Certified Birth Doula (DONA), MSW & Herbalist

Emily Berninger

Emily Berninger, herbalist and certified DONA birth doula, located in Kingston, NY serving the Hudson Valley, Ulster county and Duchess county. Emily provides care for natural births, medicated or unmedicated, home births, birth centers herbal care.

Hi there! I’m a DONA-certified birth doula with a Master’s in Social Work and a deep love for herbal medicine. My approach is holistic, body-positive, and trauma-informed, ensuring every birthing person feels supported, respected, and empowered.

I’m trained in Spinning Babies, Hypnobabies and Lactation Support as well as offer placenta encapsulation and herbalism consults. I serve the Hudson Valley, providing grounded, intuitive care for every kind of birth journey.

Please have a look around and see if we might vibe.


Birth Preparation

  • I’m here to support you throughout your pregnancy—not just during birth. This means you have continuous prenatal support as I’m available for questions, quick check-ins, and thoughtful troubleshooting along the way.

  • With my background in herbalism, I offer personalized compassionate ad knowledgeable herbal consultations and can create custom tea blends, syrups, and other gentle remedies tailored to your needs—all included as part of your care.

  • I collaborate with you to develop a holistic birth plan tailored to your needs.

  • Learn various physical comfort techniques, including massage, breathing exercises, and positioning, to help manage discomfort during pregnancy and labor

Active Birth Support

  • I will remain on call two weeks before and after your EDD to be by your side when labor begins.

  • Experience the reassurance of having a continuous, calm, and supportive presence throughout your labor and birth.

  • Together, we work as a team, ensuring you are supported, informed, and empowered throughout this incredible journey into parenthood.

  • I provide a variety of physical comfort techniques, including massage, counter-pressure, and position changes to help manage pain and discomfort.

  • I support in both medicated and unmedicated births, ensuring your preferences are respected and advocating for your choices with medical staff to create a supportive and empowering environment.

Post Partum Care

  • Receive personalized postpartum support tailored to nurture both you and your newborn, including guidance on breastfeeding, infant care, and emotional wellness.

  • Drawing from my background in mental health services and my ongoing training in perinatal mood disorders, I provide support to help you process your birth experience, offering insights and resources to promote emotional healing and self-reflection.

  • After our visit, I can follow up with personalized herbal suggestions to support your postpartum recovery and enhance your well-being.

  • Optional placenta encapsulation.