Megan Davidson was a life-changing partner in my husband and I's journey during pregnancy and…read morepost-partum. As a 42-year-old woman trying to have her first baby, my husband and I knew we needed support through our journey. My OB/GYN practice, Spring OB/GYN in Soho, has a list of recommended doulas, and we called every single one, including Megan. After speaking with Megan, we knew immediately she was the doula we wanted to work with because of who she is and how she works. She is kind, committed, and warm, while also being clear, transparent, approachable and available. She loves what she does, she cares deeply about her clients, and you see that first hand as she goes above and beyond to support their success. The more we met and spoke with Megan, the more we experienced first-hand how deeply experienced, knowledgeable, and helpful she was. We attended every virtual workshop she offered and both my husband and I found them invaluable in preparing and educating us for the big day. The day I went into labor, (January 12, 2024) we texted with Megan right away and through the entire time leading up to leaving our apartment 18 hours later. When it was time to head to NYU (our hospital), we felt ready because of all her coaching. She offered to meet us at our apartment in Boerum Hill or the hospital, and we opted for the latter. Meghan was there waiting for us when the uber dropped us off and as we walked into the hospital together, we knew we had a true champion on our team. Over the next 24 hours, she supported me, guided me, supported and guided my husband, helped us advocate for ourselves and advocated for us. She was extraordinary. I had gone into the hospital with my birth plan, thanks to Megan, and I really wanted to have a vaginal birth if possible. After nearly 24 hours in labor, I was working towards a deadline. If I didn't hit a progress mark, I would have to have a c-section, but then I went into involuntary labor. We asked for the doctor, and were told that someone else could check-in with us. We knew we wanted to see the OB and Meghan helped get the doctor sent to our room - 16 minutes later we had a beautiful little boy. Not only did Megan get us prepared for a successful labor and delivery, she has been with us ever since. She responded to some frantic questions early in our parenthood, and has always been happy to text or hop on the phone to talk us through any topics or concerns. We hope to have another baby in a year or two, and she will be the first person we call to work with her again. We could not recommend her any more highly. She is the best in her field.

I had the most beautiful, positive birthing experience with my first child in large part thanks to…read moreMegan - hiring her was the best investment I could have made. She provided so many useful classes and personal calls throughout my pregnancy, and during the birth she helped me labor at home and leave for the hospital at the best time. She was a huge advocate throughout the birth, providing such a calming yet confident presence that helped my husband and me feel incredibly at ease and taken care of. She even took photos the moment my daughter was born that I'll cherish forever. I was so fearful of birth and left with such happy memories of the entire experience. She has also provided invaluable advice and support postpartum as well. I cannot recommend Megan enough for anyone expecting!

I'm sure this isn't true (since women have been giving birth for a number of years), but I do not…read morethink I could have made it through my daughter's birth without Jamie (or my husband and best friend). The birth did not go according to plan due to complications that developed in early labor and I was in an inordinate amount of pain for a long time without dilation progress. Jamie's comfort techniques helped soothe this pain over the course of many hours. She stood by us through the entire labor. Jamie was also very helpful by asking smart questions to the doctors and hospital staff--questions my husband and I were too exhausted/in pain to remember to ask. The day we got back home from the hospital, we were confusion about breastfeeding and Jamie over to assist and reassure us. This visit was separate from our post-natal meeting that occurred a few days after that. I cannot recommend Jamie more highly to guide any woman through her birth.

My daughter was posterior as she came out, so my labor was particularly long - 43 hours, of which…read moreJamie was there for 19 - and difficult. Jamie was the calming and stable presence that I needed as things became incredibly intense, especially since I had opted to forgo medication. The positions she suggested to ease pain, encourage regularity in my contractions, and to help me rest were invaluable, and I am pretty sure she massaged my lower back for at least 10 hours over the course of labor. I really do not think I could have gone through all that pain and uncertainty, especially as a first-time mom, without Jamie. Every step of the way as I was ready to freak out because I thought something was wrong, Jamie was supportive and assured me that what I was going through was completely normal, which helped me calm my mind and steel myself for the next level of intensity. At the same time, she was never intrusive or judgmental, and she had a great sense of when to switch off and just be in the background in order to conserve her own energy for the long haul. My husband also loved her - Jamie helped him feel like their roles in the birth were complementary and he never felt useless. I highly recommend Jamie and her services!

