experience
- DONA-Trained Birth Doula
- Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Cultural Anthropology
- Master’s Degree in Public Policy
- Research Associate, American Institutes for Research
My role is to honor each family’s strength, protect space for its unique experience, and provide the compassionate, evidence-informed support needed to welcome a baby with confidence and care.