Ashley hosted our private birth education course. Even though we had completed a birth course with…read moreour first baby, Ashley created a customized course to support us in the kind of birth we wanted the second time around. Her teaching style was warm and friendly, she made me feel so comfortable and empowered. Would highly recommend her.

I was fortunate to have Ashley as our Hypnobirthing instructor at the Birth Education Center and…read moreour birth doula for my first child (pre-COVID). My husband and I were on the fence about having a doula, but my friend who took the classes and had Ashley as a doula recommended I at least meet Ashley in person. During our hour-long chat at the coffee shop, I realized that the birth of my child would be one of the most important days of my life, and what we see on our TV and movies is FAR from how the birth experience really is. Ashley was so knowledgeable about all the hospitals/doctors/protocols, anatomy, just anything birth-related. This was helpful in having the awareness and expectation so that I could make my own decisions. I had to get induced at 38 weeks due to high blood pressure and other conditions and was basically freaking out. Ashley helped me through it and assured me that this was the right time and the right call for my situation. Her calm demeanor kept me calm. She was very hands-on and helped me throughout my labor (utilizing spinning babies technique and massage/hip squeezes), and my husband still talks about how helpful it was to have her there so that he could take a break and eat lunch! Ashley was an advocate for me during birth and I am so grateful, like when the nurse just decided to buttoned my gown up in the chest because that's more "modest" and Ashley, knowing the importance and benefits of skin-to-skin and my wishes, unbuttoned it when the nurse wasn't looking! Small things like this add up and actually mean a lot. I ended up having a beautiful and positive birth at the hospital (opted for epidural) and I have Ashley to thank for it. Ashley is one of my favorite people, and I cannot recommend her enough. She is a fairy godmother! As for the hypnobirthing...my first reaction was "I'm not a hippie," but after that meeting with Ashley, I realized it is a total misnomer, and Hypnobirthing is just relaxation methods AND birth education to help you feel confidant on the big day. I recommend taking these classes over the classes taught at hospitals which tend to be more clinical.

My husband and I recently had a baby born at the Bridge Birth Center via a surrogate and we have to…read moresay the team of midwives at the Bridge were terrific. They are highly skilled and knowledgeable, caring and compassionate. Shout out to Lynette and her team of midwives. It was a pleasure working with everyone. The facility itself is very sanitary and tidy, calming and peaceful - just what you would want during labor and when you're cuddling with your newborn after delivery. We would highly recommend the Bridge Birth Center!

Lanette is an amazing birth coach and midwife. She is thorough, educated, and respectful. I…read moreappreciated being educated and then given space to make my own informed decision. I'm so thankful for her and others on my birth team. I can't imagine what this process would have been like with out her!

We have been seeing Dr. Lara Martin for years now. She is awesome with our children and our medical…read moreneeds. She also has a new doctor at her office and he is great also. We saw him recently when Dr. Martin was out. Love the more naturopathic approach to medicine and options she has on hand. The new office she moved to is clean and bright. It has a beautiful mural painted by her family member. There's also another separate room next to the main waiting room that has kids toys and a tv for the little ones waiting to be seen. Heather, at the front desk, is so sweet and helpful. If you're looking for a naturopathic doctors office, I would highly recommend Dr. Martin and her staff!

Working with Kathy McLean was the best decision we could have made for the birth of our first…read morechild. She's an invaluable resource and provided wisdom, comfort, care, understanding, positivity, and enthusiasm as she guided us through pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and helping us answer postpartum questions. She was key in making a difficult labor and delivery (sunny-side up baby) actually joyful and peaceful. She was an MVP team player -- so much so, that our OB will keep Kathy's info at her office to continue referring to folks! A doula that can be bffs with a doctor is high praise :) We will always highly recommend Kathy to anyone we know! Thank you Kathy!

My wife and I had such a great experience with Rebecca! This review is long overdue as our baby is…read morenow a toddler. It was our first pregnancy so we didn't know what to expect. Rebeca helped my wife be at ease during the process and was a great resource of information. The moms groups that were run by The Birth Doulas was a nice setting for my wife, as she was able to make new friends and connect with others in a similar lifestage. If we were to enlist the support of a doula again, Rebecca would be our first call.

PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION? There is a huge controversery around this topic. Some based on religious…read morebeliefs, practicality and western beliefs vs ancient traditions. I can only share my personal experience. I had my first 4 children in the hospital with western doctors that induced each with pitossin. The babies were born in a very sterile environment that required me to be tied to monitoring machines and IV's. Then there's the always invasive and uncomfortable cervix checks every hour as well. After each birth the baby's cord was cut quickly and their entrance into the world for the first few minutes of life were filled with poking, prodding, bright lights etc when really all each of them and I just wanted to be in each other's space (the same space we shared for 9 months). My 2 of these 4 were 9 lbs and suffererd from yellow jaundice which I now realize could have been easily avoided by allowing the placenta to stay attached a few minutes longer after birth so baby receives much needed nutrients that are still pulsating through the umbilical cord after delivery. My recoveries were painful because I still had pitossin pumping through my body several weeks after and I was absolutely dealing with post partum depression and anemia after the loss off blood and hormones that went with delivery. All normal western stuff so far, yes? With the last 2 pregnancies I chose to go with more ancient and empowering ways of bringing my babies to the planet. Part of this centered around the placenta, the temple that houses our incredible little miracle until they choose to take our breaths away with their first breath. The concept was odd to me at first because I'd be eating something that came from my body and our child grew in but I rationalized it by saying "I'm not frying it up like a steak" and "we take supplements all the time that come from all kinds of strange things". I mean, most of the planet eats hot dogs and the flesh of other creatures, right? It made it easier to try for me because it was in a pill form and I am so grateful that I did it! My recovery was much faster (bleeding stopped in half the time ), my 9 1/2 lb baby didn't have colic or jaundice, my breast milk was richer, engorgement was minimal and I didn't suffer from post partum depression or anemia. When our next child came, there was no question that I would do it again. We are now pregnant again and I will absolutely be doing it again! You cannot get the same hormones to balance you in a synthetic from or a piece of fish as you can from your own body. I believe that this is beneficial for baby too because they continue to receive a boost of the same hormones while breast feeding as they did in utero. Thank you Tia for suggesting it and also preparing these for us! Amazing!!!

