We can barely put into words how game changing having Noreen's support was for our new family. She started with us on night 1 home from the hospital and immediately jumped into action - bonding with our little girl, helping Mom navigate the breast feeding ropes, and guiding Dad on the best way to support the family. She's professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and SO much fun to be around. read more

I was referred to Noreen as the guardian angel...and that is exactly what she is. At the time I realized we desperately needed a night nurse I was 2 weeks postpartum (after an emergency c-section), our newborn had spent 2 weeks in NICU and we had a 2 and 4 year old at home. To say I was feeling overwhelmed and out of my depths is an understatement. Noreen came is with the love, care and experience that put our entire family at ease. Her nurturing ways are perfectly paired with her knowledge and know how - we felt so at ease putting our little one under her care. She also has wit and humor that can lighten the mood at any hour of the night . read more

I cannot rave about Noreen enough to truly do her justice. She was such a wonderful, warm doula that went above and beyond in all aspects of her work. She started with me on my daughter's first night home from the hospital and worked with us several nights a week for the first 8 weeks. She is incredibly confident and competent when it comes to working with infants and I always felt so safe leaving the baby with her while I got some sleep. Not only did she take care of the baby, she also took care of ME--refreshing my water, checking in on how I was doing emotionally, bringing me my pumping equipment in the middle of the night. Even when her "work day" was over, Noreen would still check in with me during the day to see how I was doing or with ideas on how to help the baby with nursing, sleeping, etc. One thing that sets Noreen apart from other doulas, is that she truly loved my baby and our family. It felt so good to me as a mom to have someone else adore my baby and shower her with love and affection! Noreen will always be such an important part of our family's life and I will never forget how special she helped make those first several weeks of my baby's life. read more

If there were more than five stars, Noreen would get them all! She was fantastic: caring, trustworthy, knowledgeable, warm and compassionate (the list could go on). When we came home from the hospital and Noreen was there on the first night, we knew right away we were lucky to have her. If only she could stay with us for years to come to help us with our baby (and be our friend!). I'd recommend Noreen to anyone. Thanks Noreen for all your help with us and our baby! read more

Noreen McCarthy is a post partum night time doula- DONA trained and provides help with breastfeeding and lactation, general baby care and perhaps most importantly, allows you to get some rest so you can enjoy the first few months of your baby's life! I can't recommend Noreen more highly! Noreen started helping us when our son was two weeks old--once our family went home and the fatigue had started to set in. Noreen was with us for six weeks and would work from 9 pm until 7 am. In the beginning I would nurse the 9 pm feed and use this time to ask Noreen questions and get her opinion on the baby's latest behavior. Then with the help of Noreen's gentle reminder, I would promptly get myself in bed (a good habit that I have happily been able to maintain). Noreen would give our baby two or three feedings at night. Most of the times I would only have to get up once for 20 minutes to pump--but when I was really tired, I wouldn't even do that and get 7 hours of straight sleep! Prior to our experience with Noreen, I thought that having a night nurse was an indulgence, but now after having Noreen with us I realize that in our case it really was more of a necessity. This was our first child. I worried about the stress and sleep deprivation of having a new baby, a husband with an aggressive work and travel schedule and no family in the Bay Area to provide support. Noreen not only provided baby care, but companionship, baby consultation, and even helped my husband and I give the baby his first bath. Noreen is a warm, calm, loving, dedicated, and consciences person. She adores babies and her career. Noreen is a good listener and always extremely positive and reassuring regarding our parenting questions. If Noreen was unsure of something she would diligently find the answer. If the question was of a medical nature she suggested calling our pediatrician or lactation consultant. I trusted Noreen completely with our baby. My husband and I are and will continue to be better and happier parents because of the encouragement, education, and sleep that Noreen enabled us. I have no hesitation in recommending Noreen as she exceeded all of our expectations. read more

My wife and I were so grateful to have Noreen spend a few hours with us and our 4 week old. We were struggling with our little one sleeping in his crib. He would only sleep in his infant bouncer and we were concerned about getting him out of this habit. Within one visit, Noreen had him sleeping in his crib throughout the night. We couldn't be more relieved as we were worried about his safety sleeping in the bouncer each night. Noreen has such a gentle touch with infants and mothers. I highly recommend her services. Thanks so much Noreen! read more

