Our Tampa Bay Doula Team
With more than a decade of service in the Tampa Bay area, Buddha Belly has the best and brightest team of experts to guide and support you through pregnancy, birth, postpartum and the first year of your baby’s life.
We help you find your perfect doula:
After learning more about your goals and preferences, your estimated due date and your schedule, we personally match you up with your best fit on our team. Complete profile and resume info is provided. Our doulas will then schedule a complimentary consultation with you to meet in person or virtually. After meeting with your doulas, we will check in with you to make sure you're feeling comfortable and ready to move forward.
As part of our agency standards all of our doulas have:
- Attended a professional training workshop with a doula certifying org (ie: ProDoula)
- Completed all requirements to achieve certification through their doula certifying org
- Have years of experience in their field (between 2-15+)
- Lactation Counselors are certified by Healthy Children Project Inc or IBLCE
- Hold a current CPR/First Aid certification for adults and infants
- Passed a national background check
What makes Buddha Belly unique
Trained Professionals:
We are proud to have the best! Our competent team is extensively educated. Some are RNs or certified professional midwives with dozens of years of experience caring for families. In addition to their doula training, many have degrees in maternal/child health and related fields, or advanced certifications including: certified lactation counselors, infant feeding specialists, bereavement doulas, yoga instructors, massage therapists or child passenger safety technicians. Our team is engaged in continuing education, skills development and we provide regular training opportunities.
Agency Benefits:
With a team of doulas we accommodate a wide variety of needs and preferences. The agency has evaluated each member to ensure the highest qualifications and standards. Our team has access to each other, a broad base of knowledge, experience and support. If unexpected circumstances result in your doula not being able to work, we strive to provide you with a replacement whenever possible. The agency is here to make your life easier and give you peace of mind. Read more here: Benefits of Choosing a Doula Agency.
Connection:
We recognize this is an important and sensitive time in your life. Each doula was selected due to their caring and attentive nature. Our crew is dedicated to providing respectful care and support to ensure you are comfortable and confident in your role as a new parent. Cultivating a trusting connection with you and your family is our goal.
Mom-Owned (We've been there...):
We believe that families deserve exceptional, reliable, nonjudgmental care during the childbearing years. We also believe it should be a smooth, efficient process. We’ve been in your shoes navigating labor, birth and life with babies. We’ve lived through miscarriages, contractions, c-sections, vaginal births, cracked and bleeding nipples and lack of sleep. After working with hundreds of parents just like you, we know how to make a difference!
MEET THE OWNER
CHRISTIE COLLBRAN
CLD, CLC, CPICD
Founder, Certified Birth Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Childbirth Educator, Certified Postpartum and 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.
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. In addition to her 10 years of experience with bookkeeping, she has a BA in Sociology from the University of Louisville, is a DONA certified Birth Doula, and a trained Postpartum Doula with ProDoula.
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! When she’s off the clock she spends her time with her kiddos Cordelia, Clark and Heath as well as her husband Ethan. They enjoy running, hiking, and being outdoors.
Justine Brown, Director of Relations & Education
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. She has held the roles of birth and postpartum doula, and currently works leading our educational classes, doing community outreach, and assisting with administrative duties at Buddha Belly Doulas. She holds a bachelor's of Public Health from the University of South Florida, and holds certifications in car seat safety, lactation counseling, and safe baby sleep.
Justine has been described as a people person! She has a warm and friendly personality, loves making new connections, and puts you right at ease when you are in her company. She's a bookworm, movie buff, and biology nerd. Justine and her husband Ben enjoy playing in the pool, hiking, and visiting the local amusement parks with their son Jonah.
Amy Scobee, Postpartum Support Director
Pre-Certified Postpartum & Infant Care Doula
Amy has thrived in the compassion industry for many years, both as a certified Life Celebrant, hospice aide and now as a member of the Buddha Belly Doulas team! Helping people during their time of need is Amy’s passion. She is easy to talk to, genuinely interested in the well-being of others and takes great care in her responses to questions or requests.
As the Postpartum Support Director, Amy puts her interpersonal skills and organizational experience to use through doula selection and assignment to keeping scheduling as seamless as possible throughout the entire support experience.
In her personal life, Amy is an author and human rights activist. She loves to spend free time with her husband Mat, her friends, family and beloved fur-baby, Benji.