About Us
Supportive doula care for everyone at every stage.
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Founded by Julianne Curtis and Katie Piccolo, Northern Colorado's top labor doulas, the Northern Colorado Doula Collective is your go-to source for comprehensive support throughout your parenting journey. Our mission is to offer unparalleled care from preconception to parenting, anchored by our five core services: Labor/Birth Support, Postpartum Support, Lactation, Education, and Bereavement Support.
With our combined expertise and a commitment to personalized care, we ensure every family receives the support they need in a way that's best for them. Our team is committed to you at every stage of your journey.
We are so proud to bring you the benefits of the Noco Doula Collective. Some of the benefits of working with our team include:
Diverse Skill Sets: Our team offers doulas with different backgrounds, expertise, and specialties. Within the collective we are able to offer a vast array of services such as certified labor/birth doula support, hypno-doula support, postpartum doula services, belly binding, lactation, education, parent coaching, bereavement services and more. This diversity allows each client to find a doula who aligns with their specific needs and preferences. There is someone for everybody here.
Continuity of Care: We provide backup support for each other, ensuring that clients have continuous care even if their primary doula is unavailable due to illness, scheduling conflicts, or other reasons. We very much believe in the relationships that are built in our work and want you to have a team you feel comfortable with and can get to know well.
Shared Resources and Knowledge: Doulas within our collective have a vast amount of life and professional experience to be shared with each other. We also share resources, such as books, training materials, and best practices. We collaborate to solve problems and learn from each other's experiences, which ultimately benefits the clients we serve.
Community and Peer Support: Being part of a collective provides doulas with a supportive community of peers who understand the unique challenges and joys of doula work. This support network can be invaluable for personal and professional growth. We also love helping newer doulas get their start in business and experience. The work of a doula can be very lonely when you don’t have that team or community to support you.
Increased Availability: With multiple doulas available within the collective, our clients have a better chance of having a doula who is available to support them during labor, birth and postpartum, even on short notice.
Client Choice and Flexibility: Clients have the option to meet and interview multiple doulas within the collective before selecting the one they feel most comfortable with. This choice ensures that clients can find a doula who fits their personality, birth philosophy, and individual needs.
Collaboration with Healthcare Providers: Our collective strives to continue our positive reputation with providers in the community. We follow our scope of practice well and help to build relationships with healthcare providers, such as obstetricians, midwives, and hospital staff, which facilitates better communication and collaboration during the birth and postpartum process.
Inclusivity, Advocacy and Empowerment: Our Doulas share a commitment to helping our clients learn ways to advocate for themselves from conception through postpartum. We support our clients choices during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth without judgment. We aim to empower the knowledge our clients have for their needs and teach them that they deserve to feel safe, supported, heard and respected. This advocacy helps empower clients to make informed decisions about their care and feel more confident in their birthing experience.
Overall, our doula collective offers a supportive and collaborative environment for both doulas and their clients, promoting better outcomes and experiences during one of the biggest life transitions people will go through. We look forward to supporting your family.
- Katie Piccolo, Co-founder, NoCo Doula Collective
Julianne and Katie bring a wealth of experience to provide physical, emotional, and informational support during labor and birth, ensuring a positive and informed birthing experience.
Transitioning to life with a newborn can be challenging. Our postpartum support offers practical help and emotional support, making the early days of parenthood smoother and more enjoyable.
We provide professional lactation support to address any feeding concerns, ensuring a comfortable and successful breastfeeding experience for both mother and baby.
Birth and Postpartum Education
Knowledge is empowering. We offer comprehensive workshops on various aspects of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care to equip families with the information they need to make informed decisions. Our workshops are included with most packages and are meant to compliment your childbirth education classes, not to replace them. These workshops are also offered to those who are not using our doula support for a fee.
In times of loss, our bereavement support provides compassionate care, helping families navigate their grief and honoring their experiences.
Choosing the Northern Colorado Doula Collective means gaining a team that truly understands the diverse paths of parenthood. We're committed to providing the tailored support and care each family needs, respecting your unique journey every step of the way. Whether you're preparing for birth, adjusting to new parenthood, or seeking specialized support, Julianne, Katie, and our entire team are here to guide and support you.
