I can't imagine going through my pregnancy without Colleen. She is compassionate, unbelievably…read moresupportive, and highly knowledgeable. From the moment we hired her, she sent over so much information that helped guide me throughout the rest of the pregnancy. Each week she has an optional support group offered for you to check in and ask questions about where you are and what you are feeling. It was fantastic hearing what other pregnant folks were experiencing at different stages to get a head start preparing. This is so clearly Colleen's passion and my husband and I felt at ease from the moment we met her. I'm so grateful for all she did to help me throughout this incredible journey. We love you Colleen!!

When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we felt uninformed about the birthing process and…read moreonly knew what most deem a "normal" hospital delivery. We have heard of women giving birth unmedicated and wanted to learn more about our options. We reached out to Colleen for support after she came recommended from a work colleague and friend. Upon an initial virtual visit with Colleen, we immediately felt a sense of comfort and empowerment. She supplied us with a plethora of resources to grow our knowledge of evidence-based births that contradicted much of the "mainstream" information that we have received. Colleen guided us in four major ways. The first was to set a foundation to prepare us for the birth of our daughter. She introduced us to Evidence Based Births, Hypnobirthing, Spinning Babies, and other holistic approaches to prepare for labor. She met with us in person to understand our goals, teach birthing techniques and baby basics class! Second, Colleen supported my emotional needs. I am naturally an anxious individual and seek feelings of security in my experiences and with whom I meet. My trust and confidence in Colleen only grew over the course of my pregnancy. She was always accessible when I had a question or needed reassurance. Not only did she answer my questions, but she provided us with articles, links and/or resources. Additionally, her prenatal and postnatal groups fostered a sense of community among the women with whom she works. Third, Colleen helped make the labor and delivery of our daughter what we imagined. Colleen was in contact with my husband from the beginning of my labor to guide us through every step. When she arrived, my husband said I bolted straight for her! Both my husband and I were overall more relaxed and comfortable knowing Colleen was there. She is highly knowledgeable about techniques to help women through surges and deliver without an epidural. She helped us advocate for the experience we envisioned by expressing my birth plan to then nurses when I was unable to do so. I genuinely believe I may not have been successful in my goal of an unmedicated birth without Colleen. Finally, Colleen supported us in the fourth trimester, which many do not hear about or prepare for. She visited with us and discussed my experience giving birth. I almost gave up on breastfeeding more times than I can count. Colleen made me feel like whatever decision I chose regarding breastfeeding was OK and provided encouragement to help me continue as well. She was 100% right to wait until the 3-week mark! I am still breastfeeding now and have successfully started feeding a bottle (with Colleen's suggestions to ensure she wouldn't reject breastfeeding). Colleen also provides an additional service of encapsulating placentas, which we elected to do. I can honestly say I initially did not believe I would feel a difference when taking the pills, but I felt more energized and more emotionally regulated when taking them (opposed to missing a dose). I can say that I appreciate Colleen and what she has done to support us more than she will ever know! While I have known Colleen for about a year, I feel as though I will have a connection with her for life! If my husband and I have more children, there is not doubt Colleen will be present for their births as well.

I could not have asked for a more capable, supportive, and wonderful doula than Sooo-z, who played…read morea huge role in helping me achieve the birth experience I wanted. She was a source of immense comfort and reliable expertise at every step, starting with early labor while I was at home, and then over the course of a 15 hour day in the hospital. She came equipped with all kinds of labor support tools that she used at various points throughout the journey, but her gentle, steady, and encouraging demeanor played the most critical role. I felt that she was connected to me the entire time, physically through gentle touch or guiding me through various positions, as well as mentally, offering mantras, listening carefully, and helping me navigate tricky decisions as my labor presented some challenges--she felt like my ally and advocate at every moment, never putting pressure on me, letting me lead and supporting my instincts. Ultimately, we achieved the tremendous feat of an unmedicated natural birth together, and I absolutely know that I would not have been able to reach that goal without her help. One key strength of hers was the way she skillfully navigated working with the rest of the L&D team. Our doctor told us afterwards how impressed she was with Sooo-z's professionalism, her ability to collaborate smoothly with the nurses to get me what I needed, and her absolute focus on me--something they don't always see with doulas. She's also just a delightful person, easy to spend time with, caring and kind, un-fussy and down to earth. I'd recommend her a thousand times over!

I did not have a birth doula, but I contacted Sooo-z in a panic after my daughter was born and…read moredesperately needed support. If I could go back in time and have Sooo-z with me during both my births, I would. In a time during which everything revolved around taking care of my newborn and my toddler, Sooo-z made sure someone was caring for me. From helping with some nursing challenges, to making sure I was nourishing my body (her lactation cookies and spinach smoothies are amazing), to watching my baby so I could sleep, even to washing pumping parts - Sooo-z was a true gift. While I'm over the hump of sleepless newborn nights and days without routine or breaks, I still reach out to Sooo-z for questions, recommendations, or just to chat. She is one of a kind, and anyone who can include her in their birth or postpartum plans is truly lucky.

