Merrie was one of the best decisions we made during our birth journey. As we prepared for a VBAC,…read moreshe helped calm both my husband's and my fears with a level of knowledge, reassurance, and confidence that was truly invaluable. She never pushed an agenda - instead, she empowered us with information, supported our wishes, and helped us feel prepared every step of the way. During labor and delivery, she was an incredible advocate while also working seamlessly alongside the medical team. Her ability to strike that balance - supporting us wholeheartedly while fostering a collaborative environment with our doctors and nurses - made us feel genuinely cared for. Beyond her expertise, Merrie is simply an amazing human being. Compassionate, calming, intuitive, and deeply invested in her clients, she made one of the most important days of our lives so much better than we ever could have imagined. I truly cannot recommend her enough. If we're lucky enough to have another baby, Merrie will be my very first phone call to make sure she's available for the birth.

I truly cannot say enough amazing things about Lauren. Going into birth as a first-time mom, I was…read moreabsolutely terrified. From the very beginning, Lauren made me feel safe, supported, and completely cared for. She has such a calming presence, and she gave me the confidence I didn't even know I had. Lauren was with us every step of the way--starting months before I delivered--helping us prepare for labor and delivery with thoughtful education, helpful advice, and so much reassurance. When it came time for labor, she advocated for me in ways I will forever be grateful for. Her expertise not only helped move my labor along more efficiently, but she also helped me manage the discomfort in ways that made such a difference. Both my husband and I felt so thankful she was by our side. Having our first baby felt a lot less overwhelming because Lauren was there guiding and supporting us through it all. She even came to visit after our son was born, which meant so much to us. I genuinely cannot imagine having another baby without her. If you're considering hiring Lauren--do it. I cannot recommend her more highly. She is an incredible doula and an even more incredible person.

These women are absolutely incredible. I found them in the last month of my pregnancy, and I'm so…read moregrateful I hired them. They offer prenatal visits, birth support, and postpartum visits. I hired them mostly for support during birth, but I ended up having a quick labor and a very challenging postpartum period. They were there for all of it in every way I needed them. Each woman brings a different set of skills to the table, but they all offer exceptional prenatal/labor/postpartum support. If you're considering hiring a doula for your birth, do yourself a favor and allow these women to help make it a beautiful experience.

Since you are reading this, I assume you have decided that a doula is a good idea for your birth…read more But if you are unsure, let me help you - the answer is YES. Especially if this is your first baby, after going through it, doing it without a doula is simply unimaginable. More on why below. Boulder and environs are not short on doulas as we learned when we moved here two months ago, seven months pregnant). Boulder Doula's Circle was recommended to us by a friend, but we were hesitant at first - like many health providers, on the "big day" you do not know which of the three doulas you might end up with. What if we had a favorite or were not crazy about one of them? This is intimate family stuff after all. However, after a 1:1 meeting and attending one of their monthly birth circle open houses at the Mamahood, we knew it was not just a case of being the "right fit" for us, but so much more. Suddenly we felt incredibly supported by these three very wise, very experienced, and very fun women. Each brings a unique set of skills to the table that will benefit you, not just on the big day, but throughout your pregnancy. Whether it was herbs, exercises, guiding us to other resources in the community, pre-natal home visits, or post-partum visits, Amanda, Rachel and April gave way more than we ever imagined. We were clueless, but by the time labor arrived we were super-educated, prepared, and confident. And the benefits of their support during labor cannot be overstated. Its difficult to express how grateful we are to these three. Another aspect of the team-doula approach: you can't end up in a situation where your one doula is on vacation or at another birth, leaving you in the lurch. Or, if, heaven-forbid, you have a marathon labor, you can get a hand-off, where one of them will come in as relief. A final thing to add - while we were on board with their approach, we saw other couples who had different ideas of what they wanted (or didn't want) and all three of the doulas were really non-judgmental and supportive. I suppose that in this world thats normal, but there was something genuine about it - its not that they were hiding what they really thought, but that they were truly not judging and wanted to do whats best for their pregnant mamas and their babies. In this incredible, exciting, daunting process of starting a family, I cannot stress how great it was to have these three as counsel. If this sounds too good to be true, message me and Ill be happy to share more details of our experience. Nikko

