Rosa

3/20/2024

My husband and I decided to hire a doula for my second pregnancy as my first labor and delivery experience was challenging. After speaking to a few doulas we decided  on Heidy and we are so grateful that we did. Heidy was knowledgeable, supportive and a provided a steady and calming energy throughout my pregnancy and childbirth. I really wanted to have unmedicated labor and I dont think I would have achieved that without Heidy's support. It made all the difference and I had a completely different experience than my first childbirth. Heidy's postpartum visit was also super helpful and even though I am not a first time mom, I still had a lot of questions that she was able to address and help me with. We are so thankful for Heidy and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula! 

Dana Kaplan and Scott Coleman

3/17/2024

Working with Heidy as our doulah has been a truly rewarding experience.  My husband and I were admittedly skeptical about the concept of a doulah when we first got pregnant.  We felt like it was a big decision determining which hospital and OB to go with, and that would be sufficient to have our desired experience throughout pregnancy and labor.  After speaking to several friends who had doulahs, they brought up many benefits which we didn't think of which caused us to revisit our initial decision.  Heidy was referred to us and we are so glad she was.  From Day 1 she was a source of calm and confidence, making sure to really listen to our preferences.  She did not try and push anything on us (i.e. no epidural, breast feeding, etc.), but just genuinely got to know my husband and I.  She asked good questions and learned what our "style" was.  She provided helpful templates for the birth plan, a great presentation on the mechanics of labor, and was available 24/7 for text support leading up to labor, during, and after.  Having Heidy by my side during labor made the experience so much better.  Upon her arrival she knew EXACTLY what I needed to feel comfortable while pushing.  After my baby came out, she was instrumental in immediately teaching me how to breast feed, while ensuring my husband ordered me sushi :). Would highly recommend partnering with Heidy during this important period of your life, you'll be glad you did.

Jessica M

9/19/2023

Heidy is a twin whisperer!! Heidy was our nighttime doula for four months. We booked an initial series of nights with her and soon realized we wanted more. She was flexible and considerate, working with us to add more nights and consulting with us before taking on another client.  Heidy has a gift with babies. She is a mom herself, so she innately  understands how emotional it can be to hand your baby over to someone else for the night. She is deeply respectful and always willing to do everything exactly the way you prefer. She is incredibly experienced as a doula and a baby nanny, so she has lots of ideas and is extremely intuitive. She is consults with you and brainstorm ideas, but she is never pushy. For example, she recommended using a white noise machine, but when we declined her idea, she was fine with our decision.  (We ended up using the white noise machine by the way!) Heidy has a calm and loving presence. She is fun to talk to and some nights she would sit with us and chat. Other nights when she could sense we were tired or wanted to be alone she would go to the twins' room after getting a quick update. Heidy made good observations about our twins (when one had a stuffy nose, when one was spitting up a lot) and kept us informed throughout the night. She was tidy, always quietly coming to get my pumped milk and leaving clean pump parts for me to use. She was reachable by text anytime we needed her. When I got mastitis, Heidy called and texted to walk me through what to do. She managed to get our twins on the same nightly nursing schedule, and was able to quiet them on nights where we could not. The first few months with twins were exhausting, and having Heidy made it easier and more enjoyable. She was extremely punctual. On some nights, my husband and I would wait by the door with crying babies counting down her arrival! I highly recommend Heidy for anyone expecting a new baby. 

Katie

7/26/2023

Before we delivered as first-time parents, we were vaguely aware that we didn't know what we didn't know about babies -- and that turned out to be quite the understatement! We are SO grateful Heidy was there to help us through those wild and overwhelming earliest nights.

We had not given much thought to what it actually means to feed a baby -- a huge part of the postpartum period -- and Heidy was crucial in teaching us about our feeding options and how to do it, while being encouraging and non-judgmental through what can be a challenging process. Miraculously, she even got our newborn on something resembling a schedule, and thanks to her coaching, he has rapidly gained plenty of weight, a major priority in the early weeks. She also helped us navigate harder-than-expected tasks like bathtime and baby-wearing.

She is warm, extremely professional, has great product recommendations and is very careful about germs (frequent hand-washing, wears a mask, etc.). We, and our baby, LOVED working with her and can't recommend her highly enough. We hope to get the chance to work together again someday!

Halcyon and Dave

7/24/2023

We had an incredible experience working with Heidy Ramirez as both a birth and postpartum doula as we welcomed our first son in May 2023. Heidy is everything you could want from a doula -- knowledgeable and well-researched, confident and capable, and warm and nurturing. We can't recommend her highly enough!

From the start, Heidy was a wonderful presence during my pregnancy. She offered information and support as soon as we contracted her, checking in with us frequently to make sure I was feeling well and that we were well prepared for birth. In virtual meetings and home visits she gave us all the tools we'd need for labor, from a hospital bag check list to lots of pain management ideas. She was an amazing advocate for us both prior to our delivery and during it, helping us to understand some of the health complications surrounding the arrival of our baby. She helped us feel safe during an uncertain and scary time.

After we got home from the hospital, Heidy was an even greater support to us as a postpartum doula. We are completely new to taking care of babies, and Heidy taught us everything about how to be parents -- from diapers to bathing to babywearing to sleep schedules. With her help, our son was sleeping through the night before 10 weeks old! She showered so much love and care on our son, while also making sure I was recovering well from delivery.

Heidy has seamlessly became like a family member, and we have been so grateful to her presence during the newborn phase. We feel like she's the only reason we survived the difficult postpartum weeks, and we would not hesitate to work with her again if we have another child!

Liz

6/25/2023

After having Heidy as my postpartum doula for 30+ overnights, between coming home from the hospital to around four months old, I am confident in recommending her to others.

As first time parents, I'm not sure where my husband and I would be today without Heidy and her partner, Marta. The first month was particularly critical, during which they worked as a team to come over every night to support us. Heidy was instrumental in guiding me through my lactation / breastfeeding / latching / pumping journey. She helped me master a super grueling and challenging process with incredible care and sensitivity. She got me to a place of comfort and ease and made sure I was feeling good along the way (bringing me water, making me protein shakes, checking in, etc.). She got me through a couple of clogged ducts and I consider myself so lucky to have had a lactation specialist in my corner as I got the hang of it. 

She made recommendations for great products and apps that were helpful for my recovery and for my baby's needs. She taught us everything we needed to know about bottle feeding, bottle cleaning, and sanitation. She taught us how to bathe the baby and often took the task off our hands. She did cleaning and tidying in the baby's room in addition to the baby's laundry. She instructed us on the best ways to burp the baby, handle gassiness, and manage fussiness.

Most important of all, she and Marta are the reason why our baby developed a sleeping and feeding schedule by six weeks. We pretty much had her sleep trained and sleeping through the night by two months. This wouldn't have happened if it were not for Heidy's diligence and consistency. The education we received from her years of experience and extensive credentials is really what sets her apart. She is up to date on the latest info and research and it shows. Heidy is also great to talk to and made some really hard days a little better with her calming presence and listening ear. 

Monica S

3/13/2023

We started working with Heidy in early 2023 after a coworker recommended her to us. She completely met and exceeded our expectations. She has a structured process that is very helpful along the way, it is clear that her knowledge is expansive and that she is very experienced. She is not a doula that will push her preferences on you, but rather support you in the approach you want to take. She was always supportive and informative and very down-to-earth in her approach, which was the perfect combination for us. Although I had to be induced ahead of schedule, my delivery was pretty smooth and free of other complications and I credit Heidy for that. The moment she arrived at the hospital was a turning point as she offered priceless exercises and tips that moved things along at the right pace. She is caring and thoughtful and I would 100% hire her again and recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. Our delivering doctor and nurse even said how much they liked working with her!

We are forever grateful. Thank you again, Heidy!

Joanna & Carlos Cuevas Ingram

3/13/2023

Heidy & Angie provided the best pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care for both births with our two daughters, born 2.5 years apart!  Heidy was there every moment, providing support via text 24/7 with professional expertise in evidence-based prenatal, birthing, labor, partner, and postpartum support in Spanish & English, with gentle, loving care.
 
We first trusted Heidy with our lives during the height of the pandemic in 2020, and again in 2023, a trust she took very seriously, maintaining strict health & safety protocols; just like any family, we wanted to come out both times, alive, healthy, happy & safe.  
 
With our firstborn, while I hoped for natural labor, I made a tough decision for medically necessary induction at 39 weeks.  In every moment, Heidy affirmed my strength.  When I had to make another tough decision for an epidural, I placed my trust and hand in Heidy's.  Within 20 minutes, I was fully dilated, and in less than 10-15 pushes, our first baby was born!   

She again went above and beyond the call of duty with our second-born, who came naturally without pitocin via a 24-hour spontaneous labor that began at 12:15 a.m. on a Friday.  With our second, contractions moved fast, and I dilated early, so we opted for an epidural, and things slowed down quite a bit, but with Heidy's steadfast gentle support and encouragement, Carlos & I took a brief moment to just be with each other, increasing the oxytocin to bring us quickly into pushing phase. With our birthing preferences respected, I was able to breastfeed my second-born right away, skin-to-skin the first hour and a half, just like my first.

We could not have been better prepared without Heidy's support. In our postpartum care plan for our second-born, our firstborn looked forward to Heidy's gentle care each day with so much love!  Heidy will always be a part of our family. 

Joanna & Carlos Cuevas Ingram

3/12/2023

Heidy & Angie provided the best pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care for both births with our two daughters, born 2.5 years apart!  Heidy was there every moment, providing support via text 24/7 with professional expertise in evidence-based prenatal, birthing, labor, partner, and postpartum support in Spanish & English, with gentle, loving care.
 
We first trusted Heidy with our lives during the height of the pandemic in 2020, and again in 2023, a trust she took very seriously, maintaining strict health & safety protocols; just like any family, we wanted to come out both times, alive, healthy, happy & safe.  
 
With our firstborn, while I hoped for natural labor, I made a tough decision for medically necessary induction at 39 weeks.  In every moment, Heidy affirmed my strength.  When I had to make another tough decision for an epidural, I placed my trust and hand in Heidy's.  Within 20 minutes, I was fully dilated, and in less than 10-15 pushes, our first baby was born!   

She again went above and beyond the call of duty with our second-born, who came naturally without pitocin via a 24-hour spontaneous labor that began at 12:15 a.m. on a Friday.  With our second, contractions moved fast, and I dilated early, so we opted for an epidural, and things slowed down quite a bit, but with Heidy's steadfast gentle support and encouragement, Carlos & I took a brief moment to just be with each other, increasing the oxytocin to bring us quickly into pushing phase. With our birthing preferences respected, I was able to breastfeed my second-born right away, skin-to-skin the first hour and a half, just like my first.

We could not have been better prepared without Heidy's support. In our postpartum care plan for our second-born, our firstborn looked forward to Heidy's gentle care each day with so much love!  Heidy will always be a part of our family. 

Tzvia Berrin-Reinstein

2/14/2023

We were lucky enough to work with Heidy after the birth of our twins and she was a lifesaver! We eagerly looked forward to the nights she was with us the rest of the week, and we think the boys did too. She arrived on time every night and was calm and friendly and a delight to talk to, she always had helpful suggestions for how to help the boys get on a better sleeping and nighttime eating schedule, and expertly tended to each of them. We saw so much improvement with their sleep during the time Heidy spent with them. We would highly recommend Heidy to anyone looking for nighttime help, and especially can vouch for her twin experience--it's not easy feeding two screaming babies at once, but Heidy was never phased and would wear one and hold the other, it worked perfectly! 

Grace Nuñez

2/6/2023

Our experience with Heidy was great! From the beginning she wanted to make sure that we took our time and were intentional about choosing our doula. She was very informative and we shared a number of values and ideals around our pregnancy/birth plans. Her experience stood out to us, especially the number of births she had supported and her experience in working in most hospital settings across New York City. She was always very accessible and this was the case throughout our pregnancy. She helped us develop our birth plan and identify important questions to ask our doctors and nurses. As first time parents, she helped us feel informed and supported. When the birthing process started, labor had to be induced (which can take a long time) but Heidy was ready to come to the hospital whenever. She immediately brought a calming presence into the delivery room. While at the hospital, we felt like we had an advocate in Heidy who helped explain different interventions, potential next steps, and she worked seamlessly with hosptital staff (which was a huge bonus in our eyes) and all while having us and our comfort as her main focus. Given that the labor process was long, having Heidy at the hospital with us allowed my partner to rest and run last minute errands (like getting food or drinks, talk to family, etc.) as she was able to be by my side. Even after we went home, she checked in on us for several days after and was supportive during those first few stressful nights (even responding to late night texts). When she came to our post-partum visit, it felt like Heidy had been there with us from the very beginning and was seeing it through with us together. She was our helpful and knowledgable navigator and we are very happy we went with her. 

