Bethany

10/17/2019

Linsey is wonderful! She was super responsive and informative, and I was so grateful that she was flexible with adding me to her schedule somewhat last minute!  She is very professional, sweet and makes you feel very comfortable.  I appreciate her explanation of the process step by step.  It meant a lot to me to have her as part of my birth story! 

Sharon

9/28/2019

Working with Jen and Linsey / The Ohio Doula was one of the best decisions my husband and I made, especially as it was our first pregnancy/birth. They helped us know what to expect and what our options were. We really appreciated their experience and knowledge. Having Jen there with us during labor and delivery to support us was invaluable. Thank you, Jen and Linsey!

Heather Esber

9/24/2019

Thank you Linsey and Jen for a great experience with Ohio Doulas. During my pregnancy I found myself very anxious about giving birth and all of the uncertainty involved. My pre-birth meetings with Linsey and Jen helped a lot in mitigating my anxiety and giving me the vocabulary to articulate my goals as I prepared for birth. The meetings helped my spouse and me have important conversations that made the birth planning process smoother and less overwhelming. When it came time to give birth, I was empowered to articulate my wishes and stay true to my priorities. Jen was extremely reassuring and comforting during my birth, and Jen and Linsey have also been extraordinarily supportive afterwards. They validated and encouraged me when I was struggling with breastfeeding and I feel like I can go to them at any point with struggles or questions. They always answer questions compassionately with research to support. We greatly appreciate the Ohio Doulas and would recommend them to any friends expecting a child! 

Binaebi Calkins

5/13/2019

Where do I even begin? We started this journey on edge since it took us a while to get pregnant, and I had a history of not feeling informed or empowered by previous surgical/medical staff experiences. I wanted someone in the labor and delivery room who could provide insight, continuous care, and teach me to be my own advocate when decisions needed to be made.

Linsey did all of this and more. Neither my mother nor husband had heard of, or were sure of the need/expense for, a doula. By the end of our delivery, both were convinced of the benefits.

Linsey and her back up, Elaine, came to our house twice prior to labor to discuss home laboring techniques. We went to their office once to discuss labor and delivery preferences; the game to help us make decisions kept tension/stress low.

Linsey was a calm presence the entire time we were in labor. She helped explain what was going on after medical staff left the room. She read my hesitation and encouraged me to ask questions and speak my mind when I wanted to slow progress to avoid stressing the baby. She put my needs first, doing things like retrieving flavored ice and adjusting pillows. She suggested a rotation of positions to help move labor along one we realized only certain ones would help and not hurt the baby. Her presence allowed my mother and husband to be fully focused on emotional support for me, and to take bathroom/meal breaks without feeling guilty.

If you're on the fence about hiring a doula, don't be. It's worth every penny. I'm so glad we had Linsey and Elaine available for our first time jitters. I can't imagine how stressful the medical staff would have been without them.

Shayne Simpson Mendelsohn

4/22/2019

We are so thankful to have had Linsey with us for the birth of our daughter.  I met Linsey as she trained us in Hypno-birthing and was very informative about all aspects of the birthing process.  She was able to answer our questions and provide us with so many valuable resources to help prepare us to give birth in a way that we could make informed decisions about our care.

On the day of labor, she was invaluable to us, especially when our labor moved into an area where we were unfamiliar in regard to using certain medical interventions (induction, pitocin).  But Linsey was our advocate in the hospital and gave us encouragement to have the best possible delivery experience.  She knew how to help me physically with labor pain, how to teach my husband, and how to give us neutral guidance in our decision making.  I will be forever grateful for Linsey being with us on this important day.  

And finally, she captured the day by recording all the events and even took wonderful pictures of those first precious moments.  She then checked on us after our daughters birth to answer questions - continuing to be an amazing resource to our family.

Heather Bone

2/22/2019

I can’t even begin to put into writing how wonderful my birth experience was, thanks to Linsey! My husband and I knew from the minute we met Linsey that we loved her and needed to work with her. We took her hypnobirthing class and I had never felt so empowered and excited about birth. She made me feel confident in myself and my body and I felt so comfortable knowing that she was by my side for the birth of my first son. She not only helped me but she helped my husband when I wouldn’t let him leave to go to the bathroom. She stayed with me so I felt safe and comfortable while he went and she even brought him food. She was right by my side while I pushed and it was her words that helped me bring my son here. She reminded me that I was strong and could do this. She came to our apartment before we went to the hospital and helped assure me that I knew my body and knew the right time to go to the hospital. There aren’t enough words to begin to thank her for all that she gave our family and I will forever hold a special place in my heart for her. We love Linsey, she is wonderful and amazing at what she does!

