We enjoyed working with Lindsey as a birth doula for my recent birth. She is very calm, friendly, knowledgeable about pregnancy and infant care and familiar with navigating the hospital environment. She helped me during a hospital birth where I made use of tub and tried to avoid interventions. During labor, she assisted by putting heat packs on my pressure points, guiding me into different positions to make laboring easier and effective, making use of a tub for labor, and creating a calm, reassuring and positive atmosphere. Her experience, knowledge, confidence and personality make her a great doula. She also has kids of her own and can relate to moms. read more

I wish I could give a 6th star. I was nervous to give birth so I opted to get a doula. I can't say enough good things about Holly--she was truly a lifesaver during my birth experience. From the start, her calm, grounded energy helped me feel supported and confident, even when things didn't go according to plan. When my labor stalled, Holly guided me through exercises that actually got things moving--my water broke soon after, and she also shared positions that helped my baby flip. Her pain management workshop gave me tools I leaned on hard during some intense moments. And when my epidural failed (twice!), Holly didn't miss a beat. She advocated for me when I was in pain and made sure I felt heard and cared for. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her. She played a huge role in turning what could've been a traumatic experience into something empowering. If you're considering a doula, do yourself a favor and call Holly. She's the real deal. read more

During the birth of my first child, there were many unexpected things that came up that I felt unprepared for, especially during a time when it is already difficult to think (giving birth!). I felt ignorant and like I could have used a lot more support, especially given that the nurses were different, people I didn't know, and that I didn't always agree with (but didn't know how to handle that situation). The actual doctor came in and out only occasionally. For my second child, I wanted to hire a doula to help me cope with the contractions and to be an advocate when we went to the hospital in case I encountered any other unexpected situations. My second birth was much faster, and I had a successful unmedicated birth. I would definitely work with Windy City Doulas again. They have many doulas and helped me find someone close to me within my price range. She was very kind, experienced, reliable, organized, and professional. She even gave me other resources (like educational birth videos about what to expect in birth and at the hospital that she had made, which I watched with my husband). She recommended practicing pain coping techniques, and all of this helped me feel competent and prepared. I'm sure this doesn't happen very often, but in my case I was lucky to have the birth experience that I had planned for and wanted without complications! read more

I cannot stop singing the praises of Sam at Windy City Doulas. I had partnered with her for the birth of my second daughter, after a fairly traumatic delivery of my first. Sam helped me feel confident and empowered at every step of the journey. Once my water broke, she was supportive, responsive and totally by my side (both via text virtually and then IRL) throughout the entirety of my labor and delivery experience, helping me feel knowledgeable and cared for. And that includes help with breastfeeding post-delivery. After she left, the nurses were even telling me how great Sam was compared to some other doulas. I believe Sam is a huge reason why I had such an incredible birth experience the second time around, and would highly recommend her and her practice for a high level of care and support throughout your journey. read more

We've used Windy City for both a Doula and a night nurse and have had nothing but amazing experiences! Our Doula handled my crazy so well and was extremely thorough - putting us at ease and helping us talk through things we hadn't thought about. Our doula's schedule is so busy so we've been working with a different person for night nursing and she is equally as amazing. We are genuinely so excited on the nights she helps out! She is also more than willing to answer any questions I have or provide insight on things I need help with. Highly recommend the Windy City crew! read more

I've used Windy City Doulas for both of my births. Worked with Holly the first time and Samantha the second. I love the process of signing up for Doula and selecting the services and classes you want to take. It's very clear and easy to do. The doulas that I worked with were knowledgeable and friendly. It was great to have someone who had a lot of experience going through the whole labor process with me. Nothing but great things to say about Windy City Doulas. Highly recommend! read more

Speaking with the owner, Samantha, was truly such a gift during my prenatal planning. She was warm, attentive, and honest about her experience with birth work in the Chicago area. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience and a very practical and effective way of managing her business and meeting the needs of the families she serves. She was professional, kind, straightforward, and an excellent communicator. The Chicago area is lucky to have her agency to serve families. I could tell from our first conversation that she is dedicated to the well-being of moms and babies, while also mindfully establishing equitable working conditions for her doula team. Samantha is a competent and talented business owner for Windy City Doulas. read more

