Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Curtis.
Hi Toni, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career in health education began in 1996 during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. At the time, I worked as a peer educator teaching teenagers about sexual health and safe practices in order to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. That experience had a profound impact on me because it demonstrated how powerful education can be when it is accessible, respectful, and community-centered.
I quickly learned that people are more empowered to care for themselves when they are provided with knowledge and support rather than judgment. That realization shaped the direction of my career. As I continued working in community health, my focus gradually expanded into maternal health, where I saw an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families.
Pregnancy and birth are transformative moments that can shape the health and confidence of parents for years to come. I became passionate about ensuring that families had access to evidence-based information, emotional support, and advocacy throughout that journey. Over time, this commitment led me to become a full-spectrum doula, childbirth educator, lactation counselor, and community health advocate.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No—not all of this came easily. I opened my practice full-time during COVID, at a time when I was locked out of hospitals and unable to support my clients in the way they needed most. I witnessed firsthand the suffering of families navigating birth without adequate support—before the national acknowledgment that Black women are four times more likely to die in childbirth.
My work is deeply personal. I spent 17 years facing infertility, investing thousands of dollars before finally finding the education and support that changed my life. Through that journey, I shifted my approach, incorporating traditional wisdom and holistic care to heal my body and ultimately overcome infertility.
I also experienced the consequences of misdiagnosis and poorly managed care, which led me to seek out a culturally responsive and knowledgeable care team. That experience shaped how I show up for others.
I served on the North Carolina Doula Action Team in efforts to expand statewide coverage, though those early efforts were unsuccessful. Undeterred, I led a pilot program that demonstrated the essential value of doula care—contributing to what is now the first insurance expansion covering doula services across North Carolina as a value-added benefit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
BirthWise Doula Services is a comprehensive maternal health organization designed to support individuals and families across the entire reproductive lifespan—from fertility through postpartum and beyond. While many know us as a doula agency, what truly sets us apart is that we are a full-spectrum, integrative care model. We combine evidence-based clinical education with traditional healing practices, creating a bridge between modern healthcare and culturally rooted, whole-person support.
We specialize in high-touch, personalized care that includes doula services, childbirth education, lactation support, fertility coaching, and body-based modalities such as prenatal body balancing and postpartum recovery work. Our work is grounded in what I developed as the Physiological Birth Model: Life Span Perspective—an approach that prioritizes nutritional restoration, hormonal balance, nervous system safety, and culturally aligned care to improve outcomes for both parent and baby.
What sets us apart is not just what we offer, but how we deliver it. We are deeply advocacy-driven. We don’t just support families—we help them navigate complex healthcare systems, protect their autonomy, and ensure they are informed and empowered every step of the way. Our work has also extended beyond direct care into systems change, including contributing to successful insurance-based doula care expansion in North Carolina.
What I am most proud of is that BirthWise is both personal and powerful. It was built from lived experience, and today it stands as a trusted, results-driven model that is improving outcomes, expanding access, and redefining what maternal health support should look like.
Any big plans?
The future of my work is centered on expansion, global impact, and systems-level change. I am moving beyond building a successful practice into scaling a model that can be replicated nationally and internationally. A key focus is expanding the Physiological Birth Model: Life Span Perspective into healthcare systems, education programs, and community-based organizations worldwide.
I am continuing to grow BirthWise Doula Services by increasing access to care through insurance partnerships and value-based care models. After contributing to the expansion of doula coverage in North Carolina, I am now looking to support similar initiatives across other states and globally—ensuring doula care becomes a standard, not a luxury.
My work is also expanding on the global stage. I am a member of the Forttuna Global network and have joined the United Nations African Women’s Working Group (AWWG) under ECOSOC, which allows me to contribute to international conversations and policy efforts impacting maternal and women’s health.
I am also focused on growing my training and mentorship programs to develop the next generation of doulas, while expanding my thought leadership through speaking, media, and my upcoming book, Beyond Depletion: A 42-Day Postpartum Recovery Guide. Alongside this, I am preparing for my conference, Embrace & Evolve: The Reinvention of Women’s Health.
Ultimately, I am building a legacy model that transforms maternal health on a global scale.
Pricing:
- starting $2500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://birthwisedoulas.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthwisedoulas_/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/BirthWiseDoulas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirthWiseDoulas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@birthwisedoulas
Image Credits
BirthWise Doula Services