Noreen worked with us for about 8 weeks, starting when my daughter was two weeks old. I was getting no sleep and my baby wasn't latching correctly, so she was starving and miserable. We were up every 1-2 hours and I was starting to go insane. I was completely overwhelmed, and our poor baby would just scream through the night. Noreen actually came one day before her actual start date, just to observe us for an hour or so and to help figure out what was going on with breastfeeding. She was on her way to another client, but was so dedicated and concerned about our baby that she made the time. Once we were up and running, she taught me how to pump ( a game changer) and eventually got our little girl to sleep for 6-7 hour stretches. I only had to get up once to pump and then I was back to bed. I would literally count the hours until Noreen would arrive on the nights we had her. She clearly LOVES all of her babies, and we felt so comfortable leaving our daughter with her. She was such a help in those first few weeks, I can't imagine what the experience would have been like without her. Getting sleep is obviously a huge help, but I also really valued the advice on breastfeeding and general infant care. I met one of her former clients, who describes her as the "fairy godmother" of all night doulas, which completely fits once you meet her. If we have another baby, she will be one of the first people I will call! We lucked out getting her when our baby was two weeks old (most people book in advance), but I wouldn't leave it to chance again! read more

Noreen is amazing. So good with babies- you can tell she is a natural. She reminds me of an Irish Mary poppins. Oh, but if you're thinking of hiring her book now bc she books out 6 months! read more

I wholeheartedly agree with the other rave reviews here. We also loved Noreen from the moment we met her! In addition to all of her expertise and experience, she has what I think is the perfect personality for a night postpartum doula. Noreen always understood exactly what she could do to be helpful and would either step in, making suggestions with her unique blend of humor and compassion, or hold back, allowing me to figure out what would work best for me in a given situation. Hiring a night doula was definitely a splurge for us, but we decided that we could be much better parents with the extra sleep and boost of confidence that one could provide. We had no idea just how helpful Noreen would be. She not only provided us with welcome comfort and relief when she showed up at our home, but also offered support on her days and nights off when we would call her with questions about anything from breastfeeding to sleeping patterns. As another reviewer mentioned, she's very well plugged into the newborn care community and gave us countless tips about the best baby gear and new-parent resources -- in addition to connecting us to the best babysitter and nanny we could have hoped to find. If you're on the fence about hiring a night doula to help you with sleep, breastfeeding, newborn care, and generally transitioning to parenthood my advice is this: Go for it, but make sure you hire a really good one. If you're lucky enough to get onto Noreen's packed calendar, you can rest assured you've got the best. read more

Noreen is an excellent night doula who went above and beyond to care for our son - and our entire family. Noreen is extremely loving and we loved the compassion that she showed our newborn. Noreen is very communicative and helped us navigate many ups and downs through the first couple weeks of being home from the hospital. Noreen went above and beyond by ensuring that our entire apartment was clean, organized and ready for the next day! She has continued to stay in touch, and even watched our little guy so that we could have our first date night. I highly recommend Noreen! read more

Noreen is a fantastic night doula. She has worked with me for my last two children and I couldn't imagine what life would have been like without her. Not only is she so loving and caring to the babies, but she is extremely nurturing with moms. She is a wealth of knowledge and even after having three kids, I was still constantly learning from her. Noreen is a joy to be around. She has a great personality, is very calm, and makes those around her relax- key for new parents. Any family would be so lucky to have Noreen work with them. read more

Noreen was absolutely fabulous from the moment my husband and I met her for our interview. She started working with us a few months before our son was born. She was at our house taking care of "little man" the first night we were home. We miss Noreen and consider her like part of our family. As new parents we had no idea what we were doing, and were a tad nervous and trying to over-educate ourselves, finding different answers everywhere we looked. Noreen showed us how to do everything which completely removed our anxiety of the unknown we were facing. She has helped hundreds of babies and just knows what is going on for the little ones. She is an incredibly loving person who takes care of "her babies" as if they are her own. She also makes mommy feel loved and pampered during the first few tough weeks. We always felt our little boy was in the very best care possible with Noreen. I cannot recommend her enough! She is just a lifesaver. read more