Samantha was all we could ever hope for in a doula. She has such expansive knowledge in birth work and is an expert in this field! Beyond her knowledge, she anticipated every one of our needs, helped advocate for my preferences in the hospital, and was the calm and reassuring presence we needed. We hired her for our second birth and will again for the next one. Look no further for your doula, she's a gem! read more

This review is a little lengthy. The gist is; if you are looking for a specific doula, I cannot recommend Jess at Windy City doulas enough. If you are looking for a company, I appreciated that Windy City provided me with different doulas to interview. I also appreciated their check in emails and recommendations of different classes. I only used the doula service, but their other services seemed helpful and reasonably priced. My husband and I recently welcomed our first baby with the help of Jess as our doula. I interviewed Jess and one other doula at Windy City. I was drawn to Jess because she talked about how she thought the doula's job started long before the birth and went on long after. She wasn't wrong. I called and texted with Jess so many times throughout my pregnancy. She helped explain things to me before and after appointments. She was a resource to call when I was nervous about a symptom. It was so helpful to have someone who had so much experience as opposed to googling things. She recommend which classes to take. She gave me advice and guided me when I was feeling unhappy with my OB practice. And this was all before labor. During labor she was as like having a personal nurse in the room. She advocated for me and knew everybody's name that was on my birthing team. She was constantly awake and checking on me; which was nice because it gave my husband the chance to rest. She would get me water and warm blankets, things the nurses didn't always have an opportunity to do. Towards the end of my labor during the pushing process I had to make a decision of using forceps or having a c section. Jess gave advice that was backed with knowledge of not only the procedures but also the doctor that would be performing them. After labor she gave advice on what to have stocked at home for my recovery knowing exactly what my labor was like and what my body went through. My daughter had some blood in her spit up on one of our first nights home and Jess was the first person I called. She gave advice on what to do and helped ease my mind that everything was ok. read more

Working with Sam from Windy City Doulas absolutely changed the course of my pregnancy, delivery and postpartum experience. After a not-so-fabulous experience with an OB group, we transitioned to the NW midwives where they recommended we consider hiring a doula, and specifically named Sam as one of their favorites to work with. We weren't sure exactly what the relationship would entail, but from the first moments of our initial home visit we knew it was the best investment we could make. Sam has a wealth of knowledge and an extremely comforting presence. She was with me every step of the way during my pregnancy and checked in after every appt, offering tips and encouragement along the way. During my labor, Sam coached me through pushing and was an integral part of making delivery a beautiful and rewarding experience. She made sure I was fed after delivering and took the most incredible pictures of our son's birth that I will cherish forever. Postpartum Sam saved us again and again - when we had a traumatic experience at our first pediatrician, she recommended our new doctor who we absolutely love. She also referred us to am amazing lactation consultant who changed the first month of our son's life and greatly improved the first few weeks at home with him. She checked in on me throughout our first month home and having her by my side throughout the whole experience was the best decision we made. I can't thank Sam enough! read more

Windy City Doulas made finding a doula easy and stress free. Before confirming a doula, we were able to have a phone conversation to get to know them before making the commitment. We had a great intro call and signed the contract almost immediately after hanging up the phone. We absolutely loved our doula, Lindsey. She meet with us twice before my due date, was always available for texting, extremely knowledgeable about the process and how my body would feel, made labor and delivery a magical moment and even came over one week postpartum to check on me and the baby. I still send her photos of baby Everett! We highly recommend Windy City Doulas to anyone looking to have an amazing, comfortable birth experience. Thank you! read more

I had three wonderful labor and deliveries (one at Prentice and two at Lake Forest Hospital) and it's pretty much all thanks to Samantha!!! Maybe a little bit my "birthing hips." But very much mostly Samantha. Such an incredible source of info and strength and helpfulness and love and humor for me and my husband! Could've never done it without her. I can't say enough. Also WCD's night doulas saved my butt all three times as well (big ups to Des and Holly). read more

