About Me

"Nikki Avila is a dedicated birth worker, childbirth educator, and community advocate based in Bakersfield, California. With over 16 years of lived and professional experience supporting families, her work is rooted in both evidence-based care and ancestral wisdom. She began attending births as a teenager, guided by a deep calling to hold space for women and families during one of life’s most transformative moments.
As the founder of In the Waiting Doula Services LLC and co-founder of Three Moons Doula Collective, Nikki has committed her work to expanding access to culturally-centered, community-based birth support—especially for Black, Indigenous, and Latina families in Kern County. She was the first Medi-Cal-approved doula in the region, helping pave the way for increased access to doula care for underserved communities.
Nikki is a Certified Hypnobabies Childbirth Instructor, VBAC Link Educator, and trained in multiple modalities including Spinning Babies, herbal birth support, and traditional healing practices. Her approach blends physiological birth education, emotional support, advocacy, and spiritual grounding—honoring birth as both a biological and sacred experience.
Her work extends beyond client care into mentorship and education. Through Three Moons Doula Collective, she trains and uplifts the next generation of doulas, emphasizing reproductive justice, cultural humility, and community healing.
Nikki believes that birth is not something to be controlled, but something to be understood, respected, and supported. She stands firmly in her mission to help families reclaim their voice, their power, and their connection to the wisdom carried within their lineage.
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Specialties

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• Unmedicated (Physiological) Birth Support Birth Support High-Risk Pregnancy Support VBAC Support (Certified VBAC Link Educator) First-Time Parents Multiples (Twins & Higher-Order Births) Grief & Loss / Bereavement Support Childbirth Education

Services Offered

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• Postpartum Care
• Pregnancy Loss Support
• Prenatal Care
• In-Person Labor & Birth Support
• Virtual Labor & Birth Support