Dakota is amazing. She is the true reason we were able to have the natural child birth with no…read moreepidural in the hospital that I was hoping for. Without her guidance we would have been lost! She helped my partner and I every step of the way through labor. If we have a second child, we will hire her right away!

Dakota was my doula for the birth of my second baby. As as second time mom, I was on the fence…read moreabout hiring a doula since I had already experienced labor.  I am so happy that I chose to have Dakota at my birth! Dakota set a gentle, mellow mood throughout the birth. She used essential oils and music to keep the hospital room as homey and relaxing as possible. She gave gentle coaching as needed, helping me to move through positions and stay calm. She helped my partner to take care of himself, too, which meant that he could be there for me when I needed him.  Dakota was invaluable in helping us meet our goal of a peaceful birth with no medical interventions. Dakota is wonderful when things are going well, but she is also incredible when things go wrong. Towards the end of our birth, my baby's heart rate dropped dramatically.  The OB realized that my placenta was detaching and I needed to push my baby out FAST. Dakota quickly switched modes from gentle to focused coaching -- she helped me to breathe and push efficiently but calmly, and my sweet baby came out safely two contractions later.  Without Dakota's help, I don't know if we would have had as good of an outcome.   Dakota helped us to have a hospital birth that felt like a home birth.  She provided amazing support before, during, and after.  I feel very lucky to have had her help and support.  I can't imagine a better doula.

I contacted Madeline when I was 6 months pregnant because I wanted to have an unmedicated natural…read morebirth. This was my second baby, and with my first I didn't have a doula and tried to have an unmedicated birth but had various complications. It left me somewhat traumatized, I wasn't sure I could do it the way I wanted, and very fearful for another "emergency" situation. My goal with hiring Madeline was to overcome this fear and have a healing and successful ideal birth. And she facilitated that perfectly, beyond my expectations! I knew I needed help with pain management #1, and felt confident in Madeline's approach to help me with that. What I didn't expect was how extremely comforting and helpful she was in the weeks prior birth. I was able to text her questions, worries, concerns, and she always reassured me and calmed my nerves. She was always there for me when I needed her. I ended up having my dream birthing experience - completely unmedicated and natural, and I very much credit this to Madeline's assistance and calming presence throughout the birthing. She helped me through every contraction, and created a relaxed environment. She came to our home for multiple visits, including a post-partum visit, and she provided an awesome "peanut" ball, essentials oils, and other very helpful tools. I would emphatically recommend Madeline for any woman looking for emotional and physical support during birth and prior. She's the best! If I have another baby - I am definitely hiring her asap! My husband and I are both SO grateful for her. She is knowledgable and passionate about what she does. You'd be very fortunate to have her assistance with birthing - thank you Madeline for making my dream birth a reality!!!

I was researching birthing classes in Bend and came across Madeline's in-home classes. I had also…read moremet her at the Find Your Tribe new moms meetings and thought she was really kind. I paid $75 for 3 hours of in-home classes where we learned what to expect at the hospital (paperwork, what vaccinations/shots/procedures they'll try to give the baby, what I can say "yes" and "no" to, how to make a birth plan), what to physically and mentally expect during labor and postpartum, and how to reach her with questions if needed. She even helped me get more info on labor and delivery with Gestational Diabetes. My husband also felt at ease with her and we really appreciated her coming to our house so we didn't have to make an extra trip out. She even sent us a really sweet card of encouragement and thanks afterward. Thanks so much, Maddy! I'd recommend her in a heartbeat.

We cannot recommend Lori highly enough! From the very beginning, through our last trimester,…read moredelivery, and postpartum, Lori provided incredible and flexible support, always being proactive to answer, teach, and be available whenever we needed her. As first-time parents, we had so much to learn, but Lori laid a solid foundation, walking every step of this journey with us and keeping us focused and at ease. She is a fantastic resource for complex pregnancies and also provided a wealth of organized resources that were a true game changer for us. Our delivery couldn't have been the same without her compassionate guidance. She transformed a complex adventure into a truly enjoyable and optimal experience that we will forever cherish. Lori has now become our family. We love her and we really, really want her to succeed and help many, many more child-rearing parents or future parents to be happy and to have an optimal experience, optimal delivery, and to transition into the beautiful journey of parenthood.

