Our Mission

To center the mother as the heart of the birthing experience by reclaiming birth as a sacred ceremony while fostering safe spaces that reduce birth trauma and promote positive empowering birth outcomes.

We are committed to providing women of color and their families with compassionate, competent personalized guidance and care that empowers them to trust the wisdom of their bodies, reconnect with their intuition, feel confident in their choices, safe, informed and fully supported throughout the circle of life.

About Us

Background:

Gentle Beginnings LLC was officially "birthed" in 2019 by Ra'Keeya Shantel Ramos in Long Island, NY. Ra'Keeya noticed there were gaps in care intertwined with systematic racism within the healthcare system of New York City that led to an increase of maternal and infant mortality rates sky rocketing for BIPOC women and their families in Harlem, NY. Ra'Keeya saw the needs of birthing women first hand, throughout her professional career having served as a perinatal case worker/ behavioral coordinator, and social worker from 2014- 2021. Mothers needed a safe space to unravel, where they could receive support and guidance from people who looked like them and made them feel seen, heard, safe, provided for and valued. There was and STILL IS a need for safe maternal care and support within the black and brown community. "Where there is safety, love and nourishment there is growth!" Thus Gentle Beginnings LLC was formed as a means to bridge the gap in care providing empathy, empowerment, education and support to melanated women from the start of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery and throughout significant life changes.

At Gentle Beginnings, we honor the circle of life's cycles and everything in between. We believe pregnancy, birth, life and death are all spiritual journeys that deserve gentle care and support.

What WE Do-ula

Hospital births
Home Births
Birth Centers
C-section
VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)
Twin Birth

We Specialize in:

Birth planning and assistance: Personalized, compassionate support throughout labor and birth, ensuring a safe and empowering experience.
Postpartum nurturance and healing: Supporting your physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery after birth.
Holistic wellness and energy healing: Utilizing alternative healing modalities to balance and restore your mind, body, and spirit.
Womb Wellness: Divine feminine reconnection
Spiritual Wellness: Spiritual life coaching, tarot/oracle readings, Psychic mediumship
Education: Courses, resources, tools, and trainings.
Fostering a sense of community: Creating a nurturing space for connection, support, and shared wisdom.