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.

My husband and I both highly recommend Terri. She supported us through the birth of our first…read morechild, and we truly can't imagine going through the experience without her. What started as plans for an unmedicated birth ultimately became an induction followed by an unplanned C-section. Terri was with us every step of the way, helping us stay calm, informed, and grounded throughout the entire process. She was an incredible support not only to me, but also to my husband, and helped us advocate for ourselves and get creative with our medical team around laboring positions and pain management strategies. Even after taking birthing classes and feeling well prepared, we were still extremely grateful to have Terri by our side during labor and delivery. Outside the L&D room one of the best parts of working with her was having someone help us talk through what we hoped for in our birth experience, process what actually happened afterward, and provide us with a written birth story. If we're lucky enough to be expecting again in the future, Terri will absolutely be one of our first calls.

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.

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

Liz gave me an amazing massage! It's really hard to find a truly skilled, intuitive masseuse. Liz…read moreis it! She's incredible and I felt amazing afterwards. She is strong and uses her hands and arms to do the work. I'll definitely be going back!

Liz is the absolute best massage therapist. I saw her regularly throughout my pregnancy and her…read moreskillful work really helped manage the aches and pains of pregnancy. She takes time to listen to your concerns and addresses them throughout the massage. She is a skilled body worker who is in tune with her client's needs. She books up fast for a reason, I cannot recommend enough. In addition, we were able to use her as our doula for our second child after a less than ideal birth with our first. With Liz's help I was able to navigate a less than ideal situation of getting induced and had my son quickly and easily. She was so supportive and with her by our side it was a wonderful experience that redeemed the birth experience. Liz is a hidden gem and if you can get in with her she is the very best for pregnant and not pregnant moms.

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 wife and I heard nothing but great things from our in-laws about their experiences with their…read moredoula, so we were interested from the beginning of our pregnancy in finding one. We had spoken to one early on, but she was booked by the time we tried to hire her. Luckily for us, she recommended the services of Jordan Allen at Bella Vita Doula. My wife and I were able to take a number of parenting classes through our hospital, but it was all very broad. It was absolutely invaluable having Jordan there to fill in the blanks we had from class, as well as providing a fuller, more comprehensive overview of the basic facts learned in our hospital classes. While our classes provided information about "most babies", Jordan's instruction felt more like we were talking about "our baby". Much of the information we got from other sources -- classes and our OB -- felt very medical, very textbook, and very impersonal. Jordan provided research based, data driven information, which empowered my wife and I to believe in ourselves, not just as individual parents, but as a team, soon to be in charge of a little life. Speaking in my own experience, being a soon-to-be-father can often feel very alienating. Most folks -- family, friends, medical staff -- are rightly preoccupied with the health of Mama and baby, and the journey they're undergoing together. Lots of jokes about "you just helped with the fun part" can make it easy to feel like the non-birthing parent doesn't have a place in this journey, or in labor and delivery. From our first interaction, Jordan made me feel the opposite; that I was in fact one of the most important parts of "the care team", as she put it. I don't think it's an understatement to say that Jordan was one of the bigger parts of my support system during the pregnancy journey. We also had the privilege to have Jordan for two postpartum visits, in which she provided lots of tips and tricks for new parents, and most valuably, how to find further support if needed, be it lactation consultants, parenting resources, and further explanations on the sterilized information we gained from class. Jordan's pricing was very reasonable (I would say she should charge more) and was always available for my wife and I, be it for small questions, or broader conversations about something we had heard from one source or another. By far, the most valuable service Jordan provided was her unflagging certainty in my wife and I that we can do this. Due in no small part to her, we have. You could do no better than Jordan Allen.

I can't thank Jordan enough for her support, positively, and wealth of knowledge about pregnancy,…read morebirth, and postpartum! She really made me feel comfortable through the birthing process and I didn't think that was possible. She is someone you really want on your birth team to empower you through the journey! If you need someone to advocate for you & support you -- she's your girl! :)

I interviewed Mac almost a year ago to be a manny for Mannies of L.A.. I knew right when I met him…read morethat he was a superb guy who puts kids first. He helped out at an event and the interaction and his rapport with both parents and children was wonderful. He is an smart, caring, and thoughtful human being. I would definitely be comfortable using him.

From the owner: Specializing in comprehensive doula support, including labor support, day and overnight postpartum…read morecare, infant sleep consulting, and lactation support. Mac enthusiastically offers LGBTQ-inclusive, empowering, compassionate care for ALL families.

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

My husband & I planned to hire a nanny for our son who would be a little over 5 months old when my…read morehusband's paternity leave ended through ABC Nannies. We ended up not using their services because thousands of years of biology caught up to me & I realized I wanted to quit my job to raise him & any future children instead. However, this company was fantastic to work with & I felt completely taken care of having never hired help for our home other then maybe a landscaper. We had 2 informative consultations with ABC & got up to the part where we received resumes of possible candidates. It can be a stressful process with all there is to navigate (finding candidates, background checks, becoming an employer, etc.) but ABC is there to guide you through it which is just what we needed. If we are ever in a position where we need a nanny or another type of household staff, I'd come to them first.

I have been in ABC Nannies' candidate pool and attempted to work with them multiple times over the…read morepast few years, and unfortunately my overall experience was disappointing. As an experienced nanny, I completed their onboarding process, which included providing references. My references shared that the process was very time-consuming, and I truly appreciated the effort they put in to support me. During this time, I was transparent that I was actively looking for my next nanny position and that finding a new role was important due to changes with my current family. After completing the process, I did not feel supported in my search. I was rarely contacted about opportunities that aligned with what I was looking for, and when I proactively reached out about positions listed on their job board, communication was often inconsistent. There were multiple occasions where I did not receive a response, could not reach someone by phone, or was told that positions still listed as open had already been filled and needed to be updated. When I needed to begin my search again after my previous nanny contract ended, I reached out once more and provided updated information, but unfortunately experienced many of the same communication challenges. While they did eventually reach out about a couple of opportunities, I never progressed to an interview or placement through ABC Nannies. Ultimately, I found my nanny position through another local agency, and the experience was completely different. They took the time to understand what I was looking for, communicated consistently, and made me feel supported and advocated for throughout the process. I understand agencies work with many families and candidates and cannot guarantee placement. However, nannies are also relying on agencies during important career transitions, and clear communication is incredibly important. After completing the steps required to join the nanny pool, I was disappointed that I did not feel supported throughout the process. I hope ABC Nannies takes feedback like this seriously and continues working toward improving communication and the overall experience for nanny candidates.