Sam

2/6/2023

Heidy was such a wondeful source of support during my postpartum weeks. She shared her expertise to help my husband and me feel more confident in so many aspects of baby care, including feedings, pumping, bathtime, and baby-wearing. She was so warm and gentle with our baby and I felt 100% confident leaving our son with her overnight so my husband and I could get some much needed sleep. 

Daniel Zakkour

2/3/2023

Heidi was amazing to say the least. Being a first time dad, I did not know what a doula was even when my fiancé recommended that we get one. We did many zooms and had home visits before the baby was born. Heidi is very knowledgeable, professional, encouraging, comforting and does more than beyond her needs. She created a WhatsApp group chat that we could ask questions on along the way. My fiancés plan was to have a unmedicated natural child birth and there is no way we would have succeeded without Heidi by our side. She spent 18.5 long hours by our side at the hospital before our baby was delivered. During those 18.5 hours Heidi was magnificent and by my fiancés side the whole time. There were occasions where we thought about getting an epidural and she did massage techniques and helped convince my fiancé that the end was closer than she thought. She brought calming tools in a bag that she would use to calm my fiancé down. It's been 7 weeks since our baby boy was born and Heidi remains easily reachable. I would recommend her to anybody looking for a doula. My fiancé, baby and I are very pleased with Heidi and if we do have another baby we will not hesitate to have Heidi by our side. 

Geraldine Urena

1/3/2023

 As a first time mom, I knew I wanted a doula. After many research and interviews, we bumped into Heidy's page. Heidy is truly one of a kind. My husband and I interviewed her, and we knew we wanted to work with her right then and there. She speaks Spanish, which was convenient for us, since both my mother and mother-in-law only speak Spanish. We wanted someone to communicate to our family members in case we weren't able to. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was worried, but Heidy knew the right words to keep me calm and also gave me tips to control my diabetes during my pregnancy. She was always free to talk when I needed her. She was super helpful when I went into labor. My husband and mother were nervous, but Heidy was there to take the lead. I am forever grateful, and I will definitely hired Heidy again for my second baby. If you're looking for a doula then Heidy is your girl!

Nicole

11/29/2022

Heidy was our doula for a second time this year following the birth of our older child in 2020.

We learned so much from her with our first child and it was not a question that we would want Heidy to support us through pregnancy, labor and postpartum with our second. 

We had an unexpected home birth and Heidy's support (remote given the pace of things) was invaluable, from her coaching through the delivery to helping us connect with our OB and arrange to be transferred to our preferred hospital. We would not have felt equipped to navigate the situation without her.

As our postpartum doula she made sure the whole family felt cared for and was a huge support. We could not be more grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Heidy again.  

Verena C

7/25/2022

I'll start by saying that choosing Heidy as our Doula was one of the best decisions in my birth experience. Heidy started working with us at the end of my second trimester (first baby). We were feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information available and wanted to find a doula to help us prepare for birth and who would be at the hospital with us when the time came.

We had a couple of virtual sessions with Heidy about what to expect when labor started, discussed my birth plan, the options available when at the hospital, etc. We also had an in person session and in this one Heidy showed me how to deal with contractions, how my partner could help me (gave us SO MUCH confidence!), and helped pack my hospital bag.

Throughout my pregnancy we had a text chat for any questions and Heidy would frequently check on us too.

On the actual birth day Heidy was my right arm (literally), and could not have been more supportive. From helping me relax between contractions, explaining to us what was happening and clarifying any questions we had about all the options the hospital was giving us. She stayed with us after birth and helped my baby latch still at the delivery room (!!), which was such a special moment.

On the first week home Heidy also came by and was very helpful adjusting a few points on my latch and answered a million questions we had about breastfeeding and post partum recovery.

Heidy was someone we felt like we could trust straight away. She never imposes anything on you, but rather explains the options available and helps you find what matters and what works for you and your family. She gave us so much support on what to buy to prepare, how to prepare, but also just made us feel like we were ready and well informed for such hard and amazing few hours of one of the most important days in our lives. 

Thanks SO much, Heidy! Hope other families are as lucky to have you by their side.

Elana & Pedro

5/20/2022

Heidy was an incredible birth and postpartum doula. We would 1000% recommend hiring her and if we had the opportunity in the future to hire her again, we would. From the moment we decided to hire her, we knew it was the right decision as she was already there to support, just a text away. Having her in the hospital was so helpful just to have someone so knowledgeable in birth there to help explain whats going on and always made sure I was staying comfortable. When it came to postpartum overnight support she was a lifesaver helping care for our baby, supporting me through my breastfeeding journey and teaching us some of the baby basics as those first few weeks are very tough. We truly appreciated having Heidy with us through our baby's birth. 

Nick Ordway

5/13/2022

We had a fantastic experience with Heidy. We hired her early on in the pregnancy and she was a great guide along the way, checking in with us, and giving us useful suggestions for relieving pregnancy woes. In addition to her doula qualifiations, we had chosen her because of her fluency in both Spanish and English, since my wife is a native Spanish speaker. But this was icing on the cake since she would have been amazing even without her Spanish.

During an extended early labor, Heidy kept checking in and making sure we were doing all right. When the moment of truth arrived, she came promptly and was a comforting, strong, and supportive presence throughout the entire birth, never leaving my wife's side. During the postpartum visit, she was a great help processing the experience emotionally but also gave us very practical tips about breastfeeding.

Heidy really cares about you as an individual. You never feel like you're just a client. She will hold your hand and talk to you like a friend you can trust. We highly recommend her as a doula!

James

5/12/2022

Heidy was instrumental and incredible - I don't know what we would have done without her expert and caring support and guidance. She was thoughtful, compassionate, and skillful. Heidy also has a unique skill of being totally present, but also discrete and subtle, so we felt like we were amazingly supported but still totally at home in our small apartment. We came up with great systems and plans which set us up for success when we were on our own. Most importantly, our son loves her and smiles when she comes in. Overall, we couldn't recommend her more enthusiastically. 

Bronagh Friel

4/15/2022

Heidy was an amazing resource for me the weeks leading up to delivery, during labor, and the weeks after returning home with the baby. I always found her to be very reliable, understanding, and proactive in her communication. She checked in and made tailored suggestions based on my situation and was always available to provide input on important decisions throughout our journey. 

I always felt in good hands with her. We greatly benefitted from her vast experience as a doula and would highly recommend her!

Elisabeth Mevissen

2/22/2022

My family and I had a very supportive experience with Heidy as our doula. I wholeheartedly recommend her!

Our first daughter was born in Austria and I was extremely nervous to be pregnant and give birth in the US, to say the least. Because of this, I switched providers multiple times and was generally anxious. Heidy was along for the ride and I'm so grateful! She offered names of providers who were known to support a natural, intervention-free birth, based on her community knowledge and experience and our wishes. h

She was in nearly constant contact while my husband and I prepared for a successful cephalic version because baby was still breech at 38 weeks. She would have been at the hospital had it been allowed.

I also went past my EDD and Heidy continued to help me talk things through and make decisions in an empowering way. She also provided me support and information as my husband and I tried to kickstart labor at home (with my midwife's blessing) before the scheduled induction. It worked!

Because of the pandemic, we met in person the first time at my home when my labor had started, but I felt I already knew her well! She was so calm and supportive, allowing me to stay in my bubble of focus. She sat next to me in the Uber to the hospital and worked perfectly with my husband to make my labor as comfortable as possible throughout. I needed no artificial pain relief and felt so empowered by this birth!

Heidy stayed with us to make sure we were comfortable and then slipped out quietly for us to enjoy time with our new baby girl.

She checked in via WhatsApp regularly afterwards, about breastfeeding and my well-being, making me feel I still had a great team behind me postpartum.

I loved my experience and will be forever grateful to Heidy for the huge amount of support she provided me and my family through this entire journey. I highly recommend her!

Ileana

2/18/2022

Heidy was an incredibly special and essential part of our birthing experience, including the prenatal prep, labor and delivery, and the postpartum recovery. She was available via text or call at all hours in the weeks leading up to the birth, which was important because we had a few false starts and she coached us through them at home. The labor was fast, just 3 hours and even though she lived an hour away, Heidy made it to the hospital in time and advocated for us to make sure our needs were met. She had creative ideas for laboring positions and how to feed the baby when she arrived. I decided not to breastfeed and she was supportive and incredibly knowledgeable about how to make sure baby was fed and my body was healthy. Heidy spent a week of nights with us, letting us get sleep and even keeping my toddler occupied during her midnight wakings. And weeks after our pre-arranged time with Heidy, she is still checking in on us! I strongly recommend Heidy!

Ludmila Janda

1/13/2022

Working with Heidy was an incredible experience. My partner and I interviewed several doulas and found Heidy to be the most informative and sweet person we spoke with. Once we started working with her, she helped prepare us for the birth, suggested a wonderful birthing class, and was very responsive to all of our questions. From the moment that Heidy came into the hospital room, I felt a warm and supportive presence that changed my birthing experience. I had to be induced because my water broke and I did not go into labor for many hours. The induction by cervical balloon was very painful and I ended up asking for an epidural. Heidy was incredibly supportive and calm while I made this decision and helped me to feel in control of the situation. Unfortunately the epidural did not take and had to be placed a second time, which was painful and took a lot of time. Heidy supported me during this entire painful process. I was then able to have a successful vaginal birth and Heidy was instrumental in helping both me and my partner through the entire process. At the end, even the doctors and nurses thanked Heidy and said she was wonderful. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through the experience without Heidy. After the birth, Heidy checked in with us several times and coached me on breastfeeding. I could not recommend working with Heidy enough and my partner also felt she made a major difference in our birth experience. She was so warm, calm, smart, experienced, and genuinely excited about our baby and her presence made all the difference. 

Carolina Brasero

1/11/2022

When I decided that I wanted a birth as natural as possible, I started searching for a doula that was bilingual (Spanish & English), was knowledgeable about natural delivery but also about the hospital system in NYC and knew all pros and cons about medical procedures but didn’t was totally against them as other doulas were. Since our first call with Heidy, we found we were a great match.
From pregnancy to postpartum, she totally exceeded our expectations.
I liked that during all the journey she offered me all the information I needed and supported my choices.
Before the due date, she was always looking after us to see how everything was going.
We ended having a planned c-section because my baby was breech. 
Heidy was there all the time, and we were so great full to have her there. My c-section was in a busy day, If it wasn’t for her, we would have been sitting in the waiting room all day. Just having her with us waiting, talking to us made me relax and made the waiting less stressful for us.Since I couldn’t have a vaginal delivery, she told me at least I could ask to have a gentle cesarean and have skin to skin. She waited for us at the recovery room, helped me latch my baby to my breast, assure we could both have something to eat, and helped us making some calls for the blood cord banking. 
By then I was so happy with Heidy, but what didn’t have a price, was all her support after delivery, every day she was checking on us and answering all my doubt about lactation and baby caring. In the postpartum visit she solved all my problems about breastfeeding, and recommended items to make my pumping journey less painful. My husband was also very grateful with the advice (knowing that we should put baby’s pennis down so to prevent wetting everything, worth million for him). We totally recommend Heidy as a doula because she’s not only knowledgeable, but also so kind.
 

Guillermo

12/29/2021

When my wife became pregnant and as first-time parents we decided to hire the service of an experienced and bilingual doula. We were very lucky to find Heidy. She was extremely helpful and supporting. We ended up having a quite complicated pregnancy with a premature baby girl that thanks God is doing great now.

Heidy was always available. We had a plan in place with her back up just in case she wasn’t available or busy with another birth.

