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.

My husband and I LOVED working with Nicole and could not imagine giving birth without her. I went…read moreinto labor unexpectedly at 35wks. She met us at Lutheran hospital and was with us all through labor. She made sure I had what I needed, massaged me and was a constant encouragement (especially when I needed it!). With her help I was able to stick to my birth plan and have an unmediated birth. She went one step further and helped me hire a photographer to come by (my photographer was unable to be there that day) and finalized plans to get my placenta encapsulated. We were SO thankful for her! I would recommend her to everyone!

The experience of having a child is one of the most profound which you will ever experience, so…read morehaving the right people in the room is probably one of the bigger decisions you can make in advance. I hadn't thought about having a doula present during my birth until a friend of mine suggested Nicole. We met and I immediately knew that I could trust her. She was open minded and respectful of the birth my husband and I wanted and was very forth coming in what I should expect and how to guide me through it. I could tell right away that she truly cared. When the day came for my son to arrive, I called Nicole and told her that my water broke but that I didn't think she really needed to come to the hospital right away. She asked me a few questions, and then said "I think I'll get my stuff ready and head on over". I was so glad she did. My contractions quickly sped up and by the time she got there, I was very happy to see her. She sat quietly with me, not asking a bunch of questions, or making a big to do. Just being present. Within the next few hours as my labor progressed, she stayed calm, kept me informed, advocated for the birth that I wanted (I did hypnobabies birthing) and relieved my husband as well. She was by my side the whole time, but one of the strongest moments I felt with how important she was in being there was actually after the birth of my son. Nicole sat by my side immediately after the birth and held my hand, telling me that I did a great job and that I was done! My husband was with my son, who was being suctioned and needed some attention. If Nicole wasn't there, I would have been by myself. Looking back, this was so important to have someone there with me, 100% supporting me. There is so much attention which is immediately placed on the baby after the birth and sometimes the Mom is forgotten for a bit, but Nicole never let that happen and I am very very grateful for that. I recommend her to anyone who is considering a doula and will absolutely be calling her for the birth of a second child.

I will be going into my second birth after a traumatic unplanned c section. I want to have an…read moreunedmedicated vbac but preparing for the birth was leaving me terrified of dying in childbirth, unmanageable pain, and with nowhere to turn for advice. I took Ann's childbirth class remotely, and I can honestly say that when I have my baby in a week or so, I will not be afraid and I will even welcome the whole process with excitement. Ann is down to earth and extremely knowledgeable in childbirth practices and especially in emotional support in labor, and being a mom herself she knows exactly how to relate. I'm extremely impressed with Ann's ability to get to the bottom of my fears and help me work through them! She knows exactly what to say and when to say it, promoting an atmosphere of feminine strength and confidence. I now feel like I have the tools to manage my pain as she's taught me first hand what each stage of labor is like (I had an epidural last time), and many positions and other tools to help ease pain and move the baby into position. The exercises including birth art and ice practice have gotten me to feel confident and prepared to tackle contractions without fear. I highly recommend Ann to anyone who is preparing to have a baby, especially if they are preparing to give birth after a bad experience. I live in Maryland and the ease of the remote classes was wonderful. If I lived in Colorado I would absolutely be hiring Ann as my doula!

I came to having doula services through Ann Kaplan quite by accident and completely against my…read morewill. I only wanted someone to keep me company while I received better and more thorough drugs than my previous traumatic child-bearing experiences, which persons educated childbirthing these days will tell you is no longer en vogue. The reality is that while I was thrilled to be having another child, the idea of getting that child out of me was so incredibly terrifying that I could not envision a situation where that could happen, without it filling me with dread. As my due date was getting closer, my panic really started to rise. So to jump way ahead, it was my husband who had heard about Ann Kaplan, from a colleague, also a husband. He came home and wanted to call this "birth coach", this "miracle worker" he'd heard about from a fellow GUY, who had sung Ann's praises. He said their birth experience had changed their lives, that his wife's fears were not only dissolved but it was this amazing bonding beautiful whole-family transformation to have their baby, completely naturally (!!!). No, no, no. I do not know what words were exchanged but my normally suspicious and totally impervious husband wanted to call her. I did not, and I cried and was more terrified than before. Somehow, we called her, she reluctantly agreed to meet with us, and then she waved her wand and she just simply changed our lives. Ann and her approach and education of us as a couple and family changed pretty much every belief I held about giving birth, and reigned in my out-of-control fears in a way I didn't think was possible. She never said I had to do this naturally, she said she'd be there if I wanted drugs. She said I would want to move around though, I'd want to find what soothed me(like a warm bath) and I couldn't do that with an epidural in ( she would turn out to be correct). She drove next to us on the highway in the middle of the night, with me backwards in the passenger seat, with her shouting encouragement to me. She walked ahead of me in the hospital and protected me, advocated for me, stayed with me every second, talked me through every contraction. Beautifully, naturally, incredibly guided us, as we welcomed our babies with love and a total lack of fear. To say that my daughters' births, coached by Ann and my husband, were some of the most powerful, healing and transformative experiences of my life is a pathetic understatement. I am a different person because of what Ann did for our family. We are a different family, because of Ann's gift in supplying that safe and educated space for us to expand. I wholeheartedly believe we have a different bond with our daughters than we would have without Ann. Without dipping into sappy, or metaphysical, or religious, or other realms that might make your eyes roll, having had both medicated "paralyzed" births and supported, coached, and empowered births, I promise you there is a huge and powerful gift in being present and participatory in actually "giving" birth... I am so proud of myself, having accomplished this and provided this for my children, and infinitely more aware of my own ability to make choices for myself and my family. So I'm the unlikeliest of clients and now one of the biggest converts to the idea of Doula-supported birthing, and I passionately encourage you to go through Ann Kaplan even if you, like me, were only considering a better epidural. I PROMISE, you will not regret it.

