Haylee

6/23/2024

My first birth over 5 years ago, I did not have a doula and needless to say, it didn't go as planned. I got induced, was pressured into many medical interventions, and overall I had not done enough research. This time around, I refused to let that happen. I knew this second time around, my husband and I needed extra support. When looking for a doula, I was very picky. Kelly checked all of my boxes and then some. 

Kelly has incredible knowledge. I wanted to have a natural birth, rather than being induced. I had done my research, read books, listened to podcasts, and was as prepared as I could be. Even knowing as much as I did, Kelly brought experience to the table, something I didn't have. 

When it came time for the birth, Kelly was there every step of the way. She provided support in ways my husband and I didn't know we needed it. On our way to the hospital after dilating 6cm at home, she provided non-medical intervention to ease the contractions.

In the hospital, there were times I was in my head and Kelly could tell. She helped me get focused and push through my challenges. Kelly didn't leave my side throughout my whole labor, even when we had all been awake for far too long. My husband felt very supported, and appreciated having another person to keep us on track with our goals when we were exhausted and wanted to give up. 

I could go on and on, truly, but what I want to convey is that I got everything I wanted in this labor, and that wouldn't have been possible without Kelly. I will forever look back with fond memories of my labor, which may sound strange, but it's true. I have the utmost respect and gratitude for Kelly for helping us birth our beautiful baby girl naturally.

Anna Pearce

10/25/2020

We encountered Kelly Martin through a simple google search. We live in Northfield, MN and Kelly's website was very clear and we liked Kelly's introductory video. After she came to our home for the initial interview at the beginning of February 2020, we signed a contract and made a deposit. Then the pandemic started and we didn't meet for a while but Kelly made sure we had all the resources about labor and delivery. She was nice enough to bring us a lot of useful books and videos to watch. We felt informed and prepared. In June Kelly visited us for the second time to talk about our birth plan and pain killing techniques like aromatherapy, massage, peanut balls, rebozo and essentials oils. 

When my due date was approaching Kelly was always available. I ended up giving birth a week after the due date (August 2020). By that time, we and Kelly made a clear plan and we knew what to do. We called her when I was in labor and she promptly arrived at our house. She helped me in the shower and insisted on going to the hospital at the right time (being first-time parents we had no idea when the right time was). When we arrived at Northfield Hospital's Birth Center, Kelly helped me with massage, recommending the poses and simply talking and persuading me that everything was going well. 

She was amazing with my husband - told him what to do to support me and he felt very confident and comfortable around her. 

Our birth experience was wonderful and Kelly Martin played a big part in making it great. We would definitely hire Kelly as our doula again. 

Overall, Kelly Martin is a real professional and we are grateful for her help.

Ben and Anna Pearce

Trisha

3/2/2020

Kelly is an experienced and knowledgable doula who will explain the pros and cons of each medical intervention. She is focused upon your desires for your birth and her knowledge will enhance any delivery. She will thinking about labor positions and ways to support your desires. 

For our delivery- which was an induction where I was initially dilated 0 she and another doula tag teamed- began on a Friday morning and ended a Sunday night. My labor was very slow because we had to do the cervical softening so that we could begin pitocin. She led us though counter pressure positions that helped me manage my pain more effectively. She knew laboring positions that were gravity based and were effective. And Kelly is kind and empathetic which are good qualities to have in a doula. 

Megan

11/13/2019

I have used Kelly’s services for both my pregnancy’s. She is very knowledgeable and explains everything clearly so you can decide what is best for you. She is there for you whenever you need her. I highly recommend using her for whatever you need.

Rachel Elwood

6/24/2017

Kelly Martin is great! She was my doula for my second pregnancy, she was super knowledgable and gave me the courage to go through with my first natural birth! She knows many remedies through aromatherapy and massage. She counseled me about using raspberry leaf tea, making pregnancy and lactation smoothies and taking placenta pills. All of which carries me through each pregnancy I have. She was there for me on the phone when I needed advice with my third, about when to go into my birth center. If it hadn't been for her I could have had my son in the car. She is gentle and sweet and knows when to tell you to be determined as well. She knows all the birth methods to help with turning the baby and empowered my husband to help me during labor. I fully support all her endeavors and have posted fund raising efforts on my Facebook page. I recommend her to all my friends and hope I get to see her for another birth! Sincerely,
Rachel G Elwood
31 year.old mother of 3

Shanna Schultz

7/15/2015

Kelly attended the births of both of our children and she was instrumental in helping us to facilitate the natural birthing experience that we were hoping for.  Her calm demeanor and ability to work and interface well with our health care team helped to make a calm atmosphere for our births.

