Community Highlights: Meet Mary Skinner of Lotus Doula Tribe and Lotus Nanny Tribe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Skinner.

Hi Mary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Mary’s journey in the birth world began generations ago. In 1875, her great-great Aunt Hilda served as a midwife, helping bring thousands of Goshute Indian babies into the world. The love of birth and supporting women runs deeply through her maternal lineage.

Mary herself was born at home, with her 7-year-old brother assisting the midwife during her delivery. From a young age, she was surrounded by positive birth stories—her mother spoke so fondly of her five home births, and over 30 of Mary’s cousins were also born at home.

When Mary became pregnant with her daughter, Summer, she was overjoyed. Her hospital birth was quick, joyful, and unforgettable—Summer arrived just 15 minutes after they got there, with Mary laughing as she was born.

About six months later, Mary, her mother, and her sister all became yoga instructors. She began sharing her love of yoga with other new moms, creating supportive spaces for connection and healing. About a year later, a pregnant friend asked Mary to be present at her birth—and even offered to pay for her doula training through Bini Birth with the incredible Ana Paula via DONA International. Mary attended that birth and fell in love with the work instantly.

A few years later, Mary experienced her dream home water birth with her son, followed by another similar birth three years later. As friends and family began asking her to support their births, Mary realized she had found her true calling.

She seamlessly blends her passion for yoga with birth work, using movement, breathwork, and meditation to support women through pregnancy and labor. She incorporates techniques from Spinning Babies®, The Body Ready Method®, and Hypnobirthing into her prenatal yoga classes and client support.

Mary now teaches yoga, prenatal and postpartum yoga, meditation, and sound bath healing weekly. She combines these modalities into a holistic, nurturing approach that helps mothers feel peaceful, empowered, and fearless in their birth experiences.

Her training includes labor massage, healing touch, lactation education, and Ayurvedic postpartum doula care. She studied under Heng Ou, author of The First Forty Days and The Nine Golden Months. Mary also brings her love of cooking into her postpartum care, nourishing new mothers with healing meals. She recently released a postpartum e-cookbook and healing guide featuring natural remedies for mothers.

Mary has supported a wide range of birth experiences, including home births, birth centers, hospital births, medicated and unmedicated deliveries, inductions, cesarean births, VBACs, surrogacy journeys, and single mothers. While she supports all paths, unmedicated births are where she especially shines.

As her work grew, so did the needs of the families she served. Lotus Nanny Tribe was born from her clients expressing a desire for deeper, more consistent support beyond birth—creating a trusted community where families can feel held through every stage of the journey.

When she’s not supporting mothers, you can find Mary surfing at the beach with her kids, roller skating alongside them, or singing karaoke.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Building Lotus Doula Tribe has been deeply meaningful, but it has not been a completely smooth road. Like many businesses rooted in care work, there have been challenges along the way.

In the early stages, one of the biggest struggles was establishing trust and visibility in a field where relationships are everything. Growing a community-based agency takes time, consistency, and a strong reputation, and there were moments that required patience while that foundation was being built.

Another challenge has been balancing the emotional nature of this work with the operational side of running a business. Supporting families through pregnancy, postpartum, and childcare is incredibly rewarding, but it also requires setting clear boundaries, managing schedules, and ensuring that caregivers are supported as much as the families they serve.

There have also been growing pains in scaling—finding the right caregivers who align with the values of the agency, maintaining quality, and ensuring every family receives personalized care. That alignment piece is so important, and it can take time to find the right fit on both sides.

Despite these challenges, each obstacle has helped shape Lotus Doula Tribe into a stronger, more intentional agency. The journey has required resilience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to the mission, but it has also been incredibly fulfilling to see the impact on families and caregivers alike.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lotus Doula Tribe and Lotus Nanny Tribe are heart-centered, community-driven organizations dedicated to supporting families through every stage of the parenting journey—from pregnancy and birth to postpartum care and early childhood development. At our core, we exist to nurture both caregivers and families by creating meaningful, culturally aware, and deeply supportive care experiences.

Lotus Doula Tribe specializes in holistic birth and postpartum support. Our doulas are trained not only in evidence-based practices, but also in emotional, physical, and spiritual care. We are known for meeting families exactly where they are—whether that means advocating in hospital settings, creating calm and empowering home birth environments, or providing grounding postpartum care that honors the transition into parenthood. We emphasize continuity of care, intuition, and trust, ensuring every family feels seen, respected, and supported.

Lotus Nanny Tribe extends that same philosophy into the home by connecting families with exceptional, conscious caregivers. Our nannies are more than childcare providers—they are intentional guides who prioritize emotional intelligence, developmental awareness, and strong, respectful relationships with both children and parents. We carefully curate placements to ensure alignment in values, communication styles, and long-term family goals.

What sets us apart is our commitment to community and consciousness. We are not transactional agencies—we are relationship builders. Both Tribes operate as supportive networks where caregivers are valued, mentored, and continuously growing, which directly elevates the level of care families receive. We prioritize diversity, inclusivity, and culturally competent care, recognizing that every family’s experience is unique.

As a brand, we are most proud of the trust we’ve built and the impact we’ve made in transforming what care can look and feel like. Families come to us for support, but they stay for the sense of belonging. Caregivers join for opportunities, but remain for the purpose and connection.

We want readers to know that Lotus Doula Tribe and Lotus Nanny Tribe are redefining modern care—bringing intention, compassion, and professionalism together in a way that honors both the caregiver and the family. We are here to hold space, build community, and raise the standard of care.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My relationship with risk is grounded in intention, awareness, and trust—values that feel deeply aligned with the care-centered philosophy of a doula and nanny community.

I don’t see risk as something to avoid outright, but as something to engage with thoughtfully. In caregiving, especially with newborns and families, risk often shows up in subtle ways: decisions about routines, developmental approaches, emotional boundaries, or even stepping into a family’s private world during a vulnerable time. I approach those moments by balancing intuition with knowledge—staying informed, observing carefully, and always prioritizing safety and consent.

That said, I have taken meaningful risks in my own life. One of the most significant has been choosing paths that weren’t fully mapped out—stepping into roles or environments where I had to grow quickly, trust my instincts, and adapt in real time. Whether that meant relocating, shifting career directions, or committing to work that requires deep emotional presence, those decisions carried uncertainty. But they also brought clarity, resilience, and a stronger sense of purpose.

What I’ve learned is that risk isn’t just about bold leaps—it’s also about the quiet courage to show up fully, to be present with others in their most tender moments, and to make decisions without guaranteed outcomes. In caregiving, that can look like advocating for a child’s needs, supporting a parent through difficult transitions, or holding space when there isn’t a clear “right” answer.

Ultimately, I think about risk as something that should be held with care. It’s not about being fearless—it’s about being responsible, reflective, and grounded enough to move forward with both courage and compassion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lotusdoulatribe.com and LotusNannytribe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotusdoulatribe/
• Facebook: LotusDoulaTribe and LotusNannyTribe
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bamboomary
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lotus-doula-tribe-thousand-oaks

Image Credits
@leighasmithphotography
@ginamainphotography