Samantha was an absolute dream of a doula in so many ways. Not only is she the reason I was able to go through with my unmedicated birth(as a first time mom) and get my dream birth but also a huge resource for all questions including newborn care, postpartum care, breastfeeding help, partner support suggestions and more. Samantha was accessible 24/7 from the moment we hired her, which made the weeks leading up to birth seem so much more manageable and the days postpartum feel less scary. She helped me through my midwife appointments, giving me a heads up on what to expect at each apt and advice on how to advocate for myself and my specific requests. During my actual labor, she was vocal and hands on. She helped us get checked into the hospital seamlessly as I was arriving at the hospital 6 cm dilated and unable to do much navigating! She knew the prentice staff well which made everything so easy, I didn't have to do much but focus on giving birth. She used heating pads on my back and hands on support to help my body move through contractions. She led me through positioning and verbally encouraged me. Not to mention she showed up at my home at 3 in the morning talking me through it all! She even took priceless pictures of videos of our delivery and ket my husband and I bond with our baby as she got us food from a place nearby. In addition to her doula services, Samantha came to our home and spent 2 hours with us going over newborn care, which made my husband whos never held a baby feel confident and let me tell you he's been absolutely incredible with our baby! She suggested supportive partner labor prep classes and lactation consultants. Her services were invaluable. We even told her she needs to be charging more!!! There are a million more things I could say about her services but I truly Could not recommend Samantha more and hope to utilize her again when it is time to continue to grow our family read more

I am very happy to recommend Windy City Doulas to expecting parents. My review will cover a few different experiences. I had a birth doula who was great, really informed and sent me a lot of links to resources. Unfortunately, my water broke early and when I tried to get a hold of her, she was not available. She was handling a different client and was unreachable because of ATT network issues. I had read books, taken classes and asked for advice but I really do feel this made a difference in my care - for the first 10 hours, my partner and I were on my own. I had a separate doula sub in for her but I had a difficult birth and I really wish I could have consulted the person I'd spent months talking to and made better informed decisions about my medical care. I don't entirely blame Windy City Doulas for the way this turned out, but I do wish my doula and I had hashed out a plan in a scenario like this. For the cost of this specific service, I was expecting more. Separately, I hired postpartum doulas for overnight care. They've been a life saver for me (especially after my difficult birth). I really needed rest to recover from postpartum complications. The individual doulas that have come through our home have taken incredible care of our baby and family. Samantha was incredibly responsive to our needs and I can't recommend the overnight postpartum doula service enough if you need rest or additional support after birth. read more

My wife and I cannot recommend Windy City Doulas enough! This was our first child and I genuinely can't imagine having gone through the experience without them. We worked with Jess who was both our labor support doula and post-partum night doula for about 8 weeks. She was incredible. I can list several ways that I'm fairly confident that our birth experience would have been made much worse if she weren't around, but that would make this review several pages long. What I will say is that she was able to communicate with the doctors and nursing staff during labor in a way that drastically affected our ultimate outcome in a way that more matched our birth plan. If she weren't there, I think we would have felt pressured to make some decisions we weren't super comfortable with. It was honestly so reassuring to have someone there who we felt was our advocate throughout the process. On the post-partum side, we had Jess about 2x a week for the first 8 weeks. Again, I can't emphasize enough how valuable we thought this was. We had a few bumps during our first few weeks that Jess helped us through and help frame our decision making process. She also helped answer all of our super-stressed out questions, and having someone there several times a week to do that was awesome. We also got to watch how she interacted with our LO in a way that taught us some useful tricks! Finally, it's obviously nice to get some sleep every now and again :) One more thing I'll add is that my wife and I like making evidence-based decisions, and that's the vibe we got from Windy City Doulas. They're super supportive of your plans, whatever they are, but they also try to present you with all the relevant tradeoffs and relevant information based on up-to-date evidence and research. Honestly, I'd recommend anyone with the means to consider Windy City Doulas. If we were going to have another child, we'd easily call them again! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Windy City Doulas and our Doula, Samantha. Samantha is truly an expert in all things related to the birth process. Having her support before, during, and after the birth of our daughter was invaluable and gave my husband and I a sense of comfort and confidence throughout the entire process. During our prenatal consultation, Samantha spent almost 2 hours with us, answering every question we had and giving us tips for how to prepare for the birthing process and life once we got home. Then, in the days and weeks leading up to my due date Samantha made herself available to answer questions and provide information on our options as we got closer to (and passed) our due date (induction process, etc). We leaned on Samantha heavily during this time and she always made herself available to support us. During my labor Samantha was AMAZING - she stayed with us at the hospital for 12+ hours - explaining everything that was happening, helping us request things from the nurses that we didn't even know were options, giving us an idea of how long things might take and what to expect, and providing us with a sounding board to make labor and delivery decisions. After a long labor, she helped me nurse for the first time and even went downstairs to get me a bagel before she left for the evening! Having Samantha there during my labor made all the difference for me and helped us navigate the stressful (and sometimes scary) moments with confidence and ease. Finally, Samantha's post partum consult was just as valuable and helpful as the rest of the services she provided. She answered a million questions related to nursing, sleeping, PPD and more and gave us resources and suggestions to navigate life with a newborn. My only regret throughout the process is not hiring Windy City Doulas for night nursing support in the first week or two after delivery (I think even a night or two would have made things a lot easier!). Highly recommend Windy City Doulas for your labor and delivery! It's well worth the money!!! read more

