About Us
Marlee and Megan Malone-Franklin are a wife-and-wife team of doulas and childbirth educators. We practiced in Orange County for 6 years before moving to Pittsburgh in 2020. To learn more about us and our other services, visit us at riverbendbirth.com.
Our birth and postpartum doula work began in 2014 and we have been working with families experiencing loss since 2016.
Photo by Robyn Tiffany
Marlee Malone-Franklin
My family has been through its share of turmoil and grief over the years, and those experiences have given me a passion for connecting with others in the midst of the chaos and isolation that can ensue in such difficult times. I love serving families through my birth and postpartum doula work, and loss clients especially hold a special place in my heart.
In addition to my doula work, I am also a lactation counselor. It’s so meaningful for me to help parents navigate lactation after loss, as this can be one of the most painful physical reminders of their baby. Whether suppressing milk or donating milk to other families, it’s an honor for me to serve parents in this way.
Photo by Robyn Tiffany
Megan Malone-Franklin
My passion for working with expecting families started out of surprise at how little information and support was available for people around these life-changing experiences. It's a great honor for me to help fill that gap so parents can move through this phase of life with the specialized, nonjudgmental support they need - something so often lacking in our society these days.
Marlee and I view pregnancy, parenting, and especially loss as rites of passage in and of themselves. These are some of the most challenging moments in life, and it's a privilege to be invited into these sacred spaces.
Credentials & Professional Organizations
Trained Birthing From Within mentors
Certified Birth and Bereavement Doula through stillbirthday
Trained by Childbirth International (Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Education, and Breastfeeding Counselor)