: Not a nice person. Be sure to check her return policies for any items you consider purchasing as the belly binder a is ripped up sheet (muslin) that you can purchase at your local Joann's . This is the video I was given for the technique. I can't include it due to Yelp rules, but it is a regular person's YouTube account, not even one of the doulas or Maura. Search Bengkung Belly Binding on YouTube and a ton of videos will come up. The binder did not help me feel held in. I asked for a refund and was told the price was mainly for the doula coming to my house--which was unnecessary because the YouTube video was the guide. After continued times trying to reach a reasonable resolution, Maura told me that I was harassing her. (What the heck weirdo woman?) What doula worth anything speaks to a mom of a 2 week old that way. Beware!!!!!!!!! This doula is unstable and no new mom needs that. Get a Bellefit binder. It helps without dealing with a psycho doula. read more

Maura was a joy to work with before, during, and after the birth of my little one. She obviously approaches her work with a great deal of professionalism that isn't always present in the birthing world. For example, her email communication is clear and prompt, she is obviously very well organized, and she gave me sweet little new-mama-related gifts at our first meeting, as well as after Baby's birth. But all that is not reason enough to hire a doula, right? When I first met Maura, I must confess I was a bit dismayed by her youth. Although I knew she had lots of experience supporting births and more medical training than most doulas, there was a part of me that wanted an older presence on my birth team. Well, thankfully the rational part of me won out over this other, ageist part, because Maura was wonderful and everything we (my husband and I) could have wanted. And I'm sure she's probably not quite as young as she seemed that first day ;) My labor and birth were pretty quick, uncomplicated, and relatively painless. I don't think I actually noticed Maura much during the process. However, when I watched the video of my baby's birth (which Maura was happy to film and photograph for us), I noticed Maura was the one who'd pick up on how I was feeling and cheer me on when I seemed to need it, and my husband and mom (who I wanted hands-on with me) would follow her lead. She just seemed to have this way of fitting in and being exactly what we needed her to be at the time, even though we ourselves didn't know what that was. After Baby's birth, she provided encouraging support and a postpartum visit to see that all was going well for our family. She was pretty awesome answering my questions via text, about all things from newborn poop to homeopathic remedies. I know that she will soon begin to study midwifery, but if you find her still offering doula services, I would highly recommend adding her to your list of doulas to consider. read more

Thank goodness for Maura and Placenta Encapsulation! I was trying for a VBAC and it didn't work out. Maura came to the hospital, picked up my placenta, encapsulated it, and dropped it back off at the hospital before I was discharged. I was able to start taking the pills right away! She was extremely professional and packaging was eco-friendly and adorable. I am prone to postpartum depression/anxiety and having these helped tremendously! I still have blues, but notice a BIG difference in mood, milk production, and healing from the cesarean. She went above and beyond her contract. Answered questions I had on birth, hospital procedures, and even listened to my birth story like a friend would. I can't recommend Maura more highly! :-) read more

We just had our baby boy and could not have done it without our amazing doulas - Simone and Kate! Simone was there for our labor and birth and absolutely vital, amazingly encouraging, massaging me during labor, everything you can think of needing! She knew how to handle every situation when my husband and I didn't or were overwhelmed or new to. I think a doula is a must have for anyone! I had so many questions leading up to the birth even after reading books and blogs and the doulas were there for me at any time, to answer specific questions and calm my fears after confusing OBGYN appts. I also looked into a few different companies and highly recommend Chicago Birth and Baby!! read more

I chose Maura to be my Doula for my first birth. I interviewed a handful of candidates and ended up choosing Maura because of her calm demeanor and because she provided advice based on evidenced based birthing and care. Also, while she does her best to support her clients with a natural, intervention free birth, she also has a scientific background and is able to understand the medical details, which I appreciated. I also respected that she is currently doing further studies to keep her knowledge up to date. I also chose Maura because I liked that I was able to get other birth support - such as birthing photography, placenta encapsulation and belly binding with Maura - it is nice to have the same person do everything so that you know it is taken care of. Besides choosing Maura for her fit with my style, and her experience, I also really valued the fact that she was SUPER organized and very responsive. I am one that appreciates a quick response time from the people I work with and Maura always responded in a very reasonable time frame. It was always easy to schedule appointments with her and she always came on time or early. Finally, while it is not the best case scenario, I liked that Maura had a dedicated backup doula partner. Maura was extremely supportive during the pre-natal appointments, during the birth, and post natal as well. While, my actual birth was not my ideal, I ended up with a great experience that I look back at and was glad that I chose the team that I had to work with - which of course Maura was a key member of. I also have beautiful photos that I can keep with me forever which I love, love, love and am so glad that I decided to take these photos with Maura. Assuming all goes as planned and I have a second child, I surely will hire Maura again for her support and birth services and I highly recommend others to consider working with her. read more