Lori was an incredible doula. Being our first birth and with no family in the area, we were looking…read morefor some support and guidance through this time. We chose Lori because she seemed pragmatic and had a lot of relevant life experience. As a mother and former school teacher, Lori brings a very grounded yet enthusiastic energy to her work. She is friendly, knowledgeable, and up to date about everything from home births to medical interventions. She is personally familiar with the various medical facilities in the Portland area, and knows how to navigate their systems. As labor progressed at the hospital, Lori provided us with techniques to remain comfortable and to move the labor along naturally. She helped us understand the medical procedures and their implications as they arose. Lori was very realistic, and did not minimize the challenges of birth. She listened to our goals and wishes, and compassionately provided her professional opinion and insight. Her warm, can-do attitude helped us remain confident and empowered throughout the journey. We highly recommend Lori's services! -- Dan & Kathryn

I just want to say, Elaine, with Heartstrings Doula service, IS THE ONE YOU WANT BY YOUR SIDE! She…read moremade me feel like family, INSTANTLY! We discussed very intimate things prior to my birth, and she never once judged me, or made me feel uncomfortable. She always spoke with kindness, but also gave her opinion or guidance with honesty and integrity. When the time came for her to be with me at the hospital, she was there, eager to serve me and my needs in the OR room. She captured the most BEAUTIFUL photos of my cesarean birth, and somehow still managed to keep me so lovingly elevated, she didn't take away any moment from me, she actually GAVE me proof in photos and videos, of what the OR staff did with my son, while I was getting sewn up. She stayed with me for a few hours after, to make sure I was comfortable to be there alone, and brought the sweetest gifts to me. When it came time for her service in-home, she walked in like she had lived there for months, and got right to work in areas I had been slacking. Laundry, dishes, food prep, which - speaking of, she brought the tastiest quiche for me! Oh and coffee! She cared for my newborn as if he was her own, and she cared for me too, as if I were her own! Having had no family here to come to the hospital, she filled that void I had, and then some. She is now forever a part of our family, and I'll never forget the service she gave me and my family, when we needed her - and even when we didn't. She was always quick to reply to me, and honestly, I wish I could keep her forever! She is the doula you need, and the doula you'll regret not having!

From the owner: Giving birth is a transforming time in ones life. You deserve to be supported in your choices and…read morehave an experienced birth support person there to guide you through making the decisions that are right for you and your birth experience. We offer personalized birth and postpartum support and childbirth education. We get to know you and what ways we can best support you, emotionally, physically, and with just the right amount of information and education. We have experience with all kinds of births. As a THW registered Doula, we are able to offer services to folks covered by OHP insurance with no out of pocket expenses. Contact us today of a free consultation to learn how we can serve you best.

From start to finish, the entire Portland Doula Love experience was exactly what I needed to feel…read moresupported! We were matched with the lovely, Patty Spravale, as our doula. I couldn't imagine our birth without her!!!

We are beyond grateful for Doula Love's matching service and for pairing us with our incredible…read moredoula, Nomarie. We were a little on the fence about hiring a doula since this was our second baby, but we really wanted that holistic, nurturing care that a hospital alone can't always provide -- and Nomarie was exactly what we'd hoped for. I'm not what you'd call a "country granola" type of mom -- I went into this birth fully planning on (and very much wanting!) all the pain relief and medical support. But there's still such an important place for a doula in that environment. Nomarie helped bring warmth, connection, and a truly holistic touch to what could have otherwise felt like a very clinical experience. From the very first meeting, she made us feel comfortable, supported, and truly heard. She took the time to understand our hopes for the birth and was such a calming, confident presence every step of the way. When labor began, Nomarie was our angel -- grounding us through every contraction, guiding my partner on how to support me, and helping us navigate all the twists and turns that came our way. Even when things got complicated after our baby was born, she never left our side. Her steady reassurance and calm energy made us feel safe and less scared during a really overwhelming moment. Looking back, I honestly can't imagine our birth experience without her. She helped us feel empowered and cared for in one of the most intense and beautiful moments of our lives. I would recommend Doula Love and Nomarie a thousand times over -- they gave us the support we didn't even know we needed.

Jen truly wanted 1 million clinician. We felt truly safe and heard with her my daughter (four weeks…read moreold at the time) absolutely loved her and slept most of the session and seemed very relaxed and happy. Jen is a wealth of knowledge and we were so happy to learn from her.

From the owner: Offering craniosacral therapy for babies and children since 2016. Home visits and Salem office…read morevisits available. Childbirth classes in person in Salem. Placenta encapsulation services!