My partner and I hired Emerald Doulas to help us find a postpartum doula. Melanie, who runs Emerald…read moreDoulas, was fantastic in shepherding us along the process. She got on the phone with me once I requested a consultation and chatted through what kind of support I wanted from a doula, went over what doulas could do to support us, and went over our schedule. She then sent us profiles of doulas who could fit our needs, and I was able to interview the ones I though were the best fit. Our doula, Keya, was fantastic. She had such a calming aura compared to mine and my husband's frenetic panic as new parents. She also would check-in with me before heading over to our apartment to see if we needed any errands run or any products brought to the apartment. I wholly recommend Emerald Doulas and especially getting a postpartum doula--especially if you don't have family in the area!

We cannot say enough great things about Emerald Doulas! We had a wonderful experience with Melanie…read moreand Bridget who both taught us a lot before baby arrived. I rented the TENS unit for labor and it was very helpful for pain control during my induction and the rental process was easy and convenient. Highly recommend Emerald Doulas!

Melanie is truly amazing at what she does. A curve ball was thrown into my birth plan when I had to…read morebe induced and birth at the hospital rather than the birth center; but with Melanie's guidance and support leading up to going to the hospital and during labor and delivery I was still able to have the wonderful birth experience I so wanted and I really don't think it would have been possible without Melanie. Her presence is so calming and she provided amazing support to me and my husband during the birth. Melanie is also so knowledgeable about labor, delivery and babies in general and it was so helpful to talk through with her all of our options and any questions and concerns we had throughout the pregnancy and following the birth of our son. I am so grateful we hired Melanie as our doula.

From the owner: Melanie takes the time to get to know her clients goals and then works with her clients to help…read morethem navigate any fears or concerns they may have that need to be addressed so they can achieve the best birth possible for them. She provides unbiased, evidence-based pregnancy, labor and birth support for women seeking natural or medicated births in hospitals, birth centers or at home. Melanie is a Certified Labor Doula (CAPPA) and is trained in HypnoBirthing, Hyponobabies, Rebozo, and Spinning Babies. Melanie has experience supporting men and women in recovery, survivors of abuse, successful VBAC, natural birth, medicated birth, IVF, and twin births. Labor Support Services: Pregnancy Support, Birth Plan Development, Labor Support, Labor Preparation, Christian Doula Support, Hypno Doula Support. Melanie also provides Postpartum Doula support in the form of overnight sleep support for new families. Melanie is a CAPPA trained Postpartum Doula, and dedicates her postpartum support exclusively to overnights, which includes breastfeeding support, if desired. Postpartum Support Services: Sleep Support, Newborn Care, Soothing Methods for Baby, Bottle Feeding, Breastfeeding Support, Comfort Measures for Mother, Nutrition for Postpartum. Melanie serves the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill Triangle area of North Carolina.

Jamie was everything we needed and more! She was so sweet and really took the time to know what I…read morewanted out of my birth. And, man, did she deliver! She turned my hospital room into an amazing fairyland that was calm and peaceful and was hands on and helpful every step of the way. Her knowledge and background as a L&D RN made me feel even more comfortable and at peace. I highly recommend Jamie and all she has to offer!!!

Listen up, mama's - YOU NEED JAMIE!!!! Hiring her was THE best thing we did for our labor, hands…read moredown!! Especially if your goal is a natural delivery, you 100% need Jamie to be there with you for so. many. reasons. I'll be honest - at first, my husband and I were very hesitant because we didn't want to spend the money, but literally the day after we had our baby girl, when Jamie came to visit us we both said to her how incredibly grateful we were for her, and we agreed we would have paid her MORE now that we knew how much WORK she did for us!!! It's hard to understand what a doula can do for you if you've never hired one before. We ultimately decided to take the leap, deep down knowing it would be worth it, but it wasn't until I was in labor at the hospital and she got there to help that we really started to understand how necessary having her there was!! She immediately started setting up the room to make it more relaxing and zen-like... she dimmed the lights, strung up cute little lights around the room (and on my IV pole, which was such a cute touch!). She hung up positive and empowering birth affirmations along the wall, put new oils in my diffuser, and once the room was done she started participating in my labor in ways I never knew about, but oh my gosh it was so, so helpful!!!! I wanted to have a natural delivery but ended up needing Pitocin (I'll spare you the details). I was determined to avoid pain medication, and literally Jamie took the place of my needing that. She was the reason I was able to labor without it!! She affirmed me with literally every contraction and said I was doing a great job, she'd massage me and/or apply counter pressure to help me get through contractions, she encouraged me to change positions and told me every time I did that the contractions would feel different, which they did, and her warning me of that was so helpful for me! I had NO idea how much WORK she would put in, like physical work on her part, to help me through the waves!! She was AMAZING!!! There is no way I could have gotten through that without her, and I am so incredibly grateful for everything she did for me and for us!!! I'm telling you, you will not regret hiring Jamie!!!! She is the best!!!