Noreen basically saved our lives. We tried three nights on our own with our little one, and she would not sleep (except in my arms). Noreen came walking in with her unbelievable positive energy and her deep expertise and turned everything around for two shell-shocked and sleep-deprived parents. She cared as much for us as she did for our baby, and kept the three of us sane and happy through the most difficult period, life with a newborn. The first night she was there, our baby started sleeping in two hour stretches in her bassinet, and those stretches only increased. I was finally able to get more than a half our of sleep at a time, which changed everything. And not only was Noreen amazing on the nights she was there, but she taught us tricks so we could get the baby to sleep when she wasn't there, and gave us other techniques that we use to this day. And like the other reviewers say, I was basically in tears on her last night with us. But she got us off to such a great start, I totally credit her with the fact that our baby was sleeping through the night by three months of age. I can't rave about the doula experience enough, and Noreen in particular. She is such a warm and lovely person to be around, which helps a lot when you're sitting side by side with her doing the 3am feeding. I swear she has a magic touch with babies, and our daughter lights up whenever Noreen drops by to visit us. read more

We were lucky to work with Noreen when our baby was a few weeks old. We were exhausted, in over our head, and frazzled. Noreen immediately calmed us with her endless energy, infinite wisdom, and background in every aspect of taking care of babies and parents. I couldn't imagine anyone who was so calm & loving to babies and so thoughtful and caring to us, the parents. Any parent working with Noreen is starting their baby and their relationship with their baby in the best possible way, prepared for a life of nurturing, safety, and love. read more

I am writing a review for Noreen McCarthy of the San Francisco Night Doulas because she is an exceptional caregiver. I don't know how our family would have survived without her. She came into our lives after our third child was born. I have two other children, a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl. Having cared for both older children throughout the night on my own, the last thing I thought I needed was someone to help me with my third child. Six weeks into trying to "do it all" on my own, I realized that I was exhausted beyond belief. The older kids were still waking up at night: teething, nightmares, etc... and the baby was feeding every 2-2 1/2 hours. I was waking up on average 8 times a night. I became a zombie and my ability to be a good mom quickly deteriorated. My husband was frustrated, I was sleep-deprived, and no one was getting me at my best. This is when Noreen came into our lives and everything turned around in her first night with us. I remember it clearly when she walked in the door. I had not interviewed her before, but she immediately established a calm, comfortable presence in our home and I felt reassured right away. She is the ultimate professional, yet has such a warm, easygoing personality. She slipped into our routine seamlessly. I was breastfeeding and pumping, and we quickly established an easy schedule. I would pump before going to sleep (soon after she arrived at 9pm), and only wake up one other time to pump (at 2am). I was so relieved to be able to finally have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Noreen gave our baby the best care anyone could ever hope for: she watched over him all night, fed and changed him, and was alert to any changes or fluctuations in his night routine. She was often the one to notice something first, whether it was his spitting up, coughing or digestive issues. Anything that I would have been concerned about, she noticed immediately and brought to my attention. Her years of experience and insight helped me navigate any problems quickly. She offered advice, sent me articles and kept me aware of new trends, research and information without being opinionated or pushing her own agenda. She put me in charge and never questioned my decision for care. At the same time, she helped me immensely by being a trusted resource, when I didn't have the time or energy to put into it. Not only did Noreen take care of our newborn, but she also took care of me. She cleaned all my bottles and pumping gear so I didn't have to spend the extra 10 minutes doing it myself. I could always call her to pick something up on the way in if I forgot to buy it during the day. Not only was I in a better place physically because I was able to get more rest (those precious minutes add up), but she also looked after my emotional well-being. She made me feel good about everything I was doing and never judged me. I looked forward to her walking into the door every night. I couldn't wait to confide in her about my day; my trials and tribulations with the kids as well as the highlights and precious moments. She was a great listener, and she made me laugh when I needed that extra boost of positive energy. I became a better wife and mother because of Noreen. I was happier and more rested. I felt supported in such an all-encompassing way. I could rely on her for anything, and she always came through. It's a leap of faith to assume that someone else will care for your child as well as you will, regardless of their qualifications. But Noreen met and exceeded my expectations. She took such good care of our little one that he lit up whenever she walked into the room. By taking taking care of him, she really took care of all of us. Noreen is like a mother, sister and aunt to me - and the whole family loves her dearly. I wish everyone could have the great experience we had with Noreen. Hiring her was the best decision we could have made. read more