When we learned we were pregnant... we knew what we wanted our birth to be like…read more I was very clear from the beginning that our vision was to have a natural home birth. My partner was 100% on board and we spoke to a family midwife friend for advice. She recommended Birth and Beyond. I looked at their website and made an appointment. From my first meeting with Vicki I felt like I found what I was looking for. We communicated well, we understood each other and spoke the same language. Whenever I left my wellness visits I felt positive and cared for. I had confidence every step of the way that I was in good hands. Yes birthing is unpredictable so a few of my appointments had to be rescheduled because of births but it was no big deal. The back office personal was helpful and caring. They answered whatever billing questions or scheduling concerns I had. I found the group thorough and operated like a well-oiled machine. I liked the down to earth touch and the authentic styles of both Vicki and Cheri. They offer 3 mandatory meetings that both parents attend. These meetings are held with 5 or 6 other couples expecting babies and the meeting is chock full of Information about the process. It's a great forum to ask and receive answers to questions. Having a home birth requires quite a bit of prep. There are many things to prepare for. Although they give you a list and walk you through everything, it's your responsibility to prepare your home with the supplies for the birth. We highly recommend renting a birth tub it was wonderful and so helpful with pain management. We also benefited greatly from the placenta encapsulation service. The post birth pediatric care is excellent and the best part of having a home birth is you don't have to leave your house until you've rested at least 2 weeks! Birth and Beyond offers a wonderful service with caring, devoted midwives who have 20+ years of expertise to support whatever your home birth vision is.

I truly had an amazing birth experience with Birth and Beyond! I can honestly say I had a wonderful…read morehome birth and at the end of labor I was sleeping in my own bed with my little bundle of joy.

Taking the Birth1st Hypnobirthing course with Elizabeth was one of the best decisions I made for my…read morebirth experience! I wanted a natural delivery, but as a first time mom, I was scared! Thanks to the breathing techniques, visualizations, and overall mindset preparation she taught, I was able to have an unmedicated 7-hour labor (most of it at home, arriving to the hospital almost 8cm dilated!!) with no tearing--delivering a healthy 7lb baby girl. Elizabeth's guidance gave me the confidence to trust my body and stay calm through every stage of labor. The tools I learned helped me through my surges, stay as relaxed as possible, and truly embrace the wonder and joy of the birth experience. I'm beyond grateful for this course and would highly recommend it to any expecting mama looking for an empowering, positive birth! Our bodies were made for birth and I am so proud of what I was able to accomplish with Elizabeth's help!

Elizabeth was such a God send for us. First, she is extremely knowledgeable and clearly has the…read morebackground and experience needed to be amazing at her job. Then of course is her heart. She truly cared so much about my husband and I and took the time to walk us through each and every step. We were so nervous being first time parents about the birthing experience and she truly not only prepared us but really put us at ease. When it came time for the actual day of the labor things did not go exactly as planned and Elizabeth was right there for it all! I cannot imagine going through that whole experience without her there. My husband feels the exact same way. She also was so great with the doctors and nurses. She never overstepped but kindly had my back throughout the process. I do believe that should she not have been there, the hospital staff would have pushed me to do things that I didn't want, like a C-section. It took far more time to do a natural birth but with her support I was able to have my daughter vaginally like I very much wanted. If you are considering hiring Elizabeth as your doula, I would definitely do it! She made our pregnancy and birth feel so much safer and she really took care of us every step of the way.

Franciska was a match made in heaven! I am a single mom by choice. I hired Franciska to be part of…read moremy Post Partum Doula support team. She was so much more. Unfortunately, my labor/delivery Doula became unavailable and her backup was not around either. Franciska ended up picking me up from my home and taking me to the hospital as I was in active labor and I was alone (Due to unfortunate failures on the other doula's not affiliated with Fran). She stayed with me for a couple hours at the hospital while I was continuing to labor until a back up doula arrived. Her methods to sooth me during labor (without epidural) were very helpful. Franciska then returned a couple of days later on my day of discharge to take me and the baby home. She spent the next 8 weeks supporting us day and night. She set the bar so high that anybody else always fell short. My daughter and I adore Franciska. Her foods and snacks were delicious and it helped me significantly recover postpartum and while I was breast-feeding. She also paid very close attention to my health when my OB's dropped the ball on so many things. I ended up getting preeclampsia postpartum and if it wasn't for Franciska, I might've ended up hospitalized. Truly, owe my life to her! She is absolutely amazing!

Fran was an incredible source of support, knowledge, and care throughout my pregnancy and the birth…read moreof our son. My first pregnancy took place during COVID, so I didn't attend any classes or have a doula. For my second pregnancy, I knew I wanted a completely different experience--one where I felt informed, prepared, and supported. Fran exceeded all my expectations. She listened attentively to what would make me feel most comfortable and confident on delivery day, offering tailored guidance on preparatory exercises, essential information, and day-to-day tips for navigating the journey. Her expertise in birth preparation and support was invaluable, and her warm, compassionate approach made all the difference. I feel so fortunate to have had Fran by my side. I only wish I had worked with her during my first pregnancy! Any future pregnancies for myself or others would undoubtedly benefit from her outstanding doula services. I cannot recommend Fran highly enough.