Normally, I am a planner by nature, but when it came to getting a doula, I didn't get one until the last minute. There were a number of reasons for this, but most are simply due to a lack of actual research. For example, I didn't think doulas would assist you if you wanted a hospital birth with pain medications, which I did. I know my own limitations, and that a totally 'natural' birth might be beyond my scope; I wanted to leave medication options open to me. Call it serendipity, Kirstyn actually found me through a Facebook group that we were both in. I posted a question about my doctor wanting to induce my labor, which I was against. Everyone that replied to that post was saying "you need a doula" and posted a lot of Doula referrals. Of the referrals, Kirstyn was the one who reached out to me personally, so we set up a time to meet. Next, I Googled "Questions to ask when hiring a doula" because I was starting from scratch and was already about 38 weeks pregnant... I was very short on time! I felt Kirstyn was informed and able to answer all of these questions and concerns my husband and I had with calm confidence; I felt supported and reassured by her. We had a couple more personal meetings before I delivered. She met my husband and mother, both of whom would also be in the delivery room; we were all going to be a Team and it felt important to me that we all get a sense of each other before the birth and Kirstyn expressed the same. Kirstyn was well connected with resources! When I was overdue and my doctor was threatening an induction, Kirstyn was able to set up an 'induction massage'. This, by the way, started my labor an hour later and I delivered my healthy baby girl in the middle of that same night ... no induction needed! I sincerely believe without Kirstyn, this would not have happened. It meant the world to me! Kirstyn met us at the hospital instead of at my house as we had originally planned because my contractions got very close together quickly. She was by my side with tools and ideas for my entire labor. As soon as we were in the hospital room it became immediately clear that Kirstyn "was in her element!" She has vast knowledge of procedures, timing, machinery, tools and methodology; she was able to explain anything and everything we didn't either understand or questioned. She interacted with me, my husband and my mother based on our individual personalities and strengths helping create a seamless support to me during my birth. I felt peace knowing that she was there and I know what a support she was for my husband and mother as well. She was an absolute treasure to find and she will always have a special place in my heart. I also had her encapsulate my placenta. This was a concept I learned about through Kirstyn (just one of many extra talents she has!) I highly recommend this to every new mother! I never had the baby blues and feel like the placenta encapsulation is the reason why. read more

I've waited three weeks to write this review because I want it to be perfect and to speak to you from my heart. I have to admit I'm typing this on my phone with one hand while cradling my three week old with my other hand. I apologize for any errors in advance. My husband sought out a doula for us and came across Holistic Birth and Beginnings via reviews on Yelp. He wanted a doula for his own comfort and to make sure we were covered as first time parents. Although she did not have many reviews, the ones she had were quality and so he booked a meeting with her. We met and went over what services she provided, past experiences, our birth preferences and she answered a million questions. We left our deposit with her that day, knowing in our hearts we made a good choice. Throughout our pregnancy, she checked in with us periodically to ask about dr visits, answered questions and overall provided continuous advice as to what we could be doing then to make our birth experience what we intended. When time got closer, my dr began discussing a possible induction. Kirstyn knew that if we were to be induced, we likely would have other interventions that we did not want. She scheduled a meeting with us to go over options, techniques for getting birth started naturally and things Hubby could do to assist. On a Thursday night, I began to feel contractions. They stopped Friday and picked back up Saturday. By Saturday night I thought we were really going somewhere. I called Kirstyn and she was at our house within a half hour. She knew the contractions weren't close enough together and convinced me to try to get some rest. She returned Sunday morning and after deliberation, we decided to head to the hospital. I still wasn't contracting close enough (8mins apart) so they sent me home. Kirstyn told me a few things to try to do (bath, exercises, etc) and we split up for a few hours. In that time, I started telling my husband to throw the birth plan out the window and that I wanted all the medication in the world. They both knew that wasn't my original intention. He called Kirstyn and she returned to our home and worked with us all night. She had me on the birth ball in many different positions, was massaging my head, had music playing and danced with me as silly as we looked, had the essential oils going and kept me focused on what my body was doing. My 10pm Sunday we were headed back to the hospital. She kept me home until I couldn't bear the pain any longer. When I got there, I was 8-9cm dialated and contractions were 2-3 minutes a part. This woman stayed by my side and held a leg as a pushed the most beautiful baby girl out at 1am Monday morning. I did it without being induced and without any medication at all. I was able to walk out of the hospital the next day. The birth we had was largely influenced by Kirstyn. Without her, I do believe I would've been induced and possibly had a c section, and at the very least would've had all the medication I could get - which was not my preference to begin with. Not saying there is anything wrong with those scenarios, just not what I was hoping for. She stood by me every single step of the way, answered all my weird questions and helped welcome in the most important person in my life. There is no amount of money or good words that can be used to show our gratitude for Kirstyn. She is an amazing doula and you will be lucky to have her as your teammate for the birth of your baby. You deserve the best and that's exactly what she is. read more

