Lumina was an enormously helpful resource for us! First of all, shortly after attending a Lumina "Meet the Doulas" event we hired Shari Aizenman to be our doula. Hands down best decision we made after deciding to become parents! Shari was a gentle guide and an assertive advocate during the last weeks of pregnancy and most importantly during my labor and delivery. She is a walking encyclopedia of all things birth and pregnancy and mothering. She met with us before the birth and really listened to what we wanted and had a vision for. She helped me craft a realistic birth plan to share with my midwife and prepped my husband and me for potential scenarios that might occur. She was incredibly helpful in suggesting reading and tips in preparing for a natural, unmedicated delivery (which was my wish.) My daughter's birth was every bit the transformational, empowering experience I wanted it to be, and more! I give Shari much of the credit for helping me stay comfortable at home as I labored for hours and hours. By the time I arrived at the hospital, I was just three hours from delivery and was almost fully dilated. Shari was with us at home as I labored in my own space and accompanied us to the hospital for the delivery. She was an amazing source of energy and guidance! The unexpected gift that Shari gave us was her support and presence for my husband. She was so instrumental in helping him to be fully present and engaged in comforting me, and for our daughter when she finally arrived! Shari helped my husband in his role as birth partner and suggested things he could do (press on my hips, provide gentle massage to my back and shoulders. . .), all without being pushy. She gave us plenty of space, but was right there providing comfort and support to both of us through the whole process. Shari was so instrumental and helpful to my husband that he jokes that he "will never have another baby without her!" Seriously, her presence will definitely be requested the next time we welcome a new person into our family! Another member of the Lumina team that was pure gold to us was Jessica Cruz, the lactation specialist. Shortly before I delivered, my husband and I attended a class on breastfeeding that Jessica taught. We were already committed to breastfeeding our baby, but we learned a lot about the benefits of nursing and tips to be successful at it. Again, my husband was particularly grateful to learn about things he could do to support me in this process. After we brought my daughter from the hospital, the breastfeeding experience was much more challenging than I anticipated. I called Jessica three days after my daughter was born tearful and frustrated. She came right over that day and helped me position and properly latch on my baby. Her tips and guidance got us through the rough first couple of weeks. Now my daughter is almost one year old and we are still going strong with nursing. Breastfeeding her has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I owe much of that success to the support and suggestions we got from Jessica! Thank you Lumina for being such a marvelous resource for us! We are most grateful for all the support we received from your wonderful professionals! read more

Kate is Great! My journey to the delivery of my 2nd child, was a long one full of referrals, interviews, practice and hospital changes. My refusal to allow myself to get sucked into the American model of OB & delivery nightmare paid off. I successfully gave birth on 12-17-12 at AMC with a wonderful midwife, Kimary from Intown Midwifery, Kate Richards of Lumina Birth and my husband. The search process for a doula was not easy. I chose to wait until a 30 week scan that verified that my placenta moved so I could be cleared for a vaginal birth. I gained something positive from every doula I met (5). However, I knew right away that Kate was for us. Imagining someone at your birth is the most personal thing I believe you can allow in the history of your life. I felt like Kate and I were old friends and her and my husband hit it off. She has a great smile and sense of humor that immediately put me at ease. It was my preference to have someone with a pragmatic view about the birthing process. Although I completely appreciate the spiritual and mystical side of the miracle of birth, I was looking for an experience that kept me focused in the moment and the task of having an unmediicated birth. Kate was a perfect choice for us! She was attentive, available, non confrontational to the hospital staff, very supportive of my choices and read my cues perfectly of what I needed. I did not want anything done without her or my midwife present. She got along well with the midwife, which I also appreciated. She did not inundate me with emails and suggestions. She listened to me! She answered my questions, provided information that I requested and was one step ahead of me gathering information about intownmidwifery & AMC which I loved! She and the co-owner, Lacy, contacted the OB at Intown Midwifery to request a phone consult on my behalf before I even moved practices. This detail was critical in forming trust and respect for Lumina and Kate. I highly recommend Lumina Birth and Kate Richards. Best wishes to all of you laboring mothers. Find a doula and a team of people you trust, so that you can do the real work of having your baby. read more

We found our post-partum doula, Gwynne Knap, through Lumina Birth. Though Gwynne didn't enter our lives until our son was almost 4-months-old, she was a godsend none the less. Gwynne worked with us for a period of seven months. She is truly a gift to babies and new parents. Gwynne's natural instincts with babies allows her to offer critical support without interfering with the family dynamic that is developing when a new baby joins a family. Gwynne has a warm and loving demeanor that is not easy to find and we felt instantly comfortable having her around our son. She was a source of information and guidance when it came to breastfeeding, sleep (for both baby and us) and helped us keep our household in order. She provided light meal preparation and made sure I maintained a healthy diet and stayed well hydrated while breastfeeding. This was just one of the many wonderful and extremely helpful things she did for our family. When we realized I was experiencing some PPD and PPA, she was quick to recognize it and offer resources when I inquired. We cannot say enough about Gwynne, as a post-partum doula. Our son still recognizes her and greets her with a huge smile when she pops over for a visit. The world would be a better, more peaceful, loving place if all babies were loved and cared for by Gwynne Knap. read more

