We help you find your perfect doula:
As a mom-owned doula agency, we’ve been in your shoes navigating labor, birth and life with babies. We’ve lived through miscarriages, labor, c-sections, vaginal births, cracked and bleeding nipples and lack of sleep. We recognize this is an important and sensitive time in your life.
We are dedicated to providing respectful care and support to ensure you are comfortable and confident in your role as a new parent. When you work with Buddha Belly Doulas, we match you with the right team member based on your specific needs, location, timing, and preferences — not a directory browse.
Our doula matching process considers:
- Geographic proximity to your home
- Doula availability around your due date
- Specific expertise relevant to your situation
- Personality and communication style fit
- Schedule compatibility for ongoing support
Leadership & Core Team
We believe that families deserve exceptional, reliable, nonjudgmental care during the childbearing years. We also believe it should be a smooth, efficient process. After working with hundreds of parents just like you, we know how to make a difference!
MEET THE OWNER
Christie Rinder, CLD, CLC, CPICD
Founder, Certified Birth Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Childbirth Educator, Advanced Certified Postpartum & Infant Care Doula
Christie started her doula career in 2009 when she trained and began supporting families as a birth doula. As her passion and client list grew she knew she needed a team to continue making a positive impact on the lives of new and expecting families. To this aim, Christie created and launched Buddha Belly Doulas in 2014. Buddha Belly Doulas is devoted to ensuring that a high level of professionalism, client service and consistency of care is applied by our entire team and that each doula has the skills needed to provide exceptional support. Every client has access to and is looked after directly by the agency.
Jenessa Pena, Postpartum Support Director
Certified Advanced Postpartum & Infant Care Doula
As our Postpartum Support Director, Jenessa draws on both her doula background and years spent in customer service and managerial roles in other industries. She works closely with families and doulas to thoughtfully match care, manage scheduling, and help ensure a smooth and supportive experience from beginning to end.
Justine Brown, Client Care Director
Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator and Lactation Counselor
As a Tampa Bay native, Justine is passionate about bringing doula support and education on all things birth and baby to more people in the area. As the Client Care Director she warmly guides families from their first inquiry through their birth and postpartum journey, providing information, reassurance, and seamless support every step of the way.
Julia Dixon, Accounts Director
Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula
Julia started with Buddha Belly Doulas as a birth doula supporting clients for over a year. After a maternity leave, she came back to work with us, this time doing the important behind the scenes work that keeps the ship afloat.
When it comes to making others feel comfortable and appreciated, Julia is a master. On top of that she is great at all things administrative. She considers herself an accounting and spreadsheet nerd. What more could we ask for!
Paige Diaz, Community Relations Director
Certified Birth Doula, Postpartum & Infant Care Doula, Childbirth & Lactation Educator
As Buddha Belly’s Director of Community Relations, Paige brings her warmth, creativity, and connection-building skills to every part of her work—whether planning events, hosting support groups, or nurturing our growing community.
Why Families Recommend Buddha Belly Doulas Again & Again...
Why are we named Buddha Belly Doulas?
The name Buddha Belly felt right from the start. The image of a happy Buddha resonates deeply for what it represents: peace, calm, patience, happiness, positivity, strength, and wisdom — all qualities embraced on the journey through pregnancy into motherhood, and all marks of an excellent doula.
The Buddha also nods to a more natural, alternative approach to life, much like the proactive choice of hiring a doula itself. "Buddha belly" is already a familiar, affectionate term for a round pregnant belly or a milk-filled baby tummy, making the name both meaningful and relatable. As the business grew from a solo doula practice to a team offering holistic services, a fitting new name was needed, and Buddha Belly Doulas was born: positive, strong, and calm.