When I found out that I was pregnant my immediate reaction was fear of the unknown world of birthing as this was my first child. When Kirstyn told me that she was going to become a doula I was skeptical as I did not quite understand the significance of what it was that she was going to be doing or how she would come to help me and this new journey of mine. My mother did not want me to hire her because she wanted exclusivity to my birthing experience and felt that having a doula was a new age trend and that it would just be another person in the room and in the way. Boy was my mother all wrong! Not only did Kirsten help me along the way to become educated in the world of breastfeeding and birthing by attending classes with me while I was pregnant but she was available 24/7 on call to answer all of my pregnancy and birthing questions ( and if she did not pick up she was prompt to get back with me). She also helped calm all of my fears by being educated with non biased answers and remedies to all of my concerns! When my water broke and my birthing experience began Kirstyn was light hearted, calming and almost had a Zen feel to her that really transcended over to me and put a great ease up on my nerves as well as my husband and my familys. I was thrilled that she met us in the hospital almost immediately. She came well equipped with all of my special requests such as music, a medicine ball, and the knowledge of different birthing positions that we could try to ease my discomfort, offering them all to me through the 6 hours I labored. Not only was she with me for the six hours of my labor as well as the 10 minutes it took me to push my baby boy out but half of the next day... Im sure getting less rest than even I had been able to get. We use the medicine ball which helped to drop my son down into my birth canal (and just under 6 hours) and I did not need to get my epidural until I was seven and a half centimeters dilated due to the massage techniques she used during my labor and I believe the relaxed vibe she gave me. I had between three and five people in the room during my labor the whole time and Kirstyn was there next to me, all the while keeping me calm and relieved of my frustrations, as well as focus on what needed to be done. A great big THANK YOU to Kirstyn as there was not a single moment that I faced alone or nervous. I will never have another child without her by my side because I know that I can trust her to make sure that my child and I are taken care of and all of my special request are met by the hospital and their staff as well as my doctor. As a doula I highly recommend Kirsten to you! OH and as for my mother... I caught her telling all the birthing staff that they should all recommend Kirstyn to others because she was so impressed... AND THAT MY FELLOW MOTHERS NEVER HAPPENS!!! read more

Holistic Births and Beginnings, LLC - My husband, our new bundle, and I the day after! - Lactation Services Near Me - North Palm Beach, Florida

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After giving birth to my first child in 2011, I was doubtful that I may need or want to hire a doula for my second birth. After meeting with Kirstyn for a brief overview of what she offers and what to expect- I was convinced that she understood my wishes and she would be very useful during labor and delivery. To my surprise, Kirstyn not only was very involved during my birth- she was also there for me before and after. The weeks leading up to my delivery, I was admitted to the hospital. She came within 1 hour of me being admitted and stayed by my side for 12 hours. During that time she calmed my nerves, walked with me, kept me focused, introduced the birthing ball and most importantly kept a smile on my face. Unfortunately, at that time my labor stalled and I was released from the hospital. Kirstyn called and texted me on a regular basis until I went back to the hospital for a scheduled induction. The morning of my induction she came to the hospital & immediately stayed in tune with everything that was happening. Since I was not wanting or hoping for an induction, I was unaware of many of the procedures that were taking place. I thought the hospital (nurses and or doctors) would give me details of what was happening. The hospital did not communicate with me like I expected and I am blessed that Kirstyn knew what was going on to keep me informed. My labor took an unexpected turn & my baby flipped (breech). Before I knew what was happening, my doctor was getting paged for an emergency C-section. In that moment of panic, Kirstyn was the one who held my hand to calm my fears as my husband stayed focused on everything the doctors were saying. When the L&D nurse was pushing me into the OR, Kirstyn ran down to hall to notify my father & my 2 year old daughter of the drastic change. Tears of fear mixed with joy fell fast down my face & I realized she brought my daughter to me for a kiss before I was heading into surgery. Right in that moment, I knew no matter what was about to happen- Kirstyn not only was thinking about me, my unborn child but also my 2 year old daughter. Kirstyn stayed with me post surgery for some time. She also returned the next night to check on me & deliver my placenta capsules (which we spoke about having done prior to L&D). Nearly 2 months postpartum we still stay in contact & I am so blessed to have had her by my side during during my final birth experience. I highly recommend her and would not have had it any other way!!! read more