Earth & Air recognizes the power of the birthing person. We recognize the immense courage that birth requires. You are a brave and powerful force. We recognize your struggles. We recognize your identity, whoever you may be. We validate your experience. We validate your fears. We respect you, we advocate for you, and we will support you in labor & beyond.
EARTH & AIR is Logan Cumberland and Joy Bythrow.
LOGAN
An EARTH sign, Logan hails from the mountains of Southwestern Virginia, where she was raised by a very Appalachian family (think clogging, banjos & fiddles, gravy and biscuits, snake handling, Dollywood, “y’alls,” teased hair, ghosts, poor reproductive care, etc.). She received her education in Roanoke, VA and East Tennessee (BA in Religion; MA in Women’s Studies).
Logan began birth work years ago when she worked for a lactation cookie company, but it wasn’t until she became pregnant that she realized how important doula work was. As a survivor of sexual violence, Logan’s path into motherhood was paved with feelings of fear, concern, and doubt. This propelled her to immerse herself in educating, preparing, and finding consent based support to sustain her through the vulnerable and intimate processes of pregnancy and birth. Part of that preparation was hiring a doula. Logan’s doula, Tara, was her canary in a coal mine during labor—guiding and keeping her aware of everything that was happening, every step of the way.
In her free time, you’ll find Logan running after her kids, watching Vanderpump Rules or a Real Housewives franchise, singing Dolly Parton, and/or in the middle of a Kate Middleton deep dive (she LOVES the British Royal family).
JOY
An AIR sign, Joy was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She is the fourth child of five, with three older brothers and one sister. In past lives, she has worked as a photographer, freelance writer, content producer, floral designer, and brand consultant. Joy still dabbles in content creation, where she mostly spends time focusing on raising money for various charities supporting repro, social justice, and mutual aid initiatives. She holds a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from George Mason University.
Joy began her work to become a doula after having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) with her second child just 19 months after having her first-born. Joy immersed herself in books, statistics, and research surrounding maternal health, informed consent, and patient rights as she began preparing for her second child. Inspired by the powerful influence of her own doula, Ryann, Joy began her studies toward becoming a doula. She hopes to merge the two worlds of reproductive justice and doula work as she grows.
In her free-time, you can find her sewing, watching Schitt’s Creek (for the 12th run-through), playing DnD, or dreaming of a Renaissance Faire.