Where adversity meets restoration.
OABBY Natural Healing was founded on lived experience and a deep commitment to generational transformation. We understand the weight of adversity — and we believe in the power of community to overcome it.
Our work bridges holistic wellness, birth justice advocacy, and culturally-rooted healing practices to ensure families not only survive — but thrive.
We are more than a wellness organization.
We are a healing movement.
Shanita “OABBY” Edwards is a proud native and resident of Southeast Washington, D.C., where she is widely recognized as a leading Doula and Womb Healer in the DC Metropolitan area. As the visionary founder and CEO of OABBY Natural Healing, a nonprofit organization, she is dedicated to providing compassionate birth doula services to low-income mothers in underserved communities.
Certified as a Birth Doula in 2018, Shanita has served families across the DMV and Atlanta, GA, offering both birth and postpartum support. Her postpartum care has been instrumental in nurturing entire families and helping prevent postpartum depression. Affectionately known as OABBYtheDoula within the birthing community, she has supported over 30 births—and counting—with deep passion and purpose.
Shanita collaborates closely with one of the region’s most respected midwives and has twice studied under the legendary Queen Afua as a Sacred Woman and Womb Yoga Practitioner. Her holistic womb coaching, focused on natural healing and rejuvenation using herbs and ancestral methods, has become her signature offering.
Now working with some beautiful people in Jamaica, Shanita is expanding her mission to support birthing experiences for teen moms in Montego Bay. She is expanding across borders to elevate the conversation around the essential role of doulas. Her daily mission is to inspire her family and community to "OABBY"—
Overcome Adversity & Become a Better You.
Rooted in experience. Guided by training. Devoted to families.
I did not arrive at this work through theory alone.
I arrived through birth.
My son’s entrance into the world reshaped the course of my life. I experienced a 14-day labor — a slow, demanding unfolding that required physical endurance, emotional surrender, and deep trust. He was born two weeks early and spent his first 14 days in the NICU.
Those two weeks taught me more about advocacy, informed support, and maternal strength than any classroom ever could.
I learned what it means to mother beside monitors.
I learned how vulnerable postpartum can feel without steady support.
I learned how deeply preparation matters.
Five years later, our family experienced another profound transition when my son’s father passed away. Navigating grief while raising a child refined my understanding of loss, resilience, and the importance of community care.
These experiences did not define me — they clarified my calling.
The Moment I Found My Path
While supporting my sister during the birth of her second child, I was introduced to the role of a doula.
After witnessing my work for both births, her OB jokingly said, "You deserve my check! Are you a doula?"
I witnessed the quiet power of continuous support.
I saw how informed presence can shift a birth space.
I recognized how advocacy and calm guidance change outcomes.
In that room, something aligned.
What began as personal transformation became professional devotion.
Training & Certifications
My lived experience led me to formal education and clinical training so I could serve families with both heart and expertise.
I am Certified as a:
Doula
Midwife Assistant
Holistic Womb Practitioner
Lactation Consultant
Neonatal Resuscitator
My approach bridges ancestral wisdom and modern training. I honor traditional practices while remaining grounded in safety, evidence-informed care, and collaborative support.
This combination allows me to move fluidly between emotional, physical, and educational support — from pregnancy through postpartum and beyond.
The Work Today
My work now spans:
Holistic wellness and herbal education
Birth and postpartum doula support
Lactation guidance
Neonatal-informed support
End-of-life and recovery care
Community-based herbal education
Behind-the-scenes advocacy for maternal and family autonomy
Every offering is shaped by lived experience and strengthened by professional training.
What I Believe
I believe birth is an initiation, not just a medical event.
I believe postpartum requires protection and planning.
I believe families deserve informed choices and steady support.
I believe plant medicine belongs back in the hands of the people.
And I believe no one should have to navigate birth, recovery, or grief alone.
Our Commitment
When you enter this space, you are met with both compassion and competence.
You are supported by someone who understands birth not only clinically, but personally.
You are cared for by someone who values preparation, education, safety, and sovereignty.
This work is not transactional.
It is relational.
And it is an honor to walk alongside families during their most transformative seasons.