Kelly was on hand to provide support and guidance when needed, which was a huge comfort, paricularly in being able to give my husband a break when needed.  I knew that in the hardest parts, someone's hand would always be there for me to grab on to, and that was a huge comfort.

I knew that I could trust that she would speak and let us know, if needed, if some part of the birthing process was not heading in the direction that we had anticipated and help us to understand what was going on and give us the information that we would need to make informed choices.

We had our placenta encapsulated after both births, and taking the placenta capsules really helped me to recover from the birth, gave me an energy boost and helped to level out my moods in those weeks after the birth.  I highly recommend it!

Kelly was a huge asset as a part of our birth team, and I recommend her services to anyone looking for a positive birth experience!

Anna Springer

5/4/2015

My husband and I highly recommend Kelly Martin! We tell everyone we know who is expecting about our wonderful experience with her. She came recommended to us by the nurse who taught our Prepared Childbirth class at Northfield Hospital. We were also looking for placenta encapsulation, so Kelly stood out becuase she also provides this service. Kelly came to our house for our initial meeting and her warm smile and caring and outgoing personality put me immediately at ease. Her passion, experience, and knowledge was evident. Without hesitation we decided to hire her for doula services. She visited us again to further discuss our birth plan and share more of her knowledge and experience. At this point we felt comfortable and confident in ourselves, our plan, and her; we didn't think we would need to see her again until I was in active labor. Unfortunately, several days before my due date I began experiencing disabling pain in my back that was compounded by false contractions. I went to the hospital but all they offered me was pain medication. The only comfort I felt was when I was slung over an excercise ball, a position I maintained for a day before my husband called Kelly. She immediately came over and guided me thru some excercises that moved the baby out of the position that was causing me so much pain. We were so thankful! With a wonderful team that included Kelly, my husband, the nurses and delivering doctor, I was able to deliver my son without medication or other interventions. I could never have done this without Kelly. It was truly an amazing experience. She provided calming touch, gentle direction and encouragement at just the right times. It was also neat to see her interact with hospital staff - they happily recognizing her from previous births and welcomed her as a part of our team.  A few days later she delivered the placenta and compared our memories of the joyous event with hers, which was very insightful! We had a wonderful experience!

Angela McCormick

1/27/2015

I hired Kelly as my Doula for the birth of my 5th child. I had experienced pelvic separation in the past and had a previous c section. I wanted to try a vbac. Kelly was very supportive of my decision of natural birth and my choice for no drugs. She helped me through a very difficult pregnancy at the end with separation occurring again and terrible sciatica. She helped me manage my pain with oils and massage. I did not take even one Tylenol! kelly was always there when I needed her and offered many suggestions for my needs. She has a wealth of knowledge and TONS of resources. I was amazed that everytime I needed something she On top of it. My birth was everything I wanted. She helped me during the most difficult part when I was considering abandoning my original birth plan. She helped keep me focused and in the end, it was exactly how I planned it to be. Kelly is not just aphenomenal Doula but she has become a friend And I highly recommend her!

Rhiannon Bigalke

10/30/2014

I cannot say enough about Kelly. She was so wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and shared that knowledge with us. She helped me make decisions before the birth and during labor when it was difficult to focus and make the decisions. I enjoyed the DVDs she shared with us, very interesting. My ultimate goal was to have a birth without an epidural, and I acheived that with her help. She was wonderful with my husband and coached him what to say and do. She provided the experience and knowledge and passed that along to my husband. She was able to speak with the healthcare staff and advocate for what I wanted and needed. She helped my husband get me into different positions for comfort. I think my husband would not have been able to handle it without her help. Less than a week after the birth she delivered the placenta capsules to our home and gave us a beautiful fleece blanket! We hope to have her as our doula for any future births!

Stacey Morris

10/22/2014

i recommend Kelly as a Doula. This was my first pregnancy and Kelly helped supply my husband and I with information so we could formulate our birth preferences. Kelly always had ideas and recommendations throughout my pregnancy. When I was in labor she was an amazing supporter to my husband and I. We do not know what we would have done without her there. When we were out of ideas to manage the pain Kelly was always there to suggest something new and provide positive encouraging support the entire time.