I wasn't sure if I wanted a doula at my birth at first, but I am so glad that we hired Liz Johnson towards the end of my pregnancy. I was having issues with my current OB practice, and she gave me emotional encouragement to switch (no pressure though!). Liz came over to our house twice before the birth to talk about our birth plan, show techniques we could use to "flip" the baby and to use during labor and gave us some suggestions for reading material. I ended up with our dream birth experience with Liz and Intown Midwifery - once my contractions became pretty strong, Liz came over to our house. We labored at home until transition, drove to the hospital and had a baby less than two hours later! Liz took some amazing photos of my family after the birth too! She stayed with us after baby arrived as long as we wanted, and helped us nurse and get settled in our new room. We ended up not taking a birth class (wish we had), and so when contractions came we were having issues timing them correctly. It was a relief to know that someone who had experienced birth before and knew the phases of labor was there so I could just focus on relaxing. read more

Nothing can really prepare you for childbirth. My husband and I knew we wanted a natural birth, but we also kept in mind to expect the unexpected, and not be upset if things didn't go as planned. Fortunately, things worked out and we had a natural birth with our son. I know for sure I wouldn't have been able to do it without our Doula, Shari. This was my first pregnancy and I didn't know what labor and delivery would be like, but I knew it would be an incredible experience filled with many emotions, including fear, pain, and possibly doubts! In addition to my husband, I wanted another key player on my birth team. I wanted someone knowledgeable, experienced, strong, calming, and reassuring. I wanted an advocate if something "urgent" came up, and someone who had a good relationship with the nurses and doctors. Shari was my answer, and she was amazing. L&D was a tough experience for me, but a very empowering one as well. Shari was by my side the whole time and I felt so comforted knowing she was there. After sharing such a special moment, Shari will always have a special place in our lives/hearts. read more

Thanks to Lumina Birth, I was blessed with the help of Shari Aizenman and Nhadyne Banton as birth/labor doulas, Jessica Cruz as my lactation consultant, and Gwynne Knap as my post-partum doula. While I was pregnant, Shari gave me all of the information I needed to make educated decisions about my birth plan. During my labor and delivery, Shari and Nhadyne shared their calming presence and encouragement. Jessica continues to be a welcome resource in my many struggles with breastfeeding and pumping, especially in the first few weeks. And the first month of my son's life would have been impossible without the help of Gwynne. Having never changed a diaper in my life, Gwynne helped set me at ease with her calm and supportive spirit. I highly recommend the ladies of Lumina Birth to help pregnant and new mothers. read more

Shari Aizenman was so amazing in her support of me and my family during the term of my first pregnancy, then at the hospital, and during post-natal that I consulted her before getting pregnant with my second child to make sure she would be available for our second birth experience. Her background in anatomy, massage therapy and nutrition is priceless. Her ability to support your wishes without alienating well-meaning family members and hospital staff by remaining firm in creative ways helped ease the burden considerably off my husband and me so we could concentrate on simply having the baby. Shari is a warm and loving woman who my family is lucky to know and whom we now count as a reliable and trustworthy friend. I am thankful for her dedication and passion in everything she does. read more

I used Shari as my doula and words cannot express how wonderful she was! Her years of experience and passion for what she does makes her an absolutely amazing doula. Shari was there for me, not only during delivery, but also when I needed her during and after pregnancy. She went above and beyond to help educate me on all of my options and she was supportive of my choices for my birth plan. Despite some complications that came up towards the end of my pregnancy, with Shari's help, I was still able to have the natural childbirth that I wanted. Had Shari not been there with me, I fear what type of birth experience I would have had (my OB was quite a bully). When I decided to get pregnant again, I will definitely be calling Shari! read more

Shari Aizenmen was the perfect match for us. We interview other doulas, and we chose her as soon as we met her. Shari has such vast knowledge, a calming confidence and wisdom, and true expertise. I felt like she answered any questions I had with lots of information and references to reading material, too. I went to Shari for massages prenatally and postpartum, and she works wonders. She came to our house and helped me labor at home until I needed to go to the hospital to deliver. We had a water birth, and she supported me emotionally, mentally, and physically. She has a protective mother-bear presence, and I trusted her through the whole process. I would highly recommend her! read more

I can't express my appreciation enough to Liz for being our doula. Even with a difficult pregnancy and delivery, Liz worked with us to have the best experience possible. She was available before, during and after birth and suggested techniques we never would have thought of during a grueling 41 hour labor. Not only that, but she was understanding and respected OUR wishes for the birth and did not try to persuade us otherwise. My husband and I tell all our friends who are considering natural childbirth to get a doula and more specifically to get Liz! We are forever grateful to her for helping us achieve the birth we wanted for our daughter. read more

We used Patti as a post-partum doula and am so glad we did! This was our first, and we didn't have family coming into town until our little one was about a week old and Patti was indispensable. She showed us soothing techniques to help our daughter get more comfortable, guided me through baby's first bath at home, introduced us to baby-wearing (which is awesome) and even made our bed and did a load of laundry for us. She also put together a meal I had hoped to make pre-birth but ran out of time on! I felt so much more confident as a new mom because of her. I would heartily recommend Patti to any new parent. read more

We took a four-session childbirth class with Liz from Lumina Birth. It was a GREAT class! Liz was knowledgeable and prepared, and the class was laid-back but very, very helpful. My husband and I both feel a lot more relaxed and informed about the birth, and prepared for what's coming. Liz covered a wide range of topics and we really learned a lot. Questions were encouraged and she answered them all. Would absolutely recommend this class to any couple that is expecting, even if it isn't your first! Highly recommended. read more

I was so thankful to have Liz for our doula. Even before the labor, just knowing that she would be there gave me so much peace of mind as the husband. Liz showed me many helpful strategies for assisting my wife during childbirth. She knew our birth plan well and insured that it was followed once we were at the hospital. Once we called her, she immediately arrived at our house to help my wife labor. And after our baby was born, she stayed as long as we wanted. read more