I have not even hired Noreen yet and I am already writing her a 5-star review...that's how impressed I am by Noreen as a person and by the services she offers! I've been speaking to Noreen about hiring her services for my first baby, due later this year. Already, she has shared so much valuable information and given me much more confidence that everything will be okay. It's clear she has _a lot_ of experience caring for newborns, be it around breastfeeding, sleep schedules, nutrition, baby gear/supplies, family dynamics, or just mom/dad's emotional needs. Noreen also has a very empathetic nature. It's easy to talk to her, she listens carefully, and it's clear she cares a lot about what she does and the babies she works with. We'll be very lucky to get to have her help! It's clear she offers far more than moms and dads can figure out on their own. read more

After two long months with an infant who just wouldn't sleep for longer than two hours at a time, my wife and I were at the end of our rope. Both physically and mentally, we were spent. In dire need of a good night sleep, and the sanity that comes along with it, we called upon Noreen. Though we had read and heard many glowing reviews there was still the trepidation and anxiety that came with leaving our newborn in the care of someone we'd never met. All those fears went away within a minute of meeting Noreen. Along with years of experience and a wealth of knowledge, Noreen has a kind, kind soul. Her gentle spirit and nurturing disposition were evident right away, and I knew that my family was in the right and very caring hands. I got the feeling almost immediately that this was more than a job to her. Though it's hard to explain exactly, we both just knew she was going to take great care of our little baby boy while we got that much needed rest. And that's exactly what happened. Though we used her invaluable services on just a handful of occasions, my wife and I both feel like we've known Noreen for a long time. We're also certain we'll continue to be friends with her for many years to come. My wife especially formed a strong bond with Noreen, most likely due to the fact that she helped us at such a trying time. Needless to say, my wife and I highly recommend Noreen. On a professional level, she's experienced and thorough (she kept extensive notes, brought special bottles, and followed up after each night's stay with articles and several books). On a personal level, she's simply wonderful. If you're in need of a night nurse/childcare provider, look no further. read more

I cant say enough wonderful things about Noreen. We have what one might call a fussy, high needs baby. I was feeling terrible about my mothering skills when I called Noreen, wondering why I couldn't manage her. She walks into my home and within minutes I felt like she was an old friend. Though most of my old friends could not stop by baby from crying, Noreen calmed her with in seconds (and she kindly reminded me that she does this for a living so i should not feel bad about the learning curve ahead of me). Through the weeks Noreen made me feel comfortable and more confident. She has taught me a great deal about newborns and how to read my little ones cues. She has even made me laugh when my daughter is screaming! Yes she still screams, and like Noreen says, "she is who she is", but Im far better at dealing, I can end the screaming much faster than before, and see the bright side of things. I highly recommend her... though book in advanced! She is one popular doula. I hope Noreen will continue to stay in my life. Ive told her she has to come by once a week till my daughter is 18 to talk sense into her, and Im not joking! Noreen is so much more than "hired help"... she truly is a friend, or more like family. She LOVES her work and it shows the minute you contact her. Thank you Noreen for your compassion and generosity. read more

