I had a wonderful experience with my daytime doula Iyonna and evening doula Stephenie. Both were…read morevery helpful and knowledgeable which is so important for expectant mothers who need extra help cause newborns require so much and new moms need the time off to relax or just do... anything else. It feels endless and overwhelming at times. And it was wonderful to have the extra pair of hands so that I could sleep at night and take care of errands, get out of the house, grab food, and visit my older daughter in daycare during the day.

We had a great experience! Very early in my pregnancy, I reached out to Nathalie for a doula and…read moregot a response right away. She was very informative and provided my husband and I with answers to all our questions. We were initially connected with a couple different doulas that would be available during my due date and had interviews with them -- we ended up hiring Hannah Wright. From the get-go, Hannah was amazing. She was exactly what we needed. She provided great advice throughout my pregnancy and she especially gave my husband a lot of confidence in being my support person by having her there during the actual labor and birth. She provided excellent support and kept me grounded during the entire process and immediately stepped in and started providing all the tips and tricks in her wheelhouse to help me cope during my fast and intense epidural-free birth. I would certainly recommend her to anyone else. As for the more administrative end of things, we also have no complaints. Communication was excellent, the contract process with was very clear and straightforward, and we found the doula rates very reasonable.

I am so grateful that I found Cara as my birth doula. She was immediately someone who I felt open…read morewith and after talking through my birth plan, I knew she would guide me in the ways I needed during labor. Cara was a true sense of calm, bringing experience, intuition, and all the tools I needed to feel ready when labor started. With all thanks to Cara and our preparation together, I had the most positive, amazing, completely natural birth and I was confident I could do it!

We began our search for a doula with recommendations from a labor and delivery nurse who used to…read morework in DC. As I started checking websites and making calls, Cara immediately stood out from the rest and I knew that she was who we wanted to work with. After an initial video call, Cara came to our home to answer all (& we had a million!) of our questions about labor and delivery, she went over what we could expect from her and helped us put together a birth plan. We had been told to expect a larger baby and I really wanted to avoid a c-section and medication so we discussed with Cara my wishes and we spoke in length about how important the baby's positioning would be for safe delivery. Cara also showed me exercises on a fitness ball, gave me tips on how to increase my chances of spontaneous labor and brought a fabulous tea blend for me! Cara provided us with her 'labor line' number and I alerted her when I was transitioning from pre-labor/early labor into Stage 1 (she provides a very helpful chart!). I then progressed through the stages quicker than I realized (or anticipated) and didn't alert her again until the urge to push was involuntary and my contractions were very intense and very close together. We called her and she very calmly talked me through what was happening and said she'd meet us at the hospital. Within 30 minutes of our call, we were all at the hospital and 30 minutes after that our daughter was born. Cara was incredible at keeping us calm in a very chaotic situation. It was great to have her helping us communicate with the hospital staff because all of their questions (while necessary) were very overwhelming at that point in the labor process. She even does a home visit after the birth, she was able to ease our new parent fears and answer questions we had about caring for our newborn and breast feeding. We very highly recommend Cara for your birth journey!

