Gentle Seed Doulas typically work in a team of two for your pregnancy, birth & postpartum. Your team is always on-call for you. We match doulas and families by personality and availability for your estimated due date. We are excited to meet you and learn your birth and postpartum goals!

Birth Doula (CD), Certified Infant Sleep Consultant

Melissa Burton is a Certified Labor Doula and has her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Cincinnati. Her training and education includes certification through CAPPA and Spinning Babies.

Melissa’s interest in birth was sparked during her first pregnancy and continued to grow after the birth of her second and third children. In addition to becoming a mother, always a listening ear and helping hand for her friends during their pregnancies and postpartum helped Melissa realize her passion for supporting moms and families through the transition to parenthood. Becoming a birth professional is something that felt natural to her.

A Cincinnati native, Melissa resides in Anderson with her husband, son and four daughters. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, getting together with friends, reading and running. Melissa can’t wait to support new and growing families.

Melissa Burton

Alyssa Overkamp

Birth Doula (CD), Placenta Encapsulation Specialist
Alyssa came to birth work in 2018 desiring to bring support and empowerment to all those giving birth. While getting her Bachelor’s degree in Public and Community Health from the University of Cincinnati, she realized she wanted to work in women’s health. 

 

Seeing new parents welcome life into the world is such a joy to her. Besides being a certified birth doula through DONA, she is our certified placenta encapsulation specialist.
Alyssa loves spending time with her daughter, husband, and pup. When not at a birth, you can find her hiking, reading, or in the garden.

 

Postpartum Doula (CPD)

After 4 years of leading an Infant Montessori classroom at Lifespan Montessori in Athens, GA, Lauren realized that one of her biggest strengths in the classroom was communicating with parents and guiding new families.

In September of 2020 she became Postpartum Doula certified through DONA and is eager to support families while they experience their 4th Trimester. Lauren is delighted to be starting her postpartum doula career with the Gentle Seed Doula team.

As well as providing comfort to new families, Lauren is also passionate in creating Montessori spaces for little ones in the home. She enjoys cooking, has a background in singing and songwriting, and is constantly developing her Japanese culture, as she is a quarter Japanese.

Lauren is from all over, having grown up in California, Nevada, Japan, New Jersey, and spent the last 5 years in Georgia. With family close by, she is happy to be settling down in Ohio with her husband Charlie, and are certainly enjoying the newlywed bliss.

Lauren Cromer

Supporting Your Child's Birth

We Believe In You

All Gentle Seed Doulas work in a team of two for your pregnancy, birth & postpartum. We match doulas and families by personality and availability for your estimated due date. We are excited to meet you and learn your birth and postpartum goals.

Contact Us Today

Alicia Richey

Postpartum Doula (CPD)
Alicia Richey is a certified postpartum doula who has been working with families and children for over 25 years between nannying, raising her own kids, and working as a camp counselor throughout college. These experiences have helped prepare her to care for children in a variety of settings. 
 
Alicia‘s own varied birth and postpartum experiences are what inspired her to enter into this work. She is excited to support families during this vulnerable time through offering practical, holistic, and empathetic care.
 
When Alicia is not walking alongside families in their “fourth trimester”, she is busy celebrating life with her husband, Eric, and their six children, ages 20, 18, 15, 12, 9, and 4. She loves spending her free time working in the pottery studio, knitting, crocheting, and experimenting in the kitchen. She also loves being in the sunshine since it reminds her of her California roots. 
Birth Doula (CD), Doula Mentor, Birth Doula, GSD Founder
Birth has always felt deeply human. to me. It’s a time of profound strength, vulnerability and transformation. and I believe every family deserves to feel supported, informed and truly cared for as they welcome their baby, 
As a certified birth doula, I’ve had the privilege of supporting more than 1000 families through pregnancy, labor and the early postpartum days. My role is to bring calm, steady guidance, evidence based education and compassionate advocacy so you can approach your birth with confidence rather than fear. 