I used to have a huge fear of labor and delivery... and never in a million years would have thought I'd explore having a natural birth, but when I hit my third trimester the idea of an epidural started to freak me out. I looked into hiring a doula, met Samantha, felt instantly calmed by her, and by some stroke of luck.. was able to hire her last second because the other mom that she had booked for our date had the baby early! After our first meeting, my husband and I already felt like hiring her was so worth it. She helped me make sense of my birth preferences, helped walk us through how it would all go, coached my husband on how to support me, talked us through ways to enlist family support post partum, etc. The actual birth didn't go at all as planned. My water broke early, I was in denial that the baby was coming. She politely guided us to shower, pack the car and treat it like it was the real deal. She talked us through every step we were going through, was having my husband send her my contractions, gave us advice on what I could advocate for to have my birth the way I wanted it. She was amazing. I hired her for the delivery and it crazy enough ended up being the part of this whole process that I needed her the least in. My birth ended up being medicated and I only had to push for 18 minutes. Despite that, I would hire her a million times over and couldn't be more grateful that she was in the room with us. She took pictures of the birth that I will cherish forever and ever (I didn't know she would do that), she helped guide me through my first nursing session successfully, she took pictures of my husband holding our baby for the first time, and she even ran and got us food so that my husband didn't have leave us... I was STARVING. It was absolutely amazing to have her there, I cried when she said bye. Finally, the post partum was another place I didn't know i needed her, but yet again she was there. She checked in on me.. more than once.. and I didn't respond... I was really tired and in a lot of pain so I didn't have the energy to respond. So she went above and beyond and checked in with my husband. I ended up talking with her and she persuaded me to get the help I needed. Specifically she prevented me from following my doctors advice of pumping to alleviate my engorgement issue, which would have made the problem worse, and navigated me to my life savior of a lactation consultant. She also stopped by to see how we were, and made us feel sane with our colicky baby. She was so gentle and sweet and was around if I had a random question or two here and there. I could go on and on about how appreciative I am. But all you really need to know is that I loved my birth experience. I feel so grateful that Samantha was there. If I have another baby, I will be hiring as soon as I know my due date. I would trust anyone that Samantha says is good. Hire Windy City doulas, they are worth every penny. read more

Thank goodness for Windy City Doulas! In addition to helping me think through my birth plan, Sam and Jessica really came to the rescue in so many other ways. At the onset of labor, my whole family (myself included!) got stomach flu. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to make it through labor, especially with the natural birth I had in mind. But Sam was such an incredible support. She stayed in constant contact with me via text in early labor, offering me and my husband helpful tips to deal with the amazing labor + stomach flu combo. She helped me all throughout labor at the hospital with great tips and words of reassurance. In particular, her help in triage and in transition was invaluable. After the birth, my husband had to leave the hospital because he was too sick to stay, but Sam stayed with me while I got settled in my new room. It was like having a good friend with me the whole time- I felt so lucky and grateful. Two weeks postpartum we had our postpartum check in and Sam had so many helpful tips on sleep. This was our second kid and we will learned so much that helped us in that department! She was also totally cool with me continuing to text her periodic questions as we were trying to get the hang of life with two. Lastly, I had a bit of a rough patch a few months postpartum and wasn't sleeping well at all so again I called on Windy City Doulas (in addition to my dr of course). There were a few times where they were able to come over and help out on almost no notice, so they could do my kids bedtime routines and I could just sleep or relax instead. They really took care of me when I needed it most. Thank you so much Samantha and Jessica for getting me through labor, delivery, and postpartum so that I could be the happy healthy mom that I am today! read more

