Being a 21st-century woman requires power and peace

In the past, new mothers had the support of wise relatives and friends living nearby -- women (and men) who had raised their own children and could share remedies and tips passed down through the generations.

Western culture today expects mothers to get by with much less. Relatives and close friends live far away and are too busy to help. And time-honored tips and solutions have been replaced by hastily dispensed prescriptions and too-brief visits to impersonal clinics.

The very demanding and emotional process of giving birth and caring for a newborn remains unchanged; and without proper guidance and support, problems -- from breastfeeding difficulties to postpartum depression -- can quickly set in. It doesn’t need to be this way. What is a 21st-century Mom to do?

Through one-on-one consultation, group learning sessions, workshops, and more, Angela Lessa -- assisted as needed by trusted colleagues in related disciplines -- creates a program of support that fits the needs of each new mother and baby, and the family they belong to. She fills the gaps of learning and support left by cookie-cutter medical approaches. Her services include
* birth planning
* labor support
* breastfeeding counseling
* postpartum guidance
* family dynamics assessment
* cultural issues related to birth and motherhood (specializing in
South American concerns)

About Angela Lessa

Angela is the mother of four children and has attended hundreds of births as a doula. She is expert in getting to the root causes of new-Mom issues, taking a holistic view of the factors that may contribute to breastfeeding problems, postpartum blues, and stressful family interactions.

Drawing on 20 years of doula experience, Angela is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment through birth and motherhood. She helps New Moms and their partners imagine and realize the birthing experience they wish for, and give their babies a beautiful start in life -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Continuing her family’s practice of traditional healing through herbal remedies and spiritual and emotional support, Angela focuses on the natural forces and processes often overlooked by Western medicine. She studied with Ina May Gaskin, a leader in the natural birth movement, as well other renowned names -- Sheila Kitzinger, Karin Caldwell (Healthy Children), Virginia Bobro (Birthing from Within), Christine Novak (Health Connect One), Debra Bonaro (DONA), Fadynha (ANDO-Brazil), Barbara Harper (Waterbirth International), and Zee Ifan (Princeton Medical Center/WIC Program). She has also been influenced by the philosophies of Bert Hellinger, Edward Bach, and Robert Bruce Newman. (See list of Angela’s trainings below.)

In 2022-23, Angela trained the first class of Medicaid-eligible community doulas from the Newark, NJ, area. Working with the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health, she led the selection and training of 14 women of diverse backgrounds from the community and guided them to become certified HealthConnect One doulas. She has since spoken at two key Brazilian birth conferences — Sia Parto (2023) and ReHuNa (2024) — about the unique value of the community doula model.

Angela was born and raised in Brazil and is fluent in both English and Portuguese; she also is a fluent reader and conversational speaker in Spanish. Angela is well versed in the problems faced by Moms and Dads living thousands of miles from their support systems and familiar cultures, as well as the urgent need for steps toward birth equity worldwide.

Angela’s trainings, presentations, & other learning experiences

• ReHuNa: International Conference on the Humanization of Birth 2024 (Brasilia) — lecturer & panelist

• Sia Parto 2023 (Sao Paulo) — presenter

• Birth Psychology degree — ANEP (Brazil)

• Sia Parto 2020 (attendee — online)

• Traditional Malaysian Postpartum Care — Mommy Planner NYC (2019)

• 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and Certification (2018/2019) — Bhakti Yoga (New Jersey)

• Spinal health training in the Feldenkrais Method — Centro de Yoga Montanha Encantada (2018)

• Beginning of All Moons Doula Training & Mentorship (2017)

• Miranda Gray Womb Healing  Training and Initiation (2016 — NYC)

• Women Wellness Center Doula Team Coordinator (Union, NJ 2015-2019)

• WomanMother Support Groups Training (2015)

• Sacred Women’s Circle Training — Chile (2015)

• Water Birth Training — Barbara Harper, Overlook Hospital (2013 — NJ)

• CalmBirth (Meditation for Birth) (2011)

• Doula Training and Program Mentor — Community Doula Program (Health Connect One — 2011)

• Doula Training — Birthing from Within (2009)

• La Leche League 50th Anniversary Conference

• Lactation Counselor Training and Certification (2008) Health Children  

• Breastfeeding Counselor Training and Certification — WIC Program (2007)

• Midwife Assistant Training (2006) — The Farm— Ina May Gaskin & Midwife Team

• Doula Training (2005) & Certification (2006) — DONA NYC

• Mentorship with Dr. Nicolau on Human Milk Bank - Brazil

• Prenatal yoga training — Juliana Secches- SambaYoga - (2009 -Karma Kids -NYC)

• Prenatal yoga training — Kelly de Flora (2005 — NJ)

• Yoga studies with Vanita Lakhwala (2005-17 — one-on-one and group)

• Brazilian Doula Association Training & Mentorship (2004)