My husband and I loved having Danielle be a part of our birth experience. We met her through child…read morebirth classes we were taking and loved her outlook on child birth and labor. We asked her to be our Doula, and we are so glad she was with us on the day we met our sweet baby girl. One of the main reasons we love Danielle is her attitude and perspective towards giving birth. She helped us have an amazing natural birth, but she also made sure we were all on the same page with the choices that come up during the process. She wants you to feel comfortable and prepared for wherever the labor process takes you : ) Danielle is very relaxed and matter of fact, which was exactly what I needed to keep me sane. Secondly, her focus is on a team effort. This makes Mom and Dad center of attention and helps us be the best team we can be rather than take the place of Dad. In order to do this she helped my husband understand what I might need and provided advice on how to get through tough points during the day. Obviously it is not all rainbows and sunshine, but when I thought I couldn't make it she helped us problem solve and get through it. Her postpartum visit was so sweet and pre-visits were very helpful. She can come to your house before or meet you at the hospital. I wish all you mamas amazing birth experiences, and if you have any doubts (like ALL first time moms I assume) hopefully Danielle can be there for you too!

Danielle and her team made us feel relaxed and confident with the birth of our first child. I would…read morehighly recommend Roots to Nest for all of your childbirth needs. Danielle made it a point to meet with us a couple of times beforehand; spending over 1.5 hours each time, answering all of our questions and explaining what the process could potentially look like. She even made sure we had multiple birth plans so all of our bases were covered. Most importantly though, we felt like we had an invaluable resource during the labor process. From finding the most comfortable position for myself as things progressed, coaching my husband on what was normal (it's all so foreign when it's your first), to what he should say/do to provide the most support was not something we could have done on our own. (Can you really imagine navigating all of that on your own? No thank you.) In the end, my husband and I felt like we were their only clients (not the case, there was another birth the same day/around the same time!). But the love and care showed to us even after our daughter's birth made us realize how authentic Roots to Nest was and is. Do yourself a favor and hire a doula. Hire Roots to Nest!

Terri Burleson did a phenomenal job as my doula. I was first drawn to Terri for her experience and…read morefrom the time my husband and I interviewed her, I felt comfortable with her and trusted her. We met with Terri at 36 weeks and discussed our birth plan. She was non-judgmental, offered suggestions and provided the guidance we needed as first-time parents. We exchanged several text messages leading up to my baby's birth, especially after my OB appointments, or when we had questions, and she was always quick to respond. Of course, our birth plan shifted as soon as my baby decided to arrive two weeks early. I wasn't sure if my water broke, but once we were in hospital triage, we contacted Terri and she calmed us down and gave us confidence that this birth could still be everything we hoped. She came to the hospital to be with me while my husband went back to get the hospital bag, and offered ways for me to try to get labor going without pitocin. She is familiar with St. Anthony North Hospital and worked very well with the staff there. We sent Terri home after a few hours since we knew it would be a waiting game at that point, but she checked in with us into the late night hours. At almost 4 AM, we decided it was time for Terri to come back. Without Terri, I wouldn't have been able to have a natural birth! She was so encouraging and knew exactly what to say and do when I needed it. She helped my husband feel included throughout the whole process, and we appreciated her taking several photos and videos for us so that we have those memories forever. She stayed for a few hours after my baby was born so that we could eat and process the whole experience. She also checked up on me several times once I got home and made one home visit to further process the birth experience and how we were adapting to life as a family of three (plus our pup). We appreciated the written birth story that she sent us as well! I would hire Terri again in a heartbeat. I sincerely feel like she was a big reason why I had a positive birthing experience and that is invaluable to me!

Terri was incredible and my birth experience was wonderful directly because of her involvement. She…read moreis warm, kind, caring, thoughtful, sweet, and funny and having her with me every step of my journey was incredible. She helped me craft my birth plan with zero judgement and then walked with me through a very long, difficult, and decision-heavy labor. Any time a nurse, doctor, or midwife offered suggestions, I cleared the room except for myself, my husband, and Terri and she gave me the information and support I needed to make the best decision for myself and our baby. I truly cannot recommend Terri enough and I want her to be at every single one of my births.