Noreen is made of magic. My husband was away on a two-week-long business trip, leaving me with a three-week-old and a three-year-old. I thought I could handle it, but after a full week of my newborn wanting to party all night, and my toddler wanting to party all day--leaving me with maybe two hours of sleep in any 24-hour period--I was falling apart. Enter Noreen. She came over two nights in a row and was absolutely wonderful. Doulas take care of babies *and* mamas, and Noreen was warm, loving, and reassuring when I desperately needed some help (and sleep!). She is a font of knowledge on breastfeeding and bottle-feeding (even bringing over several bottles for us to try out--and she even left me one gratis), and worked out a bedtime routine for my little one that has helped her flip her days / nights. She also sent me to bed, only waking me to pump, and cleaned out the bottles and pump parts, refrigerating the milk, once I was done. I got six solid hours in a row and then an hour to two after pumping. She got me and my baby back on track, thus leaving me with enough energy to play with my very energetic toddler during the day. It's no exaggeration to say even just two nights with her restored my sanity. Noreen also emailed me with all of the wonderful advice she dispensed while she was here, lest in my sleep-deprived state I forget any of it, and I refer to those emails religiously. I can't say enough about what a pro Noreen is--this whole experience was invaluable--and she also happens to be a lovely person to be around. I only wish I had known of her back when we had our first! read more

Just contacted Noreen for night time care for my four month old son. She was booked until the rest of the year but was kind enough to give me some referrals. I respect that and if I ever have a baby again, I will remember her and book in advance! read more

Noreen McCarthy was an absolute life-saver for me. She went out of her way to be with me on my first night home, when I pretty much lived in the nursery with her and my newborn. She made me feel much more in-control and eased so many of my early fears and concerns over my daughter. Over the following weeks, Noreen helped me to transition to pumping during the night so that I could sleep for long (6+ hour) stretches while she was up with my daughter for her much more frequent night feeds. While I credit Noreen with my ability to get 5-6 hours of sleep at a time during the first few weeks, she did so much more for us than that. When I struggled with breastfeeding, she helped me understand what the problems might be and to resolve them. She has incredible resources (both from her own experience and from her vast network of "baby" contacts) and while always providing me with information, always left the decisions up to me. She answered my endless questions about umbilical cords, concerns over feeding quantities and quality, and sleeping. She would bring me and my daughter various "tools" (sleep positioners, her favorite swaddling sack, new pumping shields, bottle brushes, etc) and pretty much made me feel completely in control of what my daughter and I needed. My daughter, who turned out to not be an easy baby, would NEVER cry when Noreen was here. My mother was in town for a few days and was absolutely baffled to not hear my daughter cry when Noreen was in the house. She was incredibly loving with my daughter and my daughter responded to her in a remarkable way. In my nanny search, I found myself continually saying, "but Noreen would be better." I trusted her absolutely to do the best thing for my daughter. I'm still begging her to be our nanny--I've never met someone who took care of my baby better than I could, and Noreen can and does. She's completely wonderful. You will never regret having her there to help in those first months! read more

Although I was unable to hire Noreen, I was fortunate enough to have several conversations on the phone with her. We were extremely sleep deprived and could not figure out why our little one was crying through the entire night. After the first few minutes of our initial conversation, Noreen was able to troubleshoot the issue and my baby girl was sleeping in her crib that very night! To this day I credit Noreen for saving my sanity, sleep, and possibly even my marriage. =) If you are even thinking about hiring someone, look no further. read more