My wife ended up having a C-section due to certain complications at 33 weeks and Heidy came to the hospital immediately when we called her. I am so glad that she was there with my wife while I could spend time with the baby after her surgery when they took her to the NICU.  

Heidy was also very supporting, caring and good-hearted after the baby was born. She followed up with us and the baby and was always available to answer our questions and make the best recommendations.

I will definitely hire her again when and if we decide to have a second baby.

Bill Burnside

12/28/2021

Our experience with Heidy was just excellent. She supported us as a postpartum doula soon after our son, Martin, was born. She is extremely competent, knowledgeable, communicative, timely, and warm.  We knew so little before Heidy joined us, and neither of us had experience with newborns. Heidy taught us so much, from swaddling techniques to how to bathe our son to breastfeeding techqniques to myriad ways to help calm him. These were not easy feats, not least because my wife had a C-section and so was in pain and super constrained during this time. She was also expert one on one with Martin, keeping him safe, fed, changed, warm, and supported in multiple ways. 

Heidy also helped us immensely with recommendations and texted support, as about helpful products and services and about context on the umpteen decisions we have had to make about Martin's welfare. It was like having an expert friend there to support us, and she was generous with this support.

I recommed Heidy very, very highly!  You will feel lucky to have her there with you during a time that is more difficult than you can imagine. 

Adam Howard

12/18/2021

Heidy was a phenomenal doula and is an incredible person to work with. My wife and I trusted her instantly, which was so important since we were trusting her with the overnight care of our newborn. She answered all of our exhausting questions every night and kept us (as well as our hyperactive dog) at ease. It was so hard to part ways with her and we will always cherish the time we spent with her and that she spent with our baby girl. You won't regret avialing yourself of her services, she really is as close to perfection as it gets.

Mike & Erica Cassell

12/10/2021

We worked with Heidy for Labor/Delivery & Postpartum Nights. Right from the start she was calming, knowledgeable, and personable.

Pre Labor/delivery, she was very useful in providing information. She provided a comprehensive list of supplies which meant we didn't need to spend hours researching products/etc. Many items we had no idea we needed but proved to be essential. For labor/delivery, Heidy was there for almost the entirety of the 36 hours, being our champion, helping me to be as comfortable as possible and stay calm. She was also able to guide my husband to support me in ways that made sense for us and gave him some extra rest since it was such a marathon labor.

The Postpartum services were invaluable. I was able to get extra sleep for my recovery and my husband got full night sleeps which meant he was alert during the day to help with all tasks around the house. The extra sleep was not only helpful physically but emotionally & kept us in a positive head space during some tougher times.  With our families on the other side of the country and globe, Heidy immediately felt like the family we didn’t have nearby.  She cared for Andy like her own & was always excited to see him develop in the early weeks. She learned the individual personality & cues of Andy that would have taken us weeks, months (or never!) for us to realize. Her natural ability to nurture meant that Andy felt immediately comfortable with her. We would often be trying to settle him for 45+ minutes, & on her arrival, she would take him in her arms and he’d be asleep within minutes. She is a very emotionally intelligent woman so she could pick up on things Mike and I needed even if we didn’t 100% know it. 

Without Heidy, we would have just survived rather than learned to be the best parents we could possibly be in the first few months. We love her so much and are so grateful for all her help and support!

Juliette

9/6/2021

Our twins came home after spending a few days in the NICU. They were our first children and we were SO thankful Heidy was there for us that first night and throughout the two months that followed. Having to take care of two babies when you don't really know what you're doing is no joke and Heidy was amazing. Not only was she very loving with them, she also took great care of them. She also showed us so many things and answered our many questions (we had so many!). As a new mom with post partum anxiety, Heidy was a great support and really helped me gain confidence. She helped me with breastfeeding, pumping and was so supportive throughout that whole journey. The twins loved her and always were happy to see her. We were also able to get some rest at night while she was watching and taking care of them, something we desperately needed, and I had total trust in knowing I was leaving them in great hands. I would recommend Heidy to anyone having one or two babies! 

Claudia

8/13/2021

I believe that Heidy was an essential person in my labor and delivery. She helped me feel confident in my choices, especially when it came to pain management and asking nurses for help. There was a point where I wasn’t sure whether or not my pain was valid. After we first tried a few massages and pain management techniques, she helped me decide to go with my birth plan pain management plan which was perfect for me. When I was ready to push, she explained everything exactly or better than my doctor did. My doctors a bit of a diva and didn’t like the fact that I would have a doula. Heidy handled the situation perfectly! She stood aside until he got over it and realized she was just there to help.
Heidy also helped me identify a couple of issues with my daughters mouth (tongue and lip tie). We were able to resolve that shortly after birth because of Heidy quickly identifying it. I was hospitalized 3 days after being discharged. Heidy was available for my family and I through out my whole hospitalization and after. My husband and I are so glad and happy with our choice in doula. She was sweet, knowledgeable and proactive. Would highly recommend and will/would definitely use for another birth if that happens in the future. Thanks from the Tejadas!!

Kate Owen

7/14/2021

We feel incredibly lucky to have found Heidy. Pregnancy through covid and having no family in the US was a very overwhelming experience for us. Heidy was our postpartum Doula for three months.

We met Heidy the first night we were home from the hospital. She was immediately calming, supportive and practical. We immediately felt comfortable with her in our home and with our little boy.

Heidy has an endless list of qualities that make her an amazing doula. She is obviously extremely qualified, knowledgeable and experienced.  She taught us, and very gently guided us through the first few newborn months without ever being patronizing or pushy. She read the dynamic between our family every time she came over and seemed to know exactly what to do to support us. She took such good care of our little boy and cared for him like he was part of her family. Our little boy was incredibly comfortable with her – she often walked in after he had been fussing for an hour and her demeaner would always immediately calm him down. She knew what he needed. Heidy encouraged me to look after myself postpartum – focusing not only on our baby’s health and wellbeing, but on mine too.

Heidy was trustworthy, consistent, supportive, honest and comforting at a very vulnerable period in our lives. She celebrated (and continues to celebrate) milestones with us along the way with a genuine care and interest. We could not be more positive about our experience with Heidy. She will forever be part of our family.

Nicole and Adrian

6/5/2021

Heidy was our doula for both pre- and postpartum. We can honestly say that choosing Heidy was one of the best decisions we have ever made. As first time parents, being away from our families and during the pandemic, Heidy was a source of confidence and reassurance. She has an incredible knowledge and she guided us through many different situations as they arose. Heidy was a wonderful resource for breastfeeding support and general baby care! She is flexible and accommodating and does everything to make sure that each person in the household feels supported.  We could not have been happier with our experience. 

Yvette Murphy

4/1/2021

If you're reading this, chances are you are in the market for a support person in what is the most challenging, stressful, but ultimately rewarding experience of your life - having a child! Let me save you any further research and suggest you HIRE HEIDY! Like you, I was anxious about the birth of my first child - we were expats living in New York and fell pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic.  While I read earlier glowing reviews of Heidy, I still feel very lucky that she was part of our birth and, in particular, our post-partum journey.  I was immediately attracted to Heidy's warm nature and knowledge of a variety of topics.  Working as a team with another doula was also helpful - both team members knew our situation intimately and were in touch with my husband throughout the entire labor and birth experience.  Heidy joined us for the first night at home with our son Quinn, and for 3 months thereafter. I remember rolling over to my husband that night and saying "we just left our baby with someone we've never met!" However we felt safe, comfortable and instantly at ease with her after what was a stressful birth experience. After a stay in the NICU and a stint of baby blues, Heidy was a constant support in ways that I didn't know I needed. She helped us work through breastfeeding challenges (we are now exclusively breastfeeding after both latch and supply issues) and my son's quirky sleep habits (in hindsight, just regular newborn antics). Heidy became part of our family in what was a very vulnerable time. She has a genuine gift - both working with mothers, fathers and babies - and we will forever be grateful for the love she showed Quinn, and support she gave us, over this time.  She is kind, gentle, patient, flexible, emotionally intelligent and knowlegable - all qualities you want when choosing a doula and carer for your little one. She will love them as much as you do. For that reason alone, HIRE HEIDY!

Joe Thumpasery

1/17/2021

Heidy did a tremendous job for us. We were not sure whether to hire a doula, but Heidy made us so happy we did. Heidy gave us valuable information about what to expect during labor, and then provided insightful techniques as well as emotional support during the birthing process. She is kind and supportive but also very responsive at all hours and very professional. Heidy is extremely knowledgeable about labor and delivery as well as lactation and postpartum care. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. 

Oriana Duque

1/8/2021

My husband and I decided to hire Heidy a month before my due date. We knew it was late but we heard such good things about Heidy that we pulled the trigger. It was the best decision weve done. Although it was a very short period she had to work with us, she was very attentive and informative. During labor she was excellent and was very helpful.Her knowledge of birthing and baby was impressive and soothed my anxieties. Even after the birth of the baby any questions i had she was willing to answer and walk me through step by step on the best way to resolve any situation. I could not recommend her enough! She was exceptional.

Jenna

12/9/2020

Heidy was an amazing labor and postpartum doula! She is extremely knowledgeable and empathetic and made me feel very confident and empowered going into my first birth experience. From the moment we signed our doula contract, we were constantly in touch via whatsapp and still are today. I felt comfortable reaching out frequently with my MANY questions and concerns throughout my pregnancy and postpartum experience, and Heidy was always quick to respond with suggestions, advice, and comforting words. We had multiple prenatal video calls (virtual due to COVID) to discuss the nuances of labor as well. 

As my postpartum doula, Heidy spent three nights and one day at my apartment, helping us with everything from breastfeeding to bottle feeding to bathing to diaper changes. She was a calming presence and helped us get some much needed sleep in the first weeks of our baby's life.

She is also extremely COVID-conscious and made us feel very safe regarding her and her family's precautions. 

I would highly recommend using Heidy as your doula!

Jessica Miranda

11/16/2020

We were very grateful to have found Heidy as our doula.  We are located in the east end of long island, and as COVID19 hit at the beginning of our pregnancy, we were challenged with many doctors offices closed due to the pandemic.  There were no longer birthing classes available in our area.  We found virtual classes with manhatthanbirth.com who recommended Heidy as a doula since she lives in long island.

After interviewing a couple of doulas we had been impressed with Heidy, she was knowledgable, experienced and kind.  we were lucky she agreed to work with us, not only under the pandemic circunstances but being over an hour and a half away.

We had two virtual prenatal sessions that prepared us for labor.  

On the day of Kenzo's birth, Heidy was communicating with us through the process, she came to the hospital promptly and helped me and my partner through the process.  She ensured we were taken care of after my son's birth, before leaving the hospital.

Heidy continue to communicate and check up on Kenzo and I everyday after birth.  We've decided we needed more support and asked her to visit us for two postpartum overnight sessions, she agreed and traveled for almost 100 miles to provide us the much needed support.  I was able to have some sleep as well as learned so much from having her with us.  She is a lactation consultant which was extremely beneficial as a first time mother.

We will be happy to provide a reference to anyone on Heidy's behalf.  We learned so much from her, our experience couldn't have been better!

Marlies and Thomas

11/11/2020

Heidy has been an integral part of our labor and postpartum journey and we don’t know how we would’ve fared without her! This was our first child and we wanted the right support and care; especially without having much family or friends around (and especially during COVID). Heidy’s calm and thoughtful presence made my birth experience stress free (even pleasant) and I’ll keep a great memory of it. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable!

Besides being our labor doula, Heidy also stayed in our home for 6 nights of postpartum care. She provided us the confidence to tackle challenges around pumping, feeding and sleeping schedules plus bath time! We’d absolutely recommend Heidy and would definitely look to her again if or when we have baby #2.

Francesca

9/28/2020

Heidy is an incredible doula and a wonderful person. She helped me with the birth of both my daughters (now 2 months and 2 years old). The two experiences were quite different, but Heidy was essential for the good outcome of both births. In both cases, she helped us before, during and after birth.

Heidy is knowledgeable about all aspects of birth, from labor to delivery, from lactation to the inner workings of the health system. With a warm and caring attitude, she uses her knowledge to support you in your decisions. She is very respectful of her client's wishes, absolutely non judgmental, and extremely supportive. She knows her way around all kind of situations. When a fire started in my building during labor (yep, that happened), she coached me over the phone and helped me relax so my contractions would slow down, gaining us the few hours we needed to exit the building safely and head to the hospital.

