A mother’s well-being is deeply woven into a family’s prosperity, foundation, and resilience. It is because of this that Amy Neloms is doing what generations of women before her have done—supporting others through one of life’s most transformative experiences: birth.
Amy is the owner of Yamaya Doula Services, a business she started in 2021 with a clear purpose: offering informed and compassionate support to families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She’s part of a growing network of doulas working to shift the birth experience for Black and Brown families in Detroit—reclaiming traditions of care, building community knowledge, and making sure no one has to navigate this journey alone.
Her path into birth work was shaped by both personal and professional experiences. A lifelong Detroiter raised by a close-knit family of educators, Amy always had a deep interest in maternal and child health. After earning her master’s in public health and working in data analysis, she began to feel the limits of working behind the scenes. The stories she heard of families facing preventable complications, and of mothers not being listened to, stayed with her. “It wasn’t just numbers anymore,” she says. “These were people’s lives.”
When the pandemic opened the door to virtual learning, Amy trained as a doula and began supporting clients shortly after. Since then, her work has grown organically—one birth, one family, one relationship at a time.
Doulas don’t replace doctors or midwives—they fill a different role. Amy provides education, emotional support, and guidance before, during, and after birth. She helps clients understand their choices, navigate complex systems, and make decisions that feel right for them. She also listens—a lot.
Sometimes people just need to be reminded they’re doing a great job. That it’s okay to be tired, to be figuring it out, and that they’re not alone.
The work of a doula is a deeply personal business. Amy’s clients trust her with some of their most vulnerable moments, and she’s clear about the responsibility that comes with that. From preparing questions to ask during doctor visits to holding a newborn while a parent rests, her role is rooted in presence and partnership—not in fixing, but in walking with.
A Business Rooted in Care
Entrepreneurship was not the original plan, but Amy embraced it. She graduated from ProsperUs Detroit’s Entrepreneurship Training Program in 2023 and joined a network of business owners who, like her, are building something meaningful within their communities. Our program helped her build structure, set goals, and imagine what growth could look like—on her terms.
Today, Amy balances her work with raising three children with her husband. Her daughters are watching and learning—curious about her work, asking questions, and repeating phrases they’ve heard her say. That, for Amy, is the most powerful part of this work: planting seeds of knowledge and care that extend far beyond any single moment.
“My hope,” she says, “is that the families I support feel stronger—not just now, but later. That they trust themselves. That they know they deserve care.”
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate mothers and entrepreneurs like Amy—women building futures rooted in care, strength, and lasting support.
Learn more about her work at yamayadoulaservices.com or follow @yamayadoulaservices on Facebook or Instagram.