I want to let everyone know that I had a fantastic experience with Noreen McCarthy. She helped me for six weeks after the birth of my first child this past November. I wish everyone could have her!!! I left the hospital with breast feeding issues that left me in tears so I called her and she rushed over to my house that afternoon to help. That was just the start of her phenomenal service. With her guidance I learned my infant's cues, mastered breast feeding, healed quickly and developed a confidence that would have taken much longer without her support. Even better, a week after she left, my baby started sleeping through the night!!! I can't promise that for everyone, but boy was that worth the expense. Speaking of $$$, this is by no means an inexpensive service, but my justification is that I wouldn't buy a house without paying an expert to help so why wouldn't I want someone by my side as I tackle one of life's most important jobs -- rearing a child. Noreen is a sweet, caring and funny person who will light up your home. Yes -- it's a leap of faith to invite a stranger into your house, but after we met Noreen for the pre-interview, we didn't have any qualms. She felt like family from the get go. My advice for new Mom's or ones gearing up to welcome their second child, give Noreen a call. Talk to her and find out for yourself how wonderful she is. If we are blessed with another child, my husband and I plan to call her the second we find out to book her for #2! Some other things to know if you are interested in learning more: BREAST FEEDING *If you are breast feeding a night doula can and will be of help. I exclusively breast feed and probably wouldn't if I didn't have Noreen's guidance. In the first two weeks she woke me at night to feed regularly so my milk came in and the production was strong. After I fed, she took the baby to burp, diaper and get back down -- a process that can often take longer than the feeding itself! Knowing that I could go right back to bed made those early nights bearable. Noreen amused me with funny stories while I fed. She had me cracking up at 3am. Once my milk was established, I would only get up once in the middle of the night to pump. Noreen would then feed, burp and change the baby, AND clean all my pumping supplies -- gotta love it. Those precious extra hours of sleep allowed me to be extra alert for my baby during the day, gave my body what it needed to heal, and helped encourage a good supply of breast milk. BONDING * I feel incredibly bonded to my child - maybe even more so thanks to Noreen. A lot of people are concerned that they may miss out on important bonding during those wee hours of the night. Even when I woke in those early weeks to feed my child, I was a zombie and there wasn't a whole lot of quality time going on between me and my child -- it was more a matter of getting the baby fed and back down. We weren't gazing lovingly into each other's eyes -- the baby is tired too! The extra sleep Noreen helped me get meant that I was wide awake during the day so I could be with my baby as much as possible. We got to know each other when we were both at our best. SLEEP ARRANGEMENTS Everyone works differently with their night doula on sleeping arrangements -- they will do whatever makes you comfortable. I slept in bed with my husband and Noreen woke me by gently touching my shoulder when it was time to feed. Noreen stayed with our baby in a separate room and watched over it all night. read more

So I never even got the opportunity to hire Noreen as she was totally booked, but from the moment I called her, Noreen enlisted herself to find me a doula simply out of the goodness of her heart. She called her network, posted on message boards, did research on people she came across and spent hours on the phone with me and emailing back and forth to give us as much advice about doulas, our baby and any questions we had--all just to be nice. She has been in the industry for a long long time and every doula I spoke with seemed to know her. 5 minutes on the phone with her and you will understand her level of professionalism and compassion. THIS is the kind of person I would want to be looking after my child, so when the next one comes, I will be booking Noreen far far in advance. read more

I cried the night she left! Ok, so some of that was post-partum hormones talking but really I was very sad for our time with Noreen to end. She showed up that first night and, for this first time mom, just made everything that was so out of control seem OK. From her practical, straight-forward advice to the way she cared for our little one, I appreciated the way she handled the entire situation. I was feeling overwhelmed with all the "shoulds" and "should nots" I had read about in dealing with our first child and Noreen put me at ease time after time. She won over my doubtful husband - he didn't understand why we needed a night doula - so much so that he actually extended our initial time period with her. Besides just taking care of the baby at night, we also had little chats each evening when she arrived and she provided me with a wealth of other general information that I would never have otherwise obtained - and she's fun to talk to! If you are considering employing Noreen, you should snap her up right away before someone else does. I know for certain that if we do have another child Noreen will be my first phone call. read more

My husband and I had the good fortune to work with Noreen when our son was a newborn. Based on the sage advice of my sister-in-law (who also wrote a 5-star review after working with Noreen), we emailed Noreen to when I was just past my first trimester...and thank goodness I did! We arrived home from the hospital on Christmas, and Noreen was there the next day. She was a force of positive energy and good humor, who brought much-needed sanity and calm into our lives during this inevitably crazy time. In addition to helping my husband and me get sleep (which is by far the scarcest resource in those early days), Noreen taught us many other things. She helped our son start taking a bottle at 3 weeks, helped me learn how to pump, helped me make sure I drank enough water, etc. She answered all our questions, even those we didn't know we had! And if she didn't know the answer, she'd pose the question to her amazing network of other doulas. Unfortunately, our son came down with RSV when he was 2 weeks old and we had to go back to the hospital with him for 5 days, which was quite traumatic. Noreen provided moral support and reassurance when we were in the hospital, and having her there when we returned home once he was healthy was invaluable. Noreen also knows that it's important for parents to maintain their relationship with each other during the trying days of having an infant, so she would generously offer to come early now and then so my husband and I could sneak off on a date. Noreen is a generous and warm person who truly loves babies (and by extension, their parents). I can't recommend her enough! read more