Heidy is effective in person as well as remotely (my second pregnancy was during Covid pandemic). She has an extensive professional network that she opens up to her clients, including pediatricians, lactation consultants, MDs and counselors. She is well known and appreciated by her colleagues, and her name is spoken with respect in our hospital. She is passionate about her work, respectful of diversity, eager to help. After my first experience with Heidy, I did not hesitate to reach out to her for my second pregnancy, and I recommend her enthusiastically to all moms.

Natacha Tonissoo

9/27/2020

We interviewed a number of postpartum doulas when we got the sudden panic that we didn't know what to expect when our newborn arrived into the world. Heidy struck us not just for her professionalism, but her immediate warmth, her personable nature (addressing my husband and dog by their names on our zoom call! While others said "your husband") and asking lots of questions which showed she was interested in us. Upon meeting, it felt like Heidy was welcomed like an old friend. We couldn't have trusted her more to be in our home, be with our baby and help guide us in a supportive way and not at all intimidating or making us feel like we didn't know what we were doing! We hired Heidy for overnight care services coming from 10pm to 8am. Beyond taking care of our baby overnight and making sure my husband and I could maximize our sleep, Heidy also taught us key skills from how to bathe our baby, to pumping, to advising on basically anything we had questions about such as what kind of schedule we should try and go by at night. She's is so knowledgeable, so every session we were learning something new to put into practice. Bottom line, the best decision we made was hiring Heidy for our postpartum needs. She is loving, supportive and was amazing with us, our baby and even giving our little diva dog extra attention! 

Joanna & Carlos Cuevas Ingram

9/5/2020

We are honored to provide the highest recommendation for Heidy.  Heidy & her colleague, Angie Benavides, were there for us every moment, by text, phone & video visits, providing wraparound support via text 24/7 with professional expertise in evidence-based prenatal, birthing, labor, partner, and postpartum support.  She understood we felt more comfortable communicating bilingually in Spanish & English throughout the process, and provided us with gentle, loving care every step of the way.
 
We trusted Heidy with our lives during a global pandemic, a trust she took very seriously, maintaining strict health & safety protocols; just like any family, we wanted to come out alive, healthy, happy & safe.  Thanks to Heidy, who put her heart and soul into our birthing support, we did.  
 
While I hoped for natural labor, I made a tough decision for medically necessary induction at 39 weeks.  Heidy supported us in seeking 3 medical opinions before doing so, maintained close contact from the beginning, and joined us when I moved naturally into active labor at the hospital.  She helped me ride the wave of each contraction naturally with massages & essential oils, gently coaching me when they added pitocin.  In every moment, Heidy affirmed my strength.
 
When I had to make another tough decision for an epidural to prevent my body from pushing too early before I was fully dilated, I placed my trust and hand in Heidy's.  Within 20 minutes of a combined spinal epidural, I was fully dilated, and in less than 10-15 pushes, our baby was born!  
 
Heidy ensured our preferences were honored. We had 81 minutes skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, and our baby breastfed & latched right away for 20 minutes at birth.  We could not imagine having been better prepared without Heidy's support, and she will always be a part of our family.
 

Katie

8/13/2020

Heidy was yet again an invaluable asset to our team. She communicated and checked in leading up to the birth of our second daughter so I felt confident going in. Even though my daughter was born way to quickly for her to be there for the actual birth, she talked me through breathing and positioning while I labored at night. We texted and talked as my partner rested, knowing that there would be a long couple of nights ahead of us. She was a calming presence for me which helped my birth go smoothly. After the birth she helped me with my daughter's latch and took care of me, knowing exactly what I needed. She is still a source of wisdom and an extended member of our family.

I recently seeked Heidy's expertise again to help me wean. I didn't know where to start, but she guided me through the entire process, listening, supporting and encouraging me. She created a detailed personalized plan for me and my baby's weaning process. Directly after our discussion, my body felt lighter and freer and my head felt clearer. I am so thankful for her! I recommend her to anyone who would appreciate a calm, knowing, caring presence in these most intimate and monumental moments. 

Theresa & Dave

5/20/2020

As first timers, we could not imagine our birth experience without Heidy. From the very first phone call it was apparent how knowledeable and experienced she was. Seamlessly easy to talk to, instant connection.. so genuine, direct, to the point, and crisp in communication. To top it off, extremely interesting and likeable! Each time we met leading up to birth continued to give us a sense of security and assurance. Heidy is super respectful to honor whatever your wishes are, not pushy at all in one direction. In fact she seemed to always have at least 2 points of view to share which allows you the abiity to make your own informed decision. Day of birth she was so clutch. Ours was a long labor and she remained a constant throughout- suggesting new positions, providing the support and counter pressure when needed. I will always have in my memory those last few minutes before delivering my baby girl, her cheering me on with with excitment and encouragement. It's her voice and her face that remains in my mind. 

Post birth she checked in multilpe times and was a tremendous support to us for lactaction consulting, emotional support and guidance for several weeks. 

Heidy became family to us. She's an amazing soul. If we have a second child, we would do it all again with her. 

Andrea Petri

4/1/2020

Heidy stayed with us for 6 nights following the birth of our daughter. She was simply amazing, we loved having her! As first time parents we had a lot of questions on how to do things, and she gave us precious advice to go forward. She was always really supportive and thanks to her we could catch up on some sleep. Having her around played a big part in us not feeling overwhelmed as first time parents. I don't know how we could have done without Heidy, we definitely recommend her!

Alison and Zach

3/5/2020

Heidy was our doula both for labor and postpartum and it is the best decision I've ever made. For months prior to giving birth heidy made herself available via phone and text, answering any and all questions. She is knowledgeable without being bossy or overbearing. I truly believe I had a positive birth experience because of her. Postpartum she has been an absolute lifesaver- teaching us tips and providing support, guidance, and years of experience. I highly recommend her to anyone and everyone who is pregnant. 

Martha

1/5/2020

I had a great experience working with Heidy Ramirez as doula during my prenatal and postpartum sessions between the monthoof September and December 2019. She is a blessing that made my motherhood beginning much more enjoyable and less stressful. She is very knowledgeable, patient, professional, respectful and  caring. I highly recommend her services and companionship .

Megan Trice

8/1/2019

When we became pregnant with our second we knew hiring Heidy to support us again during labor was a no-brainer.  What we didn't anticipate was how much we would value her moral support at the end of pregnancy (much longer pre-labor with a lot of false alarms compared to the first time around) and her sensitivity and wisdom in helping us to become a family of 4 - she has not only been there and done that herself, but has helped many families through the same transition. 

Similar to our first experience with Heidy, she was a rock for both myself and my husband on the day of labor - helping us through the uncertainty about when it was "true" labor, supporting me through some intense waiting room/triage contractions, and generally being a warm and reissuring teammate which inspired a lot of confidence in both of us and allowed us to concentrate on the beauty of the birth day.  Heidy's postpartum visit came at just the right time - she gave us some great tips to get ahead of sore nipples and checked in regularly to make sure we were settling in to our new roles emotionally and physically.  Heidy will be a huge part of the birth stories we tell our daughter and son for years to come.  Thank you so much, Heidy!

Elaine Dunlap

3/30/2019

Heidy was a wonderful postpartum doula for our family. As first-time parents her instruction was key in helping us become confident in various aspects of baby care, like diapering, swaddling, soothing, bathing, and bottle feeding. She was gentle and loving with our newborn son and spent hours holding him, allowing us rest and postpartum healing. I love that her expertise is a mix of evidence-based knowledge and deep experience in childcare and as a mom. We miss you Heidy!

Stephanie Llanes

11/25/2018

I am delighted to offer only the highest recommendation for Heidy. She was an indispensable part of my birth team.

Pregnancy: Since our first call with Heidy she was kind and competent. I'd text her regularly about a variety of things (i.e., nausea, stress, heartburn, what should I get on baby registry, etc.) and Heidy always responded promptly. Not only was she responsive but she was so loving, especially in the moments I needed it the most.

Labor/delivery: My water broke around 8am but contractions did not start and my doctor talked about inducing labor relatively soon. Heidy helped me try to incude labor natrually throughout the day. She also checked on me regularly and reassured me that even if we had to induce labor, that everything would be fine and reminded me that I would meet my precious little one soon enough. At around 1am I was started on pitocin and Heidy was right there with me. Since 1am till 9am when I had the baby, Heidy worked with me through every contraction...from messages, essential oils, ensuring I was drinking watter/juice, coaching me through contractions, checking on my partner, etc. Heidy also encouraged me to labor on the toilet and I am certain that my labor progressed quickly because of that. I am also 100% sure that I would not have been able to birth my baby natrually, with no pain meds, with pitocin without Heidy. She kept me focused and reassured throughout the process and I had an amazing experience even with the pitocin.

Postpartum: Heidy visited me the week following my birth to see how things were going emotionally, healing wise, breastfeeding, etc. It was at this visit that she noticed my baby had both tongue and lip tie which explained why my nipples were cracked and bleeding. After seeing a specialist she recommended to correct the issue, breastfeeding became much less painfiul!

Can't thank Heidy enough! We love her and she will forever be a part of our family.

Lidiya Mishchenko

11/22/2018

Heidy was an amazing help.  I don't know how we would have gotten through all the tough nights with our newborn without her.  She helped me figure out breastfeeding and pumping when I'm at work.  She helped my son start sleeping through the night and taught me how to listen to his cues.  She gave us great tips on purchases such as bottles, breast pumps, pumping bras, etc.  She referred us to great specialists, such as an IBCLC.  She also has a great sense of humor and a wonderful, positive energy.  My son absolutely loves her and we will all miss having her here.

Francesca Anselmi

10/22/2018

I am a first time mum, living in Queels, New York. Heidy Ramirez was my labor and post partum doula, and I could not have been happier of my choice.

Before birth, Heidy met with me and my husband twice at our home. She really took time to get to know us personally. We discussed the details of labor, and she helped me come up with a birth plan. All the way, Hiedy was extremely respectful of my wishes in terms of birth, and help me find solutions that would make me feel comfortable and empowered. She trained my husband on how to help me cope with labor pain, which prooved extremely useful. She also gave us an education about child care and breastfeeding.

Heidy was in contact with us since the very beginning of my labor (which lasted 30 hours) and she joined us at the hospital duing the active phase (which included a whole night). It was wonderful to have her with us during labor: she helped me cope with pain, and she helped me and my husband making decisions during some rough patches. She was always respectful, supportive and extremely competent.

After partum, Heidy came to our house the first day we came back. She helped us settle in, gave me breastfeeding advice, and watched our baby while we took some much needed rest. She came two more times after that (for a total of 15 hours), helping me when my husband went back to work. She was a support for me and a big help with the baby (who loved her): she gave me a number of extremely useful suggestions that really made my life easier and my relationship with my newborn more joyful.

Heidy is a kind, compassionate and respectful person, as well as a very copetent doula, 100% passionate about her job. I highly recommend her to any new parent.

Wesley Royce

10/8/2018

Heidy is AMAZING. She immediately put my husband at ease with having help around (something he trusted that I wanted/needed, but was a little dubious about at first). We used her for a few nights during week one and then a few weeks later asked her to come back when my husband was transitioning back to work. She put us on a "schedule" with our newborn from night one and with her around we were able to get some much needed sleep after spending a few nights in the hospital after a c-section.

Heidy is naturally warm and nurturing. She is incredibly easy to talk to and provides information without judgment. With her guidance I was able to trust my natural parenting instincts. Not only did she help me with breastfeeding tips and tricks but became a general resource on all baby topics. She magically made her presence known by taking care of small things (folding laundry, soothing our son while we ate dinner together), but never stood in the way of us holding/doing things on our own for him. She was there to help/support us with what we needed/asked for. We looked forward to every night she was in our home (beyond just the better sleep we got).

I've already recommended Heidy to family and friends and will continue to sing her praises.

