Meet Madeleine Lodge

She/her/hers

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I trained as a birth doula with DONA and received additional training and certification as a Holistic Doula through The Matrona. I trained as a postpartum doula with Manhattan Birth, and passed my Certified Lactation Counselor requirements through ALPP (Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice). I’m also a native Upper West Sider, an actress, a lover of travel, and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (aka a bonafide Julia Child wannabe).

My mom gave birth to me in a hospital and to my little sister at home, and she breastfed us both. When she was pregnant with my sister, I was over the moon to get to go to all her midwife appointments, help measure her belly, and listen to my sister’s heartbeat (pictured). My mom jokes that I was her mini-doula — when she went into labor, I whispered in her ear during contractions, and then between contractions, I would take her hand and lead her on walks around the apartment. It was my special job to announce the sex when the baby was born (I got it wrong; I was three). I was lucky enough to witness the processes of birth and breastfeeding from a very young age, and I’ve been in awe of what our bodies can do ever since. In essence, if you are on this journey, I think you are magic.

For most of my life, my plan was to become a doctor. I ended up pursuing a career in acting, and while I’m glad I made that decision, there was a part of me that still felt called to work in supporting people’s physiology and well-being. I’ve always been amazed by our ability to grow, birth, and sustain human life, and I wanted to support people through that phenomenal process.

Frankly, our country does a pretty terrible job at maternal and perinatal health. The more I read about it, the more incredulous I became that, even with all these studies showing how profoundly doulas improve birth outcomes, they were still such an under-utilized part of the system. I firmly believe that everyone should have access to this kind of support, and that your dedicated care should extend beyond the birth of your baby. The newborn period is a wild ride of beauty, exhaustion, confusion, bliss, hormonal roller coasters, healing, and shifting identity (among myriad other things). We should be lovingly supporting new parents through those first few months. We also don’t support breast/chestfeeding families the way we should. Feeding babies from our body is normal and wonderful, but that doesn’t mean it’s always intuitive or easy. Very few health professionals are trained in breast/chestfeeding support (including OB/GYNs and pediatricians!), so parents often don’t know where to turn for help. There are so many myths out there that discourage new parents, and even a little bit of support can go a long way. And while I love supporting lactation, this is a judgement-free zone: whether you’re feeding your baby milk or formula, from your body or a bottle, I support you in achieving your feeding goals.

My mom was a doula, childbirth educator, and acupuncturist, and my dad was a physician, so I grew up with a really interesting dynamic of holistic vs. medical approaches, and I’m committed to supporting whichever path you take. Whether you need pep talks and hands-on comfort techniques, or someone to hold space for your own internal process, I approach each situation with openness, empathy, and the occasional well-timed joke. No one can predict how birth will go, but we can be as educated, embodied, and empowered as possible. I feel honored to bear witness to your transformation and to support your growing family.