The Doulas at Granite State Doulas, (specifically Amber and Maria in my case) have been extremely…read morehelpful. I am currently debating a second child after several surrogacies, during which Amber supported me, and they both have given me a confident listening. Neither has ever thought to sway my thoughts one way or the other, but have thoughtfully listened and helped me listen to my own mind. I have never before had the privilege of having a Doula attend my birth, as my intended parents were uncomfortable with more people being in the room. Despite not being able to officially employ their services, both Maria and Amber listened and have wonderful advice about having a peaceful medicated hospital birth. In short, I have no question that I will be using their suffices should I have another, the only question is, which wonderful woman?!?!

It's best if I start at the beginning…read more We first contacted Amber Barrett of Granite State Doulas, which operates out of the Wild Woman Wellness Center, via doulamatch.net this last summer concerning our baby boy, whose birth date should have been October 22nd. Our li'l one couldn't wait and was born 9/23/2015. He was just 5 lbs 4 oz, so small he could curl up in my hands. He's wonderful. Truly. Our experience with Amber, however, was anything but. While we didn't exactly start off on the right foot (she forgot about our initial scheduled appointment and never showed up), we hired her anyway given that mistakes happen. We were afforded one consult prior to the birth. Sadly, Amber did not bring us any of the promised pregnancy literature: the "Awesome Birth" workbook, an emotional signpost handout, comfort techniques cheat sheet. This was our first baby; it's why we hired a doula. At 2:44 a.m. on September 23rd, my wife's water broke and we contacted Amber to let her know. We were given the impression that she'd be available anytime--our pre-birth conversations suggested so--though it's clear now we were mistaken. At 8:20 a.m. we received a response and I called at 8:30 a.m. to give an update--water broken, in the hospital, 3 cm dilated, etc. Amber told me things would take a while and she should wait before coming in "otherwise we would just be hanging out." When I asked her how long it would take for her to get to our hospital she said one hour. Between noon and 2pm, I kept her updated, when my wife's dilation increased, how she was doing pain-wise. All along, I expected Amber to tell me when it made sense for her to come. We hired a Doula with the expectation that she'd guide us through a potentially scary situation, not the other way around. At 4:07 pm I insisted she come; my wife's natural birth was taking a toll. 2 1/2 hours later Amber arrived, only 6 minutes before our son was born, which our doctors confirmed, and then she hung back, out of sight. Immediately following the birth she apologized profusely--she'd gotten lost, she said, google maps was being weird, traffic--and she offered great postpartum care in lieu of doula services not given. But considering our experience, we couldn't exactly trust she'd follow through. How could we? We declined. We stayed with our beautiful boy that week he recovered in the NICU, and not once did she check in. Not even an email to say hello, I hope you're doing well. A text. Nothing. She still hasn't contacted my wife. September 26th, I emailed Amber regarding a partial refund (minus retainer, i.e., half of what we paid), which appears to be spelled out in her contract under "Failure to Provide Services" or "Any Other Circumstances." Despite our experience, she responded that she didn't see how she could've done anything differently. No refund. She pointed to a cause in the contract citing either "quick labor," defined as birth under two hours, or "that we call too late," less than two hours before the birth, "a refund will not be provided." When I wrote 1) that our labor began at 2:44 a.m. and he was born at 6:36 p.m., not "quick," and 2) that she arrived about 2 1/2 hours after my call, despite claiming to be an hour away, she said she remembers things differently. One particularly sleepless night, we were watching our baby through the glass of the NICU and my wife broke down. She said, "I feel like she swindled us." I lost it. She was right. In center of what should've been a beautiful experience, we'd thrown away money we could've used to help our struggling child. Rather than providing security, Amber added anxiety and financial strain. I was so frustrated that I contacted the owner doulamatch.net, and she suggested the following actions: contact the doula's certifying organization and file a grievance; if the doula holds a business license, file a grievance with the city or state's Better Business Bureau where the doula holds her license; post a testimonial of your experience with this doula on her profile. She also said, "Doulas should err on the side of a new family's emotional experience and do what is right and fair by everyone involved." It's worth noting that Amber's Doulamatch.net profile has since disappeared so we can't review her. After much trying, Amber finally promised a refund in mid-October. When it didn't arrive, I emailed, and again she promised something in November. And then in December. Then in early January. Late January, we received less than half of a partial refund, $150, as opposed to the $400 her contract spells out. She stated that this was for the billable hours of post-partum doula care we didn't take (how could we?) in reparation for missing the birth. We are leaving a negative review because we would hate for other couples to have a similar experience. Your child is too important so spend your resources carefully.

