Our family hired Carrie Scott for nighttime postpartum doula services for the first two weeks after…read moreour son was born and we had such a great experience! We trusted her right away and she put us at ease taking to our newborn immediately! She was reliable and took great care of our son. I was able to get some extra much needed sleep. I highly recommend her!

WHERE TO START... The investment is 1000% worth it. For us as new parents wanting to experience…read morepregnancy, labor & delivery and then postpartum season with zero knowledge but as enjoy the process as peace-filled and confident with objective info as possible... (everyone's aim right?!) ...Celina made this happen!! She was a resource for all questions, providing excellent advice that balanced beautifully with her expertise, medical recommendations, and general common sense, making sure to always leave the decision in our hands yet make us feel confident in doing so! She is a patient and calm presence, always temperate and positive! Her class in our home before delivery to educate on techniques, help us walk-through a birth plan, and know what words even meant and what doctors and nurses would ask for was incredibly helpful. On the actual birthday, she was there to equip us in general to make the best choices and move me around in positioning for a really positive birth, experience and healthy baby (including bringing lavender aromatherapy and cozy lights in the delivery room!!)! She taught my husband a support move for laboring that saved me getting to 6cm dilated while I had intense lower back contraction pain and we said we would pay the whole investment of having a doula for that 1 move alone :) After coming home, Celina did night care 2x nights a week literally coaching us and everything from breast-feeding tactics to bottle sterilizing to best holding positions for gassy baby, how to get her to sleep well ... Swaddling!! And so much more! Also, mom healing questions and practices (or "is this normal" texts) -- she is a vast source of information and support, I just could not imagine going through this without her! We felt equipped with what we needed for each step, but never overwhelmed. A doula such a special, and in my opinion 100% necessary part of the family to have for a positive experience from pregnancy to newborn care!! What a blessing we will always be grateful for!

Hiring not only a doula, but Jackie as our doula was one of the best decisions we made. She served…read moreas a labor coach for a nervous first time mom and dad, who gave us the extra support you don't get from the hospital, nurses, and doctors alone by the mere nature of busy maternity wards. With Jackie as my birth coach, she helped me create a informed birth plan based on her knowledge about the many medical aspects of labor and delivery. She also addressed any concerns that arose during the course of my pregnancy via email, texts, phone calls, and in person. Her ability to provide comfort with pain-relief techniques including breathing / relaxation techniques, massage, and laboring positions was what appealed to us as essential for our birth experience. Jackie also encourage participation from and offered reassurance to my husband or as he puts it "helped him help me". She also worked as an advocate for me without getting in the way of medical staff in order to remind me of the specific desires for my birth to allow me to focus on the main goal-baby. After birth, she helped me with the breastfeeding process which can be particularly daunting and is not as easy as everyone may make it seem. I also chose the extra benefits and skills she offers-placenta encapsulation and attended her Gentle Birth birthing class. She also was essential when our birth planned changed from a vaginal delivery to a cesarean. She was my support partner during an unexpected situation to walk me through the medical process, helped me feel included during the surgery, and was an emotional support during a difficult medical procedure. She even captured the moment with pictures of baby.

Jackie was absolutely amazing and I cannot imagine how we would have done it without her! We…read moreinterviewed 3 doulas and Jackie seemed the most experienced, agreeable with our needs/wants, and also relaxed! We just felt a great connection. Jackie went through the birthing process and things that could happen. We had quite a few complications come up during labor. Luckily we were never panicked as we mostly already knew the answer and knew what to expect. My husband was quite reluctant about the need for a Doula, but in the end he was very happy that we had Jackie. She put him at ease and helped us both to feel empowered to be in control and be relaxed. We cannot day enough good things about Jackie... she's the best in our book! Hopefully she will be able to deliver our next bundle as well!

Desperate for a few nights of sleep in the early days of preemie baby coming home from the NICU,…read moreTeresa connected us with Njomeh. We were understandably nervous to trust someone else to take care of our fragile little one, but Njomeh put us at ease. She has a warm, loving energy that helped us relax, and our little boy loves her. She's also super prompt and reliable. We'd recommend her to anyone!

Our awesome baby showed up 50 days before his scheduled due date. Needless to say, we were totally…read moreunprepared and caught off guard. When we finally got him home, we realized we were overwhelmed. We called Overnight Newborn Care and they set us up with Claudine. She has been nothing short of a miracle. We can sleep through the night now which gives us the energy to finish our cross-country move (which was supposed to have happened BEFORE the baby came, but nooooo - yikes!). They explained everything in detail and were sensitive to our concerns about safety and care for a premie. Claudine is super sweet and has been so reliable, we actually don't want her to ever leave. She has been with us for almost 3 months now - 7 days a week - without incident! So, yeah, happy parents here. Highly recommend.

