I am so grateful to have had Rachel in my trusted circle throughout my pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. As a second-time mom, I knew I wanted a doula but was looking for someone a bit more hands-on than my first, who really was only there for the birth and not really reachable before or after. After interviewing a few doulas, I was so impressed with Rachel's knowledge and serene demeanor that I booked her and her partner at the time for both birth and postpartum care. As a birth doula, Rachel provided calm and insightful virtual and in-person support to me and my husband. I really appreciated how accessible she was, and the frequent check-ins put us at ease. Throughout my pregnancy, she provided evidence-based resources and thoughtful advice for my 10 million what-if questions about having an unmedicated hospital birth, managing my toddler while having a baby and exclusive breastfeeding. When some early contractions seemed to have stalled out, Rachel popped over to my house to check the baby's alignment and walk me through some exercises that ended up leading to a quick and uncomplicated delivery a few days later. (Note that Rachel's doula partner at the time ended up attending our birth, but we were in frequent contact with Rachel throughout the delivery.) As a postpartum doula, Rachel whipped up veggie broths and sitz bath soaks from her garden, provided guidance to get babywearing and breastfeeding started on the right foot and spent hours playing games with and reading stories to my toddler. She improvised a chamomile bath soak for my baby's first bath, stocked my fridge with turmeric quinoa egg bites and oatmeal balls for healthy breakfasts and stepped in wherever was needed to help me and my new family of four get back on our feet. As I felt stronger, she helped me go on outings to the playground with both kids, taking turns connecting and playing with each of them so I could do the same. Five months later, we are all happy, healthy and thriving - I can't thank Rachel enough for being such a calm, supportive and special presence throughout this journey. read more

It was so wonderful having Rachel as our doula for my daughter's birth. At every turn - prenatal, labor, immediate postpartum, and even months into postpartum - we have often thought about Rachel as a stable rock that has steadied the often overwhelming waves that come along with bringing a person into the world, especially as first-time parents. Our prenatal appointments were virtual due to Covid, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth we reached each time and the level of preparedness both my husband and I felt as our daughter's birth neared. Rachel took the time to really listen to our questions and concerns and gave us great prompts to think about surrounding how we were each feeling about the upcoming birth. This allowed us to have conversations we wouldn't have otherwise had and feel aligned and ready to support each other when I did go into labor. During early labor we called Rachel multiple times for her thoughts and encouragement about how things were progressing. I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible and having her to reach out to gave my husband confidence to support me until we were ready to head to the hospital. Rachel met us at our home for the car ride to the hospital and I really can't imagine making it through those 40 minutes without her in the backseat with me helping me move into different positions and providing counterpressure as I was really starting to feel the intensity of my contractions. At the hospital, Rachel made our labor and delivery room dark and put on background music to help keep me calm. I don't even think I was fully aware, but she completely focused the mood of the room and made sure that my comfort and wishes were taken seriously at every turn. This allowed me to continue to labor unmedicated as I had hoped. She was so physically supportive as I wanted to move around the bed and try different positions. But it was her calm, quiet emotional support that amazed me the most. Throughout the rest of my labor and the hour and half that I pushed, my medical team offered various perspectives on how things were progressing and Rachel, without judgment or contradiction, whispered into my ear the physiological perspective and repeatedly made sure that I understood what I was being told and what was happening. She allowed me to feel safe trusting my body and my baby. A last minute complication meant that I needed more attention immediately after my daughter was born than I had anticipated. I was able to do skin to skin for a short time, but quickly needed her to be held by my husband while doctors tended to me. I knew I would need Rachel during labor, but I was so grateful to have her specifically in those moments. She was able to hold my hand and be my comfort while my husband spent his first moments with our daughter. In our immediate days postpartum, Rachel came to our home and helped with everything. She taught me new, more comfortable feeding positions, how to use my pump, and how to take care of my nipples so I could continue to breastfeed. She pet and loved on our sweet dog. She taught us baby burping tricks and gas relief tips. She gave me pelvic floor specialist recommendations and made sure I was aware of my body's healing process. She listened to my husband and I as we asked lots of questions about our new family member and made us feel confident in our new role as parents. I am so grateful that she continued to be a sounding board for breastfeeding questions throughout the first few postpartum months and I credit my ability to continue to breastfeed for my daughter's first year of life (as I had hoped) to her guidance and support. One year later, I look back on my daughter's birth and I am able to see it as such an amazing experience in my life, in large part because of Rachel. I am so thankful for her continued support of our family. I highly recommend Rachel as a birth and postpartum doula - her support is truly life changing. read more