Fantastic doula! I credit Barb with my positive unmedicated childbirth experience, from the weeks…read moreleading up to the big day, to the day itself, to afterwards when I was having substantial breastfeeding troubles. She helped remind me of our birth plan every step of the way, and the continuity of her presence was a great service to me while I was in pre-labor and labor in an otherwise unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces. She is extremely well informed and knows all of the best pre- and post-natal local resources, and her connections and knowledge helped me tremendously. I was getting very impatient in the days past my due date, but her assurances that it was normal for a first time mom to go into labor a week and two days after her due date made me feel better and less inclined to schedule an induction. As it is, my baby came exactly a week and two days after they said she would! Barb visited us a couple times at home and was extremely informative and helpful. She responded with prompt grace to all of my texts and calls. We had been planning to labor at home, but my water broke in the middle of the night with meconium, so I ended up doing all of my labor at the hospital. She came there after I was admitted and sat with me for a few hours to give my husband a chance to go back home and get some rest. The next day when I was in active labor, she came and stayed with us for 12 hours, helping us move into the recovery room and taking pictures for us, etc. Her presence was an implicit reminder of everything we had prepared and she was a grounding force when things didn't go exactly as planned (they never do)! : ) I was in active labor for only 4 hours, including 1 hour of pushing. My baby came out very easily and with no complications, and I'm fairly certain that without Barb's help (and the patience of my midwives), I would have otherwise been induced and ended up with an emergency cesarian. At the post-partum visit, Barb showed us how to give the baby her first bath, and helped us use the moby wrap for the first time. She is a very down to earth person, providing a balance of heartfelt support, stern advocacy, awesome bodywork, and a wonderful sense of humor at just the right time. She is prompt and responsive and a very clear communicator, which was essential during this sensitive and uncertain period in a new family's life. I will absolutely use her for my next birth, and I highly recommend her to anyone!!

Barb was the best decisions we made for our first pregnancy. After months of research and deciding…read morewhat we wanted for our child's birth, Barb spent several sessions with us during the pregnancy dialing in a plan that fit our wishes for labor and delivery. When the time came she was at the hospital exactly when we needed her. The labor was difficult and our baby was not set up great for delivery; Barb helped with positions and techniques that kept things from going bad. We had great midwives, but it was Barb's dedicated attention and experience that really made the difference in the end. It seems you lose all sense of control during labor and delivery, but having Barb there gave us the reassurance and guidance we needed to stay positive and on plan; almost like a guardian angel. Forget the fact that Barb has no reviews yet here on Yelp; it felt like she's been helping deliver babies her whole life. Always near her phone, Barb was there when we needed her. We look forward to working with her again ourselves and will be recommending her to friends and family. Thank you, Barb!

I cannot recommend Lauren enough! As a first-time mom, I was terrified of giving birth, but from…read morethe moment we started working with her, she made me feel safe, prepared, and confident. She spent months helping us prepare for labor and delivery, providing valuable education and support every step of the way. During labor, Lauren was an incredible advocate and used her expertise to help move my labor along while managing my discomfort. Both my husband and I were so grateful to have her by our side. Her calm presence made all the difference, and she even checked in after our son was born. I truly can't imagine having another baby without Lauren. She was an invaluable part of our birth experience, and I am so thankful we had her with us.