Kerry Reynolds is an amazing Doula. I'm writing this now as the mom of two young kids, so it might…read morebe a little bit scattered, but Kerry was the doula for both births, and I would use her again! For my first birth, I was pretty focused on trying to keep things as natural as possible, but we also wanted someone who would be good with both my husband and myself, and I wanted to be able to have the flexibility to change my mind without any judgment or issues. I do like and respect, doctors, so I also wanted to be able to lean on that sense if I decided to. Kerry was flexible through all of this, but I also never felt like she was being a pushover. She's realistic and pays really close attention to the client she has right in front of her. Kerry immediately put me at ease, telling me that she totally understood if I made certain decisions, and also made it clear that she saw where I was coming from with my initial hopes for my first birth. She explained all kinds of things to me that I didn't understand from any other birth preparation, and she has a really easy-going energy and sense of humor that made her nice company for both of us. My husband even liked her, and he was more skeptical about doulas than I was. Kerry was kind of like the no nonsense, older sister or aunt you really want to have with you when you're getting your baby here. She's straightforward when she needs to be, but she never bosses you around, and she's always right there as her advocate and support system no matter what's going on. In my first birth, I ended up having to get an emergency C-section, but Kerry showed right up as soon as everything was over, having coached my husband through all of the decisions leading up to that point via text, and she immediately got me doing skin to skin with my baby and coached us into what became a very successful breast-feeding year. She also helped us adjust to life with a newborn, helping us take care of our baby for about 11 weeks into his life. With my second, Kerry understood how strongly I felt about wanting to have a VBAC. That kind of birth takes a lot of extra advocacy and knowledge, but Kerry stuck with me throughout all of it. There were some concerns about my son's size, and I was always more concerned about his safety than my ability to have a VBAC, but Kerry was able to hold both of those things and help me stay true to what I wanted every step of the way. Any time I got information, I would talk to her about it, and she helped me figure out next steps and had the best discuss things with my care team. Also, when it came time for my induction, which she never pushed on me but I wanted to have, she spent the last hour or two before I started pushing with me and my husband. She had become like a close member of our family, and it was easy to have her around. She watched the shows we were watching, laughed about the things we were laughing about, and was generally just an easy presence. Also, when I had some pretty strong pain, she was able to work it out through various massage techniques because she knows what she's doing so well. When it came time to push, Kerry taught me exactly what to do, and she stuck with me even when there were moments where we weren't sure the baby would come out that way. Ultimately, I only pushed for 10 minutes, and Kerry was an enormous part of that. She even recorded some of it for me so that I could have it as a memory later. The next day, Kerry came and helped me and my baby get established with breast-feeding properly again, and she has stayed in touch through his first year. She did that with both of our kids, and she'll forever be a big part of our family's story. I cannot recommend Kerry enough to anyone. She is no nonsense, but she's also got a great sense of humor, she knows the client she's working with and tailors her approach to exactly that family. Not just the woman giving birth, but the entire family unit. I could not be more grateful that we found Kerry. Highly recommend her to anyone having any kind of birth. She has incredible knowledge, wisdom, and general sense, and she is exactly the person I would've chosen for this important experience.