I can't say enough good things about Windy City Doulas! We ended up hiring night doulas for the first six months of my daughter's life and omg...they made such a huge difference! Samantha has assembled an amazing team. I never doubted that my baby was in responsible, loving hands overnight. In fact, I realized after a few weeks that I should have been nervous about handing a stranger the most precious thing I have, but the thought never once crossed my mind. I instantly trusted every doula I met, and so did my daughter--even if she had been asleep when a new doula arrived and woke up to a complete stranger in her room. I joke that while she may be smart about strangers with candy, after her experience with these wonderful doulas, she'll trust any woman in a mask. Emma was our primary doula for the first few months, and she is fantastic--not only *great* with my newborn (since her first night home) but an invaluable source of wisdom and insights for a new mom. She so obviously loves what she does, and I'm glad my daughter had her warm, calming presence as she figured out this whole sleep thing. I also loved working with--and I'm sure I'm missing some folks here!--Jess, Tiffany, Melissa, Megan, and Samantha. These are interesting times; everyone took COVID precautions seriously, and Samantha was very gracious about last-minute schedule changes. This is a long-winded way to say: Windy City Doulas saved my sanity during my first six months as a mom. I am so grateful and would definitely work with them again! read more

We hired Jess from Windy City Doulas to help guide me through my second birth. We had not used a doula for the birth of my first, and now, having gone through one birth with and one birth without a doula, I am 100% a convert. I would never attempt to labor again without this support! Jess was an incredible support. My first birth felt very traumatic for me, and Jess helped me to process what happened as I prepared for the second birth. She was also very knowledgeable in helping me to think through decisions about my second birth. By the time my due date arrived, I was actually excited to go into labor. My labor happened incredibly quickly, and just by chance, we live a block away from Jess, so she was able to jump in the car with us, as we missed the entire "labor at home" period. I don't know how we would have gotten through that car ride without her calming me down and giving me techniques to work through the pain and keep the baby inside until we made it to the hospital! Once there, Jess did all of the talking as my husband parked the car. She advocated to help negotiate what monitors and testing were and were not necessary as I quickly transitioned to pushing. While the midwives and nurses ran around getting me hooked up to monitoring and an IV, Jess stayed totally focused on helping me to breath through contractions and work through the pain of an unmedicated birth. She employed multiple techniques that were surprisingly helpful (breathing, using ice, providing me a popsicle, etc.), and before I knew it, my baby arrived! I feel so positive about my second birth experience, and I attribute much of that to Jess's knowledge, advocacy, and support. read more

We hired Samantha for the labor and delivery support for both of our babies, and I couldn't say enough wonderful things about her. She was always there to answer questions, guide us through what to expect next, and provide options. Samantha was supportive of all the decisions I made from pregnancy to delivery. She was a sounding board when I needed extra information to make those decisions, and I never felt judged or pushed in a certain direction. If you're on the fence about hiring a doula or not, do it. As a person who didn't particularly enjoy being pregnant, having Samantha in my corner made the whole experience more positive. read more

Samantha was an absolute dream to work with and highly recommend her to anyone even considering some extra support before, during and after their labor/delivery. After a traumatic experience with our first it was so comforting and reassuring to have Samantha by our side advocating and supporting us. She is kind, thoughtful, respectful, extremely knowledgable, and works well with the rest of your medical team. So thankful for her! read more

Working with Samantha was everything we wanted it to be and more. We got to know Samantha before the birth of our son through a couple of in person meetings and lots of text messages and she immediately put us at ease. Samantha is warm, kind and most importantly is an amazing listener. While it is clear she is in high demand, we always felt like she was 100% present and focused on us and our specific wants/needs. Our "natural" unmediated birth did not go as planned and ended up as a c-section after almost 24 hours of labor due to a very large (10 lbs 6 oz) and very overdue (10 days) baby. Samantha was there holding our hands through every step of the way. Not only was her support invaluable to me as the laboring mother, but I don't know how my husband would have survived all of the very scary moments without her knowledge, patience, and kindness. She even went so far as to keep both sets of our parents up to date in the waiting room when it was too difficult for my husband to get out the words. All of this is to say that Samantha is worth EVERY PENNY and more! I could not imagine the birth of our son without her. On a side note, we also used her postpartum doula services as well and had wonderful experiences with all of the ladies who came to help us during those first months of nighttime craziness. Hire Samantha. You will not regret it!!! read more