Emily Westaby Polsley

1/29/2019

I worked with The Ohio Doula for my second birth experience and couldn’t recommend them more highly. Jen attended my prep appointments and birth and was absolutely critical to the empowered experience I had, from setting the right atmosphere for myself in the hospital, to providing physical support and assistance to my husband when I needed him, to lending a confident and gentle ear to my concerns as they arose. Every medical decision I made was with reduced anxiety with her by my side, and I achieved the water birth I hope for despite PROM and an induction. Linsey provides support via placenta encapsulation and even during those brief visits, she went above and beyond for our family and showed so much compassion. I feel like I’ve come out of this experience with two new friends, and I would trust them again in a heartbeat. Everyone deserves birth support this intuitive and fantastic!

Renee Osterfeld

1/9/2019

Linsey did my placenta encapsulation at my home, and I could not have been happier with her services. She was very quick to answer all the questions and concerns I had prior to hiring her and she was very flexible working around my schedule. As a first time mom, I was an emotional wreck the first few days out of the hospital. Having a new baby was extremely overwhelming. Breastfeeding was not going as planned and I was feeling very depressed. Not only did she go above and beyond to explain the placenta encapsulation process and all of it benefits but she also helped me to understand everything that my body was going through and why I was feeling the way I was. She was very encouraging and supportive during the few hours I had to interact with her. I would defintiely use her in the future as a doula and again for placenta encapsulation.

Carrie Finegan

1/8/2019

Linsey was our birth doula for the birth of our first child. Linsey and her practice partner Jen walked us through all of the birth preparation and even helped us with special exercises when our baby was breech (we were able to turn him back to proper birthing position). When our birth did not go the way we expected Linsey showed up immediately and walked through the process with us. Linsey and Jen even followed up with us after the birth to check on us and on the baby, and remained as a support during those early days. I can't say enough good things about how beneficial Linsey's service as a doula was!

Angie Avey Gnagy

1/6/2019

Linsey has such a calming presence, which was what I needed. She was great at anticipating my needs, and acting so that I didn't even have to ask for anything. This was my 3rd pregnancy and first experience with a doula. I only wish I'd had Linsey with me for my first two as well.

Taylor Sharp

1/5/2019

Linsey encapsulated my placenta. She made the whole process super easy for me which was great as a first time mom. She picked up the placenta from the hospital very quickly and I had my pills within a few days. She even delivered them to my house. And I feel that the pills were very beneficial. I’d highly recommend her and the placenta encapsulation.

Travis Adams

12/28/2016

The Ohio Doulas (Linsey Griffith and Jen Bailey) are amazing!

My wife and I had our first child this year. It was a tricky pregnancy and an even trickier labor. We felt supported by Linsey & Jen every step of the way. The really awesome part about The Ohio Doulas is they are a team. Many doulas are single individuals so if you happen to go into labor at the same time as another client, they have to get creative in order to cover both clients. Not the case with the Ohio Doulas, with Jen & Linsey, you get a dynamic duo who bring very unique and complimentary strengths to the table. And becasue they are a team, their ability to cover multiple labors at once is second to none.

Jen Bailey was our primary doula. My wife was in labor for 67 hours total, most of which happened at home. Jen never left her side. We made up the guest bed for her and she stayed all night helping my wife to relax through contractions.

In summary, we absolutely could not have gotten through the pregnancy and labor with The Ohio Doulas. Thank you Jen & Linsey!

Beth G

12/11/2016

I had a wonderful experience with Linsey and Jen. I did not have a doula for my first, and I really wish that I had! For my second baby, they were there for me whenever I needed it--and I needed them a lot to help get me through my prodromal labor. When progressive labor did start and it became clear that the baby was poorly positioned, Jen did everything possible to help us move him.

At the hospital, Linsey was such a calming presence. I loved having her there to get me through labor. Because of some complications, I ended up having a c-section, but having her there made me feel so much better about the process.

I highly recommend them!

