BirthFocus, LLC was founded in 2001 in partnership with Beth Israel Parent Education in an effort to establish a hospital based doula program, allowing women to have more access to doulas and to meet them collectively in a supported and professional environment.  Since, BirthFocus has grown tremendously and, in addition to labor support services, now also offers post-partum doula services, childbirth preparation courses, and many other services related to the journey of becoming a new parent.  Our partnerships have expanded to many new OB/GYN and Midwifery practices as well as other birth related communities in NYC.  We offer weekly “Eat, Drink, DOULA” events at four different locations throughout NYC where women and their partners can meet doulas in an intimate setting.  BirthFocus is proud to offer labor support and post-partum doula services by DONA International, trained and certified, doulas who are a part of a strong community.  BirthFocus offers ongoing education and mentoring to all of the doulas in the practice who each hold a solid foundation of the deep understanding of what is needed to support a woman, and her partner, during childbirth.  Our doulas guide women in understanding their bodies and their wishes for their birth and honor a woman’s need to have the birth experience of HER choice.  We firmly believe that every woman who wants a doula deserves one.

Our Director – Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach


Elizabeth Mangum-Sarach is the Director of BirthFocus, LLC, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, a Birth Doula Trainer through Dona International, a Labor Support Doula, and recently trained in Karen Brody’s new FEAR to FREEDOM childbirth education model.  In 2004 she trained with Ilana Stein, BirthFocus founder, to become a labor support doula.  In 2007 Ilana took Elizabeth under her wing and taught her about running the practice and mentoring doulas.  In 2008, when Ilana passed away, she became the full-time Director of BirthFocus.

Elizabeth is the former Director of Maternal Health and Parenting Services at Inwood House, a non-profit that offers services to pregnant and parenting teens, and is responsible for developing their doula and childbirth education programs. She is an approved DONA International Birth Doula Trainer and offers trainings in NYC and internationally. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Museum of Motherhood and Village Birth International.

In April 2011 Elizabeth returned from a year-long sabbatical during which she and her husband rode their BMW R80GS motorcycle from London, England to Capetown, South Africa. She spearheaded a project studying childbirth practices – via interviews with midwives, doulas, doctors, and pregnant women in over 15 countries – and is in the process of writing “Nomadic Birth”. Through a collaborative effort with Village Birth International she led a training for 12 midwives in Gulu, Uganda and attended to laboring women in Uganda and South Africa.

To learn more about Elizabeth’s approach as a labor support doula please read about her on our doula page.

 Our Founder – Ilana Stein (1951-2008)

A pioneer in the birthing community since 1983, Ilana Stein, mother of three, was also a labor support doula, childbirth educator, co-founder of the Metropolitan Doula Group (an educational support group for doulas), Certified Hypnobirthing Instructor, DONA Approved Doula Trainer, Director, BirthFocus, LLC, and recipient of the 2007 Penny Simkin Award for Doula Spirit and Mentoring (DONA International).  Ilana firmly believed in BirthFocus’ philosophy that “every woman who wants a doula deserves one”.

She answered the “Ask a Doula” questions on the Childbirth.org website and was a La Leche League leader. She traveled across the country teaching workshops to women who came into her classes wide-eyed and curious and who left grounded, empowered and ready to support birth. She wrote articles, was a guest speaker at New York University and was interviewed on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show. By forming the Metropolitan Doula Group, Ilana created a support system where new doulas, experienced doulas and anyone interested in birth sat in a circle, shared stories, accomplishments, disappointments, fears and successes. She facilitated the meetings with grace, power, spirit and professionalism. The group grew; the impact was enormous to the birthing community. Doula started to become a household word.

Her mission and goal was to educate everyone about doulas and that birth is something to be honored and treated with respect and integrity. Ilana’s energy for birth seemed endless. Ilana’s next mission was to become a registered nurse. She felt that by teaching nurses women–whether they knew to ask for it or not–would have the emotional and spiritual support they so critically need during labor and is so lost in the current medical model.

In the midst of her studies, Ilana was stricken with ovarian cancer. She passed away this last year after a 4-year battle. During her illness, she continued to teach about the power of support as she accepted the support she now needed and faced her disease with courage and strength. She continually shared her very personal journey with us, showing us that community can empower us in all facets of life and death and can be extraordinarily powerful.

(**some of these words are an excerpt from a letter by Meg Darnell, LMT, Co-Founder of the Metropolitan Doula Group and Dean of Alumni and Student Services Swedish Institute)