I took the "birth doula 3 day course " this weekend and at first I admit I was scared because I…read moreassume this class should be taking in person vs virtual however after three days working and receiving information and being taught by Tara and Lorie. I left this class tonight feeling , confident and prepare to take the next step to becoming certified! so thank you both for making this class , fun yet informing us with so much!

Highly recommend Birthing Gently! I used them for my first pregnancy and delivery at Brigham and…read moreWomen's and could not have done it with out Mary! Tara was great to work with and had me virtually meet as many doulas as I needed to in order to find a match. Once I chose Mary she brought so much peace of mind to my pregnancy and was a constant presence throughout the pregnancy and labor and delivery experience. Plan to use them again for baby #2!

I had an amazing homebirth experience with Jessica and her team. I wish I had used her for my first…read morebirth. If you are considering a homebirth, I would highly recommend Jessica as apart of your story. She is compassionate, respectful, knowledgeable and professional. She is extremely clean and COVID-19 safe.

I am receiving my prenatal care with Jessica Mills, APRN, CNM, and planning my home birth through…read morecall the midwife. Really love the hospitality and knowledge they carry. It is relieving to know they work with insurances. I'm excited to plan my water birth in the comfort of our home, with my husband and 4 year old and looking forward to see the outcome with baby number two. Obviously, we can't predict if there will be emergencies or not, but having the support of the midwives keeps the anxiety levels down! Jessica is very easy to connect and bond with and always has an educated response to my questions. Wish I found her four years ago!

I cannot speak highly enough of Nightingales. I called to schedule an urgent appointment for a…read morenight nurse for my then 4 month old. Kristin was so understanding and scheduled my sessions with Karina. I'm not a very religious person by Karina was my angel. She helped my son go from waking 6+ times a night to only 2! Fast forward to my son being 12 months old, I was so impressed with Karina that I asked if she could sleep train my son (honestly thought that was going to be impossible). My son was sleeping through the night within 5 days.. 5 days can you believe it! I owe everything to Karina and Kristin. Not only did they help me in a time of need, Karina has become a confidant (something I really need being a first time mom). She has even given me advice about transitioning from the crib to toddler bed. If you are considering a night nurse or even sleep training, I cannot recommend Nightingales enough. You will not be disappointed!!

We loved working with Nightingale over the past 8 weeks. We never felt like newborn parent zombies…read moreand our baby is now sleeping 8 hour stretches in a night. The folks at Nightingale were extremely organized and professional. And the newborn essentials guide has been really helpful over the last few weeks. The true star has been our nightingale, Trisha. She was extremely caring of our baby AND of me (e.g. she regularly showed up with baked goods like lactation cookies). Moreover, she was very accommodating and professional, which helped us to trust our baby and our home to her. Seriously, Trisha is the best.

I recently was provided care by Jen Ross of Lionheart midwifery. After trying to go the local…read morewomen's health practice and plan on hospital birth, I realized I couldn't go that route any further in my pregnancy. The care that I was recieving was impersonal. With different midwives every visit I felt like I was a folder not a person. I was scared of what would happen during labor in a hospital full of people I had never even met, how would I be treated then? I decided to look for a midwife and see if it was an option for me. I quickly found Jen Ross of Lionheart Midwifery and setup the consultation. I knew from the first appointment that it was a better option for me so we moved forward with no pressure from her. Our prenatal appointments were very thorough, she was very knowledgeable and offered me options. Jen was organized and professional yet personable and easy to talk to. The delivery went very smoothly, it was a completely natural process that I can reflect on with a smile. I was also extremely impressed with the aftercare we received. She was easy to reach by text with any questions and her visits at home put me at ease and made the whole experience magical. I can't recommend Jen Ross from Lionheart Midwifery enough. It's easy to tell she has a true passion for what she does!