I interviewed Chicago Birth & Baby for postpartum support and had the opportunity to meet Cait, its Owner, and another doula on their team, Amy. Both made it very easy for me to open up and share my perspectives and anxieties which meant a lot. I truly appreciated how quickly I could relate to both women. Although I did not end up hiring the company, I would quickly recommend them. It's obvious they love this work and that their team works well together to make it easier on new or second-time-around parents. read more

We loved working with The Chicago Doulas! Dana attended the birth of our daughter this last fall. She was so helpful during a three day birthing process that ended in an unplanned c-section. We felt well supported even before we went to the hospital. She was readily available by phone and text for advice. Dana had a great intuition for identifying what we needed every step of the way. She worked hard to help get the baby in position, support me, and make sure my husband got some rest. She was very encouraging and knowledgeable. She helped walk us through the process of deciding to have the c-section performed with incredible empathy free from any judgement. When just a few weeks before my due date a family emergency came up for Dana, Maura made sure we had a back up doula. That doula connected with us and made sure we felt comfortable in case Dana was not back by the time our baby came. They are a bit on the higher end price wise, but I felt my dollars were well spent. I also appreciated that they were very clear about each charge and what services were included. read more

I used the Chicago Doulas for placenta encapsulation after the birth of my first child. They were SO easy to work with! They dropped off everything I would need to take my placenta home from the hospital with me (minus the ice) to my condo building...it was so convenient! Then after packing it all up, my husband was able to communicate directly with them (via text) and they came back to our condo building to pick it all up and then dropped the pills back off to us within 3 days! I couldn't have asked for this process to be any easier. I also feel like I had so much energy with taking the pills. I highly recommend any new mom doing this! read more

So glad I found Maura. Before the birth I purchased the Boobie Balm and the Postpartum Herbs. The herbs I used to make padsicles for postpartum use. They were perfect for this. The balm I use all the time, it smells divine! I also used her for placenta encapsulation. She was super helpful when I wasn't sure whether I should get raw or TCM. She was very professional, and so fast. We opted to leave the hospital after just one day and she had everything ready for us to pick up on the way home! Love that she includes a keepsake from your placenta for no additional charge. I also opted to get the placenta salve and tincture but haven't used them yet. She followed up within a couple days after I got home to see if I had any questions. Highly recommend and look forward to using her services again if we have another child. read more

I recently used Maura for placenta encapsulation. Booking through her website couldn't have been any easier. Following baby's arrival, Maura was quick to pickup the placenta from the hospital and returned the following evening to the hospital with pills in hand. She was super helpful in answering any questions we had. This baby is my second. I did not do placenta encapsulation with my first, and experienced some serious baby blues, anxiety and milk production issues. With this baby, I have been taking the pills as directed, and am feeling so much better this time around. I would definitely recommend Maura for anyone considering this service. read more

I am so thankful to The Chicago Doulas. Without them, I'm not sure I would have had the birth experience I so wanted. Not only did I have a wonderful doula in Kelsey, but Maura also generously gave me much needed advice and answered many of my questions when I needed help choosing where to give birth. Kelsey and Maura possess so much knowledge on all things pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and beyond, and I felt so fortunate to have found them - and still feel comforted knowing that I can contact them with questions anytime. Kelsey has become a good friend, and I often call her with questions about baby care. As soon as my husband and I met Kelsey we knew she was the right person for us. There was an immediate connection, and she made us feel calm and safe. She stayed with us for at least an hour after the baby was born to make sure we were all ok, and stayed at my side throughout the labor. I could not imagine giving birth in a birth center or hospital without a doula, and I'm certain all the doulas working with The Chicago Doulas are excellent. We also did Placenta Encapsulation and Belly Binding. Maura collected the placenta soon after the baby was born and brought the capsules to our home a couple of days later. She not only showed me how to do the Belly Binding but stayed a while to chat, making sure the baby and I were doing well. She also told me to email her with any questions or concerns. I cannot speak highly enough of this wonderful doula agency, and I'll always be grateful to Maura for introducing me to the fantastic midwifery practice that gave me everything I was looking for in my pregnancy and birth, and to Kelsey for not only making that day more special, but whose love and support helped provide much needed peace and security. These ladies are generous with their time, knowledge and hearts and what could be more essential than supporting families and babies receive a great start? They deserve all the success in the world. read more

