NBDA® Leadership Academy™

The only daughter of a teacher, Akilah was born into a life of education. From a young age, she has been trained in the art of instruction. After teaching kindergarten for two years in high school, Akilah decided that she WAS NOT going to be a teacher when she grew up. Little did she know, life had different plans for her. Today she “teaches” families about how to prepare for birth and postpartum and to understand the physical process of labor. She also trains new doulas seeking certification and professional development. Ms. Witherspoon has a background in biology and earned her bachelors from Howard University. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant studying Uterine Fibroids. During her time working on that project, she discovered a need to focus on women’s reproductive health, but it was the birth of her daughter that truly started her on her journey towards becoming a doula. After working in the field for some time as a Perinatal Community Health Worker and home visitor, she has learned more about what families need in order to thrive during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. As a Full Spectrum Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), she teaches what she has learned over the years so that more families can have positive birth outcomes.