“It is refreshing to see that you can do what you want – with your own body, your own baby, your own birth.” Melissa has been working with women and families in the Central Florida area for the past eighteen years, fifteen of those years at Labor of Love. She began as a mother reaching out to others, then as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at WIC and a Perinatal Educator and Doula, before completing her midwifery education at Miami Dade College. Licensed in 2004, Melissa has since enjoyed serving others in her calling and is very excited about her return to the former Labor of Love as the new owner of Celebrate Birth. In 2017 she earned her IBCLC certification (license L-127181) and now also acts as the lead lactation counselor at The Nest, a nonprofit organization she and her husband, James, founded with the goal of meeting our community’s needs regarding education and support for growing families. Personally, Melissa is a native of Florida happily married with six beautiful children, one sweet grandson, and a precious new granddaughter. She is very involved with her church family, enjoys great food, and local historical natural spaces.