Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanesha Carney.
Hi Tanesha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into birthwork began long before I ever realized it would become my life’s calling. My mother, Angela, was a birthworker, a true caregiver whose presence brought peace wherever she went. As an only child, I had the joy of traveling with her to clients’ homes and hospitals, watching her care for families with such tenderness. Seeing the excitement in parents’ eyes and the calm confidence in hers was absolutely inspiring. Those early experiences shaped how I understand the power of support, compassion, and the sacredness of bringing life into the world.
Years later, after conceiving the best of both worlds, a boy and a girl, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. After several unsuccessful laparoscopies and years of heartbreak, I turned once again to my Mother for help. She gently reminded me to pray and be patient, referencing Sarah in the Bible, a lesson in faith and divine timing. Not long after, my Mother passed away peacefully in her sleep on her birthday, November 24, 2016, while caring for a family. Soon after, my Aunt shared a dream of my Mom holding a baby boy named St. Angelo. As an only child, I knew all of my mother’s “babies,” but that name didn’t ring a bell. A month later, I found out I was pregnant.
I chose not to learn the gender until my baby’s birth, and on October 4, 2017, I welcomed my son, Zion St. Angelo, into the world. In that moment, I understood how deeply birth, loss, and legacy are intertwined. It lit a fire within me to continue my mother’s work. To honor her hands, her heart, and her calling by supporting families through their own journeys of bringing life into the world.
Alongside my lived experience, I’ve continued to expand my knowledge through professional training, certification, and a deep reconnection with ancestral practices. Along the way, I’ve studied herbs, tinctures, womb care, and the traditional healing wisdom passed down through generations. Today, I walk beside families with the same compassion and commitment I saw in my mother, offering birth and postpartum support, holistic guidance, and nurturing presence that cares for the whole person. Whether it’s a cesarean or vaginal birth in a hospital, a birth center, at home, or next to a deer in the woods, lol, I meet families wherever they are, ensuring that no one walks their path to parenthood alone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to becoming a Doula and building my practice has been far from smooth. Balancing motherhood, marriage, career, and purpose has tested me in every way possible. While supporting my two older children through college, I was also caring for my youngest and working full-time, often 40 to 60 hours a week. There were times I would leave a birth after being up all night, grab a quick shower, and head straight to work with no sleep, just to make sure I was fulfilling my responsibilities both at my job and for the families who needed me. Through it all, my husband has been my steady anchor, holding things down at home, cheering me on, and believing in this calling even when it meant late nights, missed dinners, or rearranged plans. His support has been the quiet strength that’s kept me grounded through the chaos.
When I finally made the decision to leave corporate America, I had to face a whole new set of challenges. Financial stability, which had always been a given, became uncertain. I entered birthwork with the heart of a helper, not a business mindset so putting a price on my services felt unnatural at first. I wanted everyone who desired support to have it, regardless of their financial situation. Learning how to balance that calling with sustainability has been one of my greatest lessons.
On top of that, navigating childcare, missing family events, and trying to grow a business with limited resources stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. But each obstacle reminded me why I do this work; because families deserve someone who will show up for them wholeheartedly, even when the path isn’t easy. Every sleepless night, every hard choice, and every sacrifice has helped shape me into a doula who truly understands the depth of commitment it takes to walk beside others through life’s most transformative moments.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a full-spectrum doula, I support families through the sacred seasons of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. My work is centered around presence; being a calm, grounding force during one of life’s most transformative times. I offer birth support, postpartum care, placenta encapsulation, belly binding, bone closing ceremonies, and womb care, all tailored to each family’s unique needs.
What sets my work apart is the way I blend ancestral wisdom with modern, evidence-based care. I’ve studied herbs, tinctures, and traditional healing practices alongside professional certifications in perinatal mental health, childbirth education, and lactation guidance. I’m also trained in Spinning Babies®, which helps families and care providers use gentle, body-balancing techniques to encourage comfort in pregnancy and smoother, more optimal positioning for birth. These combined approaches allow me to support birth holistically; tending not just to the physical needs of my clients, but also to their emotional and mental well-being.
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. I’m not typically one to toot my own horn, in fact, I’m often my own biggest critic, but when I pause and look back, I’m honestly amazed. I’ve grown this practice while raising children, shifting careers, and finding my footing in a completely new space. I’m nowhere near done, but to see what has unfolded in such a short time feels overwhelmingly beautiful. It reminds me that even slow progress is still progress, and that grace belongs in every season of growth.
I’m also proud of the trust families place in me. The way they open their hearts and invite me into such a sacred space. Every birth I attend feels like both an honor and a continuation of the legacy my mother began.
And of course, one more thing that sets me apart? My humor. I believe a good laugh can ground a moment just as much as deep breathing can. Birth can be intense, but it can also be joyful and I bring both wisdom and levity into the room when it’s needed most.
What truly defines my work is meeting families exactly where they are. I don’t bring judgment or expectation, only support, encouragement, and peace. My goal is that each family walks away feeling empowered, connected, and deeply cared for. Birth, to me, isn’t just about the arrival of a baby, it’s about the transformation of a family. Being invited into that transformation is, without question, the greatest gift of all!
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
What I’d love readers to take away is that birthwork isn’t just about babies , it’s about people, healing, and legacy. Every family deserves care that’s rooted in respect, compassion, and informed choice. Whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, every journey is sacred and worthy of being held with tenderness.
Having a doula can make all the difference. Whether you’re a first-timer feeling nervous or uncertain about the unknown, a seasoned Mom seeking a gentler experience than previous births, someone simply wanting an informed and peaceful labor, or a partner wanting guidance on how to be fully involved, having a doula walking beside you ensures you feel supported, empowered, and confident. Everyone deserves to be cared for in a way that honors their choices and allows them to show up fully in their birth experience.
I also want to remind anyone reading this, especially other mothers, caregivers, or dreamers who are building something from scratch that it’s okay to grow at your own pace. There’s no timeline on purpose. I didn’t start this journey in my twenties with everything perfectly aligned; I started it in the midst of life’s chaos; raising kids, grieving loss, and rebuilding from the inside out. But every small step mattered, and it still does.
I’m grateful for my husband, my children, my village, and the families who have trusted me with such intimate moments. They remind me daily that this work is not just a profession, it’s a calling. And if my story encourages even one person to follow their own calling, no matter how winding the path, then every sleepless night and every leap of faith has been worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angelicbirthing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelicbirthing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567900152684