Rachel Elwood

10/20/2014

Kelly is amazing! She met with me when I was pregnant to make sure I was comfortable and well informed. All the paperwork and information she gave was very helpful for making informed decisions and preparing for a natural labor. The aromatherapy, prenatal massage and DVDs she gave me were just a great bonus to the info. Kelly stayed up through the night with me when I labored! She coached my husband to help at early morning hours! She didn't get mad when I threw caution to the wind in the end and took over my labor! She ways had a kind or encouraging word to say! Kelly walked around my neighborhood with me in the middle of the night to help progress labor! The exercise ball she let me borrow was another great bonus. She knew when it was time to go to the hospital and helped a ton with my indecison. She was my advocate in the hospital and most importantly kept my energy up! Afterwards she stayed until I was comfortable and came for a very pleasant postpartum visit. She knew that coming to see me after I was settled at home, after the first week was important. She gave me my placenta encapsulated and it was the only thing that naturally kept my energy up and allowed me to not be so anxious. Love her like my favorite aunt! I would recommend Kelly to anyone especially my friends and family for a totally natural birth and a very pleasant experience all around.

Melanie Johnson

10/18/2014

I had Kelly as a doula for both of my births.  I was a nervous birthing mom and Kelly helped calm me with massage, essentail oils and with a variety of things to help with labor.  She was also helpful and calming to my husband.  When we had questins, she was able to answer them for us.  If I where gong to have more babies,  I would definatley use her again.

She is awesome!!  Kely is very knowledgable, sincere, caring and always available.  I highly recommend her to every one!

Sophie S. Lee

7/15/2014

We had such a wonderful experience with Kelly Marin as our Doula.  She was extremely knowledgeable and comforting to have for our first baby and we were able to have a waterbirth!  I have a huge stack of evidence based articles from her.  Kelly was a great teacher to our questions and patient to our worries as first timers.  She provided much support to me and my husband and we could not have done it without her.  My husband was able to focus on me and the birth and let Kelly guide us through everything.  He did not comprehend how much she helped until the birth actually happened and is even more grateful she was there.  She played relaxation music, provided aromatherapy (every nurse/staff that came into our room remarked how good it smelled), and of course helped me with positioning and explained/reminded me what was happening to my body through the labor process.  There were logistics of labor she helped with too such as transporting from room to room, ordering food, taking pictures, etc.  My husband states he would not have been able to fully support me without her and we would probably have deviated from our birthplan.  Kelly became our advocate which gave us courage to verbalize our needs/wants to the hospital staff.  It was encouraging to stand up for our birthplan instead of the hospital staff dictating our needs/wants.  Even after the birth Kelly stayed and made sure we were cared for before her own needs were met (I was horrified to find out she had skipped lunch and dinner!).  I cannot say enough great things about our experience with Kelly and the impact she has had on our new family!  She is truly invaluable and also provides placenta encapsulation as part of her services!  We will always remember her and consider her a fairy godmother to our newborn daughter.

Sara Benedict

4/30/2014

We have used Kelly's services as a VBAC Doula and for Placenta Encapsulation. She is awesome! My birth with her was a successful VBAC and she was always available to me via the phone if I needed a shoulder to cry on or for words of encouragement.  We also took her birthing series.  We had done a class before with our first but I found Kelly's to be more helpful and learned a lot. I felt very comfortable and confident about the labor process and attribute much of that to Kelly's help in preparing.

Trisha May 'Anderson' Peine

4/21/2014

Can I say AMAZING? Kelly was a wealth of knowledge for my husband and I's first everything when it came to having our little Synthia! Her 10-week series of childbirth classes answered any and every question we had. Kelly has experienced it all and is so comfortable to talk with that none of our questions went unanswered. Not even the questions that may be a bit embarrassing to discuss with even your closest friends. The information and support we received from Kelly before, during and after our birth was invaluable!

Nellie Vargo

3/24/2014

Kelly is very knowledgeable about birthing and conveys it clearly and concisely in her classes. She helps you understand the pros and cons of both hospital and home births so that you can make a decision that you feel comfortable with and are able to stand up for. Kelly never condemns the choices you make, which makes for an inviting atmosphere.

