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.

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.

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!

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.

Tiffany is amazing! I valued her experience and advice during our birthing experience. She not only…read moreprovided us with an amazing product, but she handled the entire process of encapsulating my placenta with such a high level of compassion and respect. I will always cherish this experience and hold it close to my heart. Thank you, Tiffany!

Tiffanie has the sweetest soul and the most peaceful demeanor, which is exactly what my husband and…read moreI were looking for when considering doulas. When you meet her in person, she gives off the vibe and comfort of being someone you have known for years. Tiffanie provided amazing emotional support to us both before, during, and after the labor and birth of our first child. As first-time parents, we were unsure if we NEEDED a doula or not, but the calming effect she provided to us was worth the experience alone. We also vastly appreciated her personal experience with labor, birth, and parenthood; she is a mother of six herself. The experienced knowledge that she provided to us was beyond helpful. She was available to us the entire time by phone or email, and she was always prompt to respond. If you are considering a doula for your birth experience, I would absolutely reach out to Tiffanie.

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?

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!

We met with Sessy in the middle of last year when we were trying to determine whether or not we…read morewanted to hire a doula for the birth of our first child. Sessy was incredibly thoughtful and helpful in talking us through the benefits of a doula and our options for working with Queen City BirthWork. After talking a bit more through what we wanted in a doula, she made some recommendations about which individual she thought would be a good fit for us and helped to set-up follow-up conversations. We opted to hire Jessi as our doula, and we could not have made a better choice. In two pre-birth sessions, Jessi was incredibly prepared, helping to share from her vast amounts of resources and knowledge to help get us ready for the birth process. She was incredibly organized and communicative, and was very thoughtful in providing insight and feedback on our birth plan. While we were happy with the pre-birth services, the level of "pleased" jumped exponentially when it came to the day of our daughter's birth. We chatted with Jessi when we thought my wife was going into labor and touched base a few times while she was laboring from home. When we called her in the middle of the night after checking into the hospital, she was quick to answer and, it seemed, even quicker to actually get to the hospital. Once there, Jessi was absolutely incredible -- it would be an understatement to say that I can't imagine going through the birth process without Jessi. She was cool, calm, and collected throughout the entire 14+ hours. She provided immense comfort, invaluable guidance, and a level of support we could not have imagined needing as things in the delivery room took turns we couldn't have anticipated or expected. I cannot overstate the extent to which Jessi helped us to keep it together: she was there for us every single step of the way, including in the operating room and after. Jessi's support in the post-partum visits was also incredibly helpful as we began our journey as new parents. We are lucky to have a happy, healthy daughter and are so thankful that Jessi was a part of this journey. We cannot recommend Queen City BirthWork more highly and will absolutely use them again if we decide to have more children.

Sessy was incredible! Meeting with her ahead of time prepared us for what to expect and when it…read morecame time to give birth I'm so thankful she was there. I had no idea how to write a birth plan or what questions to ask or what to expect in any capacity. She helped me through the toughest parts for hours and hours and hours and then afterwards when I had complications she stayed with my husband and our new baby while I was in surgery. I'm so thankful she was there for us during that crazy and intense and amazing experience!