From the owner: Lionheart midwifery is a home-birth midwifery practice, which means I come to you for all your…read moreneeds in the child-bearing years! I provide pre-conception counseling, home IUI / ICI with fresh or frozen sperm, full scope prenatal care, labor/birth support in your home, postpartum & lactation care for you and newborn care for your baby. I also provide well-person care including pap smears, breast/chest exams and contraceptive counseling. Other services: in-hospital Doula services, placenta encapsulation, birth tub rental and lactation care breast/chest feeding support. I practice based on the "The Midwifery Model of Care" which focuses on the holistic, family-centered ways parents can prepare for this time of life. Midwives acknowledge that the process of bringing a baby into the world is not just a physiological process; it happens within a social, emotional, and spiritual context. The Midwifery Model of Care focuses on preventive care, promoting health and shared decision-making.

Nicole is amazing! Her placenta encapsulation services were incredibly professional and very…read moreresponsive. Her post-partum doula services have been tremendously supportive to me and my new baby. She has been integral to the well-being of our family!

I highly recommend Nicole if you're interested in placenta encapsulation. The whole process was a…read morepleasant one. She was kind, professional, easy to contact & quick to repond. I received the product in a timely manner & it was inexpensive. I'm very happy with her services!

Ellie is an absolute gem. My husband and I first worked with her as a sleep consultant during a…read morebrutal 18 month sleep regression for our daughter. Both empathetic and whip-smart, Ellie helped identify specific actions we could take to get sleep back on track. It was so reassuring to make a plan with her and to have real time follow up so that we could course correct and adjust as needed. When we encountered some challenges with the 2 to 1 nap transition, Ellie was the only person we wanted help from and once again she was exactly the resource we needed. We also felt SO supported by Ellie as a birth and postpartum doula for our second child. Using zoom, email, text, and phone, Ellie was like an expert big sister in the weeks leading up to the birth, as well as in the beginnings of labor, and most especially in the early postpartum period. The birth escalated so quickly that there wasn't time for zoom support, but honestly the postpartum support alone was invaluable (and thank goodness for Ellie's nudge via phone for us to hightail it to the hospital-- our son was almost born in the car). Her expertise in sleep and lactation along with being a thoughtful and experienced mom of three... I truly can't speak highly enough. We will forever be grateful to Ellie for helping us grow into happier, stronger parents, and she will forever be our go-to for all questions parenting / birth / sleep!

Working with Ellie was a wonderful experience. I am so grateful that she was our doula for my…read morefirst birth as there are so many questions and unknowns. Ellie helped us navigate all of this and made me feel incredibly supported.

Hilary and her team were all top notch, and I would recommend them most highly to any newborn…read moreparent. We worked with Molly S for postpartum doula help. Molly was an invaluable support both emotionally and with practical help during a difficult time. It was like having a wiser, older sister help out and counsel a few times a week. She is kind, knowledgeable, and brings a lot of mom wisdom from parenting her own three kids. The back office structure and onboarding and contracting process were all fast and efficient. Highly recommend.

I truly do not have enough words to express my sincere gratitude and praise for Hilary and her…read moreteam. I sent Hilary a message at 2am after months of sleepless nights and she promptly replied the next day and set up a call for us to chat. She completely understood not only what I was going through and the help that my family and I needed but she has the kindest, most caring, loving and dedicated team who were willing to jump in at a moments notice to ensure that our baby boy got the love and care he needed so that the rest of us could get some much needed rest. If anyone is thinking about a night nurse or daytime doula, I would 1000% recommend Hilary and her team.

Darcy is such a warm and welcoming person. I first met her when I attended her prenatal yoga class,…read morewhich was great to get to know her and some other local pregnant mamas! My husband and I then took the Yoga for Birth class that she teaches and that was beyond helpful and really helped us feel ready, or as ready as possible, with techniques and poses to help during labor and birth. And then after my baby was born we went to the baby and mom yoga classes. She really creates a culture of open sharing and non judgment. She also encourages Moms to look to each other for support and resources so that you can start new relationships with moms going through the same thing as you are. Finally, I had Darcy come to my house for a lactation consultation and she was so helpful and again encouraging. I will definitely lean on Darcy again for my next pregnancy!

Dover Doula provided me with excellent breast-feeding support. Darcy is patient, knowledgeable, an…read moreexcellent listener and extremely helpful. I've been to other lactation consultants who pretty much take over the whole process and not let you do it yourself so when you get back home you still have no idea what you're doing. Darcy not only came to my home but she stood back, watched what I was doing first and then offered her advice and support in a very kind and reassuring manner. I highly recommend her!