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.

With the birth of our first baby, I had no idea what a post-partum doula could do for me. Nobody I…read moreknew had ever worked with one, and I figured the help of family and friends would be enough. I am so, SO glad we made the decision to get support, and beyond lucky to have found Martha! Martha is the whole package - kind and supportive, super hard working and extremely knowledgeable about babies, childcare, parenting, and any relevant topic in between - from breastfeeding, to mental health to postpartum exercise, In addition to completely taking care of me - preparing delicious food, doing laundry, making sure I was hydrated and giving me precious time to sleep and shower, Martha didn't just help care for my newborn, she taught me invaluable skills of how to take care of my baby as a (pretty clueless) first time mom: How to breastfeed, how to decipher her cries and understand her needs, and how to deal with the multitude of unexpected issues that I wasn't even aware could affect new moms and their babies. Her guidance, encouragement, and wisdom increased my confidence in my ability to take care of a newborn baby and removed much of the anxiety of becoming a first-time parent, which allowed me to focus on enjoying this special time with my daughter. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Martha. She is must more than just a doula - she is a trusted advisor and now, a dear friend. Looking back, I cannot imagine how we would have gotten through the first few days, weeks and months without her. In fact, now at 4+ months postpartum and being back at work for over a month, I still cannot "let go" of Martha and continue to seek her help with our family on a weekly basis.

Martha sets a new bar for postpartum doulas. She is a consummate professional while also being…read morekind, loving, knowledgable, and empathetic. She is exactly who you want to have in your village when you're navigating the first hectic days, weeks, and months at home with a newborn. She is a wealth of information but doesn't give unsolicited advice. She is reliable and an excellent communicator. She goes out of her way to make sure you are comfortable, and you will quickly learn that your baby is in the best hands (besides your own) while Martha is providing overnight care. We were beyond lucky to work with Martha and would recommend her without hesitation.

Andrea is an amazing resource, support, and breastfeeding advocate and ally! I was referred to…read moreAndrea by our Pediatrician after our newborn experienced weight loss. Andrea immediately returned my call, provided a thorough phone consult to gather information about my baby and me. She set up an appointment for an in home consultation within 72 hours. Andrea came to the house, met with me for three hours and completed a very thorough assessment. Andrea answered all my questions, was incredibly patient, kind, and supportive. She had really helpful suggestions on nursing positions, pumping strategies and recommendations. Andrea weighed the baby after nursing and evaluated my pumping amounts. I never realized how much science/math goes into the process. Andrea wrote a full report which she shared with my Pediatrician and OBGYN. Andrea helped resolve my baby's weight loss and has been a constant support in my breastfeeding journey! She continues to be an amazing resource and support postpartum, providing education/resources around nursing and pumping. I am so thankful for the referral to Andrea! I would strongly recommend Andrea whether it be you first baby or third!

Andrea is an expert - and should be your first choice when it comes to having a provider and coach…read morecome to your home to help you really understand and succeed at breastfeeding. Andrea did two home visit for me and my son - first to help with a nursing strike and bottle preference - and second, what I thought was another strike, actually turned out to be reflux! Andrea gave me a new bottle system, SNS and other tools to use as a part of the care plan she created and walked me through to help work through the nursing strike - and with the reflux, she helped me understand the cues my son was giving me that he wasn't feeling good about eating, and referred me to my physician. With both visits she sent the care plans to my OB and my son's Pedi. Truly above and beyond with her in home service and follow-ups via email/phone. I couldn't recommend more highly if you are considering having an LC come into your home!

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.

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 used Alissa after I had my first child in February. She is just so wonderful. I struggled a lot,…read moreand she provided so much help. She helped as a lactation consultant, showed us the best way to swaddle, helped when I needed a break, and was just a great listener. Alissa was always available and quick to respond to any questions. I was afraid a doula would have her own parenting philosophy that she would force on me, but Alissa just helped me achieve my own parenting goals.

From the owner: Newborn care, new mom care, lactation supportread more

She-Tara was truly an integral part of my birthing experience. She educated my husband & I in the…read moreweeks leading up to my delivery and made us feel comfortable asking any question we could think of (at literally any time we had a question). She let us know what all of our options were and empowered us to feel in control of our own experience right down to the 'adjusting at home' stage. When I went into labor, she came to the hospital immediately and supported us as much (or as little) as we needed her to and contributed to the safe and healthy delivery of my baby girl. We are grateful for her and highly recommend hiring her.