I contacted Windy City Doulas after the postpartum doula I had contracted (through another agency) never showed up. Samantha was very responsive and found someone for me on very short notice, and Debbie showed up the very next week. Although we didn't know it at the time, her first day happened to be exactly one week before the governor's stay-at-home orders went into effect. I was fully prepared for her to bail as well, on account of the global pandemic (and I certainly wouldn't have blamed her) but she didn't! All the other supports I had carefully put in place for my maternity leave crumbled as soon as the pandemic hit, but Debbie cheerfully continued to show up twice a week through the beginning of May. With preschool shutting down and my husband suddenly working from home, on top of family canceling their visits to come meet the baby and help out, I went from overtired to completely overwhelmed-- being quarantined with a toddler and a newborn SUCKS. Debbie was very gracious about suddenly being tasked with watching/teaching/entertaining my 3.5 year old on top of the baby, and it turned out to be exactly the help I needed. I spent my "me time" scrambling to do as much laundry as possible and trying to clean my disaster of a house instead of napping and practicing like I had envisioned, but if I hadn't been able to at least do that, I surely would have lost my mind. We are so grateful to Debbie for helping all of us through an incredibly difficult transition (and what was otherwise a horrendous fourth trimester for me). Windy City Doulas really came through for us in a time of crisis! read more

I can't say enough good things about Ida, our doula from Windy City Doulas. I am naturally a planner and very diligent, bordering on intense :). I may have interviewed 5+ doulas but when we met Ida I knew she'd be perfect. Ida is incredibly nurturing, accepting, positive and confident. We did a lot of preparation for the birth (including a 30 hours Bradley Method course) but not surprisingly our birth didn't go as planned. Ida was extremely supportive from massage, to affirmation to helping us have productive but hard conversations with the hospital staff . I am so gratitude Ida was part of our birthing journey. read more

This review is 3 years late since my little boy is turning 3 this month! Samantha was our doula and she helped us to have the natural delivery that we were hoping for. During the consultation meetings, she answered our 101 questions with wisdom, patience and compassion, and from the moment my water broke, she was right there, available within minutes if not seconds via text/phone. She coached me through the excruciating pain of labor and helped us navigate the hospital procedures and advocated for our desires to have as natural of a birth as possible. Our baby came out healthy as can be, and Samantha even helped with getting the baby to latch and successfully exclusively breastfeed. We are forever indebted! read more

Working with Sam was one of the best decisions we made when having our first child. My pregnancy had some complications near the end, and Sam was incredibly knowledgeable, flexible, and supportive in helping us work with our medical team to make decisions and understand our situation. She was a total game-changer to have with us during labor, and was helpful for questions and referrals afterwards as well. It's hard to imagine going through this process without her! Thanks so much Sam and team. read more

We have really benefited from the labor and delivery support and postpartum support from Windy City Doulas! As first time parents facing some family and medical stressors during the pregnancy, Jessica was an amazing doula to help guide us up to and through labor and delivery. Jessica brought (and now continues to bring) a wealth of knowledge and support as we made decisions that allowed me to advocate for my baby, myself, and my family during the last weeks of the pregnancy and during the labor and delivery. Jessica has been a great support since the birth too as I had a lot of questions about baby rearing and postpartum recovery. We also enjoyed the help of daytime and night postpartum doulas including Samantha (who runs the business), Laura and Lynn. Samantha showed us how to do baby baths and answered several of our questions. Her help also allowed us to get extra rest or take care of important errands. Windy City Doulas is a great service for all moms-- highly recommended! Thanks Jessica, Samantha, Laura, and Lynn!! read more

Wish we could give Samantha 10 stars! We met with her a few times prior to the birth, but our expectations were extremely exceeded during labor. She was absolutely invaluable to help guide my wife through childbirth with our daughter, making sure that my wife felt supported and had a voice throughout the process. My wife and I are both in the medical field, but there is no way I could've supported my wife through childbirth better than Samantha. The experience during labor with her couldn't have gone better and she provided excellent care to my wife, who gave birth without pain medication. Samantha stayed with us until everything in the hospital was stable and made sure to follow up regularly and often. I would strongly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula! read more