I am a type A personality. I did all the research, I mentally prepared for an unmedicated birth,…read moreand I thought I did not need a doula. However, at 32 weeks I began to have my doubts - this was my first birth, will I be strong enough? Will my husband and I remember everything we learned? Now began a race against the clock to find a doula. Karlye came recommend to us by another doula, and from our first phone call I knew we were in good hands. Her science based philosophy, empathy and calm demeanor played a huge role in making our birth experience everything we hoped for. Both Karlye and her back up doula, Adrianna attended my birth. I cannot thank them enough. They were there in all the critical moments. They asked the providers questions. They knew exactly what I needed when my contractions got intense. They provided guidance to my husband on how he could support me best. They held my legs when I pushed. All the while reassuring me that I was strong and I was doing a great job birthing my daughter. Having Karlye as our doula was one of THE BEST choices we made. No matter what kind of birth you are planning for, Karlye is a great addition to your support team.

Karlye was my doula for my natural birthing experience. I am not sure that I had any expectations…read moreas this was my first time delivering a baby but she managed to exceed any feelings, thoughts, hopes, and fears that I had. She not only supported me through the most difficult thing that I've ever done in my entire life, but she supported my family in getting me through what was a long 50+ hour labor full of ups, downs, some very intense contractions, no pain medication and emotions. I couldn't imagine going through this without her by my side. She was my rock, my therapist, my cheerleader, and my friend. I am so lucky to have met this incredible women and I don't know that I have admired anyone as much as I do her. Thank you Karlye from the bottom of my heart you are amazing and I will be forever in your debt.

We cannot speak more highly of Laura. She was a blessing to our family, and her support has made us…read morebetter parents. We are so grateful to Night Owl Nanny for making the connection, and allowing my husband and me to interview several of their highly qualified, experienced candidates in advance. (Other community members AND other agencies who happened to be overbooked, unequivocally steared us to Night Owl.) Having twins felt overwhelming, but our experience with this fabulous agency helped tremendously. Thank you!! Cannot recommend more strongly. 100% worth the investment. #rested #betterinformed

One of the best decisions I've made as a first time parent was calling Night Owl Nanny Care. My…read morebaby came a month early and my husband and I felt totally overwhelmed when we got home from the hospital. Cecile and her team worked very quickly to send over resumes and interview people to start the next night. It's so hard to trust a new person with your child for the very first time. However, Amanda has been absolutely amazing and I don't know what we would've done without her. She taught us how to put our baby on a schedule within the first couple of weeks, and had her on a 7-7 schedule where she was consistently sleeping through the night with 1 night feeding by 2 months. She is a wealth of information when it comes to all things baby-related and is happy to answer all of our questions. Everyone we've worked with at Night Owl has been a total professional and has taken wonderful care of our child. I highly recommend anyone looking for help with their newborn reach out to them. I am truly a better parent to my baby because of the support and care I've received from them.

Stop searching. You found the one. I am so incredibly grateful to Amanda at Mamahood for helping me…read morewith my lactation support because my initial lactation consultant made me feel and believe that my nursing journey was over it like six weeks. Now I'm going on eight months of nursing, my baby thanks to Amanda's help. Amanda helped me with a newborn and continue to help me with our baby. I'm not even sure how Mamahood doesn't have five stars. I went through lactation support groups and classes and had a different lactation consultant before finding Mamahood and struggled so hard. I wish I would've started with Mamahood to begin with. I see a lot of other reviews that are upset because their baby got diagnosed with tongue ties from Mamahood and their pediatrician or another doctor didn't catch the tongue tie, but I'm here to say that Mamahood caught my babies ties EVEN though OUR PEDIATRICIAN didn't think my baby had them. Well, after we saw a pediatric dentist and got my baby's ties cut - everything was so much better. My milk supply went up and my baby was able to eat better even out of a bottle. Getting my babies ties cut was a really hard decision in the moment but one of the best decisions we've done for her and I am so thankful for Mamahood for leading me in the right direction.

First of all, I want to mention how cute this shop is. It's bright and clean and the staff are…read morealways so nice. In addition to having an adorable selection of maternity clothes- seriously going in makes me want to get pregnant again just so I can shop there- they have a delightful alcove of toys my son adores. I've been taking my almost 2 year old son to Toddler and Momma yoga on Friday mornings for almost 6 months and we love it! I my past before baby life I went to yoga classes several times a week, but now that I have a little guy and limited childcare, I've had to content myself to my daily quick morning practice. Although it's not the same as an adult class, it's a great opportunity to introduce a little one to yoga, and as mine says, "see babies and mommies" (and sometimes daddies too). I always appreciate how Miss Casey, the instructor, sets a casual, fun mood for the class with fun songs and movement for the kids. My son likes it too, and lately has been peppering our days with his favorite snippets from class, and ever time we drive by The Mama'hood, he points and says his name, followed by mommy go yoga. Which, when you're not quite 2, is a 5 star review for sure.