Laura Hoshor

1/22/2016

Linsey is amazing!!!  She's exactly what you would want in a doula : complete support!! Regardless of your birth plan, her goal is to help you have the best birthing experience you can possibly have.  My husband and I agreed immediately after meeting her that it was a great fit.  We were expecting our first baby & had no idea what we were doing. She was great at educating us the whole way. From getting to know each other & expectations, to her birthing class.. We felt comfortable every step of the way.  When my water broke, she was the first person we called! You are in control & supported the whole time. Especially considering we were aiming for a natural birth in a hospital, she was an amazing coach and voice for us. Even when our birth plan didn't go as planned.. She made me feel amazing throughout my entire experience. I opted for an epidural close to the end & her support was amazing. Not to mention her incredible accessibility for all the mommy questions postpartum.  I'm so happy with our birth experience & she helped make it what it was. I was terrified of childbirth pre-Linsey & I can honestly say that she completely turned my fears around. For that alone, I am so grateful & I cannot wait to call her with news of my next baby!!!

Karennina Pack

2/24/2015

Linsey has a heart of gold. A compassionate and caring person, I never felt that she had an agenda of her own. I always felt that she had my best interest at heart, no matter what type of birth plan I decided on. My husband who at first was uncomfortable with the idea of having a doula with us, quickly had a change of heart upon meeting her. She assured us that she was there for us and that we would not be pushed to do anything we did not want to do. I had a very fast labor and she remained calm and respectful during the brief moments of chaos when my husband and I were going through a range of emotions and shock. She was willing to stay for as long as we needed and made sure our needs are met. I highly recommend her and would definitely use her services again if we decide to have another baby.

Lisa Houseworth

1/14/2015

My husband and I worked with Linsey in August 2014 for the birth of my second son. Linsey helped me to have a successful VBAC. She was absolutely amazing to work with. I wish I would have understood how doulas worked when I had my first son. Linsey was understanding and patient. She was responsive when I had questions. She was respectful of the medical professionals. After my son's birth, the nurses and my husband were tending to him (as they should be). I needed to get a few stitches so Linsey stayed by my side. She was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend her.

Elizabeth Gordon-Canlas

12/31/2014

We found Linsey via Facebook when I was seeking out a Hypnobirthing course. We enrolled in her 6 week long course and LOVED it. It made us feel confident that we wanted Linsey as our doula for our in hospital birth. As my pregnancy progressed, I began to experience some complications and new developments like gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension. I began to wonder, that if I wasn't having a complications free birth, was it even worth it to have a doula? I learned quickly that it was even MORE important for us to have a doula. Linsey helped me navigate the difficult questions we had at the end of our pregnancy. She guided us through fear release exercises and made us feel encouraged even as the likelihood of a medically induced labor became more real. Linsey helped me reflect on important questions I could ask my care providers so that our birth preferences could still be a reality. When our son's birth day finally arrived, Linsey was a pillar of support and calm for us and our family. She was incredible with the hospital staff and made us all feel at ease. Linsey helped me manage the intensity of labor through verbal affirmations, soft touch, and positioning. After hours of labor, we had to make some difficult choices during our son's delivery which ended in an unplanned caesarean. While this was not at all how I pictured how I would birth my baby, I felt empowered and safe nonetheless, in large part because of the support and guidance from Linsey. Linsey was then able to offer her support to us while we were in recovery and during our post partum time at home. I would highly recommend Linsey to anyone looking for a doula because of her professionalism, experience, and incredibly calm nature. It is clear that she truly values the birthing experience of every family.

Kim Phillips Bowen

12/29/2014

Linsey was incredible. She was always available when I had questions and was so supportive at the hospital. She talked me through everything, helped with anything I requested, massaged me, put me in better positions and so much more. She made the experience so much more enjoyable and comfortable. I could not have done it without her.

Betsy Owen Semmens

12/29/2014

I look back on my daughter's birth 6 weeks ago and I don't remember the long hours or being exhausted from lack of sleep; I remember being supported, surrounded by caring people and feeling safe. I have Linsey to thank for these memories. From the moment she arrived at the hospital, she was the soothing voice that calmed and reassured me, kept me going and encouraged me. My husband was an amazing support to me, but there is something unique about the kind of birth support you can only get from an experienced doula like Linsey, and enlisting her help for Skylar's birth was the best decision I ever made. My birth did not go as I planned, but Linsey had me prepared to deal with unforseen circumstances and her support at decision-making moments was priceless. She acted as a much-needed buffer between me and the medical environment I was in: she translated hospital jargon into language I could understand and softened the often jarring interactions I had with hospital staff by explaining things and encouraging me to ask the right questions. I credit Linsey with helping to make the memories of my daughter's birth warm and happy. I'll forever be grateful to her for her warmth, strength and tremendous skill. She is truly an asset to the doula trade and her services a treasure to any expectant mommy.