My husband and I went to Tia for our birthing classes. We received four one-on-one classes that…read morewere between 2-4 hours long each. Although she was a little difficult to get a hold of at first (probably because she works as a midwife also and they have crazy schedules) we were very pleased with the classes. I had been around a lot of babies and pregnancies so I didn't feel the need to take a class, but I am so glad my husband insisted! We both learned so much. Since we were the only ones in each session, she was able to answer our exact questions and talk more about areas that we wanted to, as opposed to needing to stick to a certain curriculum. She was great at making good use of the time and making sure she covered all the important areas. My husband loved that she showed us some funny video clip each time pertaining to what we were going to talk about that evening. I can definitely say that I used some of her tips in labor and it absolutely helped! I would highly recommend her.

When I found out that our insurance was going to cover 70% of doula coverage, we knew we wanted to…read morefind our doula through Doula Love and that was how we met our amazing doula, Patty. I can write a whole essay about how grateful I am for Patty and maybe it's the hormones but reflecting to the day I gave birth to my son and the support I received from Patty makes me want to cry. On the day of my induction, Patty was with another client who was also going through an induction as well (this is a super rare case). Even though I know she was 100% present with her other client, she constantly checked in with me and reminded me I can reach out to her at any point during my induction process if I have questions or need support. She also set up a backup doula for "just in case" if I needed it. I was already laboring for 14 hours when Patty arrived, and she brought so much energy to the room and got me up and moving so I can dilate more. Patty was super supportive of my plans to do a natural birth but when I told her I was too tired and really wanted to sleep, she was fully supportive of my decision to get the epidural. I had Patty in the room with me during the epidural process and she guided me through the whole process and kept me calm. Once I got the epidural, I was able to rest but the whole time, Patty would help position my body differently so I can continue to open. She was by my side the rest of the night as I contract so my husband can also rest. As labor progress, we were told my son's heart rate was dropping when I contract and the word "c-section" was mentioned since I was only at 6cm dilated. I never mentally prepared for this so of course I started to spiral but Patty advocated for me and requested to our OBGYN team to give me more time to see if I can dilate more. Patty continues to position me differently but, in the end, c-section was the only way to ensure my son's safety. We only had a short time from the time I said "yes" to C-Section to going into the OR and the whole time, Patty was next to me, reassuring me, reminding me that no matter what the outcome will be that I get to meet my son very soon. My husband and I are extremely grateful for Patty. We strongly believe our birth story wouldn't have been so positive if it wasn't for Patty's presence, support, and guidance.

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.

I could not have asked for a better doula! Our sessions before labor and delivery were thorough and…read moreinformative and really helped me feel prepared. Once labor began to kick in, Lori was there every step of the way with support, encouragement, coping strategies, and help through every minute of it.

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

My wife always wanted to have a homebirth. Our first three kids were in the hospital, and the…read moreexperience of each were just okay, or worse. Our fourth child was due in September 2020, and we wanted nothing to do with hospitals, and the whole COVID routine. We contacted two other midwife services, one wouldn't help us in Clatsop County, and the other refused after I made a joke about being apprehensive. However, Jamie and Whitney were caring from the first contact we made with them. We had the most beautiful birth experience, thanks to them. And, they figured out all the paperwork I needed to get my insurance (GEHA) to help cover most of the expenses. Harbor Midwifery is top-notch, and will be there for you along the way to make the very best experience for you and your family!!!!

From the owner: Home birth midwifery care through the childbearing year, postpartum support, nutritional…read morecounseling, and childbirth education.

We first heard about our Theresa from our friends who had a wonderful experience with her as their…read morebirth coach. Once my husband and I learned that we wouldn't know a head of time who are midwife would be for the delivery, we knew that having a birth coach would be the consistency that we wanted. We picked Theresa because of our friend's referral and because of her passion and knowledge of natural births. I really enjoyed our prenatal meetings with Theresa because she made it a point to get to know us on a personal level and she was a helpful resource for everything pregnancy and delivery related. Once I was in active labor at the hospital, it was very reassuring to know that Theresa was there to take care of the little things, like making sure my husband was taken care of and that our midwife and nurses knew what our birth plan was. Theresa did a great job of anticipating my needs and suggesting ways for me to get/stay comfortable. After our son was born, I needed some work done and having Theresa there was a huge asset. She got my husband started on skin-to-skin time with our son and she held my hand and comforted me while the doctors did their thing. I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy having Theresa taking photos during the labor and delivery but after the fact, I am so glad she did! It was nice to look back and see all of the moments she captured that we had forgotten about because there was so much going on. I loved the slide show that she made for us and used that to share our son's birth story with our loved ones. I really appreciate the help and support that we received from Theresa and I recommend her as a birth coach to all expecting parents! Kristin

From the owner: Professional Birth Coaching + Photography Servicesread more