Brea Barker

8/19/2013

My husband and I cannot say enough wonderful things about Kelly. This is our second child, our first birthing experience was far less than desirable. We decided we wanted the birthing experience God had intended for us, completely natural. Throughout the pregnancy Kelly was 100% available to us, she answered questions, gave us resources and was so encouraging and supportive when I started to question my ability. My labor started and she was exactly what we needed to have the baby without any interventions. If we have anymore children, we will definitely be seeking Kelly out again. We would recommend her to anyone wanting to hire a doula.

Bri Schiebout

4/27/2013

Our experience with Kelly was the best. I cannot begin to tell you how amazing she is! Our situation was unique and different than most being that I was in labor for 3 days. When it comes down to it. I/We couldn't have done it without Kelly by our side. Not only was she a wealth of knowledge before, during and after...she was so much more! An example of her dedication: She slept on the floor at the foot of my bed to make sure that I was okay after receiving some medication that she was concerned about while I got some rest one day. She had an abundance of tools and helpful things up her sleeves to help me cope with my "drug free" labor.  She is awesome and amazing and I will recommend her without hesitation to everyone I know and love!  She will be forever a friend after our experience.

Kelly Schamberger

4/22/2013

We found Kelly through the recommendation of another Doula. We wanted to find someone in the south-metro who could help us have as natural of a birth as possible (no meds or unnecessary procedures). Our first impression of Kelly was that she was very kind, calm, and soothing, and very knowledgeable about pregnancy, birth and post-partum care. She listened to our desires and was supportive in helping us prepare for, and achieve, the kind of birth that we wanted for our daughter.

Kelly met with us on multiple occassions during the pregnancy and gave us with a lot of really important information. I could call her any time with questions. Closer to my due date, she provided me with much-needed encouragement to let the birth happen naturally and not let my doctor talk me into an unnecessary induction. As we went past my due date, she was there to help us through, teaching my husband massage techniques, and providing us with essential oils to encourage the process along.

When I went into labor, Kelly proved to be a total rockstar. She was available for me 100% while I was laboring at home, answering all my questions over the phone. She came to our house when I needed her, and then accompanied us to the hospital when I was ready to go. She was completely prepared with music, aromatherapy oils, battery-operated candles, and snacks for my hubby. While the nurses checked me in, she set to work creating a beautiful atmosphere for me to labor in.

She was there for both my husband and I, holding my hand when he needed a break, and helping him focus and giving him ideas to make the experience more comfortable for me. When I thought the pain was too much, she reminded me how strong I was. When a position wasn't working, she recommended something else. With her encouragement, we got the birth we wanted and it was beautiful.

I would completely recommend Kelly to anyone. If we have another baby, she will absolutely be by our side again.

Marinda LaBrosse and Marcu Whitlock

11/27/2010

The experience we had with Kelly Martin was nothing but exceptional. We had never heard of a Doula before and didn't know what to expect. We met with Kelly Martin for the first time and were blown away by not only her professionalism but her ability to connect with us as a couple expecting our first child. Kelly Martin gave us all of the information we could have ever wanted or needed in regards to pregnancy and birth. We had specific needs for information and she obtained it for us and taught it to us. We had an issue with the building Kelly was contracted out of, so Kelly offered herself as an in-home Bradly teacher. She came to us weekly and was so very devoted to us as a couple and new parents. I had to be induced, so when we arrived in the hospital to get ready for the birth, the nursing staff and Midwives were taken aback by our knowledge of the processes. I knew what to expect at every step. Kelly Empowered us as parents with the knowledge and confidence to start parenting before our son even arrived. Without Kelly Martin, our birthing experience would have not gone the way we wanted at all (of course you always have to leave room for the unexpected). Even with the changes we needed to make in our birth plan, we were knowledgable about our options and what pros and cons came with each. The hospital staff could not do what they wanted or what was "routine". They needed to follow our requests. Kelly Martin is someone I would recommend to many people, and if I ever have another child, I will be calling Kelly to be my Doula.

Jamie Golde

11/24/2010

I couldn’t imagine going through our birthing experience without Kelly. She was well equipped with a full suitcase of things to aid in our labor experience, like aromatherapy oils, flameless candles, and etc. She was very supportive and made our hospital room a calm environment. She did great at getting me to move around, making sure I stayed hydrated, getting the nurse as needed, and helping my husband help me through it. She helped us feel well informed of our options as we made some decisions in our long labor and she supported us through it all. She stayed around after our daughter was born to make sure that everything was alright and made sure we didn't need anything else before she left. She even came back while we were still in the hospital for a visit which meant a lot to us. She has also been available since for any questions we might have.