If you're even thinking about hiring a doula, stop debating and call Liz! She is the professional,…read morecompassionate, and knowledgeable presence you didn't know you needed but absolutely do. My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better person to have by our side during our second labor and delivery experience. I was late to the game, deciding to hire Liz toward the end of my second trimester, and she jumped in like we'd been friends for years. She listened to every detail of my first delivery (tears and all) and helped me process my fears about being induced again. Liz didn't just hear me--she held space for my feelings, validated my worries, and helped me shift my mindset in the most empowering way. On the big day, she arrived at the hospital right when my contractions were ramping up. Her calm guidance and confidence in me made the experience transformative. I wanted an unmedicated birth, and thanks to Liz's support, encouragement, and expert coaching through contractions and pushing, that's exactly what I achieved. This delivery was night and day compared to my first--it was redemptive, empowering, and everything I'd hoped for. Even my husband, a man of few words, quickly admitted after our son was born that having Liz there was a game-changer. He felt supported and reassured knowing we had someone on our team who could explain the medical lingo and navigate the process with us. Liz is truly a gem. Her calming demeanor, wealth of knowledge, and radiant smile will carry you through labor and beyond. Whether you're a first-time parent or not, she'll leave you feeling capable, cared for, and encouraged. Do yourself a favor: hire Liz. You'll thank yourself later!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about DCBD. This was my/our first pregnancy, and we truly…read morefelt supported every step of the way by their team. Especially in those last 1-2 months, we leaned so heavily on the birth doulas and they responded to all of our questions and concerns immediately. We learned the most about how to care for our daughter and what was happening in my body from DCBD. I went into labor and the birth experience feeling ready and excited, and that's because of the experience, information, and kindness that were shared with us ahead of time. The birth - nearly 4 months later, and we are still talking about Camille! We are going to remember her forever - she was such a wonderful presence during my entire labor and after, and we don't know what we would have done without her. She made sure my husband and I knew what was happening, she advocated for us, she ensured I was comfortable (well, as comfortable as you can be in labor), and she really rooted for us the whole time. I felt safe because she was with us. And Ella - we were shocked that someone who didn't *have* to be there, stayed for the entire labor, participated, and stayed after when we were transferred to the postpartum room! She will be (or already is) a phenomenal birth doula. We felt so lucky to have Camille and Ella. Post birth - Lolonyo came to our house the very first night we were back from the hospital, and what a gift she is. She taught us how to soothe a baby, how to change a diaper (I'm sure they showed us in the hospital... but I could not remember haha). We had her for several nights during those first 2 months and we were so, so grateful to wake up the next morning refreshed, rested, and with the knowledge that our daughter had been held in loving arms all night long. She was never judgmental and was always supportive as we navigated breastfeeding, safe cosleeping, and everything else. We also had Joanna for several daytime visits. She always made sure to check in on my mental and physical health, which was so appreciated, and she was so helpful. We always felt like we were able to reset a bit after her visits, because she'd leave behind clean bottles and pump parts and a rested (and sometimes still sleeping) baby, and we would have had time to ourselves to shower and get a little more organized. She made our chaotic lives feel lighter, and we loved her for that. As a DCBD member you'll also have the opportunity to be part of a postpartum circle of other parents going through what you did. Shaleen and Elizabeth gave us space to talk through birth and everything that comes after, while feeling supported and safe. I'm still friends with some of the parents from my circle. In closing - DCBD is worth every single penny. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

Rebecca from DC Birth Doulas was absolutely incredible. From the moment we first connected, I…read moreimmediately felt comfortable with her and the entire team. She has such a warm, genuine presence that made it easy to ask questions and talk through everything honestly. She was always responsive and gave thoughtful, real answers that helped me feel informed and confident throughout the process. I was hoping for a VBAC, and with Rebecca's support we were able to have a successful one. She provided amazing support not only for me, but also for my husband. During labor she was calm, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable, helping us both feel grounded and supported every step of the way. Having Rebecca there made such a difference in our birth experience. I'm so grateful for her care and for the support of the entire DC Birth Doulas team. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly supportive doula

Hiring District Doulas was the absolute best decision we made related to my pregnancy and the birth…read moreof our son. I would recommend them to anyone - hire them now!!! I did a ton of research on DC area doulas and interviewed several before choosing this practice. I chose DD because I loved that they were small enough that you could get to know all three doulas that may potentially be at your birth. I also appreciated the 24/7 text line and the in person classes. They were actually one of the only practices I found that offered a class series. The text line was SO helpful to us whenever we had a question or a scare during pregnancy. I also loved that the classes were in person - we learned so much and felt really prepared for the birth. I recommend hiring them early enough that you can go to all four classes before you give birth. Carolyn did our prenatal visit and helped us put together our birth plan, talked us through how to deal with a baby in breech position, and helped us navigate through a couple nerve wracking times where we felt reduced movement. Most of all she helped us make the decision to switch providers midway through my pregnancy. I really believe that this helped enable me to have the overall birth experience that I wanted. She was so supportive throughout and we loved working with her. Jackie was our doula for the birth. She was amazing - I honestly don't know what we would have done without her. She joined us at our house and then followed us to the hospital when it was time to go in - she really helped us time going in to the hospital so that we would be admitted at the right time (not too early or too late). She was so calm and reassuring throughout, and an amazing advocate for me and for my husband as well - ensuring that he got to hold the baby and get his own skin to skin time after the birth. She took photos for us, and stayed with us well after the birth. I had a very smooth experience because of her guidance and advocacy. We are so, so grateful to have had her as our doula. On top of all of this - they really mean it when they say they are your doulas for life. At the postpartum visit, Jackie helped me a ton with breastfeeding and Carolyn shared some tips with me over the phone. We didn't get as much of a chance to work with Michelle, but it was clear from the classes how knowledgeable she was as well. All three of them truly care about women and babies, and it shows. This was money so well spent. If we have a second baby, we will be hiring them again.

