Britt Wanzek

7/29/2023

Vanessa was our doula for the birth of our daughter. She was so supportive and helpful throughout the pregnancy, during labor and birth, and continued to check in postpartum. With her support and resources, we felt validated and encouraged to ask questions during labor to make sure we had the birth we wanted. Although my daughter's birth did not go according to plan, with Vanessa's support we felt we still had a calm, safe, and healthy birth. I would recommend Vanessa as your doula because she is absolutely amazing! 

Cassie

9/28/2022

I've worked with Vanessa twice. My first time working with her was for an in-hospital VBAC. Until meeting Vanessa, I had given up all hope of achieving a VBAC as my surgical notes stated a classical c-section was performed. After meeting with Vanessa, she provided me with a couple other provider names. I finally found someone who listened, and the provider read through my notes and found I had a low vertical incision. This changed everything! I was so happy to have Vanessa with me for my VBAC. To say I was nervous was an understatement, but Vanessa talked me through everything and helped with some alternative pain management. She also reminded me that I always had a voice and say in my care. When I got pregnant a few years later, I knew I wanted Vanessa to be there, especially as I knew I was going to have to be my own advocate again for the birth I wanted. This time around she threw the idea of a homebirth my way, and provided some names of midwives. After calling around to a few and some phone interviews, I finally had my team! Any time I had questions about something weird my body was doing, Vanessa was always there with an answer. When it came time for my daughter to grace us with her presence, Vanessa was here in no time, and helped have everything ready when I got home (I went to school conferences). Vanessa helped with counterpressure, which was amazing during contractions, and helped keep me going when I thought I couldn't any more. After my daughter joined us, Vanessa not only helped with clean-up, but helped me get showered, brought me some snacks, and made sure baby girl and I were ready to get a few hours of sleep. With my first VBAC I also did placenta encapsulation with Vanessa. I felt like it really helped my body to recover after birth. Vanessa is an amazing doula and would be a great addition to any birth team! Thank you, Vanessa, for all you do!

Megan

8/29/2022

We are beyond thankful for Vanessa and the amazing support she was throughout my pregnancy and the delivery of our son as well as post partum. Because of Vanessa's support and encouragement our second birth experience went so much smoother than our first. From encouraging us to research our options for birth and providing guidance on research and questions to ask our providers to being there and supporting with her calm presence and comfort measures during labor she truly made such a positive difference in our son's birth. Vanessa truly empowered me to feel so much more in control of our laboring experience and advocated for our needs in the hospital. We highly encourage anyone considering using a doula to reach out to Vanessa and learn more about how she can support you and your growing family! 

Kara Fluegge

7/31/2022

God only placed Vanessa and I together for one meeting before my labor yet seeing her walk into the hospital room during the process made me feel at ease.

Vanessa has such a calming, gracious presence through all forms of communication. She empowers you with information that you seek and that she feels would benefit you. She makes you aware of your choices along the way- a constant guide during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. 

She brought me back on track with her voice and her presence countless times during the three- hour pushing process. Our son Dane was born, not breathing or otherwise responsive. By the grace of God, Dane was revived with no lasting or permanent damage! She stayed by my side and offered to help me out of bed shortly after the birth so I could see Dane before he was airlifted to Children's St. Paul. 

God provided Vanessa to me to give me the emotional encouragement and physical strength to get up, dressed and into that wheelchair. She pushed the wheelchair for me. Later, she helped me to bathe so I could prepare to get ready for pending hospital discharge to go be with Dane.

Oh, and lest I not forget the support she provided for my husband Jeremy. She communicated so well with him via text message and in person. We both enjoyed our visit with her when she came to our home after the birth. She kept in touch with us during our NICU stay as well. 

She truly felt like a "best friend" but was clear about her role in the process and always maintained professional boundaries. 

God is so good. He is working all things for my good- and for the good of all. As always, He knew just what I needed. I'm so glad Vanessa was our doula.

Bethany

7/24/2022

As a first time parent, I knew I wanted a doula to help advocate for me, my husband, and the birth of my baby. I felt so unprepared for the journey ahead - I had the picture of my ideal pregnancy and delivery in my mind, but I had no idea of how to get there.  Thank goodness for Vanessa and her help! 

Vanessa was such a solid support to have. She helped us navigate my pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum and made me feel so confident in the decisions I was making for our family. Her ability to find resources and answer all of our questions was unmatched. I will forever appreciate the fact that I was able to achieve my ideal birth of our daughter because of all the support I received. 