EmilyandLeon NYC

10/7/2018

We recommend Heidy completely and without reservation! My husband and I feel so lucky and thankful to have had Heidy as our postpartum doula. Heidy joined our family the night we brought our baby boy home from the hospital. She immediately put us at ease; as a new mom, I felt like I didn’t even know where to begin settling in at home with not only our baby, but also our seemingly endless hospitals bags and piles of baby things, but Heidy simply began to sort through the chaos and soon helped us feel reassured that everything would be ok! From then on, we felt like our little family was safe with her. She taught us how to care for our baby, from the most basic diaper changes and swaddling to proper feeding techniques and his first bath. We knew that our baby was in good hands and we looked to Heidy to guide us through the sometimes scary episodes of crying and moments which seemed so daunting as new parents. During the first few weeks when I was still recovering and exhausted, Heidy was a wonderful source of support; she helped me through plugged ducts and achy joints, providing intelligent and kind advice (but never making me feel pressured to do anything I didn’t feel comfortable with!). We really appreciated it that during times when it became overwhelming (for example, when we were trying to decide whether and how to have a procedure done for our baby’s tongue tie), she was consistently in touch with our lactation consultant as well as our other doula, so that she was always up to date with whatever concerns or issues we might have, without us needing to explain everything in detail again. Heidy was always ready to lend a hand or a hug if I needed it, but also so considerate in trying to give our new little family time to bond as well. We trusted Heidy implicitly and she became a friend to us. We could not gotten through our first month without her, and we are forever grateful to have had her with us!

Jesse Harp

8/15/2018

I was very lucky to have Heidy guide me through the most intense and difficult task I have ever experienced. Heidy was incredible! She was very knowledgeable and always quick to respond to any questions I had.

Being a first-time mom, I had no idea what I was doing nor what was gonna happen during labor. All the books and online research only painted a very vague picture. Heidy really prepared us for the actual labor and taught us all the soothing techniques, telling us the important questions to ask my doctor. After our first two meetings with her, I felt much more informed and at ease.

During my labor there were moments I completely lost hope and thought I couldn't keep pushing, but having her next to me made me push harder than I ever thought I could and it was so amazing when I saw my baby come out (she even took the best photo of the moment when my husband and I met our baby for the 1st time!).

I couldn't have done it without Heidy's help. I recommend Heidy to anyone who is pregnant or planning on having a baby.

Valerie Rosario

8/10/2018

Labor was the most challenging, traumatizing event I have ever experienced in my life. Hiring a doula was the best thing we ever spent any money on to help during this painful process full of unexpected ordeals. If you or a loved one is expecting, I highly recommend hiring a doula. Our doula, Heidy Ramirez was amazing!. She provided much needed guidance, reassurance, emotional and physical support during this new experience along with much needed post partum care, ranging from baby care to how to use my breast pump. She is very knowledgeble, kind, has a calming presence and is amazing with babies! She is also a lactation specialist...a plus! If you live in the NYC area, Heidy should be your doula! You will not regret it!

Peter Harp

8/9/2018

Heidy is a wonderul person who deep prenatal knowledge to offer and so much love in her heart. We loved her right away. Her visits were thorough, fun and her quick and insightful replies to any text or call gave us peace of mind we desperately needed. Just having her at the birth was very comforting. This was our first child but we could tell based on her readiness to answer anything and address our every need, that Heidy had done this many times before. We recommend Heidy without hesitation to anyone in need of physical, mental, and emotional comfort and preparedness during a pregnancy.

Andy Eisen

5/29/2018

We have nothing but amazing things to say about Heidy!!! This being our first child, my wife and I were scared and unsure of what it would be like to go through labor. We ended up having our baby 5 weeks premature and Heidy was still perfectly prepared to support us throughout the entire process of labor! She provided much needed knowledge and support throughout the entire process in addition to her visits before and after the baby was born. Through over 24 hours of labor, Heidy calmly & patiently coached my wife through every contraction. Despite the long labor, we needed an emergency C-section. Though it was a difficult process, Heidy helped re-assure us that the doctors and nurses were truly doing everything they could and we were ready to move forward. Beyond being perfect for her job as a doula, Heidy is an extremely warm and friendly person. She fit right in with our family and is the exact kind of person you want in the trenches with you as you go through the marathon of having a baby. I didn't truly understand the value a doula could bring to this process until Heidy, and now I can't imagine having the baby without her!

Ana Melo

5/28/2018

I had a great experience, Heidy offered expertise, support and companionship at a time when I did not have any other family support. She was knowledgeable but did not force her opinions or recommendations but rather gave me choices.

Starting with her website, Heidy came across as professional and friendly. I liked how she described her philosophy and I appreciated that all her services and fees were clearly listed on the site. Communication with Heidy was straightforward and I was able to start receiving services quickly. Heidy was also flexible enough to be able to add additional shifts.

Heidy was punctual and was helpful with any additional tasks around the house while my son was sleeping. Heidys ability to easily bond with my baby and take care of his needs made it easier for me to get additional rest and trust that all would be well while I napped or ran a quick errand. I would most certainly recommend Heidy as a doula for anyone seing similar services.

Suzanne Frazer

5/15/2018

Heidy is a wonderful and caring doula, professional and attentive. Her response time to all emails and texts was prompt and helpful. She made our birthing experience very special, even though things did not go to plan, and her care and follow up after we returned home was such a special treat to us. I would highly recommend her to anyone seeking a doula, she truly has found her calling.

Gena Yushkova

5/9/2018

Heidy was amazing! Despite taking some baby care classes to prepare, it was such a relief for my husband and I to know that we had someone at home to help us learn to take care of our tiny new human! Heidy was just what we wanted - a friendly and sweet woman who had kids of her own, yet at the same time someone who was pragmatic and realistic about changing something if it didn’t work. As a lactation consultant, Heidy was never pushy and really helped me learn the ropes on breastfeeding and pumping. She taught us how to change, bathe and care for the baby, as well as organized and helped us use the baby care items we’ve bought and received and pointed out what else would be helpful to get. As someone who was skeptical of having a stranger around during this new time in our lives, I’m really glad we decided last minute to go the postpartum doula route and met Heidy! Above all, Heidy helped us to relax as new parents and find what worked for us!

Bianca Gersten

4/28/2018

Heidy was a lifesaver for me during a very difficult postpartum recovery. She is a virtual encyclopedia of baby knowledge, which was helpful to a first time mom like me who doesn’t have much baby experience! She is also a calming presence - which helps when you are feeling overwhelmed by every little thing during the newborn phase. I would recommend her highly to anyone looking for a postpartum doula to aid in infant care education, emotional support and general help around the house.

Melody Zimmer Duncan

2/19/2018

Heidy's work with our family as a post-partum doula was an absolute godsend. My husband and I had vastly underestimated the learning curve for taking care of a new baby, so when we learned our baby would need a frenectomy and special coaching in order to breastfeed, we knew we needed to hire help. We could not have imagined a better doula than Heidy to come to our rescue. Her vast experience as a lactation consultant proved invaluable as she helped my baby and me establish our breastfeeding relationship. During her hours in our home she not only helped take the pressure off me and my husband, she was also a wealth of childcare information, best practices and tips. She helped strengthen our parenting skills and she helped us get a little more sleep - our new family is stronger and happier thanks to Heidy.

garima anand

2/4/2018

Heidy is a wondeful doula !! She has a very calming presence, and she was an integral part of my unmedicated birth experience. She has a lot of knowledge regarding different laboring techinques, helping in managing labor pains and understanding the emotional needs of a mother during labor. She was always available via phone/text prior to labor to answer all of our questions and concerns. She came to support me during labor at home at 4am and stayed for over 14 hours until after the baby was born. She worked tirelessly to provide comfort during labor, gave us tips on how to make labor progress and was especially helpful during the car ride to the hospital. She came home a few days after the birth to check in on me and the baby, she provided a lot of tips regarding successful breastfeeding, checked on baby's latch, ensured the baby was sucking effectively and answered all of my questions and concerns. We are very thankful to her for ensuring our birth wishes were kept and that we got the birth we expected.

Lisa Smith

11/26/2017

Heidy is amazing!  I had planned an unmedicated vaginal birth at a birth center at NYP. Heidy was very helpful in prepping us and making us feel comfortable in her initial consultations. As my due date grew near, she checked on me often via phone and text. In the end, I had a cesarean section due to risk factors associated with the fetal heart rate and rupture of my membranes with no progression into active labor. My midwives did all they could to help induce labor to avoid a c-section. This was a painful and emotionally trying time, but Heidy provided excellent emotional and physical support. She helped us get through 24 hours of induction attempts, provided physical comfort through massage and other touch-based methods, helped me cope with painful contractions, and helped us understand the risk factors and possible ways forward in our birth as described by our midwife, when things did not go as planned. I felt 100% comfortable around Heidy in my home and at the hospital. She was an essential force at our birth and I am pleased at how it happened, despite being so different than what I expected. I should also mention she was a big help to my husband, who took a much needed nap while Heidy stayed up with me through the night. Highly recommended!

Nydia Ines Davila

11/22/2017

I honestly can't imagine going through my first pregnancy/labor/delivery without Heidy. my husband and I attended a birthing class, read tons of articles and of course consulted with my OB but Heidy really made us feel at ease the most. I had a long 18+ labor and Heidy worked tirelessly to keep me comfortable and make sure I was breathing well for more effective contractions. She also kept my husband and I well informed about the process and what was likely to happen or be suggested to us. She knew when I needed water, a massage, encouragement, before I could even ask for it. She would even stand by my side while I used the bathroom to help me get through my strongest contractions and not be alone.

I really don't have the words to explain just how grateful I am to have had Heidy as part of my birth story. once we were home and overwhelmed with the hardship of breastfeeding and sleep deprivation we asked if she would be able to be our postpartum doula for a couple of days. By that time, I had given up on breastfeeding but with her help I started again and stuck to it.

In short, Heidy is wonderful! She was recommended to us by a close friend whom she was a doula for also and sang her praises and I see why, she's everything you'd want in a doula.

Kait Sherman

10/2/2017

Heidy helped us during the first week my husband returned to work. I ended up delivering via an emergency C-Section and was battling some serious baby blues upon return home. Realizing that I needed some support those first few days, we started looking for postpartum doulas. I thank my lucky stars that we were put in touch with Heidy. I can say without question that Heidy was instrumental in helping me move past the trauma of my delivery and feel capable of taking care of my new son on my own.

Heidy's positivity coupled with her knowledge and care for both mother and baby made me feel so supported. She seamlessly stepped into our environment and found ways to make a distinct impact, from recommending a walk, to helping prepare nourishing foods, to watching my son while I napped for an hour.

In addition to being an incredible postpartum doula, Heidy also helped with breastfeeding advice. Again, her positivity and outlook helped me see opportunity where before I was dismayed and overwhelmed.

Prior to delivery, I couldn't understand the need for a postpartum doula but now that I am on the other side of the experience I can definitively say that getting Heidy's help those first few days made all the difference. I highly recommend working with Heidy if you can. I cannot imagine that there is someone more equipped to support mothers during this very special and important time in their lives.

Natalia Linos

9/20/2017

I am grateful to Heidy for helping our family transition smoothly from being a family of three to a family of five when our twins, Leo and Alexandra, were born in June. Heidy helped us with all types of chores from changing diapers, giving the babies a bath, folding clothes, helping put dinner on the table and reading books or playing with our older daughter who was at times feeling left out or jealous. I would wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend Heidy to any growing family, including twin families, because of her warm and caring demeanor, her calming presence and her ability to know what I needed (bringing me a glass of water or just asking me how I was feeling) without me having to ask. She helped me with breastfeeding, showing me how to tandem nurse twins, and was not only supportive to me, but also to my husband and our 4 year old daughter. She was loving with our newborns, her soft voice and touch was tremendously soothing to them, playful with our older daughter (she is a mom herself), and easily fit into our family structure, allowing us to lead while also teaching us some helpful tricks around bottle feeding and bathing.

Cristina Colón

9/20/2017

Heidy was by my side for the birth of my first baby and for several postpartum visits. I had a fast and uncomplicated labor and delivery, yet I wouldn't want to do it again without her.

I'll try not to repeat too much of what others have already said, and instead list some specific ways that Heidy came through for us:

* Heidy proactively met us at the hospital for labor. We had been in touch over text, but labor progressed more quickly than I expected and I was in disbelief that it was really time. Thankfully, Heidy invited herself over and was there to support me through triage.