We used Nicole Jolley and had an amazing birth experience with her. She is incredibly warm,…read morestrong, competent, knowledgeable, non-flaky, and funny in an irreverent sort of way (which my husband and I appreciate). She is certified as both a doula and a midwife -- this was important in several ways: 1. It was reassuring to know that she could deliver our child at home if things progressed rapidly. (My confidence in her abilities allowed me to labor from the comfort of my home. It wasn't until I was ready to push that I arrived at the hospital. Of course, she will adjust this based on your own individual birth plan). 2. Her midwife certification also allows her to perform many duties as someone who is only a doula cannot. For example, when she came over to my house, she measured my cervix and made recommendations on exercises to perform during labor based on which part of my uterus was thick. 3. The fact that she is also a midwife is also important for our insurance Fepblue -- which only processes claims for midwives and not doulas. Yes, we used the GW midwife practice -- and BCBS were only concerned about Nicole's certification and did not consider her redundant to the process). Other things that we loved about Nicole: She was recommended by the GW midwives (if you are delivering with them - it is nice that they are very familiar with and like each other). She lives on the Hill ~ so it was reassuring that she is close by. We also loved that were very comfortable with her alternate, Alex, who we didn't have to use but liked and trusted equally. (Make sure that you like both your doula and her/his alternate). She used warm cloth compresses (so no tearing or at least reduces the chances of it). She give really strong back rubs -- this was important for my friend who had terrible back pains during delivery. She has a strong, no-nonsense yet warm and caring presence. I felt completely comfortable in her capable hands. All my friends who have used her would also sing her praises. One friend had an incredibly long labor (over 24 hours) -- and Nicole stayed with her and her husband the entire time. We all have had different births (with varying levels of difficulties) -- but all were able to deliver naturally. I am confident that Nicole had a big part in this success. I would, without any reservation, recommend Nicole Jolley.

I have three children and delivered twice with Nicole. I am incredibly grateful for her and know…read morethat I had great deliveries both times because of her. My first delivery (without Nicole or any doula) was incredibly traumatizing, included an emergency c-section as the kid and I were dying, and resulted in major PTSD. When I got pregnant with #2, I wanted a different experience. I interviewed seven different doulas before deciding to hire Nicole. There were a few factors that stood out with her: 1) I liked that she is very matter-of-fact in how she explains labor and delivery. I like all the information, and am not someone who likes the more woo-y side of natural birth. 2) I liked that she is also a certified midwife, which meant that she could do things like cervical exams if necessary. 3) I liked her sassy sense of humor. If you know you're going to be in a (likely) stressful situation with someone like this for a solid chunk of time, you need to like that person as a person, not just as a professional! Over the course of that second pregnancy, I was extra appreciative of the fact that I could text Nicole with questions or concerns, and that she would get back to me in a timely fashion. I have a great OB (who was super on board with me having a doula, especially given the PTSD), and with Nicole there, I felt like I had an excellent support system. When I was in active labor, Nicole was helping another mom deliver and sent an alternate to be with me for a few hours. She came immediately afterwards. She moved me into different positions, in and out of baths and showers, and worked with my husband to encourage me when I was ready to give up. (This is a great point too - Nicole was as helpful to my husband as she was to me, obviously in different ways. He felt like the situation was significantly easier to manage and approach because of her support.) I labored at home until I felt like I needed to push, then she drove my husband and me to the hospital. (She was with me for about 14 hours at this point.) At the hospital, Nicole worked really well with my OB to keep the hot compresses and oil going to protect my perineum as I was pushing. When I wasn't understanding how to push, she would rephrase so that I better understood. I successfully delivered after 90 minutes of pushing, with no tears. And she took the best spontaneous pictures and videos right after my kid was born! It was 180 degrees from the trauma of my first birth. My third birth was its own experience. I was two weeks overdue and despite all of our best efforts, could not get labor to actively stick. I had to be induced at the hospital. Nicole and I talked through everything prior to my getting to the hospital, so I felt prepared for what was to come. She was at the hospital for parts of the labor (again, coming right after helping another woman deliver that morning), trying to help me dilate. After finishing the first round of pitocin, the OBs decided to break my water, and I was fully unprepared for the level of pain that my contractions would ramp up to after that and demanded an epidural. Nicole made sure this was what I actually wanted given my plan, etc., but when I made it clear it was, Nicole was 100% behind me. I loved that she would help translate what I meant when I was having a hard time being coherent to the medical staff. When it was time to push and my legs were obviously not functional, Nicole was incredibly helpful to get me to successfully get the kid out (again, no tears!). After the delivery, she applauded me for standing up for myself and allowing the plans to change. I am grateful to never have felt judged or wrong with Nicole; she was my ally and cheerleader. So two different labors and deliveries: one unmedicated and mostly at home, the other at a hospital with all kinds of interventions, but both with one external constant: Nicole. Labor is not easy, but if you can deliver safely and be able to feel immense joy once that kid is out and in your arms, that is a success. I owe that to Nicole. TL;DR: Nicole Jolly is a fabulous doula, and I cannot recommend her enough.

