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. As the first Medi-Cal-approved doula in the region, she helped pave the way for greater 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 also extends into mentorship: 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.

Practice Philosophy

My philosophy is rooted in approaching prenatal, birth, and postpartum support as one continuous, sacred journey, not separate events, but a connected experience that deserves respect, education, and compassionate presence. Prenatally, my work centers on building trust, offering evidence-based education, and helping families reconnect with their own intuition. I help clients understand the physiology of birth, their options within the medical system, and how to advocate for themselves, while holding space for emotional and mental preparation, addressing fears, unpacking past experiences, and grounding them in the belief that their body is capable and wise.

My approach blends modern knowledge with ancestral awareness, honoring that birth is both scientific and deeply spiritual. During labor, I show up as a steady, calming presence, offering comfort measures, positioning, breathwork, and hands-on support while protecting the birthing environment. I prioritize informed consent, autonomy, and advocacy, helping bridge communication with medical providers so families feel seen, heard, and respected in every decision. I trust the natural unfolding of the birthing body while remaining adaptable to whatever direction the birth may take.

Postpartum, I believe care shouldn't end once the baby is born; it's a critical window of healing, integration, and adjustment. I support families with newborn care education, feeding guidance, emotional processing, and space for rest and recovery, while honoring the community and cultural practices that are part of postpartum healing.

At the core of my philosophy is this: birth is not something to be controlled; it is something to be supported. My role is to walk alongside families, offering knowledge, presence, and advocacy, while helping them reclaim their voice, their power, and their connection to the wisdom within their lineage.

Specialties

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• Childbirth Education (Certified Hypnobabies Instructor)
• VBAC (Certified VBAC Link Educator)
• Unmedicated/Physiological Birth Support
• Spinning Babies
• Herbal Birth Support
• Traditional Healing Practices
• Postpartum & Newborn Care
• Doula Training & Mentorship
• Culturally Centered Care
• High-Risk Pregnancies
• Multiples (Twins & Higher-Order Births)
• Grief & Loss / Bereavement Support
• First-Time Parents

Services Offered

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