Do yourself a favor and hire Vanessa as your doula. Better yet, get your placenta encapsulated too! 

LaNay

7/23/2022

Vanessa was the support I needed before, during, and after giving birth to our daughter. She not only educated myself and my husband, she also listened to and supported our birth plan. The birth class she offered was exactly what we needed to prepare for labor and delivery at home, and she made sure we had the support we needed postpartum. We are forever grateful for Vanessa. 

Amanda Andrews

7/20/2022

Our experience with Vanessa was amazing! Absolutely wonderful! I was a second time mom, recovering from a very traumatic and hospital timeline driven first birth. My goal was a VBAC, and I was so scared that my body wouldn't be able to do it. Vanessa coached me through, she kept me focused, and was my constant foothold through it all. Holding my baby boy for the first time immediately after he arrived was the most beautiful feeling I have ever experienced, and I have Vanessa to thank. This was truly the most redemptive birth experience, and it wouldn't have been possible without her. She helped with education beforehand and helped me make the most informed decisions about my body, my birth, and my baby. She advocated for me throughout labor, and reminded me that it was MY birth, not the hospital's. She's a gift! 

Amanda Vang

10/4/2020

I had just given birth about a week ago to a beautiful baby boy. I decided to have a natural birth and Vanessa was my birth doula for this birth. My experience was absolutely incredible and beautiful. Vanessa made birthing a breeze! She gave my partner and I the tools to work through intense labor. With this, my partner and I can say we feel 100% confident, educated and proud of ourselves. She was consistent the entire time with giving us ideas on positioning and comfort measures that brought me great relief. She checked in with me prior, during and after pregnancy and made me feel empowered in my birthing experience. Vanessa also encapsulated the placenta and was efficient and quick in returning the capsules. I'm so greatful we had her as our doula. She's professional, personable, passionate, and knowledgable about what she does. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is expecting or looking for placenta encapsulation services! 

Maurya Torgerson

5/13/2019

It was intensely important to me that doula care be a part of my pregnancy journey. Through an organization called Everyday Miracles I was paired with Vanessa! Vanessa's passion for birth, level of attention paid to what it was I specifically wanted for my birth experience and her commitment to care for myself, my partner and my forthcoming baby were ever present. Vanessa went above and beyond our scheduled meetings by keeping in close contact with me as my due date got closer; always listening, always educating, never pushing an agenda or a "this is how I would do it" attitude. Her care made a world of difference in my ability to bring my baby in to this world safely and naturally, on my own terms! 

Ella Robinson

12/16/2018

We had a wonderful birth experience with Vanessa. Because this was our first child, it was incredibly valuable to have her as a resource to advise on how to manage contractions while both at home and at the hospital. My husband and I were  grateful to have someone with experience alongside us, and the positivity she brought to the birth was beyond our expectations. In addition to being there with us, she also surprised us with beautiful photos of the labor and birth, which was something we definitely were not thinking of during the birth, but so appreciated having afterward. We would recommend her to anyone hoping to have a calm and peaceful birth experience!

Cassandra Hammitt

6/25/2018

I don't even know where to start. I was on the fence about getting a doula since birth was somewhat a new experience for me. I had done most of my research to support my want of a VBAC, and was urged by many moms to get a doula as well, as they felt like the support helped with their successful VBAC. A friend of mine told me about Doula Match, which is where I found Vanessa. The caring and supportive energy that I felt from our first meeting helped me solidify my decision that Vanessa was the one. With Vanessa's help, I made it a little over halfway through my labor before I opted for some relief. Vanessa also provided that little nudge I needed to be confident in my decisions I made for my baby before his birth, as well as helping my husband and me keep our toddler occupied in the hospital. She is a wealth of knowledge with childbirth, and confidently answered questions for my other family that attended the birth with us. Vanessa offered words of support that empowered me during my labor process (and I'm still feeling that support), along with helping me make sure I could get a good latch for breastfeeding, and I also took advantage of her placenta ecapsulation services. No matter what kind of birth you're looking at, having a doula can help make it a positive experience, and having Vanessa just makes it all the more better, since she is a call or text away with any question that I have, even postpartum. Thank you Vanessa for everything!!!