Hiring Ashley, Michelle and Jackie was the best decision we made in planning for the birth of our…read morefirst baby. We had a lot of questions and issues toward the end of my pregnancy and having them available to us was truly invaluable. The team was constantly on hand to talk through whatever came up and to help us navigate challenging situations. Having Jackie at the hospital with us was amazing - she worked seamlessly with all the doctors and nurses at GW and lifted our spirits after several challenges during labor and delivery. We can't imagine going through this process without her. The services provided are well worth the price. The classes and workshops were extremely helpful and informative. They also helped to eliminate some of the fear of the unknown for first-time parents. I can't recommend Jackie, Ashley and Michelle enough - you will not regret working with them.

Words truly cannot do justice regarding how amazing Michele is and how much my husband and I would…read morerecommend her and Ashley's services. Run, don't walk, and hire her! :) Not only is Michele knowledgeable and talented regarding anything and everything prenatal, labor/delivery, and postpartum, but she brings the added layer of being approachable, honest, hilarious, and unbelievably encouraging. She is there to support the type of birth that *you* want - whatever that might be. She made me feel empowered, strong, and prepared. We found the three classes that they taught to be very helpful - giving us the right amount of information, as well as the right type of information. It also connected us to others in the community in similar stages of life. I always looked forward to attending. Additionally, during the labor and delivery, it seemed as if Michele almost served as a family member, doula, nurse, midwife, *and* doctor - she wore so many hats - all while making me feel extremely comfortable and supported. At every step along the way, and every decision point, I looked to her first for her insight and opinions. I also heard firsthand from both a nurse and midwife how much they appreciated having her as support to them as well. Choosing Michele was single-handedly the best decision I made during this journey and I cannot recommend her (and Ashley) enough. I will definitely use them again if/when we have another child.

This was our second time using Silver Spring Doula for my labor and delivery, and I'm so glad they…read morejoined us again. I can't recommend Rose and Jenny highly enough. SSD has TENS units for clients and I got to use one for this birth (no idea if it helped but so glad to try it out!). The community classes are informative. I went into labor at 2:30 in the morning and Rose joined us shortly afterwards. She knows what signs mean your labor is progressing and what might be helpful in reducing pain and when you need to leave for the hospital, and she knows how to let your body lead the labor. At the hospital, Rose advocated for us to make sure we had the care we needed (e.g.: the hospital was understaffed and we were left alone and I was in no state to ask where on earth our medical team was when I was pushing). Pretty sure I'm done after kid #2 but if we do have any more we will definitely be asking SSD to join us again.

Jenny and Rose are wonderful and I would highly recommend their services and Silver Spring Doula to…read moreany expectant mother in the area. As a first time mom, it was wonderful to have their expertise and level-headed approach to pregnancy and childbirth throughout the journey - and lord knows I had a million and one questions. They are both knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely lovely people to know and work with. Rose was the doula in attendance at my birth and her presence was so calming and appreciated. She came to our house during early labor when I was unsure of how the process was going. And from the house to the hospital, she was with us every step of the way. In the hospital, she had lots of supplies with her to support my L&D, including a much used hot water bottle that made those first few hours more bearable. And when the doctors said my son was "sunny side up," Rose helped moved me into different positions and did adjustments to help encourage baby to change position (which he did!!). She held my hand (and my leg ) during 3 hours of pushing and reminded me often to breathe, made sure I was drinking water, and reminded me to relax when possible. Truly, I could not have done it without her. It was amazing to have someone looking out for me in the L&D room. As as added bonus, she took photos when our son was born which are really special to have. Although I think I'm a "one and done" type person with my son, if I were to have another child, I would engage Jenny and Rose again for their services in a heartbeat!

