Caring for Mamas is about all the services that I offer to moms and moms-t0-be. As a certified doula, I help women emotionally and physically prepare for birth and provide support in childbirth and postpartum. As a postnatal advocate, I help women feel prepared and excited about the next phase of their postpartum journey. I’m available as an adviser whether you are going back to work, staying at home with your little one, or are still figuring out which steps to take next.
Hello! I’m Dashanna Hanlon and I’m excited that you’re interested in learning more about me and Caring for Mamas!
There is plenty of advice and assistance available for women during pregnancy and maternity. However, there’s a misconception that after maternity leave life returns to “normal”, so the help generally ends there. Moms are expected to know how to handle everything from which cushion the keys are under to what everyone’s having for dinner while juggling the challenges of their next career or home life transition. I want to help make those transitions smoother. Caring for Mamas is my way of starting the conversation about how families navigate these transitions and what postpartum care looks like beyond the first twelve weeks.
I became certified as a birth and postpartum doula because I want to help women feel empowered from the first moments of motherhood. Postnatal advocacy is a concept that I imagined after struggling through a couple of postpartum transitions of my own. Like many other moms, I spent hours on messaging boards and apps asking “how do I go back to work?” and “ways to make going back to work easier but received no definitive answers. After learning from my mistakes, I went back to those same apps and message boards to share tips with lots of other women. Caring for Mamas allows me to offer personalized services to the moms I work with and make postnatal advocacy part of the postpartum care conversation.
I love my little family! My husband Tom and our one-year-old son Lucas are the funniest people I’ve ever met. We have an 85-lb German Shepherd named Ulysses, who is an angel on Earth. I moved to Boston after getting a Bachelor’s degree in English and Women’s Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. I love music and my fun fact is that I once auditioned for American Idol! If you’d like to get to know more about me, my journey as a mom, and my vision for Caring for Mamas, check out the blog!
Dashanna is incredibly easy to talk to and has been a fantastic resource for support, tips, and advice while navigating life with two young children as a full-time working mom. Life is busy and crazy and she is a wonderful advocate for doing what's best for your home life, work life, and everything in between.
Christina N.
Dashanna assisted with the birth of my second child during her doula training. She was attentive and caring - a calming and bright presence that was so nice to have welcoming our daughter into the world! We were happy to have her in the room.
Sara K.
Simply put, Dashanna has helped me. I met her through Peanut and I’m so glad I did! As I was going back to work, she offered to help me put together a schedule for my family - I have two boys (3 and 6 months). The schedule she put together and her advice have been a saving grace from day one of my return. I can’t wait to recommend her to every new mom I know, we all deserve this kind of help.
Gabriela P.
Dashanna is a warm, knowledgeable, caring, and genuine person. With a positive attitude, she will guide you through each obstacle toward clarity. Dashanna’s passion, skills and confidence allow you to feel calm, collected, and completely supported each step of the way.
Adina T., LCSW