Pre hospital: We reached out to Rachel when we were 28 weeks into our first pregnancy with our identical twin boys. We were scared and stressed as expected, but with every meeting we had with Rachel we felt less scared and more educated and empowered. As we prepared for the main event we had multiple sessions with Rachel and had the opportunity to ask questions and align on what we want from our birth experience. Since I was a high risk pregnancy (identical twins) I was scheduled to be induced when I reached 'week 37' and arranged for Rachel to meet us at the hospital 12 hours after we were admitted. Rachel always mentioned that she is happy to come whenever we are ready to have her which really reduced the stress of scheduling when things got pretty intense. At the hospital: When Rachel arrived she immediately improved my comfort level in a significant way. It was an unusual hot day in March in NYC and we were in a small room that was hot and uncomfortable. Rachel literally brought fresh air with her. She opened the windows, something we didn't think about (our brains didn't work..) and had a small fan pointed at me the whole time. I can't explain how this seemingly small act was so meaningful to my overall experience. She then pulled a small jar of lavender magic rub and massaged my feet and legs that were so swollen from all the drugs and IV fluids. The massage felt so good as I was lying there and waiting for things to progress. Her presence also allowed my husband to take a break and get lunch and fresh air. Unfortunately we have had a few unforeseen complications which made us choose the c-section route after 24 hours of trying to deliver vaginally. Having Rachel there helped us feel more in control of the situation and empowered to advocate for our needs. We went into the OR and were able to bring Rachel with us which allowed Rachel to take the most amazing photos and videos of our first moments as parents. She was there to whisper in my ear that I was doing great and hugged my husband when he was shivering from excitement. It was such an intimate moment and I felt so comfortable sharing it with Rachel. Rachel was there the ENTIRE time we needed her, from around 10am in the morning until midnight. She was the one who made sure I got to do skin to skin with my babies right after and helped me with my first breastfeeding experience. I never felt like Rachel needed to be anywhere else. She was 100% in it with us. Postpartum care: Rachel kept checking on me and the kids and made me feel like I matter as well, not just the kids :) she emphasized how taking care of myself is crucial for my recovery and went above and beyond helping me increase my milk supply by sharing articles and different methods. My birth experience wasn't as smooth as I wanted it to be, but Rachel was the one consistent positive piece, with a warm smile, a bag full of remedies and soothing elements and genuine care for my wellbeing. I highly recommend Rachel as a birth Doula. read more

We feel so fortunate to have had a Rachel as our doula. Since having our first baby in November 2022 my partner and I have reflected so many times on how happy we were that Rachel was part of our journey from pregnancy to postpartum. Our positive birth experience was largely a result of working with Rachel. She offered us reassurance, encouragement and tactics for staying home and laboring, worked as a team with the nurses / doctors, looked out for our comfort, helped with feeding our new baby, and checked in and found ways to help / teach us during postpartum visits. She offered things we didn't even know to ask for, and now that we are humming along with a 4 month old we miss her! read more

I truly feel I can't write enough about how wonderful our experience was with Rachel. She supported and taught us so much throughout our pregnancy and birth of our daughter, helping us to take agency in the process where the system tends to operate on autopilot, helping us to make informed decisions, advocating for us in the hospital, and softening our landing at home. She's incredibly knowledgeable and imparted a sense of confidence and control when we felt overwhelmed by the challenges facing us.  I would absolutely recommend Rachel - she was wonderful to us and she was everything we needed to get through our pregnancy. read more

Rachel provided me with prenatal and postpartum support both virtually and in-person. She was such an incredible calming and supportive energy in our home during those first few raw postpartum weeks. I had somewhat of a rough recovery but Rachel supported me both emotionally and physically in ways I did not even know I needed. She is also a great cook for those needed nutritional postpartum meals! She helped us learn how to babywear, soothe our baby, and gave us advice on bottle feeding pumped milk. She also showed me ways to breastfeed in comfortable positions that helped me to rest while feeding. Rachel made sure to help me heal physically with lovely herbal sits baths and iron rich teas. Rachel was also extremely responsive and supportive during my pregnancy when I had 1000+ questions! I highly recommend her if you are trying to find a supportive and highly knowledgeable doula. read more

