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.

Lauren was the best! I couldn't imagine not having her there. She showed up and immediately set up…read morecandles and essential oils, and never left my side. She guided me and my husband into different positions, massaged me, and gave me the affirmations I needed to keep going. Can't recommend her enough. My husband said she felt like an extension of himself, because she just anticipated our needs!

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 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.

I am so glad I was able to have Lauren's support during my pregnancy and first birth. She provided…read moresuch useful information and perspective, and having her there with us at the hospital was incredibly reassuring. She made sure I was aware of different options and was heard in making my own choices, and helped my husband know how he could best support through the process as well. Lauren also helped capture the moment with photos of one of the biggest days of our life. I would not hesitate to recommend Lauren, Tammy and Misty for the doula services and pregnancy/postpartum support.

Best midwife out there from A2Z Natalie's been with us for…read moretwo births and we love her! Very professional and knowledgeable

Natalie helped me feel supported and empowered through my entire pregnancy. She had answers to all…read moremy questions and encouraged me to trust my body and instincts. She gave me plenty of helpful books to read throughout my pregnancy and was calm and prepared when it came time to give birth. I had a beautiful experience having my baby at home that wouldn't have been nearly as magical without Natalie. After my baby was born she was there for me day and night when I had questions or concerns. The classes she offered were informative and fun, my partner and I had a great time learning about child birth and what to expect. I'm honestly sad that we can't be in her care forever because she's the best provider I've ever had. If you want the real home birth experience without fear or judgement, Natalie is the best. Will 100% be having her as my midwife for any future kids I have. Thank you, Natalie!!

Alexandria is a kind, gentle, warm intuitive woman. Her prenatal visits were helpful, informative…read moreand she made us feel comfortable with her real quick. When my birth plan took a detour at 36 weeks (breach) I was very heartbroken, but she was still very encouraging no matter how my baby decided to come. And baby decided to come early via emergency c/s. Alexandria was there for us right away. A couple of days after I was discharged, Alexandria came by our home to visit. With her memories, insight and retelling of my babies birth, I was able to reframe the experience in such a better light. Enough that I look back on it with just as much joy as if she came naturally! Even if I had known a c/s was necessary months prior, I still am glad I hired Alexandria. On top of her loving doula service, she also encapsulated the placenta. I can't explain how helpful the placenta was for my recovery. I had plenty of energy those first few weeks, my milk was flowing without effort, no sadness, and the salve she also made for my scar helped it heal great.

I attended Alexandria's prenatal yoga class at Birthwise downtown on Wednesdays and absolutely…read moreloved it! I was never really into yoga prior to this pregnancy (my first) but decided to give it a try as I read it can be very helpful in preparing for birth. I am SO glad I did and that I found Alexandria. She was kind, warm and encouraging throughout my classes with her, offering excellent suggestions to any issues that came up as well as lending an ear when I just needed to vent. She truly cares and it comes across in her practice. The class itself isn't difficult, she does a good job of modifying anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, but it also made my body stronger and more flexible. I always felt more relaxed and yet somehow also energized after her class. Additionally, the meditation which she incorporates into the class has been so helpful and I feel has really prepared me for natural birth. I have way more confidence in my body and myself now and I owe so much of that to Alexandria and her class.

I knew having a Doula during the birth of my first child was something I really wanted to include…read morein the process but now having experienced it with Liz, I could not imagine going through childbirth with my current or future children without her! Liz gave my husband & I a ton of hands on information & resources to prepare us for the big day. Between her & the midwives at our birth center, I felt completely supported in our pregnancy journey & that I had a knowledgable teammate in our corner. The day of, Liz's presence went above & beyond our expectations. My childbirth experience of course did not go as planned but having Liz made what could've been a disappointing, scary, & chaotic change of plans had it just been my husband & I, into a calm, informed, & positive experience. When we have baby number 2 hopefully 3 years from now, there is no birth plan I create where Liz is not an important component to their labor & delivery.

After a traumatizing previous birth, it was really important to me to have a better birth…read moreexperience. Liz really helped me prepare for having a successful VBAC in so many ways. During the birth she was there for every step. I know my husband felt more confident having her there as well. I truly believe if she wasn't there the medical team would have pushed another c-section on me when things seemed like they were not progressing. But she helped get the VBAC and birth that i wanted. Liz is worth her weight in gold. I really wish I hired her for my first birth.

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.

Having a homebirth 7 weeks ago with Melissa and Samantha was one of the best decisions I have ever…read moremade. I birthed my first child in a hospital- In short, I didn't like many elements of the hospital experience. From the very first appointment with the midwives, I knew I had made the right decision to go with a homebirth. The attention and person to person caring that I received from these wonderful women was so nurturing and empowering all throughout my pregnancy. It is truly a revelation to be cared for in this way throughout pregnancy/birth/postpartum. You have a TEAM who truly cares about your well-being, who you can text with any little question or concern. I am in my 7th week postpartum and I feel great. I attribute so much of this to the exceptional care I have received over the past 6 weeks! My baby is calm. My body is healed. I don't think this is a coincidence. I am certain it is a result of this beautiful home birth Melissa knows absolutely everything there is to know about pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, parenting and pretty much any other topic you want to talk about! She also has a great sense of humor, which can be useful in all of the seriousness that comes with the territory of birth. Samantha is a world class emotional empath. She will ask you the exact right questions to get you talking about your feelings, and will LISTEN closely to everything you have to say which can be enlightening, validating and cathartic. Throughout this whole experience, prenatal appointments, water birth at home, 6 weeks of postpartum care, I have felt SAFE, SEEN, HEARD, EMPOWERED, and CHANGED FOREVER. If you're still not convinced, give these ladies a call yourself. They're the real deal.

Melissa and Samantha were the best midwives I could have ever asked for. They gave me the best…read morehomebirth experience and were so professional and efficient the day my baby was born. They were so welcoming and comforting during our prenatal visits. They have a wealth of knowledge about babies, birthing, breastfeeding, and natural methods of care for our family. The postpartum visits at home were also amazing and made it easier on me as a new mama. I love these women so much! If you are looking for trustworthy midwives to help facilitate a safe homebirth, look no further! Thank you, Meadowsweet Midwifery, for everything you have done for my family!