From the owner: I specialize in supporting families through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Need help…read morewith feeding choices?, baby sleep patterns equal no sleep for you?, wonder about the Fourth Trimester?, confused about birthing options? I have solutions! Don’t navigate this journey alone!

We found Dina when we were struggling with breastfeeding our firstborn. She answered our inquiry…read morethe same afternoon and set up an in-home consultation quickly. From our first meeting, we knew she was exactly the help we needed. With over 10 years of experience in neonatal and pediatric care, Dina quickly identified our issue and adjusted our positions so our baby began latching and feeding smoothly. We experimented with different positions and times of day, and within a few weeks, thanks to Dina's help, we went from supplementing with formula to 100% breastfeeding. I highly recommend Dina to any new mom facing latching or positioning challenges. Thank you Dina!!

From the owner: Lactation consultations in person and virtually. Working with mothers and babies for over 10 years…read more Experience in NICU families and latch difficulties. Helping mothers navigating their breastfeeding journey prenatal and postpartum .

I delivered with the Midwives at Mt. Auburn Hospital just over a week ago and can't say enough…read morepositive things about labor and delivery as well as the recovery period. I had read rave reviews about Mt. Auburn (including multiple people claiming to have had a "wonderful" labor there), all the while wondering how wonderful labor really could be. I now understand completely. From the moment that we called the hospital after contractions started to the arrival and long delivery process, each nurse and midwife that took care of me provided the utmost care, professionalism, and explanation of what was happening next and why. Amidst the inevitable anxiety of a first labor, I felt fully cared for and at ease. I can't thank the nurses enough for their tremendous care during both the labor and delivery process, as well as postpartum care for myself and baby. Postpartum, the nurses and a wonderful lactation consultant provided guidance on everything from what to expect during the first few days of our newborns' life to feeding techniques to giving the baby a first bath. Recovery was peaceful and allowed us time to bond as a family of three. By the time we left the hospital, we felt prepared enough to care for our newborn and with the opportunity to call with any questions that we might have. Thank you, Mt. Auburn!

I'm very disappointed by my recent experience with the Midwives at Mt. Auburn Hospital. My prenatal…read morecare was pretty standard, nothing exceptional. I had a low-risk pregnancy and everything went according to plan. The midwife I saw continually pushed for induction through castor oil, membrane sweeps, and evening primrose oil - these are not proven to be effective and are not positively backed by scientific research. I cannot believe that they don't follow evidence-based research when making medical recommendations. I went into labor spontaneously and progressed well. However, during my entire active labor, the midwife was in the room for no more than 5 minutes total. She basically did a quick pelvic exam and then left me on my own. I had no one in the room with me other than my husband. There was no nurse and no midwife - I felt so unsupported. After about 6 hours of labor, the midwife came back in and suggested a peanut ball and a warm bath, but she disappeared without setting me up with either. I guess my husband was supposed to figure this out? She returned a few hours later and I requested nitrous oxide - She said I needed a form for this (which was already in my file) and disappeared again. I never received anything to manage my pain and never saw the midwife again. I would have hoped that the midwife would have suggested labor positions to ease pain, pressed on my back/hips, showed my husband some ways to help (we took Bradley classes, but some extra direction in that moment would have been appreciated), provided encouragement, shown care, and simply been present. I feel like I was ignored and neglected. No one even brought me water. It wasn't until an OBGYN arrived that I felt like I was validated and heard - she got an anesthesiologist and I received an epidural. The OBGYN delivered my baby via c-section after failure to progress. My after-care at Mt. Auburn was pretty good. I felt all the nurses were caring and competent. I had to self-advocate to get time with the lactation consultants, but they were helpful. Takeaways: If you want support of any kind during labor, you'll need to hire your own doula. If you plan to breastfeed, arrange for your own postpartum doula or seek support from a non-hospital affiliated IBCLC. I am exclusively breastfeeding in spite of the care I received and not because of it. Just find a good OBGYN and forget about all the midwife nonsense - they're basically useless.