I have had two unmedicated births with Samantha, the owner's help. I can't imagine giving birth without her! I found her through yelp in 2016. I interviewed several doulas, but immediately felt the most comfortable with Sam. I liked that she had a nursing degree and nursing experience. It made me feel like I could count on her to act as my advisor and advocate should things not go perfectly (do they ever?). I also felt very at ease with her, and got the vibe that she would respect and not judge any decisions I made about my birth process. She truly felt supportive, not like she had her own agenda. Throughout my pregnancy she was available to answer my questions. She set up a private birth class for me and my husband (we couldn't find one that worked with our schedules.) She also met with us and walked us through everything in preparation for the big day. On my daughter's birthday, she was immediately responsive via text, helping me decide to stay home when I would have gone in hours earlier. Her support and techniques made laboring at home not just possible, but enjoyable. When I got to the hospital, some things went not as planned, and the staff wanted me to be in bed. But Sam was able to suggest alternatives that the staff was happy with and allowed me to continue to labor out of the bed. She also helped me manage my disappointment in not being able to labor in the tub. Ultimately, with her help, baby girl was delivered happy and healthy. Sam was also so helpful in the following weeks (and ot this day really), answering questions and referring services. With my son, in 2019, I had to be induced unexpectedly. Sam cam up with a plan that helped me avoid pitocin and have another unmedicated delivery. She was essential in navigating this sudden detour, heping me come to terms with very different birth plans, and still have a birth I was happy with. I cannot recommend Sam enough. read more

Samantha is incredible! Having her by my side along with my husband made my birthing experience smoother as I was more informed and she was there when I needed extra mental and physical support. Each step of the way she talked me through what to expect and how to manage it, and I felt so much more in control of labor ( and let's be honest, all the pain and anxiety that come with giving birth). Her follow up help after the birth has provided me has also been incredibly valuable as I navigate the first-time mommy issues that arise. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Windy City Doulas! They were absolutely crucial and cared for our son for the first 4 months! We required a lot of care- I think 7 days a week- more than we originally thought and they made it work! We had complete peace of mind with the doulas caring for our son and enjoyed getting to know them all. Their knowledge love and passion for children, especially babies is unrivaled and so amazing. Thank you to Sam for always making it work for us and our incredible doulas-- forever grateful. read more

This is the best doula and night nurse service in Chicago. We live in Hinsdale and heard about Samantha's phenomenal team before we had our first baby. There's a reason that local celebrities and politicians hire Windy City Doula - because Samantha hires only the BEST women and they become a 2nd family to those they help. Thank you, thank you, thank you Samantha, Debbie, and the other doulas who filled in along the way, for helping us care for our 2 babies. You were there when we needed you most (especially with my colicky son!) and always available on short notice. Your caring, loving, and knowledgable team - and the wonderful service you provide - is an answered prayer. read more

From the moment my husband and I met Ida, we knew we were in good hands. I am a very introverted person and it takes me a while to warm up to people, but Ida is one of those special souls that you meet and immediately feel comfortable to be around. We decided on a doula late in my pregnancy, so we only met with her twice before the big day, but it was more than enough to build a strong bond with her. She followed my birth plan to a t and guided us through every step of the way. I honestly don't know how well we would have done without her. She was sweet and nuturing, but also firm when necessary. Her skills of handling me, my husband, our family, the nurse, and the midwife were flawless - even my midwife asked where I found her because she was so impressed. To top it off, she had a flight scheduled the same morning I gave birth, but she showed up and stuck around until our girl made her big debut. We knew we put our trust in the right person! I can't recommend or thank her enough - thank you Ida! Also: special shout out to Erica! She took over in the early hours when Ida had to run and helped navigate me with breastfeeding. I am nursing 18 months strong and I have her to thank for that! read more

Samantha at Windy City Doulas is amazing. She helped us through the unmedicated births of our three children. Because of Samantha, we felt educated, calm, and excited for each birth. Her care didn't stop at birth, she helped with breastfeeding and newborn care. Even my husband says that hiring a doula was the best thing we did and values how much she also helped him through the birth process. If you are thinking about a doula, do it, and if you are looking for a great doula, hire Windy City Doulas. read more

Samantha from Windy City Doulas is amazing! She has been absolutely fantastic throughout our pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding. If she's available, HIRE HER! This was our first pregnancy. While I knew a doula would be an important advocate and coach throughout our experience, it was my husband that found her advice the most valuable. Samantha was on-call via text and phone the entire weekend I was in labor (including throughout the night). We had prepared for labor and felt we were coping well with contractions. My husband coached me in person and Samantha was HIS coach behind the scenes. He continues to rave about how responsive she was to his questions and how helpful and her advice was to him. Samantha guided him on how to best support me at home and the hospital. And when the time for pushing came she was there guiding me on breathing and focus. As soon as my son was born, Samantha captured the first moments on video for us to remember. And most importantly, Samantha also helped me to breastfeed our son within minutes of birth so that I could learn and he could learn very early on. I'm so thankful! The same attention, care and concern was brought to the postpartum services she offered. The first few days were tough as we navigated my milk coming in, recovery and taking care of a newborn. Samantha allowed us to take some much needed naps and cared for us and our newborn. Enough cannot be said about Samantha's professionalism. This will be the best investment you can make in your pregnancy. Highly recommend! read more

