Be Held Births
About
Be Held Births provides full-spectrum doula support uniquely centered around trauma informed care and self-advocacy practices. I specialize in supporting LGBTQIA+ people, non-monogamous families, and SA survivors.
As of 2025, I have expanded my scope of doula support to cover recovery from gender-affirming surgeries! Are you or someone you know having surgery soon? Reach out and we'll set up a consultation.
Birthing and medical spaces and language can still heavily entrenched in traditional gendered roles. It isn't always easy finding queer friendly support. Let's work together to build you the perfect team to support you and your body!
A bit about me...
Nan Elizabeth Tilghman (she/her)
Full Spectrum Doula
& Childbirth Educator
Welcome All -
I'm Elizabeth (she/her), a queer, full spectrum doula, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Held Births, LLC. I live and work in New York City. My ethos as a birth worker is simple; I believe that all people have the right to decide what's best for their body. Whether you're seeking help in navigating abortion, fertility, birth, postpartum, or gender-affirming care, I'm here to hold your hand and furnish you with evidence based research so that you can make an informed decision for your body. No scare tactics, no bullshit. My doula support is built on the tenets of compassion, advocacy, and equity. I work with people of all spots and stripes: trans, non-binary, queer-as-fuck, non-monogamous, surrogates, Black, AAPI, White, South Asian, immigrants, catholics, jews, muslims, pagans - whoever you are, you deserve exceptional care. I believe the more we can empower and liberate people with uteruses and vaginas the happier our world will become.
I began my doula journey during COVID lockdown when I heard stories of how survivors of sexual violence have a uniquely difficult time finding emotionally and physically supportive spaces to birth. As a survivor myself, I felt called to help others feel empowered by their birthing journeys. I feel strongly that sharing these, albeit traumatic experiences, can start to break down barriers of misconception or ignorance in our birthing spaces. By providing trauma informed care I aim to help you have a beautiful birth story that you can look back on with fondness.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and being raised by a family of food lovers I've always found cooking to be an act of love. A home cooked meal with fresh ingredients does more to boost my mood and body than almost anything else. I see food as our first medicine. After a few years of working as a doula I noticed that many of my postpartum clients weren't getting the nutrition they needed to recover from their deliveries, much less support lactation. So, down a research rabbit hole I went. After researching the ancient traditions of Cuarentena and Zuo Yue Zi, along with studying the rates of Postnatal Depletion in the US, I started to create recipes tailored to supporting the postpartum and lactating body. Food is a key ingredient to a successful postpartum and post-op recovery. Send me an email and we can talk all about your favorite foods!
Elizabeth lives in Inwood with her husband, piles of books, and her somewhat demented, mercurial cat.
Services
Client Testimonials
Alexa J. & Eli B.
We had a scary beginning with our daughter because of an unexpected stay in the NICU, and Nan made sure we were fed with homemade meals. She dropped meals at the hospital, cooked us dinner and breakfast when we could be home, sent us with late night NICU snacks, and we came home to a clean, calm home every night. Everything was delicious! Particularly the mushroom miso soup and lactation cookies :) She made extras so we had a full freezer when she left.
She was also a huge help for our toddler. We don’t have family nearby, so knowing Nan was on call and available to come stay with our son helped my body relax and go into labor naturally. We knew he was in good hands when we were in the NICU and couldn’t be present for him. She kept him on his routine while we were away and helped him to better understand the transition for our family. She then stayed present for all of us once we brought our daughter home from the hospital. Nan made the hardest week of our lives so much less difficult. Being a doula is clearly her calling, and we are so grateful to have had Nan by our side.
Special features
Best Quality
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Family business
A professional, personalized experience
24/7 Support
Our phone support is always available to you
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