To be honest, when I hired Mari I had my doubts. I did not know anybody who had hired a doula…read morebefore and even after looking through all the package options I started to wonder if this was just another upscale way to turn birth into a business. But I was determined to have a natural birth and studies show that having a doula on hand can increase these chances. After finally going through the process myself I can say with confidence that Mari is absolutely the real deal. She has turned both my skeptical husband and I into believers. When arriving at the hospital, I was surprised how hands off the staff was during the actual labor -- they mostly left me to my own devices while they checked vitals every once in a while. Mari was there to ask questions to prompt responses from our medical team, massage my back, and suggest/show us different labor positions. I think my husband was a bit worried that he would be taking a back seat in the entire delivery process since I hired a doula but hiring Mari was more of a support staff for him. He was able to be the star by holding my hand and reassuring me while she stayed in the background rubbing my back, bringing out snacks when necessary and allowing us to take breaks when needed. No lie, natural labor is painful AF but Mari gave me this handy machine called a TENS unit which delivers an small electric buzz during contractions which pretty much saved me. The whole price of everything was worth it for that one machine. My birth plans took a detour when my physician suggested a C Section. I was really impressed that Mari was able to ask the right questions to see if it can be prevented or not. In fact, I even found her to be more knowledgeable than some of the staff members on board about the entire birth process. She truly was an integral member of our care team and even my doctor made a special exception for her to be in the surgical room with us after seeing how important she was to us. After the birth she came to my house and worked with me to answer any postpartum questions I had. She even helped me with breastfeeding which is something I probably would have given up on if I didn't have that private on on one time (there are lactation consultants in the hospital but everything is so hectic after birth it's really hard to get the hang of things.) Investment wise? It's definitely pricey and she does not accept insurance but I absolutely will (and hope!) to hire again.

She saved my sanity!!! Just a few days prior to giving birth…read moreto my first child I decided I needed a doula. Not just for me but also for the daddy-to-be as I thought he would need assistance just as much. So I "yelped" and reached out to Mari and thankfully she had the capacity and stopped by in the evening so we could get to know each other better. You know that feeling when you meet someone for the first time and it just clicks? That was the case here. She came and we talked and what I thought was minutes turned out to be two hours and I KNEW this was the best decision! We talked about a lot of things, pros and cons, already worked on my birth plan. When she went home my husband came home just a couple of mins after she left so she just turned around to meet him. SO awesome! When it came to my delivery it did not go as planned (as in probably most cases) but she helped me through with a variation of techniques, still I ended up with an epidural (you mums, there is no shame in this. none of us needs to be a warrior). Honestly, she was the most important person (besides my husband) in the delivery room. Though my nurse as super nice, Mari was the one that was my go to person, the one that told me to push in the way I needed it, the one that assured me everything was alright, the one I feel like I yelled at NOOOO when she asked me if I wanted to touch baby's head when he was almost out .. LOL (sorry about that again, Mari). Also her follow-up visit was really helpful, she spent a lot of time, she showed me a lot of things, explained a lot of emotions I would be going through (and sure enough I did). If I will have another child, signing her up as my doula will be one of the first things I will do for sure. If I could for before, during and after birth because it was the best.decision.ever!

The midwives at M.A.M.A.S. are absolutely wonderful! They not only are qualified medical…read moreprofessionals, but amazing companions and confidants in the journey to welcoming a baby. Prenatal appointments are thorough and not rushed, and care is all encompassing beyond just the growing baby. Postnatal care is frequent and truly feels like care, rather than a checklist. Beyond their care alone, the midwives create a beautiful community not only during the prenatal period but long after. We love each of the midwives and feel so lucky to know them and been under their care. I'd recommend the M.A.M.A.S. care team to anyone looking for compassionate, evidence based care, whether for home birth or well women's care.

