I am Michelle Gabriel-Caldwell, owner of Baby, Please Birth Services Doula Agency LLC. Empowering birth families has become a pivotal point of peace in my life since 2005. As a doula, childbirth educator, doula mentor and doula trainer, I don't think I even realized the impact this work has had on me personally. I often say it's a balance for me, my left brain and right brain are completely whole. I'm a scientist with graduate degrees and a full time job as a chemical engineer. I bring that lens of critical thinking and evidence based practices to every birth I attend and every class I teach. Almost a decade after training with the Bradley Method, I became an Evidence Based Birth Instructor as well. Shortly after I found myself needing more information and so I trained with DONA and joined NBDA. Once there I found my niche and helped to build on the Doula Training curriculum for the National Black Doulas Association and I currently sit on their Advisory Board. I also created my own Holistic Childbirth Education Class for The Birth Center of NJ, where I am also the Doula Coordinator. Besides serving over 400 families as a labor doula, I am most proud of being a leader in the birth community. That responsibility is held with integrity and accountability as I train and mentor new doulas. It is also my duty to help ensure birth justice, as such I am on the Board of Directors of the Perinatal Health Equity Foundation. Changing the narrative of birth to represent beauty, safety and body autonomy is the main reason I can be found featured in The NY Times, on Netflix, The Educated Birth Magazine, The WO Patch, Jezebel and various podcasts.