We truly could not recommend the women of Full Circle Birth Collective more!…read more Lauren has supported me through both of my births, and I am forever grateful for her. With her support, I was able to achieve my goal of having two unmedicated births. With my second, she was also an incredible guide as we navigated decisions around induction. Having someone so knowledgeable, calm, and supportive in those moments made all the difference. Tammy has also supported both of my babies as our night doula, and she is truly God-sent. There is something so comforting about having her there during such a new, vulnerable, and sometimes anxious season. Her presence brought us so much peace and allowed us to rest knowing our babies were in such loving, capable hands. We also appreciate her flexibility in scheduling. This time around, we also had the opportunity to work with Misty from a food-prep standpoint, and WOW -- everything was delicious and incredibly helpful during those early postpartum days. We absolutely loved all of her soup options (which were so easy to freeze!) and her protein balls quickly became a favorite. I am so proud to be the first "Full Circle" client to utilize all of their offerings. From birth support to overnight care, to nourishing postpartum meals, these women have supported our family through so many different stages of this journey. I could not support this incredible group of women more. If you are looking for a team that will care for you, your baby, and your family with genuine love, knowledge, and compassion, Full Circle Birth Collective is it.

Julie was exceptional! She was everything we were hoping for in a doula and more. Prior to labor…read moreand delivery she provided great resources to help prepare as much as one can. Julie was a huge part in the success of our incredible labor and delivery experience. She provided guidance and support breathing through contractions as well as giving guidance to my husband in ways he could help, and her encouragement kept me focused. She also captured priceless photos and videos of delivery. My husband and I are so grateful for her and highly recommend her service!

Christine was an amazing advocate and information resource during our pregnancy and childbirth…read more She seriously knows everything there is to know about this stuff, holistically and otherwise! She patiently answered all of our questions and really helped educate us about the childbirth process. Even though I ended up being induced and was always planning on getting the epidural, she was there every step of the way and so supportive. It was so great to have an RN by my side during the delivery who didn't work for the hospital, as she could independently confirm what the staff were telling me, for example when I suddenly needed to take medication for high blood pressure. You honestly never know what is going to happen during labor, and having Christine there really put me (and especially my husband) at ease. Not only that, she took tons of pictures so we could just enjoy our first moments with our baby, and I will cherish those pictures forever! I would recommend Christine as a Doula 1000%, whether you are planning on having an all-natural birth or a traditional hospital delivery!

I had a home birth with Janet 6 months ago for my second child, a baby girl. I found Janet at 30…read moreweeks after I had left another midwife who I felt did not listen to my concerns about getting tested for a genetic mutation. The other midwife would not test me, even though the test was a simple blood test. I expressed my concerns to Janet and she ordered a test for me without question, even though she disagreed with me on the relevance of the mutation to pregnancy. Janet listened and eased my fears and walked me through everything I could need to know about how home births usually play out. I had told her that the birth of my son had been traumatic both physically and mentally, and she took that into consideration to make sure that both my mind and my body were cared for during labor. She took all measures necessary to make sure I did not feel violated during this labor as I had with my son. I called Janet to my house once my contractions were close together and unignorable. When she got there, my contractions came erratically and far apart. She stayed for a few hours to see if they would pick back up, and they didn't. She said "I don't think you're in labor." I said, "That's not possible." And she said, "Okay. I'll stay." It is so refreshing to have a medical professional take you seriously and BELIEVE you when you tell her about your own body. About twelve hours of erratic contractions later, Janet informed me that she thought my waters were preventing the baby from dropping down, and asked me whether it would be okay to break my waters. After a few questions, I agreed. She broke my waters and immediately I felt I had to push. Three pushes later I had my baby in my arms. Throughout the intensity of that time, Janet was there encouraging me and making sure I knew I could do it. Thanks in part to her care, I can say that that day is the most proud I've ever been of myself and I am empowered knowing that I'm capable of that degree of strength.

My review is for Janet Schwab particularly. For a CNM, her bedside manner leaves something to be…read moredesired. She knows her stuff, but her 35+ years of experience leave her stuck in her ways. I utilized the Hypnobabies program during my pregnancy and birth, and I always felt like Janet did an internal eye roll anytime I mentioned it. When telling her my preferences for my birth plan, I was basically told how SHE does things and that nearly all of my choices were "wrong." So why did I continue to work with her? To put it simply, she was the only CNM in the state that did home births. Everyone else spoke so highly of her, I never understood the hype. What's worse is that the birth of my daughter took a sharp left turn, and I ultimately had to get a c-section. The level of empathy and follow-up from Janet was subpar at best...and for the hefty bill we paid for her, my dollars could've easily been better spent elsewhere. I was diagnosed with postpartum depression shortly after my daughter's birth. Janet couldn't seem to care less, and all I felt was judgment for wanting to quit breastfeeding. To get an idea for her lack of empathy, just see the attached image of the last text I ever sent to her. It was 6 weeks after my daughter's birth, and she NEVER followed up to see how I was doing or how I was handling the postpartum depression. The last I spoke to her on the phone was to collect our credit card for the final bill. By the time I was due for my 6-week postpartum check up her bill was already paid...so why bother, right?