* She gently stood up for me when I was barely able to speak. When one of the nurses unhelpfully said I shouldn't push yet, because it was too early, Heidy softly but firmly replied that it was involuntary. It made no practical difference, but it meant a lot that someone in the room understood that I couldn't help it.

* Heidy took simple steps to help me avoid unnecessary interventions. My baby kept moving away from the monitor, leading the hospital staff to suggest internal monitoring. I hoped to avoid it, so without being asked, Heidy stood by my bedside and held the monitor in place so that we wouldn't be bothered about it again.

* Heidy helped me overcome fear and self-doubt. I had a close to perfect labor and delivery, but was still very shaken by the experience. I felt safe, reassured, and empowered every time we spoke though.

* Heidy was wonderful with our baby girl. She helped us understand her fussiness and gave us much needed breaks during her postpartum visits. She taught us how to wear her in a wrap, and although it took us a while to get the hang of it, our girl loved being worn by Heidy and could sleep for hours that way.

As someone who waited until quite late in pregnancy to find a doula, because I wasn't even sure I needed or wanted one, I'm very fortunate to have found Heidy and that she was available.

Yvette Sandoval

9/9/2017

Heidy was incredible throughout my whole pregnacy, labor and delivery. She was very supportive and patient with all of our questions and concerns. She always knew the right things to say and utilized the best techniques for the given moment. I could not have had such a succesful natural birth without her. I plan on using her for my future pregnancies, and have already advertised the quality of her work to my circle of friends.

Jonathan Marks

8/27/2017

Heidy was an amazing doula that made the entire birth experience, for both my wife, and me, as easy as possible.  She was there before, during, and after, and answered all questions that we had.  Heidy was very trustworthy and could be depended upon to help my wife get through very difficult contractions before we made it to the hospital.  We are able to really leverage Heidy's experience and stay home as long as possible until we truly needed to get to the hospital.  We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Heidy to anyone, or use her again if we have another child.

Heidi I.

8/3/2017

Heidy was our doula for the birth of our second child. She came highly recommended by the doula community. Thanks in large part to Heidy's support, we were able to have the pain med-free delivery I’d hoped for.

We felt at ease with Heidy right away. My husband and I found our prenatal visits with her immensely helpful, even as second-time parents. We appreciated the chance to actually practice different positions and other coping strategies. Heidy was able to suggest many! As a doula and mom of two herself, she was also able to suggest ways of supporting our first child. Heidy was always responsive during my pregnancy—and always at the ready with information. This was only ever on offer, never forced. When I went into labor and asked her to join us, she was with us within minutes. I felt instantly calmer. She made the dreaded cab ride from our Queens home to our Manhattan hospital as bearable as possible, continuing to provide both emotional and physical support, even in the cramped backseat. Once we arrived at the hospital, baby came fast, which made for an intense experience. I would have been lost in it without Heidy. With her help, we were delighted to welcome a healthy baby, and we all recovered quickly.

Heidy helped us initiate breastfeeding at the hospital and advised on this further when we went home. We were surprised to encounter challenges a few days in, but Heidy once again suggested just the right strategies and resources to meet them.

We feel so fortunate to have partnered with someone so versatile, so committed to her work, who joined in both our challenges—and our joy. We would absolutely hire Heidy again ourselves, and we recommend her to others with enthusiasm!

Debra Bautista

6/29/2017

Heidy is amazing!!! From the 1st meeting she was very informative telling us all about her doula training and giving us feedback on our hospital and classes we were taking. We were hoping to have a natural birth with no medication, but our little one had other plans. We had to induce at 39 weeks because my amniotic fluid ran out, this was a stressful thought for me. I called Heidy to let her know the situation and she kept me calm and walked me through the process. Once admitted our doctor informed us it would be a fast induction once we started since I was effaced and 2 centimeters dilated. My husband called Heidy to give her the update and Heidy was at our side in no time. She was so intuitive throughout the entire labor and knew just how to keep me calm and focused. There were a few times I got out of my zone and the pain felt unbearable, Heidy was great at getting me back in my zone quickly.
While my husband hit repeat on my 20 minute birthing affirmations recording for 5 hours, Heidy was reminding me to breath and focus on my baby. She would spray lavender and massage my back in between contractions and apply the hot water bottle during contractions. She was also very good at suggesting other laboring positions to keep things moving. In the end only sitting on the yoga ball worked for me. We were so excited to see Heidy the day after we arrived home from the hospital ( I was counting down the hours). We had been experiencing latching problems and Heidy is a La Leche League Leader. Our little one loved being held by Heidy and she helped us out with all our questions and gave us helpful advice. We love you Heidy!!!

David Faulkner

6/18/2017

We loved working with Heidy! We were very lucky our newborn was quite enthusiastic about breastfeeding from the moment he was out of the hospital, but Heidy still gave us so much incredible technique advice that really helped to make the experience more enjoyable and easy. She was also a fount of knowledge across the board, helping us understand and make best use of the wide variety of equipment that we've found ourselves owning after our son's birth. She was also incredible about creating space for us to feel human again, giving us a break to shower, run errands, and get a breath of fresh air.

Cristina Krumsick

5/30/2017

Heidy was a joy to work with. She was instantly warm and comfortable to be around and has a wide range of knowledge, from tons of lactation advice to little tips and tricks for newborn care across the board. She was a great support during several nursing challenges and continued to check in and advise me via text between visits and beyond-- this was super helpful at some of my most challenging times. I would recommend her to anyone looking for postpartum support.

AJ Cedeno

5/11/2017

My wife Kate and I selected Heidy as our doula upon recommendation from our instructor from one of our birth classes (Lisa Taylor, BIRTH MATTERS) --- and let us just say, we're very grateful that we received this recommendation.

To put it in simplest terms: Heidy was terrific.  Warm, kind, compassionate and yet also forthright when it mattered the most (i.e. during labor and pushing).  We met with Heidy multiple times before the birth as to get acquainted, discuss our birth plan, and cover multiple other logistical and practical tips ("when do we call you before going to the hospital?" and "how do you properly use a Boba wrap??" among many other things).  She was a terrific listener and showed great care for any and all questions we had, and we felt very comfortable with her right from the get-go.

The birth was a wild night, yet Heidy was with us every step of the way: whether on the phone while on her way to the hospital, or right there in the room with us during the pushing phase -- offering my wife massage, something to drink, encouraging words, and more. She was a calming presence when things were chaotic, and a stern advocate for my wife's birth plan when medical personel were present in our room. (Side note: and she did all this with us between the hours of approximately 9pm and 4am...attentive and focused...in spite of the late hour AND most amazingly, the fact that she, Heidy, had fractured some small bones in her own foot only hours before meeting us at the hospital)

The birth was an incredible experience and Heidy helped us to navigate a stressful, emotional, and overall wonderful night.  She also came to our apartment a few days later to check in and to assist with some lactation consulting (so helpful!!).  She would text us or email throughout all the weeks we were a "team" and we never ceased to feel connected to her and so, so very happy that she will forever be a part of our baby's birth story.

Lisa Lehman

5/5/2017

Heidy supported my husband and I as our post-partum doula during the first 2 weeks of our daughter's life at home, and I truly can't imagine having done it without her!

Heidy is an amazing coach: shell work to understand your goals and work tirelessly to help you to accomplish them. Breastfeeding proved to be more challenging than expected, and Heidy was invaluable in helping to guide us through the process and prevented me from giving up (despite my best attempts!)

She's incredibly knowledgeable on EVERY topic of importance to new parents: from nursing to sleep best practices to post-partum nutrition to baby registry advice. When faced with new challenges we still often find ourselves still saying "what would Heidy do?"

And of course, she's a total baby whisperer: our daughter absolutely loved her and was instantly soothed by her, which allowed my husband and I to get some much needed sleep catchup in those early weeks.

Heidy is thoughtful, she's reassuring, she's diligent, and infinitely patient: she's exactly who any new parent would want by their side. I can't recommend her enough!

Nia Pelaez

4/30/2017

My experience with Heidy was very positive. I inquired about Heidy's services for help with nursing and she was very informative, Heidy is highly knowledgeable and made sure to pass along as much knowledge as possible to myself and my family who help me take care of my little one. Heidy also made sure I knew how to take care of myself postpartum and passed along a lot of info on that front as well. My favorite experience in dealing with Heidy was how supportive she is and she always made sure to fill me with positive affirmations. Heidy is punctual and made an appointment with me the very next day after I asked about her consults! I highly recommend her! We still keep in touch and she shows genuine care for me and baby! I'm definitely taking advantage of her services in the future.

Samantha Tully

4/22/2017

HI !

Heidy Ramirez was an amazing help during my pregnnacy and post pardom recovery.  I actually hired Hediy based on energy and after a phone conversation one time.  I knew she would be a good fit for me.  She always made herself availible to talk and offer me advice while I was pregnnat.  I took her advice more often than I did the doctor.  I had a c-section and Heidy came to my home once I came home from the hospital.  She was proactive and  sensed what I  needed without me ever having to say  anything.  For someone like me who has a hard time slowing down and having people attend to me she made me feel comfortable.  Heidy offered to cook delicious soups and took care of my son while i rested.  I was unsure how to do simple things (yet HUGE things) like change a diaper, give my son a bath and steam bottles.  Heidy never made me feel like any question was too silly.   I had issues with my preemie son latching on to breast feed and she offered differnt options that actually worked.  All of her advice I took with confidence and would recommend her to anyone who needs a doula!

From,

Samantha Tully

Kaitlin Severini

4/12/2017

Heidy was our doula for three days after our son was born. Probably the number one thing you don't have as a new mom is patience (you're sleep-deprived, trying to get the hang of breastfeeding, etc.) and you need someone calm and collected and knowledgeable to help you through this difficult beginning. Heidy is most patient person I have ever met, and her demeanor saved me! She made me calm too. In addition to this, Heidy is knowledgeable (she really helped me with improving our breastfeeding latch) and accommodating. She accompanied us to our first doctor's visit (holding my arm the whole way, so I wouldn't fall—it was only four days after I gave birth). She didn't need to be asked to do anything. She just took care of everything, giving me time to sleep and not worry about things like dishes, picking up around the apartment, etc. And she is a mom too, so I knew I could ask her for real-life advice and receive it. I have absolutely no regrets hiring Heidy to be our doula, and I will call on her services again in the future to help with our son (or baby #2). She's pretty amazing, and all new moms and dads would be lucky to have her! Thanks, Heidy. ?

Julie Hibshoosh

4/3/2017

I knew Heidy was the right doula for us from our first conversation.  She has a relaxing, comforting, peaceful presence, which was exactly what I needed.  I had high blood pressure issues throughout my third trimester and I honestly think that each of her pre birth visits lowered my blood pressure.

My labor was extremely fast, so Heidy wasnt with us for a long time but her presence was so important from the moment she walked in the door.  I was induced and on magnesium for pre eclampsia, but Heidy helped me stay true to my decision not to use pain meds and I was able to have a vbac.

I also have an ob who has been nothing but wonderful to me, but is rather a tyrant in the delivery room to everyone else and Heidy was able to navigate around her perfectly (no small feat).

I recommend her unreservedly.

Ariele Fredman

4/3/2017

Heidy saved my sanity post-baby as our post-partum doula! Our first visit was the day after we returned from the hospital and I was in desperate need of help with feeding/pumping/engorgement relief. Heidy helped me make a quick and dirty pumping bra out of a sports bra (who even thinks of having one at the ready when you first get home with a new baby?!), showed me how to set up my pump, and taught me about the basic techniques of pumping, milk storage, etc.

On that first day, I was so thrilled that Heidy was instantly warm, a good listener, and knew how to help my daughter and me with our specific needs - especially since I didn't even know what I needed to know.

Throughout our time together, she was able to assist this first-time mom with questions as basic as "What's the best way to bathe our baby?" to detailed strategy for pumping when returning to work. And above all the knowledge and patient question-answering, Heidy was just fun to have around and we shared a lot of laughs.

For anyone on the fence about needing post-partum help and who to go with, I would recommend Heidy without question. She'll make your life (and your child's life!) so much better. We miss her already!