Beyond supporting clients, I love mentoring new doulas and helping build a community of birth workers who lead with empathy, skill and respect for every famililes unique journey.

When I’m not attending births, you’ll usually find me outdoors with my family, in the pottery studio, traveling or dreaming up new ways to support parents through Gentle Seed Doulas.

Lisa Suttschenko

Julia
Hall

Postpartum Doula (CPD)

Julia Hall is a certified postpartum doula with a wealth of experience. She began her journey working with Cincinnati families as a nanny during her teenage years and has now found fulfillment in dedicating herself to supporting families in the postpartum stage. Her passion for postpartum care was ignited when she had the privilege of assisting a family welcoming a newborn baby girl. Observing the profound bond between mothers and their infants has deeply inspired her, leading her to pursue a career as a doula to provide invaluable support to families during this significant period. Julia is happily married to her high school sweetheart, and in their down time, they enjoy leisurely strolls around Hyde Park with their beloved husky puppy.

Lucy
Weidig

,Birth Doula (CD TOLABOR)

Lucy is a certified birth doula, devoted to serving women throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum, Her passion for reproduction, babies and all things women’s heath inspired her to do her doula training with TOLABOR and become a labor doula.

She was born and raised in Michigan and now resides in Northern Kentucky. Her interests are in women’s health, reading, hiking and being active with her amazing fiancé, 

Birth & Postpartum Doula
 
Eva Borho completed her Birth and Postpartum Doula certifications through the Madriella Doula Network. 
Eva has her B.A. and M.A. in Communication from the University of Cincinnati. She has an A.S. in Medical Massage Therapy through a partnership of Cincinnati State and SHI. Eva is also a Reiki Master and VortexHealing practitioner.
 
Eva’s interest in birth support was sparked after being present at the birth of a family member. Her interest grew with her pregnancies and empowering births. Both of her births were supported by the team at Gentle Seed Doulas! Eva is looking forward to supporting new and growing families.
 
Her mission is to help support joyful birth for both parent(s) and baby(ies)! She wants to hold a safe place for each birthing person and their partner(s). Eva looks forward to helping families have a positive birth experience in a way that suits them best.
 
Eva is originally from Cincinnati but grew up in Goshen, Kentucky before returning to Cincinnati. She also enjoyed a semester of college in Southern California and a wonderful trip to several countries in Europe! 
 
In Eva‘s free time she loves spending time with her sons in nature or playing video games with them. She also appreciates yoga, reading, meditation, walking in nature, going to the movies with her husband, visiting beaches, and VortexHealing classes! She also loves all things Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, and Star Trek! 

Eva
Borho

Bri Johnson

Postpartum Doula (CPD) BSN, RN

I began my work supporting families as a nanny, where I gained extensive experience in newborn care and guiding families through the transition from hospital to home, as well as supporting mothers who gave birth abroad and later returned to Cincinnati. These opportunities allowed me to expand my abilities and deepen my understanding of the unique and emotional transitions families navigate, and how intentional postpartum support can make everything feel steady. Through years of supporting growing families and life with multiple children, I’ve learned how to coordinate daily routines and ease sibling transitions—strengthening my ability to create organized, balanced environments that allow parents to feel grounded and supported. These experiences naturally led me to pursue postpartum and birth doula work. I completed my postpartum doula training through Bastyr University and am almost finished with my Birth Doula certification through Childbirth International. I am also a Certified Nurse Aide and trained in Neonatal Resuscitation through Cincinnati Children’s. My work is rooted in calm presence, organization, and hands-on support. Whether assisting with newborn care, helping around the house, or supporting mothers through recovery, I strive to create a space where families feel reassured, informed, and truly cared for. Outside of birth work, I love staying active. I try to run as many 5Ks around the Cincinnati area as I can. The Flying Pig is my favorite! I enjoy taking my dog Remy to explore new trails, spending time with my family and friends, and golfing with my fiancé. This year is especially exciting, as we are planning our wedding. There’s so much to look forward to.