We used Maura for my placenta encapsulation. She was great!! I already had a doula I had hired but really wished I could've had Maura instead. Next time I will be only contacting her!! She was so sweet, helpful and professional. She came to the hospital the day I had my son to pick up my placenta and brought my pills back the next day. She stayed and talked to us a bit and really was knowledgeable about every question I asked her. I also loved the surprise keepsake from the placenta she gives you, so cute and thoughtful! I already recommended her to my sister-in-law if she wants to go that route. read more

We worked with Maura for encapsulation services. Every aspect went perfectly and we were very happy. Maura is very kind and professional and I found her to anticipate my needs before I was even aware of them. (! Awesome!) She checked up on me for postpartum wellness and later made herself available for help on breastfeeding. She is wonderful and I am lucky to have found her. I highly recommend her as a very valuable part of your birth team or just for placenta encapsulation. read more

I couldn't be more pleased with Maura and her placenta encapsulation services. Her process is very thorough, you can find all the details and options available for encapsulation on her website. The various options is why I went with her over others. She came to the hospital and took care of everything and dropped off my pills in a timely manner. She will answer any questions you have via text, email, or phone. I would highly recommend her to anyone interested or curious about placenta encapsulation. read more

I used Maura for my placenta encapsulation, and she made the process extremely easy. She was very responsive to any questions I had prior to the encapsulation. After the delivery of our baby girl, I was exhausted and recovery was rough, but Maura came by the hospital that same day and picked up the placenta. The following day, she returned with the capsules. It was great not having to worry or do anything on our end, which is especially helpful with a newborn. I was also impressed with her quick turnaround. I would definitely recommend her. read more

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with Chicago Birth & Baby. I used their services for postpartum support after the birth of our first child, and I can't imagine what it would have been like without them. My doulas, Kate, Cait, and Simone, were all incredible. We used a lot of our hours for overnight support, which was tremendously helpful; my physical recovery was really quick, and I believe this is due in no small part to the fact that I was able to get a good night's sleep several nights a week. The best part for me, as a new mom (other than good sleep), was having these knowledgeable women as a resource. They have so many tips on how to handle various situations, and they assured me that the issues I was experiencing were normal. They also all genuinely cared about my baby and me - it was wonderful to feel so taken care of by them. I truly can't recommend them enough! read more

A year late, but better late than never. Maura was a pleasure to work with and always very informative. She was our doula, and we consulted her about many aspects of our birth experience from before and after the birth that went above and beyond just labor support. She always answered our questions thoroughly and would often send us resources after our meetings for us to read through. I wanted a natural childbirth with no intervention unless there was a medical emergency. I would definitely recommend Maura if that is what you are looking for and even if you aren't. She is just a great resource through and through. She also did belly binding for me postpartum, which definitely really helped with making everything feel more "held together" after birth and my mom was amazed at how much my belly shrank after just the first week of binding. Oh and my son was born naturally ! It was actually a super short labor and delivery - so short, she had to meet us at the hospital instead of at home - everything was worth it. read more

Dana helped with the birth of my daughter last May. We had originally planned to work with another doula, but she had an offer for her dream job come up 2 weeks before my due date. Needless to say, I was heartbroken to see her go. The Chicago Doulas partnered me with Dana and made the transition very easy. Dana was so amazing. I was hoping to have an unmedicated and intervention free birth at Prentice and Dana helped me make that happen. I went to the hospital too early in labor and Dana helped me feel comfortable to make the decision to go back home and labor longer. I know I could have had baby without her, but it would have been a very different experience. The amount of support and comfort she provided for me,and for my husband, truly made my birth experience amazing. read more

Cait and Amy were with me for six weeks as my postpartum doulas. I had to return to work (from home) after only three weeks off and they took such good care of me during that stressful transition back to work. They stocked my freezer with meals they cooked, took care of my daughter so I could take a shower or work, and answered my random questions (like how best to wear a ring sling). I cannot recommend this group enough. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Chicago Birth and Baby. They were like "moms" to me throughout the whole pregnancy, labor, and post-partum process. They were always in constant communication with me and literally taught me everything I needed to know about motherhood, as my own mother was not around. I will 100% be using these ladies again! read more

