Island Doula is Now Vermont Doula Company!
Please visit the Vermont Doula Company website to learn about our amazing team of doulas
Who is Island Doula?
Haley Parizo, RN, CLD, CPD
Owner and founder of Island Doula, LLC. Haley is a pediatric nurse, a professionally trained and certified labor and postpartum doula, a new parent educator, and infant readiness coach. She grew up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and now resides in Grand Isle, VT. Stemming from a lifetime interest in birth and babies, and following in her aunt’s footsteps, she decided to pursue a career in nursing. While finishing her degree she spent three months as a nurse extern on the Birthing Pavilion of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Here she gained invaluable experience in labor and delivery, as well as newborn and postpartum care. In 2010 she graduated from the University of Vermont with her bachelors degree in professional nursing. Shortly thereafter she began working as an RN for a small pediatric practice in Richmond, VT (Richmond Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine), where she continues to work to this day. She enjoys the continuity of care that working for a small practice brings and can’t believe how quickly all of her patients are growing up! In addition to Richmond Pediatrics, from 2011-2013, Haley also worked per diem as a nurse at Northwestern Medical Center (St. Albans, VT) in their Family Birth Center. Here she participated in countless deliveries and primarily worked with postpartum families and their newborns. While working on the birthing center it became clear to her that something was missing for her. Due to the nature of the role of a modern nurse (focusing mostly on the medical aspect of care, administering medications etc…), she was unable to give the individual time and one on one attention and support to each of her patients that she so desired to give. Her passion for education and individualized support led her to end her time at NMC and pursue her doula certification. Doula work is where Haley has discovered her true calling. In 2013 she trained as a labor doula through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and in 2015 obtained her labor doula certification (CLD). She has been practicing as a doula ever since. She attends both hospital and home births of families located within a 1.5 hour radius of Grand Isle, Vermont, including Plattsburgh, New York (and sometimes further in special circumstances, just ask!). Most births she attends are at the University of Vermont Medical Center. In February of 2019 Haley was hired as the Coordinator of the University of Vermont Medical Center’s Volunteer Doula Program. (To find out more about the Volunteer Doula Program and how that differs from hiring a private doula please click here). In 2019 Haley trained as both a Postpartum Doula and a New Parent Educator, both through CAPPA. She certified as a Postpartum doula (CPD) in early 2021, after completing over 300 hours of in-person support with numerous postpartum families. She has experience supporting a wide variety of families varying from families of multiples, high risk pregnancy and birth, cesarean birth, surrogacy, LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and home birth. She has extensive breastfeeding experience and particularly loves and specializes in postpartum overnight support. She is CPR and first aid certified.
Aside from birth and babies, Haley is also passionate about photography and plans to add birth and newborn photography to her offered services in the near future.
Haley lives in Grand Isle with her husband, Dustin, two young children, Bryson and Tenley, as well as two cats and a dog. For self care she enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts, taking pictures, reading, camping or boating with her family, and traveling to tropical places.
Mary Kate Shanahan, Trained Doula
Mary Kate (MK) Shanahan joined Island Doula in spring of 2020 after many years of working as a volunteer Doula. She is excited to further her expertise in the private client realm of birth work and providing comprehensive care and forming lasting relationships with her families.
MK is a trained and experienced birth & postpartum Doula with a background in maternal and pediatric medicine, behavioral/mental health, emergency medicine and bereavement.
She has specialized training in multiples, high risk/medically complicated pregnancies, and overnight postpartum care.
MK is also experienced in education (childbirth, postpartum, infant care), photography (birth, postpartum, pregnancy loss), NICU families (transitions, coping, bonding)
MK completed her first Doula training through DONA International while attending the University of New England in 2013. At that time, she also worked as an EMT and child Behavioral Health Professional. After graduating, MK spent a year at Boston Children’s Hospital working in the cardiology department before making the move to Vermont in 2016 where she worked as a Labor and Delivery Assistant at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC).
In addition to her position at UVMMC, MK worked at the Lund Family Center as a Residential Counselor and Birth Coach. Through Lund, MK completed additional Doula training through CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association). She supported many underserved, young, and single women through labor and delivery.
Additionally, MK works as an Advanced Medical Assistant at Maitri Healthcare for Women and has been volunteering as a Doula at UVMMC through their Volunteer Doula Program--coordinated by Haley! Most recently, MK trained as a Postpartum Doula through CAPPA to supplement her experience working closely with families in the postpartum period. She also has completed Childbirth Education Training and trained with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep in their Medical Affiliate Services.
When not doing birth work, MK enjoys fostering dogs, spending time outdoors, and coaching youth competitive cheerleading!