Melissa was excellent throughout my labor and delivery. In the weeks leading up to the big day, we…read moremet in person to create a birth plan, answer any questions my husband and I had, and to practice various techniques to help reduce the pain during contractions. The hospital can be a very daunting and unwelcoming place. My nurse was actually a bit of a nightmare but thanks to Melissa, I was able to stay focus, remain calm, follow my birth plan and most importantly deliver a healthy baby. It would have been a very different experience without her warmth and care. She helped me advocate for myself which I found to be very empowering. I first heard of Melissa and Mindful Birth & Wellness when I began my research online. A veteran doula who I initially wanted to work with referred Melissa to me after she was unavailable and I am so thankful!

Annette is one of a kind, and I am so grateful that I had her by my side throughout my pregnancy…read morejourney, and birth of my son. To be very honest...I didn't even know what a doula is or if I needed one. But being a FTM, I had so many questions and worries about giving birth. I started to do research, and was recommended to check out Annette. And I am so glad I did! From the first conversation, I knew I was in the right hands. I am anxious and an over-thinker, but thankfully Annette's expertise and calming nature helped ease all of that. Most importantly, she helped me become informed in all of my options - so I was able to make the best choices for me and my baby throughout the whole experience - especially when dealing with doctors (which can be rather intimidating). Finally, she was also beyond helpful and reassuring to my support person, my mother...as the two of them together helped me welcome my son into this world. Annette takes on many roles while helping - a coach, a best friend, a cheerleader, an educator and many more. My family is forever thankful to her, and highly recommend having her in your corner to anyone on the beautiful, yet sometimes rather wild, pregnancy journey.

It's hard to even know where to begin. Last summer we welcomed our son into the world. Knowing that…read moreI was hoping to have an all-natural birth, and also knowing that my partner's tolerance for seeing me in pain is quite low, I was insistent on having a doula be a part of our birth story. I did a lot of research and we interviewed two potential doulas. Both seemed beyond qualified, but from the minute Annette entered our living room, it was like having a long lost friend come over. We chatted very easily. She guided our discussion, asking pertinent questions to make sure the fit was mutual. We had another sit-down a month or so before my due date to go over questions and review our desires. She went over our birth plan and reassured us that it would all go well. Fast forward to my water breaking and contractions starting. My wife was in constant contact with Annette throughout the night. The next morning when my labor was progressing, Annette came over. She was amazing. Reassuring and calm, her presence was the perfect blend of taking charge and letting our birth story unfold naturally. She guided me through breathing and various positions. When my contractions plateaued, she encouraged us to walk the dog around the block to get them started again. Her soothing and knowledgeable demeanor was encouraging and the exact support not only I needed, but my partner needed as well. She guided my wife to being the perfect support throughout. She knew exactly when to call the Lyft. We got to the hospital and our baby arrived 45 minutes later. I was hoping to be in the birth center at Mt Sinai West (which has since shut down), and found out it was closed. Thankfully, Annette guided us to laboring as much at home as possible - which was my requested goal. She was in the delivery room, and stayed until our baby learned how to latch (and he learned well - a year later he's still a breastfed baby). She was available for questions throughout the next few weeks. She came over two days later to make sure all was going well. I cannot rave enough about the virtues of having a doula throughout the birth experience - Annette was the perfect one for us!