There arent enough good things to say about District Doulas and Michele. My husband and I decided…read moreto get a Doula a few months prior to birth and had the opportunity to attend a few of District Doulas classes. Learning about birth from them and breast-feeding was incredibly helpful and made both seem less daunting. In the week leading up to birth, they were phenomenal with their communication, checking in and helping translate what we were hearing from the doctors. I went into labor a little bit differently than expected where my water broke before contractions really started. This led to needing a lot of Pitocin, something that I was pretty freaked out by. Michele was my Doula and the entire time she was so comforting via text and phone calls, and made me feel so positively about everything that was going on at the hospital. When things started to pick up, she arrived and was the perfect presence making us all calm and she got along so well with our nurses and Dr. She was right there with us the entire time, holding my leg as I pushed and giving me words of encouragement. Once our son made his entrance into the world, she took photos that I will treasure forever. She stayed after for a little to ensure that we were adjusting to breast-feeding and that everything was going OK, and she continued to check in over the coming days. I have to say that all of our hospital care team raved about her, and said that it was the best Doula experience that they have worked with. That meant a lot to me, knowing that they see a lot of other providers and knew just how awesome District Doulas was. Following birth we had our postpartum visit and she gave me the tough love I needed which was to slow down and not try to do so much. I was beyond exhausted and these words while hard to hear were exactly what I needed to do. She helped save my mental and physical health as a result of that visit. District Doulas has continued to be an incredible resource for us, sharing recommendations for everything from baby lotion to postpartum therapist. If we have another child, Michele and District Doulas will be my first call. They are the most incredible investment you can make to have the positive birth experience that you want. I cannot thank them enough!

We are incredibly grateful to have had Katie as our doula. She is professional, deeply experienced,…read morecompassionate, and exceptionally skilled at working with medical providers while always advocating for her clients. As someone of advanced maternal age with a pregnancy complicated by hypertension, I felt supported and informed every step of the way. Katie was a steady, reassuring presence throughout pregnancy, induction, and birth. She helped us navigate complex medical decisions with clarity and confidence, and her calm advocacy made a meaningful difference in our experience. We felt heard, respected, and empowered throughout the entire process. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Katie is exceptional at her job, and an amazing human being. My wife and I were both very anxious…read moreeven before we were expecting for the first time. My wife needed someone who could instill calmness, provide information, and accommodate her preferences for labor. I needed someone who could help me be the involved partner i wanted to be through the childbirth process and after. That is why once we found out we were expecting we were looking for a doula to help us sort through the tons of information on preparing for childbirth, childbirth itself and the medical, personal, and other choices associated with it. Katie is an expert's expert, but is able to talk through different topics in a way that helped put us at ease. She's friendly and funny, which helps when she is walking through medical decisions, how to talk to doctors, how to talk to family, considerations and questions we have as first-time parents. She also makes herself available by phone and text when we have questions at random hours with baby. On top of all that, after our baby girl was born, she was able to follow up with us and help teach us a few tricks here and there as well as answer questions we had as things came up.

I had amazing experiences with BirthCare and Women's Health for both of my pregnancies. The…read moremidwives are skilled and they truly care. They texted me and called me on my cell phone to check up on me, which was so different than when I was going to a big OBGYN practice and could never speak with my actual provider. I felt secure and supported. The facility itself is warm and welcoming, covered in pictures of new babies and happy families. It was such a gift to connect with this Birth Center to have a safe, healthy, supported birth and become a mother this way. I think every pregnant person should be able to have such excellent care and support as they go through the journey of becoming a new parent. If only there were more Birth Centers like this one!

BirthCare was an absolutely amazing birthing experience from prenatal care, to birthing, and…read morethrough postpartum it was a top tier experience. I felt so empowered with knowledges and informed consent in every aspect of my pregnancy. I also felt extremely well cared for based off the way every prenatal appointment was handled. Midwifery truly cares for the whole women. Would strongly recommend birthing with them and using them for your gyn care. Dorthy caught my baby and is the absolute best but every single midwife there is great!