I was hesitant about hiring a night doula, having someone in our house and taking care of my little one. But I was in dire need! I have a 2 year old, a 2 months old who only sleeps 1-2 hrs every night (only in my arms) and a husband who travels often. Needless to say I was exhausted! The moment I spoke to Noreen I felt instantly comfortable. She was so thoughtful and caring and gave me advice on what I can do to help my little guy out. Because she was booked I couldnt hire her but she went out of her way to find someone for me. On top of that she came to my house in Marin and spent an afternoon with me just out of the goodness of her heart! She said she just loves helping people. With all her suggestions, I was finally able to get him to sleep in the bassinet. She also recommended a sleep consultant that she knew rather than a night doula after spending time working with my baby. It would save me money and give me some rest for the long run not just for the nights the doula would come. If I was to have another baby, I would definitely book her from the start. She is so upbeat and caring not just for the baby but for me. I could not say better things about her! read more

I signed up just to give a review to this wonderful woman. She has made such a big difference for my daughter, I only wish we had found her sooner. She got my kid on a solid sleep routine within a few visits, and got her way more comfortable with bottle feeding. She took videos to show me several bottle feeding techniques that work with our highly finicky child. It makes such a difference to have someone who cares, we are so fortunate to have found Noreen. read more

My Night Angel!!!! I wish I could give Noreen more stars! She was our life saver in the first few weeks after my son's birth. She knows so much about newborns and postpartum related issues from bringing up the best burp in a baby to all breast feeding/bottle feeding issues. She is the PRO! She taught me everything I know. Noreen also has a wonderful soft and tender approach to all things. Oh, and the extra hours of sleep I was able to get with her around were priceless! I highly recommend her. We were so fortunate to have her help us! read more

With this letter we are sad to see Noreen go....Noreen will no longer be with us after this week. I admit I was a skeptic when my wife first came home and notified me that we had hired a night nurse. Thoughts went through my mind: "Why can't we just grin, bear it, and make it through this time on our own? Don't we have the tools after reading the books and speaking with friends? We can go on "vacation" when our baby is born with the money we saved by not hiring a night nurse. Why not hold out and not hire a night nurse? We can survive this time, right?" With whole hearted certainty I have to say that we would not be where we are today with our baby if it wasn't for Noreen's guidance, support, and direction. We read the books, went to the classes, but had no practical experience. Class experience is irrelevant in comparison to the coaching and guidance we received from Noreen in the "real world" experience in our baby's first days, first weeks and first months. Noreen delivered on every level. She was warm, caring and thoughtful during the entire experience. She was an expert and a professional in every way. In retrospect, I don't know how we could have gotten through the experience without Noreen and her guidance. Michael read more

Hiring Noreen McCarthy as my night postpartum doula was hands down the best decision I made in relation to my pregnancy/birth/postpartum needs. Not only did she help me get more sleep in the weeks following my baby's birth, but she also taught me basically everything I needed to know about breastfeeding and caring for my baby. In addition, she is a joy to be around. Her sweet, caring personality and sense of humor are exactly what a new mom needs in those early weeks. Also, my baby loves her and smiles and coos every time he sees her. I can't recommend her more highly. In the first couple of weeks, she made sure my baby's latch was correct so that breastfeeding stopped hurting, that I had food and drink nearby if wanted, and that I was aware of all of the crazy things that happen to your hormones and body after giving birth. She also changed diapers and soothed the baby to sleep, which can take around an hour in the beginning. This extra sleep made all of the difference for my mood and sanity (and apparently my appearance as people always commented that I didn't look terribly weary). I felt like I could be a better, calmer mom to my baby because I wasn't falling down from exhaustion, or at least as much as I would have been without Noreen's help. After a couple of weeks, she showed me how to pump so that I could almost sleep a full night. If I ever get pregnant again, Noreen is the first person I will call so that I can book her for as many nights per week and for as long after the birth as the pocketbook allows. read more