Heritage Birthkeeping

Serving pregnant and postpartum women in Salem and Roanoke, Virginia, with holistic doula care. Grounded in the truth that in Him there is peace, not fear, even in labor.

Book a Discovery Call

Meet Meredith Baxter

Pain Free Birth™Doula & Nationally Certified ASL Interpreter

About Meredith

“Birthkeeper” / (birth-kee-per) / noun

Similar to doulas, birthkeepers focus on supporting physiological birth and often take a more hands-off approach, embracing a witnessing role versus an intervention-based one. As a birthkeeper, Meredith acts as a reassuring presence, supporting women as they prepare for and experience childbirth. It’s a role that looks to honor God’s design for birth and replaces the fear of pregnancy and birth with confident trust that our bodies are divinely made for this. Through education, resources, and consistent support, Meredith helps mothers experience birth the way it was intended to be.

See All Services

Pregnancy, Labor, and Postpartum Doula Care

Birth Doula

For moms preparing for a homebirth, Meredith offers practical guidance in developing a personalized birth plan, provides education about pregnancy, labor, and birth, facilitates natural pain-relievers in labor like positioning and counterpressure, and serves as an advocate for the mother’s wishes. As a part of your birth team, Meredith isn’t a replacement for a midwife, but a complementary resource for moms.

See Doula Packages
Postpartum Support

In the tender weeks following birth, Meredith offers a listening ear, a pair of helping hands, and hopefully a few hours of sleep for the entire family. She helps moms process their birth experience (the good and the unexpected), offers breastfeeding support, connects moms with local specialists for modalities like CFT and Chiropractic care, and provides other practical support like meal preparation, household chores, and overnight care.

See Doula Packages
ASL & Deaf Accessible Support

As a nationally certified ASL interpreter, Meredith offers birth and postpartum care in fluent American Sign Language. Facilitating homebirth midwife appointments and other prenatal care visits, Meredith bridges communication gaps that can significantly impact the quality of care and the birthing experience for Deaf women. With this specialized supportin addition to doula care, families can be fully seen and understood.

See Doula Packages

"I had the best experience with Meredith. Her confidence gave me the assurance that YES I can do this and I can have the type of birth I want. My body knows what to do, and with a little support, it can even be a joyful experience.”

2nd-time Mom

The Pain Free Birth™ Method was created by Karen Welton, a childbirth educator and doula who developed the approach to help women experience birth with less fear and pain. In 2025, she started a doula certification program based on her methodology, and I am among the first cohort of graduates! The method is based on the studies that show when we expect pain, our bodies tense and brace for it. In labor, this anticipatory tension can exacerbate pain, and then pain produces more fear and it becomes a cycle. The Pain Free Birth™ Method reframes this the RELAXATION-OXYTOCIN–BLISS™ Cycle! Through breathing techniques, specific movement patterns, and mental reframing, this method greatly reduces discomfort during contractions and INCREASES the happy hormones that can allows you to birth in comfort and even joy.
It’s never too early to bring a doula into your pregnancy journey. Many women hire a doula in the first or second trimester so there’s plenty of time to build trust and prepare for birth. That said, it’s also never too late. I can support moms who reach out just weeks before their due date. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll meet you there.
Currently, I do not accept insurance and all services would be out-of-pocket. To hopefully offset this, I package my offerings into bundles that are designed to be more affordable than à la carte services. If you choose to pay the entire balance upfront, a discount will be applied. If you would prefer a payment plan, I can arrange monthly installments to lessen the financial burden.
While my primary focus is on supporting homebirths, I can offer support for women who choose to birth in a hospital or birth center, particularly for Deaf clients requiring ASL interpreting services.