Samantha was instrumental in the births of both of my children. From pregnancy through childbirth and after, Samantha and her postpartum doulas were there for me. My two labors and deliveries were extremely positive experiences. I would recommend Windy City Doulas to any first-time expecting mom and also to any second+ time mom that didn't have a doula for their first or was unhappy with their first birth experience in any way. WCD will work with you for the best possible outcome regardless of what kind of birth experience you're looking for, where you want to give birth, how much meds or intervention you want or don't want, etc. Samantha's experience, knowledge, reliability and demeanor are unmatched. WCD postpartum doulas are also total lifesavers! And I found my amazing IBCLC through WCD referral as well. Of all the costs associated with a new baby, this is the one most worth every penny! read more

Windy City Doula's is amazing. Samantha was there for us throughout my third pregnancy (and was there for our second as well). She often was informing us of the hospital's changing Covid policies before we heard from our provider. She has such a calming presence supporting me (and my husband!) throughout the birth process and was able to guide me through my second unmedicated birth. We also have had Samantha assist us as a postpartum doula. She has helped us make the transition from two to three children- getting us on the right footing with our newborn's sleep. I used to scoff at anyone's ability to 'put the baby down drowsy but awake' but my baby actually will nap in a crib and does not have to be rocked to sleep in my arms for every nap and bedtime! Samantha is so knowledgeable about all things baby and is able to educate us and answer all of our many questions. She also helped set us up with meals we could freeze so our family is nourished without having to stress about what will be on the table for dinner most nights. Our family is so grateful for all of her help and support. She truly goes above and beyond and has made our lives so much easier. We are going to miss having her presence in our home and are so thankful for her assistance the first few months of our newborn's life! read more

I am writing this review a very long time after we have used Samantha's Windy City Doula's service. My daughter was born in 2016. Fast forward, 5 years later and we are again looking for a doula. I stopped here for a second to read the reviews on Samantha, and I cannot believe it... all are 5 stars top-rated reviews. We did not have such a good experience with Samantha. I feel that she took advantage of my wife's anxiety and the fact it was her first pregnancy. She was not a supportive partner during delivery. She did help my wife with some training after my daughter was born. In general, we felt she was interested in getting the maximum pay from us, rather than being a supportive calming partner at a time it was really needed. This is why you hire a doula, isn't it? I would like to note that I usually do not write bad reviews, since I do not want to hurt people's feelings and business. This is really an exception. I would not recommend her to my friends or family. read more

Sam was the doula for all three of my kids. From pregnancy to labor and delivery, she was an excellent source of information and calm energy. She helped provide additional information to what my OB and midwives gave me in between appointments, she was able to refer to me to additional resources when requested (chiropractor, acupuncture, etc), and helped educate me on possible outcomes and situations. Because of her overwhelming knowledge and experience, neither I - nor my husband - would want to have a baby without Sam! I went into my first birth not wondering if I wanted to or could deliver naturally, but with an intense needle and hospital phobia, I knew I had to try. She was supportive of my decision to learn about Hypnobirthing, even educating herself on the method so she could make sure she knew what my process was. I felt completely confident staying at home with Sam until the last possible minute, knowing she would get us to the hospital safely, and was monitoring my health and the baby's safety the entire time. She did, my first was born just 45 min after getting to apprentice, my third just 11 minutes (although I don't recommend that! :)). When we found our my second needed to be induced immediately at my 38 week appointment, Sam was there to help me manage the process, allowing for as little intervention as possible while still keeping my son and I safe. On pitocin, I was still able to deliver my son without an epidural - because Sam physically held me for two hours while I labored in the shower at the hospital. She was soaking wet and the only words out of her mouth were support and encouragement. You don't hire Sam because you know exactly how/when/why/where you want to have your baby. You hire Sam because when you realize your baby has an agenda of their own, Sam is the best possible person to have at your side to navigate where life takes you. read more