I really loved working with CBW, Emily the owner was quick to reach out and explain the process and…read moreofferings. I worked with Doulas Maris and Katie, I had an in home meeting with each of them to get acquainted with one another and address my needs and birth plan. I was able to to attend some prebirth classes via zoom during my pregnancy which I found informative and refreshing since this is my 2nd child. I wish I would have taken advantage of the yoga classes, but it didn't work out in my schedule. Katie ended up in the birth room with us. She was such a great comfort and aide, she even took some pictures with my phone for me so we could remember the moments. Highly recommend!!

My only regret was calling them so late in the game. I didn't know you could hire a doula outside…read morethe hospital - stupid I know! I was already 35 weeks I believe, by the time I called them. They were on call for me, provided 2 trainings (I only had time for one because my baby came early). Megan was super helpful to have at my birth experience at Rex. She was a rational, calm and sweet influence. She explained things. She asked for things, helped advocate for us and held my legs while I pushed for three hours! I couldn't imagine not having her there. She took pressure off my husband and made a very, potentially, stressful experience way better. I also enjoyed the post birth visit - she played with my son and shared some of her birth experiences - it made me feel better about my stresses., I also had a massage shortly after the birth and a stomach wrap. It was lovely.

Sam was fantastic. She was so knowledgeable and walked us through every process in detail and…read moreprovided evidence based information to help us make decisions that we were happy with. What sets her above and beyond is that her explanations were very thorough. We didn't need to know "the right" questions to ask to get the information we needed. I ended up needing a C-Section and having her set expectations for me was so helpful. She helped my husband be at ease and give him tasks since he was excited to be helpful. I picked Sam after interviewing several doulas because her background was very high stress and around the clock, so I felt comfortable that she would be able to handle anything that comes her way and be alert 100% and help with hard decisions if it came to that (which thankfully it didn't).

I don't know what initally led me to consider a doula for my birth but it was single-handely the…read morebest decision I made because of Samantha. I was in search of support and guidance and someone who would do so without judgement as I sorted through what was important to me, my partner and my baby in Pregnancy & Birth. Samantha opened the door to the community I was seeking. At our first meeting I knew she was someone I could trust at what was going to be the most vulnerable and intimate experience of my family's life. It takes a truly special person to do this work! She brought evidence based advice and resources to each of our visits and has always been one phone call away - my sounding board and support before and beyond the birth of my first son. Thank you Samantha for being in our lives!

Working with Bianka as our birth doula was an amazing experience! I highly recommend her services…read more She was well educated, informed on all pregnancy + birthing questions I had and was a big comfort. We spoke often and met throughout my pregnancy - she was always just a phone call or text away. Bianka supported all of my birthing choices and was a huge help in the delivery room. She was so calm, helping me through contractions, labor and the stress of a surprise c-section. We could not be more thankful to Bianka for all her help. I definitely plan on having her by my side for our next child!

From the owner: We specialist in Birth and Postpartum Doula Services. We offer Lactation Counseling (CLC) and…read moreInfant Massage Education to parents. We are Experiencd Infant Care Specialist with references that can be verified. We are called baby whisperers by our clients.

***BEWARE--Melissa stole almost $3,000 from my family***…read more Melissa was our doula for the birth of our son. She was excellent. When I found out I was pregnant with twins, we hired her again without hesitation. She was absent during my pregnancy except for 1 short phone call (which she rescheduled twice) and when she asked me via text to borrow $1200 for medical bills when I was 6 months pregnant. This was in addition to the full amount we had already paid her for her doula services. I told her I wasn't comfortable lending her money but I could pay her in advance for postpartum doula services. She agreed and I sent her the money. 1 week later she posted on Facebook that she had adopted a large dog--I thought that was odd seeing as she had just asked to borrow money from us. It was 3 weeks into COVID at the time I went into labor and doulas were not allowed in the hospital, so she could not attend our birth. She encapsulated my placenta and made a print of my placenta, as we had agreed upon. When I found out her partner at the time was an ER nurse with obvious close contact to COVID patients, I didn't feel comfortable with her providing postpartum doula services to my twins who were born 6 weeks premature. She said she understood and would give us a full refund but wasn't in a financial position to refund our money all at once. We said we understood and in June of 2020 we set up a payment plan for her to pay us $100 a month. We really cared about her and didn't want her to feel a financial strain during what we knew was a stressful time for everyone. From the time we set up the payment plan in July of 2020 to the time I wrote this review on July 10th, 2022 Melissa has paid us $200. My husband and I texted her several gentle reminders about our payment plan and she never responded to either of us. I reached out to a friend in the birth community to see if Melissa was ok. She told me Melissa was on a cross country vacation with her partner. I was shocked seeing as she owed us so much money. It wasn't until I threatened to contact the Better Business Bureau that she responded immediately with a slew of excuses and finally dropped off my placenta print on July 2, 2022 (2 years and 3 months after my twins were born). I hesitated to write this review because I saw a thread on a local birth Facebook page where her partner had threatened to kill someone who posted a negative review claiming a very similar experience to my own. Losing the money was unfortunate but feeling swindled by someone who we allowed to be so close to our family has been devastating. She has communicated no remorse. I would hate for anyone else to be taken advantage of during such a vulnerable time.

