Your birth, your way
Hospital, birth center, or home — we prepare you with knowledge and stand beside you without judgment, so every decision stays yours.
Our story
About Us
Three decades of steady hands, calm voices, and families who birth their babies their way.
About Me
Mara Ellison
LCCE, CD, BDT(DONA), CLE
Mara has a deep passion for birth and babies, and loves sharing what she has learned since having her first child — birth as a healing and transformative experience is her passion.
She became a certified childbirth educator in 1991, and has since certified as a birth and postpartum doula and lactation educator. Tidehaven grew out of her kitchen-table classes into a small team serving Northern and Central New Jersey and New York City.
- Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) since 1991
- Certified birth & postpartum doula (DONA-trained)
- Certified lactation educator supporting new families
What We Believe
Partners matter too
We coach partners into confident teammates: comfort measures, advocacy language, and how to care for themselves during long labors.
The fourth trimester counts
Postpartum visits, feeding support, and honest conversation about recovery — because the weeks after birth shape everything that follows.
The Team Beside Mara
Tidehaven is a small, senior team — every doula trains with Mara before attending births solo.
June Park
Postpartum doula & lactation support — Morristown area
Sofia Reyes
Birth doula & childbirth educator — NYC & Hudson County
Come take the first step with us.
Free 20-minute meet-and-greet calls — tell us your due date and your hopes, and we will match you with the right doula.
Book an Appointment