The MAMAS midwives offer thorough, empathetic prenatal care and postpartum support. Emily and…read moreLuisely supported me expertly through a fast, intense birth, and I am so grateful to them. MAMAS is an out-of-network practice for many, and I wish there were more guidance offered about how to navigate the insurance hurdles. Admin staff is only part-time and many of my emails went unanswered. I asked a lot of questions in person as well, and I didn't receive some key information about gap exceptions that would have made the process less stressful. As expected, I received only a small reimbursement from my insurer, and it took several months of emails and calls for MAMAS to realize they had received the check from my insurer and forward it to me.

Emily may have saved my entire labor experience of 24 hours - she was super helpful, encouraging,…read morecalming, and supportive, and I can't imagine what my labor would have been like without her. She takes charge, is calm and knows what she is doing, and she was helpful even in the few weeks leading up to delivery. She took time to meet with us twice (once to interview her in person and see if she was the right fit), and then again to have a plan in place and make sure we knew what our options were for various things. My baby was transverse, and she referred me to an acupuncturist who got the baby to turn head-down, and recommended exercises to do to at home to help get the baby in the right position. My labor was the opposite of what I thought it would be like - my water broke 2.5 weeks early in the middle of the night and I went to the hospital with no contractions, and wasn't dilated. I was on pitocin for almost 24 hours, and once the contractions started, it was really painful. Emily was in the hospital with us for 12 hours and she was immensely helpful knowing what to ask the nurses for, she was reassuring and encouraging, and helped me get into different positions to try to get the baby to drop more and help the labor along. I could imagine some doulas being overly encouraging to the point of sounding like an annoying cheerleader, but Emily was nothing of that sort. She also was not the "crunchy granola" type of doula and was very open to my birth plan involving an epidural, etc. Towards the end of labor, after the baby had been delivered and whisked away for measurements, I was left to deliver the placenta. Since my husband was with my son and the doctors, Emily stayed by my side and it was so nice to have someone there to reassure me. She even took great photos of the 3 of us right after delivery. Even at 2:30 am, she went to grab a sandwich for me since I hadn't eaten for 24 hours and stayed for an hour or so to make sure everything was okay and we were all doing well. I can't thank Emily enough for being there on one of the most important days of our lives - the memorable parts, and the parts that I wish to one day forget ;) My labor was pretty rough and long, and I don't know how I could have done it without her. She's reasonably priced (I had talked to a handful of doulas and compared prices, some of them being outrageously expensive) and she was worth every penny. I had interviewed a handful of doulas and I found Emily's demeanor and personality was a great fit with ours. I've recommended her to a lot of other people and would happily hire her again if we have another baby!

When I made the decision to try to have a natural birth, my husband and I both agreed it was…read moreprobably in our best interest to hire a doula. My husband is the best in so many ways, but anything blood-and-guts-related is not in his wheelhouse of strengths. Knowing there was a very real possibility that he was going to pass out in the labor room, I started my search for a second support person. I went into my doula search with only two criteria, suggested to me from a friend who also had a natural birth assisted by a doula: a) that our personalities clicked, and b) that I was 100% ok with this person seeing me butt naked. I interviewed 3 doulas before I found Emily, and as soon as I FaceTimed with her, I immediately checked off criterion A, and after about 3 minutes to chatting was able to check off criterion B. Little did I know JUST how essential Emily was going to be in the birth of our son, both physically and mentally. She stayed with me for the entire 9 hours of pitocin-enhanced active labor, helping me change positions (when I was actually willing to move off my yoga ball), squeezing my back through each contraction, wiping my brow (and probably some tears), coaching me through visualization techniques to take the edge off the pain, and giving me tough love when, after almost 3 hours of pushing with what felt like no progress, I wanted to give up. Emily is a kind, strong, empathetic, funny, down-to-earth, intuitive woman who has found her calling as a doula. I tell everyone I know who is pregnant to hire her, and I could not have had the birth experience I did without her by my side.