The wonderful team at Peace and Serenity are there to help you navigate through the journey of…read moreconception through postpartum. They are a group of educated, knowledgeable, and capable humans who will ease any worry one might have while starting a family or giving birth. It doesn't matter if it's your first time or sixth time going through this process they are here to help. My husband and I just had our fourth child and Melissa had such a hugely positive impact on our home birth experience I couldn't imagine having anyone else at future births. She is calm, educated, capable, and most importantly affective with her training to make labor and delivery the smoothest and most positive experience it can be. I would highly recommend Melissa, or any one of the doulas in her team, to be there for you too. Anyone would be so fortunate to work with them, I know my family is!

We decided to hire Mariam amidst the height of the COVID pandemic since we weren't getting the same…read morelevel of visits and interactive birthing information from our OB clinic like we got for our first son. Since there was potential for a VBAC I felt the need for some added support for the laboring process since I never labored with my first.  The main consideration, and one that Mariam stressed, was that she is there to support BOTH momma as well as partner through the whole process. She was available and supported me at all hours of the night during my bouts of prodromal labor weeks before my due date and she encouraged and advised me as the days passed beyond my due date.   When it was finally go time 1 week after DD, Mariam was at the hospital within minutes of our arrival at 3am and didn't leave our side until a few hours after baby finally arrived 15 hours later.... all throughout she helped coach me and my hubs through the labor pains and provided context when I needed it for further decision making (I ended up opting for epidural and had lots of questions about it)....  She stayed on top of moving me hourly when nurses or midwives weren't around and even followed up directly with the nurse when my BP dropped lower than normal.... I am so happy we decided to hire a doula and through the whole process I felt heard and supported.  She put me at ease and i honestly felt the whole process went much more smoothly in my mind because she was there as extra support.   A huge bonus is that she also helped to capture some beautiful candid moments right after the birth of our LO.  She of course asked if I wanted her to take photos when discussing birth preferences and she transferred the pictures securely... it was so great for me to be able to go back to these afterwards since most of it was such a blur!  Also, another thing worth mentioning that I appreciated is that she acknowledges that one's doula preference really depends on momma's own preferences and personality so she encouraged me to reach out and interview other doulas before making a decision. I appreciated this (similar to finding an amazing yoga or fitness instructor...the exercise is beneficial but sometimes you just need to make sure the person coaching you doesn't rub you the wrong way)... I highly recommend Mariam - she was helpful before, during and after birth and has a calming and friendly demeanor... When comparing some of the pricing for doulas around the Triangle, she was on the more reasonable end of the spectrum.  Every penny well spent....No regrets from this momma!!

I was so glad I to chose to work with Mariam and Designated Doula during my pregnancy and through…read morethe birth of my first child. As an expecting mother, although I read books, visited online forums, consulted with family and friends, and took classes with my partner, I was still nervous about labor and birth. Having Mariam by our sides before and during labor took so much of the worry and anxiety away. She was able to answer all the questions we had about labor, delivery and post partum with grace and compassion. When I thought I was going into labor, she was one of the first people I contacted and she was there as I needed her--I liked that she was as available as I needed but still gave my partner and I the space to make the experience our own. Having her with us at the hospital was monumental--she encouraged me to walk the ward to help progress labor, applied pressure/massage as contractions were happening, helped talk to the doctors as I was unable to due to pain. I loved knowing I had someone in the room that had helped others through birth before and could be my translator. When it came time to push, she was an amazing coach! Delivery was pretty much perfect and I owe a lot of it to Mariam--I'm fortunate she was there with me during the scariest and most joyful moment of my life. Again, one of her greatest gifts is the ability to "read the room"--to step in when you need her but also to give space to make the moment special for you and your partner. If you are contemplating hiring a doula, I highly recommend Mariam with Designated Doula.

Kallyn is a dream to work, sunshine personified. Our photo sessions feel like play dates both us…read moreand our kids. Her silly, tender, and bubbly personality translates into a breathtaking mix of shots, the perfect mix of serious & loving, always perfectly imperfect. Simply put, Kallyn is an artist. These aren't your typical posed slightly fuzzy newborn photos, propped up by studio items, but rather are a snapshot of our life and family, doing the things we love to do. (Note: we've had 8 sessions in 3.5 years and one of those was while giving birth!!) Kallyn lets play and joy (and yes with two toddlers, always some tears) unfold and documents each moment. The relationship we see between us and our children without fail bring tears to our eyes- a small moment frozen in time forever, something so important with kids who grow so quickly. Especially during the first year, it was a priority as a family to truly capture their ever changing bodies, hair and expressions. Each session she asks "what do you love about your babies at this age," and then without fail captures those tiny details and features- ev

Have you ever had someone take a photo of you and they see your whole being? That's Kallyn! I could…read morenever get my spouse and kiddo to go into a stuffy JCPenny studio and have photos taken but, an hour with Kallyn and everyone is ready to go! Her eye is unmatched, her ability to direct even the most camera shy person is *chefs kiss*, and the cherry on top is how you feel when you see the images she has captured. I just feel so seen and like my whole family is its most genuine self captured in a beautiful snapshot we can forever cherish.