I can't believe how easy it was working with Maura. When I first set out to get my placenta encapsulated (I was hell-bent on avoiding post-partum depression and anxiety) the first two doulas I found insisted on doing the dehydration and encapsulation process at my house. No offense to placentas, but I just wanted someone to "take care of it." That's exactly what Maura did. She not only drove an hour through a snow storm to retrieve it the day I delivered, but she came back the next day and dropped off two squeaky clean bottles of pills that provided instant relief from my super rage-y hormones. She checked in on me a week or so later to see how I was doing and give me a heads up that the most hormonal days were coming up, but that I was almost out of the peak period. She's extremely passionate about her work and very professional. My only regret is that I didn't hire her to be my doula. Next time around when I attempt a VBAC, I'll definitely be calling her. read more

I was going to a weekly support group starting in my second trimester to meet other moms in my neighborhood. I have a few friends who used doulas so I decided to learn more/ask questions about how a doula can assist with a birth during these meetings. Since my husband and I are not from Chicago and have no family nearby, I wanted the help of a doula to give me some peace of mind up until and during delivery, which can be really hectic. Doctors and nurses can be too busy to talk you and your spouse may be helpless to know how to help you. Anyway, I was paired with doulas Kate & Amanda (they have a pairing model in case one is called to duty for another laboring mama, which makes sense). Amanda was my on-the-day doula and she has the perfect supportive presence. Even though I ended up getting the epidural, my husband and I leaned on her heavily in my 35-hour labor, which ended with 3 hours of pushing !!! I felt guilty calling her to give her repeated updates but she never complained, not even once. Lastly, I liked that there was no judgment. There is no "wrong way" to bring a baby into the world, epidural or not, and I felt really supported and cared for by Amanda. I would recommend The Chicago Doulas to anyone. My little baby is now 3 months old and even though everyone says you forget what labor feels like, I certainly still haven't and can remember everything, including Amanda's attentiveness to our family's needs. read more

Great experience working with Maura and having my placenta encapsulated. She was very easy and super sweet to work with and I felt comfortable with her from the very beginning. I highly recommend using her for placenta encapsulation, I have been able to tell a huge difference since I started taking them and I would recommend Maura to any of my friends or family who are considering using a doula or encapsulation or any of the other services she offers! read more

Maura was our very supportive doula 3 years ago and I have since called upon her help and advice with breastfeeding, resources, and placenta encapsulation (which has helped all my post partum emotional roller coasters, and even just the stress of raising children! Anytime I feel not myself, placenta pills help balance me out). I highly recommend Maura and her services. read more

Good customer service and very attentive Doulas on staff!

I worked with Maura for her placenta encapsulation services. She is very nice and professional to work with. She was very quick to respond to any of my questions or concerns. She clearly explains how to have your placenta handled while at the hospital, so there isn't any confusion. She picked up my placenta the day I gave birth and delivered the capsules to my house the day I was discharged. I was very happy with how quick she was. She also checks in with you after a week or so to see how you're feeling. I will definitely use her services again in the future. read more

I used Maura for my placenta encapsulation. She was always quick to communicate and thoroughly explained the process, which for a new mom, was important to me. The day of the birth she remained in contact with my husband and gave him clear instructions about the meet times, etc. making the process a breeze. While this is my first child I really have nothing to compare it to but I can say that with taking the placenta pills I feel like a million bucks. Really, I wouldn't do it any other way going forward. Maura was extremely helpful and I am so happy I found her! read more

Maura was a terrific Doula. I cannot say enough good things about her. This review, however, is for her other services. I used Maura for placenta encapsulation and belly binding. She took our placenta home after our birth and delivered the pills to our house an hour after we arrived home 2 days later. She did the belly bind and answered any questions I had at that time. The belly bind was pretty easy to master- my husband did it for me every day, although I could have done it myself (he is much stronger). The placenta capsules helped get my hormones and mood regulated. I lost quite a bit of blood during labor, and I was worried I would have a tough time once I got home. I truly believe the capsules helped me. I had no issues with milk supply. On days that I feel I am low in milk or lack energy (I'm 7 weeks postpartum), I take an extra capsule. Maura is very knowledgeable. Don't let her age and youthful appearance fool you- she is amazing! read more

My partner and I hired Maura to be our doula at the birth of our first child. We were impressed right away by her professionalism, knowledge, and warm manner. Throughout this process - from the prenatal consults through the postpartum visit - Maura's compassionate care was indispensable. She was available by phone or email whenever we had a question, always guiding us to information that would help us make our own decision rather than pushing us in a certain direction. Her calm presence (and knowledge!) was extremely helpful during labor! We also hired her to take photographs during our labor & birth - they turned out beautifully and really capture the work, the fatigue, and the joy of that time. I would also recommend her belly binding service - it really kept my back and core supported during those first 4-6wks postpartum. We had such a great experience with Maura that we'd hire her again in a heartbeat. Can't recommend her highly enough! read more