Terry was an incredible birth doula for our family. As first-time parents, we had very little idea…read morewhat to expect, and I also had a medically necessary scheduled induction, which made us quite nervous. During our prenatal sessions, Terry walked us through the entire induction and labor process and helped us feel much more prepared and confident. She also gave us very practical advice on how to prepare for the baby, especially since we were planning to do combination feeding -- from choosing newborn pacifiers to using a breast pump. After delivery, when I struggled with breastfeeding in the early days, Terry continued to support us during our postpartum sessions and helped us work through different solutions. She was also incredibly dedicated during the birth itself and stayed with us for hours after delivery to make sure we were settled. We are so grateful for her guidance and support, and would highly recommend her to any expecting parents.

We are a couple with a 12 month old baby. Terry helped us for the first two weeks postpartum as our…read morenight nurse from 10 pm to 7 am. Even though it was only 2 weeks, it was a really helpful transitional period. She's deeply empathetic and truly cares for people. On the first day she arrived, she came with a thermos of soup which I did not expect but was so thoughtful during a time when I wasn't eating because of the stress. Our baby was very comfortable with her from the start. She has good intuition and experience. I learned a great deal from her about child rearing and development.

Laura was incredible throughout the entire process. My wife and I went with Laura for our doula for…read moreour first child. The peace of mind that comes from a knowledgeable and calming presence before, during and after delivery is worth their weight in gold. I know, I know. I'm the husband in the situation but what many people don't realize is that a doula gives me peace of mind as well. I was able to ask her questions on how best to support my wife and I knew we had someone who would be with us every step of the way. My wife chose Laura because others in our circle had used her and couldn't stop raving about her. My wife was asked would she use Laura again and she said, without pause, "Absolutely." We are thankful for Laura and her guidance throughout the process and whole heartedly recommend her and her services.

The first time I met Laura, I knew she had what it takes to be a great doula. She was very patient…read moreand understanding when helping me to prepare for the process of giving birth. She listened very carefully and responded very thoughtfully to all of my questions and concerns. The "fear" was the biggest hurdle for me - and Laura definitely helped me to confront and feel more at peace with the unknown and unexpected factors that may occur during the birthing process - giving birth was definitely the biggest fear in my life. Specifically, Laura helped to reduce my anxiety with demonstrations and examples of her techniques in advance of the birth. Then she utilized many of these techniques during the actual birth to help me get through it all. I was a lot less anxious and a lot more prepared and calm thanks to her! She knew the right words that I needed to hear while giving birth, and she knew how to give me the right massage, so that it would be less painful. I basically had no epidural in the hospital until close to the very end of the process, and I would not have been able to accomplish that without her. She also helped to explain to my husband how he could help me through the process, as he had no idea of what to do initially. She guided him through different methods of helping me to deal with the pain, and each of these proved to be successful. At the end, it all worked out very well. The baby was born happy, healthy and with a lot of energy! Without her, it definitely would have been a much more difficult and painful process. We are so thankful and feel so grateful that we were able to find Laura in advance of our special day.

I am so grateful to have had Rachel in my trusted circle throughout my pregnancy, birth and…read morepostpartum 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.

It was so wonderful having Rachel as our doula for my daughter's birth. At every turn - prenatal,…read morelabor, 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.

Nubia brings all the warm, encouraging, supportive vibes that truly helped make my birth experience…read moreas positive as it was. Having birthed my first at an incredible birthing center in another state, I was nervous about birthing in a hospital setting knowing I'd want to go the unmedicated route. Nubia's presence and support were nothing short of deeply empowering - for both me and my partner. She is a real gem. Get her on your birthing team if you can!

Nubia has been providing exceptional postpartum support since the day I was discharged from the…read morehospital. During the first few days, our baby was crying a lot, but Nubia took care of her with incredible patience and care. Thanks to Nubia's professional advice and guidance, our baby has been improving, especially during the night. We can't imagine how we would have managed without her support. Her assistance has allowed me to sleep and rest much longer. We are extremely grateful for everything she has done for us.