Kristen Kiyan

3/28/2017

I don't know where to begin, to praise Heidy enough!  From the beginning she was professional ,caring and knowledgeable.   She gave us confidence that we were safe with her and she would be there every step.   The actual labor ended up like nothing I had planned.  I had to be induced, had high blood pressure  and baby's heart beat slowed because of a tight umbilical cord.  19 hours of relenting drug induced labor and we made it through with Heidys  help.  I could NOT have managed with out her!   She walked with me, massaged, fed me, cleaned me, hydrated  me, applied chap stick, massaged my swelling limbs, fixed the heart monitor,  did all my talking to the nurses and doctors, helped and guided  my husband..... the list goes on and on.  When our angel finally came she came and helped with feeding him and providing me with much needed emotional support.  I could NOT recommend  a better   kinder human.  Anyone would be lucky to have her help them  through the magical  and difficult journey of child birth.

Marta Paliwoda

3/28/2017

I had the pleasure of having Heidy Ramirez as my nighttime postpartum doula for three weeks and feel that it was one of the best decisions I've made! Heidy was personally recommended by an aquaintance who spoke extremely highly of her. I was quite nervous about entrusting the care of my newborn baby to someone I didn't truly know but I understood she was highly qualified and felt, as a first time Mom, postpartum support would be extremely important. Specifically, I wanted to ensure that our breastfeeding journey got off to a good start and knew Heidy was very qualified in this area since she's a lactation counselor. Also, I wanted to learn from an expert how to best care for my baby, use all the products I bought and how to properly "babywear". This all became very invaluable as I came back from the hospital, extremely exhausted and Heidy was literally my savior! Initially, we had some issues with breastfeeding but with Heidy's kowledge and support we were able to do so and continue to successfully. She was able to pick up on tiny nuances, which were preventing my baby from latching properly- it was incredible! I am beyond grateful, because there were times I really wanted to give up but she really encouraged me through it. Heidy is highly empathetic and caring and it was such a relief knowing that at the end of a rough day, she was there to listen and help me figure out how to best deal with whatever came up. The emotional support was just as important as the physical. I was able to actually rest and fully recover because I knew both baby and I were in such good hands. Beyond her knowledge, passion and competence, Heidy is a warm, genuine and kind person and is such a pleasure to be around. My baby absolutely loved her as well and I only wish we could have had her for longer. Heidy has also stayed in touch, checking up on us and offering advice. I am so grateful to have had her and if we decide on another child we will definitely hire her immediately!

Rachel McGregor

1/6/2017

Heidy was incredibly helpful to us as a Lactation Counselor. I had been experiencing terrible pain while nursing and just "powering through" because I needed my baby to gain weight. Heidy came to us six days after he was born, and within minutes, she had identified the problem -- our little boy had tongue, lip and cheek ties. I am still amazed that they didn't check for these potential issues in the hospital, particularly given what strong proponents of breastfeeding they are, but thankfully, Heidy knew to look for them, and she sent us to an excellent specialist to have the problem corrected. Heidy then came back the day after the procedure (as an aside, I would strongly recommend the procedure to anyone who encounters this issue) and helped us with latching properly and with showing us some suck training exercises, explaining that baby needs to relearn how to suck using his newly freed mouth. She also showed me how to clean and use the breast pump (which I had been very intimidated by for some reason). She made it clear and simple and demystified the whole process. I can't overstate the value that Heidy brought to us as a Lactation Counselor -- things are so much better now. We continue to work on our latch, now nine days after the procedure, and Heidy has offered to remain a resource for us as needed.

I also want to mention that Heidy was incredibly professional as well as supportive -- she was exactly on time for our appointments, and that reliability is critical when you are dealing with something as emotionally fraught as problems feeding your newborn -- and she followed up after each visit with helpful information and thoughtful texts just checking in. In addition to this professionalism, she also exhibited sincere warmth and care towards me, my husband and our baby, and I felt very comfortable with her. I would strongly recommend Heidy as a Lactation Counselor.

Ellen Lueck

12/30/2016

Heidy Ramirez has been an incredible blessing to our little family as a birth doula, lactation consultant, and postpartum doula.

Heidy is not only passionate about her work with mothers, fathers, and babies, but she exhibits great skill through her extensive hands on experience. She is always quick to back up her professional suggestions with studied research. Heidy is also very understanding and sensitive to her clients, and both my husband and I find it very easy to open up to her and be vulnerable, which is a desired characteristic for support during such life changing events as birth, breastfeeding, and new parenthood.

We first hired her as a birth doula, and we loved the two preparatory sessions. We went over pain management techniques for labor, and mapped out how we might use our apartment to our advantage. She also talked us through mental preparation in case the birth did not go according to plan. In the second session, Heidy showed me breastfeeding techniques, and also showed us how to use the various baby carriers we had collected.

In the weeks after the birth, my son and I were having trouble getting a proper latch when breastfeeding, which was causing me significant pain. As a lactation consultant, she was able to help us get an excellent latch, and we finally had a comfortable breastfeeding experience. Breastfeeding turned out to be an emotional process for me, and she was incredibly supportive as I figured out what was best for me and my baby.

Finally, when my husband was out of town for a week, Heidy helped me as a postpartum doula for several days. I could not imagining going through that time without her support. She helped with breastfeeding, and she showed me many great techniques for diapering, bathing, soothing my baby. As a new mother without a lot of experience with babies, I found her postpartum support invaluable! On top of everything, my son, Mason, absolutely loves Heidy.

Ellen and Matthew

April Karras

12/28/2016

Heidy worked with us as our post partum doula after giving birth to our first baby, and was a true life saver! Heidy was extremely helpful, professional and knowledgable on all the questions we had in our first week of parenthood. I was struggling with breast feeding and Heidy was so patient and encouraging, walking me through each feeding helping with latch techniques, positioning, learning to use my breast pump, etc. While I was emotionally and physically drained, Heidy helped give me the guidance and strength I really needed. Not only did she help with everything the baby needed, she also focused on the whole household - helping with food preparation, cleaning, and helping with online shopping references for newborn and pregnancy recovery supplies that we needed. Beyond on her knowledge and skill, she is also a deeply kind and caring person, and was such a pleasure to have in our home. We never wanted her to leave!

Lesley Duval

10/17/2016

Heidi was a great help to our family in the first 3 weeks following the birth of our second child. While I felt more confident this time around, it was SUCH a relief to have someone so competent and experienced helping out 2 nights a week. It allowed both my husband and I to get some much needed rest, and helped us get into a good night time rhythm with our newborn. Heidi was exceptionally punctual and very prompt via text. Would definitely recommend Heidi to any and all looking for some post partum help!

katie strauss

9/7/2016

The best decision I made in my pregnancy and birthing experience is hiring Heidi Ramirez. During my pregnancy I could call her or text her for any question and she was super quick at getting back to me with a wealth of information about the topic at hand. She has an amazing way of being present and super knowledgable, but not overbearing or forceful with her information. Both my husband and I felt incredibly safe and comfortable around her from the moment we met her.

The birth of my daughter was difficult due to positioning of the baby and the umbillical cord  slowing her heartrate. This was the most difficult day of my life and I don't think I could have done it without Heidi's presence. She intuitively knew what I needed before asking and was with us for over 24 hours making sure that I was comfortable, informed and relaxed. She was calm, reassuring, confident and extremely helpful no matter the obstacles we faced. She knew her stuff too! She sensed what was happening before the doctors figured it out, which made me feel even safer around her.

For the post partum visit, Heidi sat with me and helped me find a more comfortable position to nurse in bed, she showed me how to use my baby carriers, and helped me process the events of my birth. I cannot reccommend Heidi enough. She is professional, personalble and kind and was a guiding force our family during the birth of our daughter.

Tiffany Millar

7/24/2016

What a blessing Heidy was to our family and the process to bring our little boy into the world. I was diagnosed in my 36th week with Preclamsia and was induced early. My husband was able to text Heidy and let her know what was happening, she was there to let us know what was "normal procedure" and "questions to think about asking the midwifes/ doctors" When it was go time we were able to give her a ring and she showed up to hospital ready to support my husband and I. She was such a help in the scariest time and was a great support for afterwards. If i ever decide to have a second baby i will call Heidy to help support my family again.

Crystal Kay

7/21/2016

Heidy has such a great energy about her. She is extremely personable and won us over during our meet and greet with her warmthness. We met with her once before the actual delivery and she went over different pain management techniques, which was very helpful. She also educated us on the different stages of delivery, labor positions and breastfeeding techniques. She was always easy to get a hold of and stayed in constant contact via email, text and phone.

We wanted to have a natural birth without the use of medications but were open to the use of an epidural. She was very supportive of this and I never felt judged. On the big day, I felt my first contractions early in the morning and labored at home for most of the day/evening. We arrived at the hospital at 9:30 PM where Heidy met us. She helped us address any concerns that we had with hospital administrators and was a great source of emotional and physical support. She helped me to get through each contraction by reminding me to breathe at the right moments, rubbed my back and kept me hydrated. Overall, she was extremely loving and positive throughout the process. With her support, we were able to have the unmedicated birth that we wanted. Our son was born at 11 PM, after an hour of active pushing!

Since the birth of our son, Heidy has remained in frequent contact with us. She has helped us with nursing questions, providing resources for our son's tongue tie and recommendations for lactaction consultants. She's been absolutely amazing. We would highly recommend her without any reservations!

Megan Trice

7/12/2016

Heidy was a dream to work with from our first introductory meeting with her at our apartment. She made herself comfortable in our home and immediately put us at ease. She brought a calm energy, openness to what we wanted from the birth experience, and a sensitivity and respect for the significance of the birth and postpartum period for the families she works with.

My husband and I wanted an unmedicated birth at a hospital, with the ability to labor at home as long as possible - one of the best things Heidy did for us was to demystify the what-ifs should things not go according to plan. I was much more comfortable and open to the possibility that we would be ok even if we had an experience that I dreaded (c-section, interventions). In the end, we were lucky to have a fast, unmedicated birth, but I feel confident that should things have gone differently I would still have come out of the experience feeling loved and supported thanks to Heidy.

During labor, Heidy was essential to both me and my husband - helping reassure us that things were proceeding as normal, sitting with me in the back seat on the cab ride to the hospital, getting us through triage, and reminding me to breathe through the experience at all the right times.

Heidy was proactive in reaching out via text and email to check in on the progress of the pregnancy, prelabor, and postpartum. She was always knowledgable and calmed many anxieties. One of the best decisions we made was to hire her back for a 3 days for postpartum support – she helped us with practical housekeeping as well as baby care education and breastfeeding. It was invaluable to have her support while my husband transitioned back to work.

I recommend Heidy wholeheartedly – mothers and couples who have the opportunity to welcome her into their homes and families are lucky ones!

James Pierini

6/22/2016

Wow!  We can't say enough good things about Heidy.  My wife and I are so happy with the support that we received from her during our pregnancy and lengthy labor.  Heidy met with us a couple of times leading up to the birth to discuss our birth plan.  Each time she provided us with a wealth of resources.  She is very knowledgeable about all aspects of birth.  She checked in with us regularly as we got closer to the due date.  When the big day finally came she provided emotional support by discussing important decisions with us and advocating for our needs at the hospital.  She also provided physical support by helping my wife get through each contraction and cope with the pain of labor.  We are so happy that she was part of our big day and we cannot imagine having gone through this experience without her.  She has also been very helpful with postpartum support including lactation advice.  We highly recommend Heidy to anyone who is considering hiring a doula.

Rand Niederhoffer

4/25/2016

Heidy was absolutely amazing throughout the birth of our daughter Isabelle. Thanks to her we were successful in having a natural, unmedicated vbac. Heidy worked collaboratively with the mount Sinai medical staff, and supported me through the full stages of labor from helping us understand when the right time to go to the hospital was in early labor to knowing the exact right moment to call in the doctor during transition to pushing. Heidy's knowledge of what was happening throughout the stages of labor calmed and eased our minds. We can't say enough great things about Heidy! I'd book her again in a heartbeat.

Mercedes Brazier Thurman

4/20/2016

I cannot sing enough praises of Heidi. I am so glad I hired her and could not imagine bringing my son into this world without her. I delivered my son at Lenox Hill and Heidi was instrumental. She was by my side the entire time for a birth that lasted more than 12 hours. She held my hands during a contraction and ensured me I can continue when everything in me knew I was done. She is calming, patient and intuitive. She was able to translate doctor speak with clarity and honesty. Her ability to pivot techniques (stretches, pressure points and massages) to accommodate my labor pains put my entire family & myself at ease.