If you're thinking about getting a doula, DO IT. As we said to our doula after, we could have done it without her, but we are SO GLAD we didn't have to. Maura and her team are professional, communicative and make the process simple and non stressful, especially for people like me who at first have no idea what a doula actually does. No one made us feel stupid for asking a bunch of questions. On the contrary, Maura has a process in place to make sure you mesh well with the doula you end up with. My friend had Maura as her doula and raved about her, but Maura was no longer a doula herself, so we ended up with Kate. We are so grateful that we were able to work with her. We took the Bradley Method class and thought, oh none of that scary stuff will happen to us, we will have a "natural" childbirth without interventions and everything will be fine. Well, every scary thing happened to us. I went in for an induction two weeks past my due date, had a crazy strong reaction to the Cervidil, which they then had to take out (not a comfy experience), the baby's heart rate kept dropping, they had to put a monitor directly on his head, I almost had to have an emergency C section, and basically skipped early and active labor and had these incredibly long, hard contractions all night and ended up having to have an epidural the next morning to stop pushing and because they needed to try to calm down the contractions, and then they had to reach in and rotate the baby's head and then vacuum him out. The point being, we thought it would be routine, and had expected that Kate would come in at 9 am the next morning or so, but my husband ended up texting her at 3 am in the middle of the chaos saying "please come." She was there very quickly and immediately got to work showing my husband what pressure to apply on my back and taking turns with him, reassuring us, explaining anything that needed explaining, and generally being a cheerleader but in her subtle, nonintrusive way. I don't know what we would have done without her. It was an incredibly scary night, particularly for my husband because he wasn't distracted by the pain and was coherent enough to be scared, so having Kate there was amazing so that he had someone in his corner when it was rough going, when he worried if the baby would be okay, or when they had to leave the room for the epidural. Now Kate is involved in our lives as our postpartum doula, and it has been invaluable having someone we trust here to help out. I can't say enough what a positive experience this has been for us. Kate is amazing, and I would recommend Maura's agency in a heartbeat. read more

I had Maura do the placenta encapsulation for me when I had my baby in June of 2014. I was worried that this would be an extra hassle along with all the chaos of having a baby, but had heard about all the benefits and went ahead and booked it. My husband text Maura right before I delivered and easily set up the pick up of the placenta from our hospital (Rush) a few hours later. She came to the hospital the next day and delivered the finished capsules. It was very painless and worth it! I went with the Chinese method. I am a little over a month postpartum and have felt like this has really helped stabilize my hormones, as I can be a moody person, and have felt very content since delivering (overwhelmed on a few occasions but never depressed). I also am producing a lot of breast milk!! The pediatrician has been very impressed with my sons rapid weight gain! I would highly recommend Maura and the encapsulation! read more

On the big day, Kate was my doula. My water broke 5 weeks early, but this was no problem for the Chicago Doulas. Kate was on call that night and was very responsive. She swiftly arrived when it was time - it was probably like 5AM at that point. Kate had a calm manner throughout my labor. There were times when my body's intuition was getting me through labor, and Kate made sure I was OK and let me be, but when she saw I might need assistance, she was there to offer a massage, new position, or even just a cold compress (which was very useful and something I would have never thought to ask for). She offered encouragement throughout and after labor, and made me feel like I was doing a great job. She also helped my husband when he had questions or wasn't sure what to do. I'm also really glad she thought to take photos with our camera because my husband and I were preoccupied with our newborn. Kate was a great support for us. read more

I recently had my third baby in January. I had some medical complications after birth and was in desperate need of sleep to recover. We were referred to Chicago Doulas by my chiropractor. We were paired with Amy O. I was very nervous to hire someone we didn't know to take care of our newborn son. However Amy immediately put us at ease upon her arrival with her warm demeanor. She was very knowledgeable about nursing and infant development. Amy was a great resource for overall postpartum maternal health. Our son was comfortable with her and she was able to calm him to sleep throughout the night, even on his fussy days. Amy worked with my nursing schedule and the nights went very smooth. She took great care of our son and helped me with nursing issues so I was able to get the rest I needed. When Amy is here, we feel completely comfortable that our baby is in great hands. We would highly recommend her to all mothers looking for postpartum help! read more