Full Spectrum Doula Located in Chicago

A woman with glasses and her hair in a bun, wearing a black shirt and sitting on a gray couch, holds a smiling baby girl dressed in a beige sweater and colorful leggings.

Welcome to Nightlight Birth and Body! I’m Leila (she, her, hers), a full spectrum doula in the great City of Chicago. I believe that doulas serve many purposes – we provide emotional, physical, information and advocacy support for families throughout their fertility, pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. We work with families, with birthing parents, their support team, and their wider villages, to empower our families to make evidence-based, intuition-centered decisions for themselves, their bodies, and their families.

Nightlight is a combination of the meanings of my names. Leila (my first name, which comes from my maternal aunt) means “night” in Arabic, and Helen (my middle name, which comes from my mother and maternal grandmother) means “light” in Ancient Greek. Think of me as your night light – shining a light when one is needed, helping people find their own way through family building. 

WORK WITH LEILA

BIRTH DOULA

POSTPARTUM DOULA

PERINATAL SUPPORT

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION

ABORTION ASSISTANCE

PREGNANCY LOSS & BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT

FERTILITY SUPPORT

MENSTRUAL CYCLE TRACKING

I work and live on land that many of us now call Chicago, Illinois. However, this land has historically been and is currently home to many indigenous tribes. I pay homage to the Council of Three Fires, a confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi tribes who call this land home. I also honor the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox Nations, who also live on this land. Finally, I pledge to remember the genocide, ethnic cleansing and continued erasure of indigenous people and cultures from this land. I believe reparations come in the form of land-back programs, uplifting indigenous voices, and listening and following the lead of tribal leaders and community members, and as a birth worker sharing this space, I will work to center reparations in all that I do.

  • Stephanie E.

    I am a first-time mom and knew nothing about babies going into my pregnancy. I was stressed about labor and delivery, and completely overwhelmed with the amount of conflicting information about so many birthing decisions to be made. Leila helped ease so much of my anxiety from the moment we decided to hire her. She got to know me, my husband, and our beliefs, and really supported us in accessing credible information and asking the right questions every step of the way. She truly embodies her values of being a compassionate, non-judgmental, and evidence-based doula.

  • Hannah D.

    Leila was instrumental in both my pregnancies. During my first pregnancy, I needed to switch hospitals. I lived in a rural community and the next hospital was about 2.5 hours away. Leila insightfully guided me through the difficult decision of switching hospitals. Her evidence based approach helped me critically evaluate my options. Ultimately it was for the best. With my second pregnancy, she was able to provide reassurance when I again needed to make a difficult labor decision. I am so thankful for her. I wholeheartedly recommend Leila and feel like she truly listens and supports.

  • Natasha

    We’re so grateful we took her virtual birthing course. She was informative, patient, empathetic and inclusive. She really took the time to understand what we wanted and how we wanted to approach childbirth. And, she was able to guide us through all the possible scenarios in a way that didn’t raise alarms or make us more nervous than we already were as first-time parents.

  • Brian F.

    Leila was so important in our first few weeks of caring for our newborn. She's so caring and knowledgeable, which was an immense calm for us as new parents. Leila's flexibility and adaptability to what we needed session over session made it feel ready to interact with her. She does a great job helping set you up for success with proven techniques and resources. Her obvious love for our kiddo and deep care for my wife are a couple of the many reasons we'd recommend Nightlight to every expectant parent.

  • Lexi F.

    Throughout my pregnancy and postpartum experience, Leila has been an invaluable support. Her thoughtfulness, compassion, and understanding helped me and my family navigate such a new and sometimes challenging time. I am forever grateful for her. All pregnant people and new parents deserve the care and support Leila provides.

  • Amy A.

    I worked with Leila around tracking my menstrual cycle. This was especially important to me since I was starting to have severe mood swings around my period. With Leila’s coaching, I was better able to track my biomarkers, estimate when my period would start, and most importantly bring information to my doctor in order to get the additional medical support I needed. Working with Leila had helped me feel empowered to take charge of my health and body and would 100% recommend her! Her approach is body neutral and supportive all the way with a focus on educating for empowerment.

  • Robyn D.

    Learning to track my cervical mucus has been an absolute game changer. Although it sounded a bit odd at first, Leila taught me how foundational mucus tracking is to cycle tracking. It has been so empowering to learn how and why cervical mucus changes during my cycle, how these changes impact my fertility, and how recognizing these changes helps me precisely identify where I am in my cycle. As an instructor, Leila is nonjudgmental, and creates a learning environment where I feel comfortable asking her any and every question. She is passionate about dismantling barriers for folks with uteruses to help us get access to information about OUR bodies. We are divine!

  • Emily W.

    Leila was indispensable in my journey to understanding my fertility and my body. I initially went to her fertility sessions as a "tune up" after getting off birth control, but was immediately shocked by how much about my body and my fertility that I never learned. Leila was always kind and thorough when answering my (many!) questions. Her guidance with cycle tracking helped me realize what was (and was not) in the spectrum of "normal." Because of that, I could have better informed conversations with my doctor. I cannot speak highly enough about Leila's fertility services, and I know exactly who I'll call if/when I need a doula! Thank you, Leila!