She was a tremendous help before, during and after delivery. Her wealth of knowledge and passion for her profession made it a pleasure interacting with her. She was very easy to get a hold of whenever I had questions in regards to my pregnancy or upcoming delivery. Post partum care was available 24/7 as she walked me through the difficulties of breastfeeding, provided me additional resources and assured me my post partum desires were just as important as my birth plan.

She is not my doula. She is family.

Melissa Manning

4/19/2016

We loved working with Heidy. She was incredibly professional, knowledgable and kind.

Our first meeting with her was very informative.  We had taken a birthing class but found her additional information very helpful. Heidy is well informed and came to our home well prepared and with an arsenal of info. She was very timely in sending follow up information and made sure that we had all the info/tips/tools we needed as we headed into late pregnancy.

Heidy is incredibly patient and loving. My partner is full of questions and she was very patient and thorough with answers. She never once made us feel like we were asking too much- she was a true wealth of knowledge and support.

Unfortunately, my birth did not go as planned and our 2 page birth plan went out the window.  Heidy joined us at the hospital well into our induction and stayed with us as I labored for 36 hours.  She was a rock during this time- for both my partner and me.  She stayed positive even when nurses pushed her out of the way or when I had to get pain meds.  She was never judgemental- rather she remained a positive force of energy during a very challenging time offering support not only to me but to my partner.  Also, all of her lotions, oils and candles transformed our birthing room which further helped us make it theough a truly grueling labor.

Heidy is awesome- we can't recommend her highly enough!

Thank you, Heidy!

xo

Pamela Rodriguez

4/17/2016

I highly recommend Heidy Ramirez. From the moment that we chatted in the interviewing process it was clear she was passionate and caring about her Duola work.

After we hired her, I would reach out with different things I had heard about that I possibly wanted in my birth. And she always had pertinant information or would reach back a day later with a wealth of information to my questions.

During my Home birth she was present but non obstrusive. She was very intuitive in my needs and was a wonderful asset to my birth team.

And to boot she has been a delightful person to get to know. I once again highly recommend her.

She will be a loving calm presence at any birth.

Patricia Lopez

2/16/2016

We weren't sure if having a doula present at our birth was something we needed until a few weeks before our due date. We are so happy we decided to have Heidy with us on our journey! As first time parents, we were nervous about the delivery. Heidy helped guide us on what to expect, how to manage pain and helped us bridge the gap between our hospital birth and our "natural" birth wishes. During the delivery, she was constantly present and reassuring, and quelled all nervousness and fears that arose during my long labor. Looking back, we feel like we wouldn't have been able to get through labor and delivery without her help. Heidy contines to be a guiding light for us post-partum by coordinating and putting us in touch with lactation consultants and doctors for our baby girl's tongue tie. We are very glad to have Heidy on our side!

Mynette Louie

1/22/2016

Heidy was an amazing doula. She stayed in constant communication with me, from a few weeks before the birth to a few weeks after, checking up on how I was doing. During delivery, she anticipated my needs well, offering things before I even had to ask for them. She brought a bag of "tools" with her--massage and heating implements, rebozo, etc.--and knew based on what kind of pain I was having which tool to use. Per my birth plan, I had a completely unmedicated delivery, and throughout the process, she encouraged me to stick to my plan, telling me that my labor was progressing well and the pain would be over soon. She knew based on my movements and sounds which phase of labor I was in, and therefore, she knew just the right thing to say to coach me toward the finish line. My husband also found her to be an invaluable presence--her experience and gentle, soothing encouragement were critical to our birthing experience. Heidy also does not subscribe to any particular birthing philosophy, instead tailoring her support to what each individual couple wants. We did take a Bradley class, which we found helpful, but we're aware of how "cultish" some birthing philosophies can be. So it was nice to know that Heidy was agnostic about birthing philosophies, and therefore flexible and accomodating, which is important since unpredictable things can happen during delivery. Heidy was also well-liked by our doctor and nurses, and she asked them just the right questions. After our baby was delivered, Heidy stayed with us for several hours to make sure we were well on the road to recovery. And she has followed up regarding her post-partum visit as well. I would not hesitate to hire Heidy again should we decide to have another baby. She is wonderful!

Alexandra DelValle

1/22/2016

I initially hired Heidy as my doula for my planned home birth; however, an unexpected hospital transfer meant that I never got to have her join us as things moved very fast. Instead, I worked with Heidy as a postpartum doula for several weeks, and she was a total lifeline in the completely overwhelming first weeks at home with a newborn. Heidy has been able to support with new parent skills arou d breastfeeding, baby wearing, etc as well as provide emotional support in making sense of a difficult birth situation. Heidy shows great care and affection to my daughter and we've been incredibly lucky to have as part of our support network. i would highly recommend Heidy as a postpartum doula and am sad I was unable to work with her on my actual birth!

Suraj Gupta

1/7/2016

Heidy helped my wife and I get thru a tough delivery with composure, empathy, expert advice, hands-on pain management, and extraordinary skill.  She was my rock during our 48 hour labor.  My wife's labor took many twists and turns.  The moment Heidy stepped into our room a weight was lifted off my shoulders; she renewed my depleted reserve optimism and I knew that we could tackle the difficult situation.  Heidy spent many hours with us.  We took turns dozing in uncomfortable chairs.  She missed New Years with her family.  Throughout it all, I never once felt like we were a burden on her.  She wanted to be there with us.  She was grateful for the oppotunity to particiate in our birth.  I will forever be grateful that we had her help and she will forever be a part of our baby girl's life story.  Heidy loves being a doula; it's her passion and her purpose on this earth.  She is animated and enthusiastic when discussing all things related to pregnancy, birth and post-birth.  She borrows ideas and practices from a diverse set of viewpoints and she believes in continual growth in her practice as a doula, which was particularly appealing to me because it's the trait of someone who is very good at what they do.  If we have a second or third or tenth kid, I'm calling her.

Cassie Moriarty

1/2/2016

Heidy was simply fantastic at her job. During the prenatal phase, she came over and helped us with labor positions and taught us a few wrap techniques for baby wearing. She was available pretty much any hour of the day for my freakouts about my upcoming birth, I would text her with questions, and looking for encouragement and advice. She was always very understanding and helpful! When it came time for labor, she was skilled at helping my midwife and my husband, and primarily encouraging me through contractions. Although we had discussed massage techniques, I had a lot of posterior labor and to my surprise, I did not want to be touched during labor hardly at all! She instead held my hand and was able to keep up with my demands, even if they were different than what we had discussed prior to that day. After my daughter was born, she helped the midwife and assistant clean my apartment and taught me how to swaddle our new little one. She came over for 2 postpartum visits, both of which were extremely helpful. She let me cry on her shoulder when I needed it, and helped tidy around our apartment. When I struggled with breastfeeding, she was there for me and served as an invaluable cheerleader. She has 2 children of her own, so I really felt understood. I would recommend her to anyone, regardless of where you plan to give birth! She is maternal, compassionate, and in-tune with all the ups and downs of pregnancy and early motherhood. Thank you Heidy for getting our little family off to a great start!

Gopika Tazarurwa

1/1/2016

New city, new apartment and our first child on the way! We didn't know what to expect when it came to having a baby!
Wanting to have the best natural birthing experience for myself and my daughter I knew we had to hire a doula. We were referred to Heidy by a friend.
Heidy had that instant spark that makes you feel like you will be okay! Our first meeting confirmed that we had made the right choice in hiring Heidy. Our daughter was 11days late and I had to be induced. The delay and deviation from my birth plan gave me a lot of anxiety. Heidy was always available and checked up on me often and helped me with a lot of my anxiety!
At the hospital Heidy was kind and attentive and always ensuring that I was comfortable. During the critical pushing part she encouraged and managed the situation in the delivery room.
She also helped me with the initial skin to skin with my daughter and the first latching technique! And not to forget some of the best pictures taken in the delivery room :)
Her post natal visit helped me understand that despite things not going as planned, how strong I had been. As a new mom you forget how strong you were and start doubting your own strength. Thank you Heidy for making me realize that I am capable of anything and what a great job I am doing, I need to remind myself of this often!

Ben Hanna

11/16/2015

November 7, 2015: From the father: We love Heidy! She was amazing. We initially loved the personal connection we felt when we spoke with her on the phone and then met with her. She was extremely knowledgeable and could "talk the talk" in regard to holistic approaches, current literature, lactation issues, etc. She came over for two prenatal visits where we worked on rebozo techniques and just talked out different thoughts around labor/birthing, etc. She was responsive to text messages and phone calls and we still will have at least one postpartum meeting at our apartment once Sonia and little Chloe make it home. We informed Heidy immediately when Sonia began having initial "rushes"/contractions and she stayed in constant contact with us availing herself to come to our apartment when we felt ready and helping us process where everything was at. When we felt it was time to have her support here at home, she took a cab and arrived within an hour and stayed with us through the entire process. I think she arrived at our apartment around 3 PM on Thursday, 11/5/15, and was with us through it all until little Chloe was born at 3 AM Friday morning 11/6/15. She stayed until about 5 AM to ensure all was well with initial latching, follow-up, etc. She helped support both of us in terms of ensuring Sonia was getting the care we wanted/needed; she was there to help us deal with some of the stress/emotive elements of the process; was really a calming/strong presence...we also specifically hired her because she's bilingual, Spanish-English, and Sonia's mother is Spanish-speaking only (I'm English speaking only) and she was phenomenal in communicating to Sonia's mother during the process and helping navigate communication so Sonia could focus on the task at hand :)

Strongly recommend Heidy!

Sandra Urrea

5/2/2015

Heidy was a huge help before, during, and after the birth of my daughter. It helped me feel more relaxed about the birth knowing that she would be there to guide me through and to help me know what to expect as first time mother. My husband was in the military and deployed during my whole pregnancy and the birth of our daughter. Heidy was there for me all along, helping me make informed decisions and keeping providing emotional support when I felt alone.
She helped me to ask the right questions and to make sure that I knew what was going on at each point in the labor process. Her calm presence and her helpful suggestions were extremely valuable.
I ended up having an emergency c-section because my baby was stuck and wouldn't descend. I was scared and in shock and Heidy helped me calm down and relax. During my c-section, my mother and baby went to the nursery and Heidy stayed with me while in recovery. I was so genuinely grateful to have her there and to not feel alone.
She even ran down and took pictures in the nursery and brought them back so I could see my newborn daughter while I was in recovery.
I suffered from postpartum depression and I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for Heidy's presence during these difficult times.
She helped me with breastfeeding and newborn care as well.
I highly recommend her as a Doula to all expecting parents.

Yessica Rodriguez

5/2/2015

Heidy is wonderful! I highly recommend her as a doula. She has a very natural gift of helping women through labor. She is kind, empathetic, intelligent & responsible. Heidy was a huge support during both of my pregnancies!

For my first birth, she was there for me and even accompanied me to a very important scan. I can't begin to tell you how important her support was at that particular moment& there since; At  at month 5 they told me my baby girl was coming with a cleft lip. My husband Luis & Heidy gave me all the support I needed. She was also available by phone whenever I had a question or needed an advice. She gave us educational materials specific to our needs. She was so supportive & insightful & helped me to regain a sence of empowerment. During my labor she was very fantastic. I had a very intense labor and Heidy spent all of it with me & my husband at our home, walking around our neighborhood & at the hospital. She continually helped me to remain calm & just focus on my own inner power and intuition.Heidy helped me with positioning, she encouraged me & rubbed my back & kept me hydrated. She was five months pregnant herself during my first birth.

During my second pregnancy Heidy was also there. During my pregnancy, birth and after the baby was born. She helped me with latching & breastfeeding in general. Things went faster this time around. I almost gave birth to my baby boy on the triage bed, she told me to call for help and ask to be moved to a labor room ASAP! I could feel the baby crowning as they sat me in a wheelchair. My husband & I were freaking out & the nurse was running for a doctor, yet Heidy managed to remain calm & soothing. She stayed by my side providing physical & emotional support and managed to take such amazing pictures of the birth & my newborn baby! if we have another baby I am definitely asking Heidy to be my doula again!