I credit Karina with making my birth experience positive, empowering and exciting. My husband and I…read morewanted the experience to be private, just us and our doula. But we were wary of a doula that would overstep or feel intrusive. Karina was absolutely amazing! She was there when I needed her but she would also sit out of the way patiently waiting for those situations. She was never pushy, she would gently guide me with suggestions and we found what worked for me together. She knew just what to do, helping me sit on the ball, massaging my cramping back, offering encouragement at just the right time. My plan of going unmedicated didn't work out, and when I made the decision to get an epidural she asked if I was sure, then supported me through that. Even after getting the epidural she was invaluable. As unexpected events came up she supported me through them. She eased so many of my fears and pain with her calm presence. My labor was very long and difficult. She was right there with me from breaking my water to delivery. My labor was over 24 hours in the hospital. Karina was with us the entire time. She played an invaluable role. It was by far the hardest things I've ever done. I can't imagine having gone through it without Karina. She truly couldn't come more highly recommended, except maybe by my husband. He was on the fence about a doula at first but now he sings their praise and tells everyone they are a necessity. We both recommend Karina to all our friends and coworkers. We can never thank her enough for what she did for us that day!

My husband and I took Amanda's hypnobirthing class and are so glad we did! First of all, it's so…read moremuch more than just hypnobirthing. We learned so much about the birthing process as a whole and left feeling informed, empowered and ready for birth. Amanda is someone who very obviously loves her job and it shows in the enthusiasm she brings to each class and the personal connections she makes with everyone she works with. She takes time to answer any and all questions which made for a very comfortable and welcoming class environment. We loved every minute of this class and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a natural or low intervention birth.

Very kind, chill and knowledgeable instructor! Was a perfect place to get BLS certified.read more

I hired Mclean of Loving Mama Doula in early spring for my July 2015 birth. Close to my due date I…read morehad issues getting in touch with her and felt a serious lack of support (and that is not what a first time mama needs). I asked her if she could switch me to one of her backup doulas or refund the money (minus $ for her 2 prenatal visits) so I could find another doula. She refused to refund any of my money. I felt like she acted completely against what her business as a Doula stands for. I was left with no Doula and no refund to hire a replacement. This is an uncomfortable situation no one should have to be in! Mamas, listen to your intuition! No one deserves to feel unsupported during this huge transition into motherhood.

My husband and I hired Mclean to help us through the birth of our first child last summer, August,…read more2015. After meeting her, we knew right away she was a great match for us. She was extremely knowledgeable, approachable, professional and very kind hearted. She was always timely to our prenatal meetings, checked in with me by email, sent me follow up info on a few issues I had and really helped eased some of our anxieties. When the big day finally arrived, she kept in close touch with us and arrived at the hospital when we were in labor. She was so helpful during labor - especially providing a calm and confidence presence in the room as well as providing me with so many relaxation techniques she offered. Both my husband and I were glad to have her there, as she helped take some of the pressure to do everything of of him - especially considering that labor went quite long. She stayed with us until our son was born and for several hours after. There was a time when I was alone in my room and she stayed with me, making sure I had everything I needed - including emotional support! She was very respectful of our needs and wishes and was so easy to talk to and share our vision for our birthing plan. What I was most impressed with and extremely thankful for was that she followed up with a visit to our home after we were discharged. She had any tips for breastfeeding (which was so important to me) and also tips for soothing our son that worked like a charm. I actually had a lot of trouble getting the breast feeding started and felt very alone - not knowing where I could get good help. Mclean was a lifesaver! She stayed in touch with me via text and referred me to an excellent lactation specialist who came to the house the very next day. I would never had known where to go without her. (I was not in my right mind at the time!!!!!!!!) I was so grateful to be able to breastfeed my baby successfully after a rough start. I couldn't have done it without her support, advice and care! Her passion and dedication to her work, and to me as an individual client was so evident throughout her time with us. I was extremely impressed from start to finish. I couldn't recommend her with enough enthusiasm! Thanks, Mclean!