What Working With Us Is Like...
Here's what others have to say.
"Julianne really is your doula for life. She's a great support and advocate during pregnancy, birth, and after."
- Rebecca
"Throughout the entire journey into parenthood Katie always encouraged my husband and I to follow our instincts, and I think that is what makes her unique."
- Riley
"We had an idea of our ideal birth, but she gave us ideas and thoughts that allowed us to make an even more informed decision.
- Nicole
Our Media
As a seasoned Fort Collins birth doula, I’ve been in a labor and delivery room a few times. Okay, a loooootttt of times. And I’ve noticed a thing or two about what makes some deliveries more fun… or at least, more tolerable than others. I’m going to talk about that today.
Having a baby is hard work… there’s no way around that. It’s going to be hard, and you’re going to be pushed to your limits, but I promise you, it doesn’t have to be awful. In fact, it can be so beautiful, fun, and empowering.
I know, I know. You’re probably reading this and think I’ve lost my mind using fun and birth in the same sentence, but I promise I haven’t. Aside from any major medical emergencies or extenuating circumstances, labor can actually be fun. And that’s what we all want right? A beautiful, fun, and sweet delivery.
If you don’t believe me yet, keep reading. I promise there’s a way to ease your mind in a way that will allow you to enjoy the experience. As a Fort Collins birth doula, here’s what I’ve noticed that makes labor go smoother:
Working to break free of fear… I know this sounds easier said than done, but what sometimes happens in birth is that you can’t enjoy the goodness of it all because you’re so focused on the fear of it all. This looks different for everyone, but breaking that fear cycle can free your mind. This will look different for everyone but before labor even starts, work to change your mindset, get your questions answered, address your fears, find what makes you feel the safest, assert control over the things you can have a say in, and work to reset your thoughts about the whole process. Pam England from Birthing From Within has a great fear clearing exercise I recommend everyone does before birth. You can find it here:
Practicing mindfulness – As you prepare for labor, mindfulness training is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You’ll learn how to be in the moment, how to meditate, and train for the delivery of your baby. This will give you the tools you need to make it more peaceful, and ultimately more enjoyable.
Packing your music! As a Fort Collins birth doula, I always recommend you pack a speaker or headphones in your hospital bag. That way you can sing, dance, and shake those hips during delivery. When you dance and sing, your body will naturally increase more endorphins that will help you feel better and be happier. And if you don’t feel up to DJ’ing your own birth playlist there are lots of already made playlists one many of the music stations.
Doing what feels good – Unless there is a medical reason not to, I always recommend my clients listen to their own bodies and change positions frequently. Using a good balance of rest, standing, squats, movement, walking, and stretching can not only shorten your labor but also make it more comfortable too. Honoring your body and its cravings will help you through your labor.
Repeating your mantras – As part of mindfulness training, I always recommend clients pick a few mantras that they repeat over and over to themselves during labor. They might be sayings like – this is temporary, or good things are coming, or my body was made for this. Whatever sayings feel right to you will help you get through labor.
Playing your favorite podcast, book, or album – Another thing you can do to make the time pass and to help take your mind off things is to listen to your favorite podcast, book, or album. These can all help center your mind and give you something else to think about. I particularly love the story “Wonder” that Matthew Mchonachy reads on the Calm app. His voice is like butter.
Relying on humor – As your Fort Collins birth doula, everyone knows I love humor. It’s a great way to lighten the mood and help everyone relax. Telling jokes, sharing funny stories, or quick quips during delivery can all help everyone enjoy the moment a bit more.
Labor is hard work, but it’s my sincerest hope that these few tips will make your birth just a bit more enjoyable.
And as a Fort Collins birth doula, I know the secret sauce to most happy births is parents who are willing to go with the flow and surrender to the process just a little bit.
Sending you all my love,
Julianne
If you have any questions or if there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Otherwise, I would love it if you followed me on Facebook and Instagram for more content (and jokes!).