I want to provide you with the support you deserve.
Birth is incredible, life changing, and unpredictable.
Hi! I’m Erin, a nurse practitioner by training and doula by choice. I have been fascinated by birth ever since I was a little kid and would spend hours turning our house’s hallways into elaborate newborn nurseries for my stuffed animals, all of whom slept soundly round the clock (if only…). After graduating from Georgetown University with my bachelor’s and then master’s degrees in nursing, I worked for 15 years as a family nurse practitioner providing primary care to people across the lifespan, from prenatal care to pediatrics to adult medicine. I have spent the entirety of my career working with clients from vulnerable populations and am passionate about healthcare access, quality, and justice. While I love my job as an NP and the communities that I serve, I felt a calling to pursue my true passion: supporting families as they transition through pregnancy, labor, birth, and parenthood.
My background in healthcare gives me a unique insight into both the lifesaving technologies available to birthing people and their babies, and also into the ways the system often lets families down. I am a good listener, a clear communicator, and a tireless advocate for my clients.
In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with my handsome husband of 13 years, our 4 wild children, and our mischievous puppy.
I look forward to meeting you and learning how I can help you on your journey!
Erin McCaffrey Crespo, APRN, FNP-BC, CLC, CD(DONA)
My Why
I was a healthcare professional with years of experience observing and managing labor and birth, spent countless hours babysitting while I was growing up, and was financially and emotionally ready to have a baby with a partner that I was crazy about. And yet, pregnancy and birth rocked me. I experienced several miscarriages, then suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum when a pregnancy finally stuck. I labored for 72 unmedicated hours to deliver my sweet, stubborn daughter. I was still reeling (emotionally AND physically) when it was time to take her home 2 days later. I didn't recognize my healing body, struggled to get into a breast-feeding rhythm, and felt so unlike myself. I needed help, and I didn't know how to ask for it, or where to turn. With time, and with the support of an amazing set of friends and birth workers I discovered along the way, we figured one another out and began to thrive. The transitions to add each of my following 3 children were infinitely easier, as I could feel my community's support around me at every turn. As I settled into my new identity as a parent, I knew I needed to do my best to encourage other new parents through this enormous transition.
After the pandemic birth of my fourth baby, I made the decision to scale back my hours so I could work towards making a career supporting families in childbirth and the early stages of parenthood. I trained as a doula in 2022 and am certified through DONA International. In my role as a doula, I serve as a trusted source of support and comfort during labor and birth. I am excellent at interpreting medical lingo and cutting through the noise during stressful situations so that birthing people have the information and confidence they need to make the right decisions for their bodies and babies. I have additionally received my credentials as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, and completed my training as an Evidence Based Birth® (EBB) Instructor. Can you tell I love learning? I’m a nerd, and I’m unashamed.
5 things for potential clients to know…
I am a Family Nurse Practitioner with an additional board certification as an HIV Specialist from the American Academy of HIV Medicine.
My favorite part of my job is building long-term relationships with my clients and watching them flourish.
I have personally given birth 4 times in a variety of situations (birth center, hospital, midwife, doctor, doula, no doula, long labor, short labor, unmedicated labor, epidural, induction, & the pandemic…)
I can confirm from my birth experiences that while birth often goes differently than planned, it is possible to find beauty in unpredictability.
I secretly love being awake in the middle of the night while the rest of the world sleeps. It's when I feel most creative and courageous.
I hate coffee. I do, however, love an ice-cold Diet Coke any time of the day or night (I know. It’s gross. We all have our vices.)
Support for those who can't afford it
I believe that all people benefit from doula support during labor and birth and am dedicated to doing my part to increase doula access. I welcome clients from all backgrounds and am particularly honored to support people who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or who have complicated relationships with the healthcare system.
As a part of my commitment to birth justice, I offer several scholarships each year to cover birth doula services for families who could not otherwise afford doula care. If you are unsure if your family might qualify, please don't hesitate to contact me to see what we can do!