Rachel is a magical doula and someone we reccommmed enthusiastically with all our hearts. Rachel prepared us for labor and delivery with informative prenatal visits, and supported us through my nearly 4 (!) day labor with grace, strength, sensitivity, care, kindness, and creativity. She is an excellent listener, a responsive communicator, and a generous thinking partner. She also provided very essential postpartum lactation support, easing my anxitey and teaching me new skills. We had a truly special birth experience due in large part to Rachel's wonderful care. read more

Without Rachel, the smooth birth experience that my husband and I envisioned, would not have been possible. Throughout my pregnancy and postpartum, Rachel was a calming presence, always ready to share her wisdom and reassurance when needed. I felt like I could reach out to her anytime without a second thought. Her empathy, warmth and compassion paired with all her knowledge about birthing, lactation and parenting are what makes her an exceptional doula. When I was in early labor and my water broke at 4am, my husband and I called Rachel. She stayed on the phone with us the whole time until we reached the hospital where she joined us soon after we reached. As we drove through the rush hour traffic through Lincoln Tunnel to Manhattan, her calm voice coaching me, reminding me to breathe, helped me cope through the pain of each contraction. I was surprised how helpful that was, even though she wasn't physically there in the car with us. As I was experiencing contractions, I had terrible cramping that tore up my lower back with each contraction and Rachel applied counter pressure for over three hours until I pushed my baby out! The tiniest of gestures of hers, like placing her hand over my hand, or run her fingers over my hair, or rub my feet, made me feel so at ease, even when I was bracing myself for the next wave of pain to come. She pulled out a reusable straw for me to sip coconut water and also a hand-held mini fan for me when I felt hot. Once the baby was in our arms, Rachel quietly captured beautiful moments with our little one which we will treasure forever. She looked after all of us, made sure we got something to eat so we can enjoy our baby to the fullest in those precious moments. She was so patient and mindful every single second she was there, and that was so valuable. In post partum, there was some difficult moments that we had to go through. Rachel was there at every step, checking in and making sure we were doing okay, and helping us navigate those tough initial weeks. I'm sure there are many small details that I'm unble to recollect at this moment. I'm so grateful for everything she did, it made my birth experience and the start of my motherhood journey so memorable. When we have another baby, I'd choose her in a heart beat! read more

In all 84 hours of labor - plus before and after - Rachel was a huge part of what made our birth experience so satisfying. At every step of the way, she provided space for us as first time parents to acknowledge the many things that come up emotionally and physically. When my labor was long but steady, she kept everyone around me calm. She trusted me deeply which helped me trust myself. She challenged me when I needed it, she nurtured me when I needed it, and she brought so much expertise to the process the whole time. When reinforcements were needed, she was able to call on her extensive network of other doulas to support and stayed engaged while she rested to be present for our marathon birth. She made so much space for my husband and my mother who were both supporting me while providing the expert support only she could. We are so deeply grateful for Rachel and recommend her so highly! read more

Words cannot explain how grateful we were to have Rachel as our Doula. As a couple having our first child, we couldn't have asked for a better person to support us through pregnancy, birth, & postpartum. From the very beginning, Rachel explained to us what a doulas role was since we were un-familar. Without oversimplifying all of Rachel's hard work in getting us ready to be parents, we could sum up our experience working with a Doula with the word "support". From Day 1 Rachel emphasizes the point that despite whatever her personal views are on things, she was here to help advocate for us to have the labor experience that we wanted. She supported this idea with 1 to 1 sessions where we discussed everything leading up to the 40th week of pregnancy. She educated us on what to expect, but more importantly what not to. She then broke down the various stages of delivering a baby and all the medical logistics surrounding them. She always stressed that during labor, she was there to support us in anything we needed and she did just that. I could not picture giving birth again without Rachel there, she did such meaningful tasks that eased the stress for me and my husband. She was available by text prior to her arrival and helped keep me calm by sending reassuring and calming texts to me. Then, once she arrived she helped make my labor and delivery into a PERFECT experience in the hospital. It was obvious that Rachel was very experienced and knew so many little tips & tricks to keep me comfortable and relaxed. She also took so many beautiful photos and videos of me and my husband that we are forever grateful for. Me and my husband were also so thankful that she came to our home for a postpartum visit. During that visit, my husband was finally able to get some sleep and she helped me put together my breast pump and learn how to use it finally! As a first time mom, I was stressing about doing everything perfect and it helped having a Doula come visit and assist/reassure me. She even walked my dog! Rachel is the best! read more

Rachel Andre - Photo taken by Rachel. Forever grateful to have this moment captured by her - Doulas Near Me