Diary of a Doula

Diary of a Doula I’m a birth doula and doula mentor located in central Connecticut. Come hang out with me here whil

My name is Melissa Duenas and I am a birth and postpartum Doula. I support parents through pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum and beyond. I love this work and feel honored to be part of such an amazing journey for so many. I specialize in dealing with those who have perinatal mood disorders, anxiety, or have PTSD (this include spouses). I also work with many military families or those with schedules that may require specialty care.

05/21/2026

VBA2C vs VBA1C: what does the actual peer reviewed data say?

Birth after TWO cesareans is often treated like an automatic “absolutely not”, but the evidence is a lot more nuanced than that.

We’re talking success rates, uterine rupture risk, repeat cesarean risks and what major guidelines actually say about VBA2C.

Because informed consent deserves real numbers, not fear.

Hosting a new group every Tuesday!
05/18/2026

Hosting a new group every Tuesday!

Join me August 1st & 2nd in Berlin, CT for an immersive 2 day, in person doula training designed to prepare you to confi...
05/15/2026

Join me August 1st & 2nd in Berlin, CT for an immersive 2 day, in person doula training designed to prepare you to confidently begin supporting families. Followed by 5 weeks of online education and optional mentorship to deepen your knowledge and help you build a sustainable career.

This training covers:
• The foundations of doula care
• Pregnancy, labor and birth physiology
• Hands on comfort measures & support techniques
• Postpartum recovery & newborn care
• Advocacy, professionalism and navigating medical systems
• Racial equity & bias identification
• Expected and unexpected birth outcomes
• The business side of being a doula
…and so much more.

For those wanting additional support, mentorship options are available that include attending your first births with me, guidance through the certification process, ongoing support during your first solo clients and access to a long term private community of doulas.

✨ Investment:
• In Person Training + 5 weeks online: $1400
• Optional mentorship add on: $1200

If you feel called to birth work but don’t know where to start, this is your sign.

DM me us the application link.
Payment plans available.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! I see a lot of moms without a village and I’m so lucky to say my mother has always shown u...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom!

I see a lot of moms without a village and I’m so lucky to say my mother has always shown up for me and my children (even sometimes in the middle of the night so others can have babies).

She has been a part of the community that has allowed for me to do this work, all while really loving and enjoying her time with her grandchildren.

Doesn’t get any better than that!

You can schedule a free consult at the link in bio!
05/08/2026

You can schedule a free consult at the link in bio!

“Don’t wait—Book Melissa now!We started working with Melissa during my last trimester and I was thankful she was even av...
04/18/2026

“Don’t wait—Book Melissa now!

We started working with Melissa during my last trimester and I was thankful she was even available as she is typically booked months in advance.

I was blown away by the amount of knowledge she has and I felt assurance from the first meeting with her that I would be in good hands. I had interviews with a handful of other doulas and didn’t feel the same connection that I did with Melissa.

My husband and I felt both supported and prepared after our prenatal meetings. Being able to text her my concerns and questions leading up to the birth was incredibly helpful as there’s so much inaccurate information floating around the internet which allowed me to really focus on things that mattered.

Around 40 weeks, I found out that I needed a necessary induction which was not part of the plan and honestly something I was really nervous about. During labor, she was a calming presence in the room and we ended up with a beautiful birth with minimal interventions throughout the induction process.

Although there’s no way to know what will transpire giving birth, I felt confident that everything would be ok having her by our side. She’s so kind and also your greatest advocate. I would highly recommend her to anyone I know, especially a first time mom.”

- Celine and Ben

New! Childbirth education classes have been posted on the website, but also excited to be offering a new class type star...
03/17/2026

New!

Childbirth education classes have been posted on the website, but also excited to be offering a new class type starting in April.

Check out the website for more details www.diaryofadoula.com

Something new is coming.For the doulas who want more.More support.More mentorship.More honest conversations about birth ...
03/16/2026

Something new is coming.

For the doulas who want more.
More support.
More mentorship.
More honest conversations about birth work, boundaries, business and the reality of this field.

For the ones who know community beats competition every single time.

During World Doula Week, I’m opening the doors to something I’ve been building quietly behind the scenes.

A place for doulas to learn, grow, ask questions, review real cases and sharpen their skills together.

It’s called The Inner Circle by Diary of a Doula.

More details soon.

But if you’ve been craving mentorship and community in this work…

You’re going to want to be here.

03/15/2026

Let’s talk about how magical the way the NIPT test works

03/13/2026

I think the “you were meant/made/built for this” is often attached to things like unmedicated birth or breastfeeding, which can make it feel negative, but your body is doing so many more things it was meant/made/built for that are amazing that most people don’t even know about.

Your baby-making body is a baddie regardless of what the internet moms tell ya.

So let’s get on with it!

Your chest is a thermostat.
Your body is a home.

Skin-to-skin isn’t extra, it’s essential. Moms and dads do it differently, but both matter.

Address

Manchester, CT
06042

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18608903970

Website

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