Rachel Anderson

6/4/2017

My experience with Vanessa as my Doula was absolutely awesome!! I could not have had my baby naturally without her support for my boyfriend & I during labor & delivery! I'm also grateful for her mentioning & letting me borrow the book- The guide to child birth by Ina May. The book was exactly what I needed to awaken, inspire, & channel the inner strength I needed to give birth. Before hiring Vanessa I was fearful on how about my second child would enter this world, comparing my first hospital delivery to this unknown experience of natural labor. Vanessa's positivity & empathy was everything I needed to help welcome  this baby into the world. She was very helpful in so many ways, such as assisting with small tasks, helping reduce labor pains by massage, & most importantly assisting my partner in effective ways to help calm me during labor & delivery. If anyone is  wondering if they should get a doula, I absolutely 100% say yes! I honestly would not want to visulaize how my birth experience would have been without Vanessa's support for my boyfriend & I. She was amazing!!

lilia1 jandt

4/26/2017

When I made my birth plan, I kept in mind that things most likely wouldn't go as planned. Child birth is very unpredictable. However, my birth experience couldn't have been closer to the original plan I had made, and a lot of that is because of Vanessa. Throughout my pregnancy, Vanessa educated me with articles, videos, pictures and her own experiences to make me more confident in my choices and myself. Her constant support and ability to answer the hundreds of questions I had provided so much support for me. For the duration of my pregnancy, I did not have a partner. Vanessa's support and affirmations kept me going in darkest of times. When the day finally came for my son to come earth side, Vanessa was patient yet kept encouraging me to keep going and work through each contraction. She had different suggestions for labor positions and made sure to remind me to keep up with fluids. Her calm manner and confidence in both me and herself helped keep me calm and collected. I was able to stay home for majority of my labor. The comfort of being in my own home did wonders. Vanessa was there every step of the way, and made a positive impact on my experience with bringing my son earthside! I would reccomend Vanessa to anyone, as she truly helped me take control of my birth and have the confidence to have the natural birth I wanted! Thank you Vanessa!

Julissa Bow

3/7/2016

Having Vanessa as a doula made my birthing experience so much better. She would check in with me weekly leading up to my due date. Every time I had a question about labor she was there to help. We talked about my fears and how she could help. I planned for a med free natural birth. She supported me 100%. During labor, she helped me through each contraction with massage, essential oils, walking, breathing and distracting me. When I wanted to give up she politely reminded me of my birth wishes and gave me other suggestions to try instead of meds. When some unforeseen complications arose, I ended up having an epidural and she continued to support me. She helped my fiance feel included without stepping in his way. During labor she provided towels on my face, as well as verbal and physical support. It was very reassuring to have someone who cared about my needs in the middle of all the chaos. I highly recommend vanessa!!!!!!

Lanae P

11/22/2015

As a first time mom, I was both excited and anxious about labor and delivery. I knew I wanted a doula for guidance and support for my husband and I, and we were matched with Vanessa! She met with us a couple times before the birth to get to know each other, talk about the birth and what my goals were, and what my husband and I would find helpful. As my water broke first, I didn't labor at home much at all, so Vanessa just met us at the hospital as we arrived. It was so great to have another familiar face there and someone who has been through it before, both herself and with other women. Especially as my midwife was only checking in here and there for the majority of the time. I was in labor quite a while, and Vanessa was there with me, even while my husband napped! When it got more intense, Vanessa was quick to apply pressure to my back and offer encouraging words. And even though I am sure it was clear to her that I was reaching my max as far as no sleep and the continual contractions of an exhausting, long labor, she never asked me if I wanted the epidural as she knew I was hoping to avoid one. But, I did make the decision myself and she reassured me that that option was okay, too. Also, a VERY special thing Vanessa did for us was take pictures of our daughter's birth. As labor puts you into a weird time-warp and so much is going on, I am beyond thankful to have these precious images. Thank you Vanessa!

Feven Davis

10/27/2015

I have always wanted a doula since my first child was born. I finally found a program that made it possible for my fifth child. My doula match was perfect for me. Vanessa has a calming personality that is easy to talk to. She was accommodating and came over to my home for our visits. I had a birth plan that I gave her and she took it to heart to study it and made sure she was my advocate during labor in my weakest and most volunerble moments. My husband, mother, and Vanessa made an amazing support team. It was priceless to have her! Thank you Vanessa.

khadeejah abubakar

10/27/2015

Vanessa was there with me for the birth of my first child. I had a very long labour and Vaness was with me for days. What's more there was a time during labour when I would have made a decision that would have meant I would be deviating from my birth plan, and Vaness was there to remind me of my goals and redirect my attention the the natural progression of labour. She helped me figure out the best position for birthing and she was an anchor I can rely on in labour. I am beyond greatful to Vanessa for the support and wisdom she provided before, during, and after my labour. Most of all I am greatful for the support she gave me when I had difficulty breastfeeding.