Analise Goodspeed

8/9/2024

We had an amazing experience with Emily. Not only did she help us during the labor experience feel empowered and calm, but she also helped to educate us leading up to the labor. On every step of the way, she offered support and validated the choices we made. In our higher risk pregnancy and even with an epidural, having Emily around was critical in helping Mom stay calm and confident in her medical choices as well as giving Dad the coaching to help with the labor. One highlight that Mom loved is that Emily wrote birth notes on significant moments through the labor process. For example, "Mom was dialated at 4 at 9am. Doctor checked in." She gives you these notes at your postnatal visit and they have been so helpful in writing our own experience with the birth since everything is a blur in the moment. 

We HIGHLY recommend Emily and hope to use her services in the future ourselves. 

Susanna Alley

7/31/2024

I am so grateful that Emily is part of the birth stories for both of my children! 

As a single mother by choice, having a doula as part of my birth team was very important.  Having Emily as my advocate was incredibly reassuring as she provided insight to the birth process not only during labor but before and after with home visits. Emily is also a fantastic lactation consultant who provided encouragement and sound advice for the often difficult task of breastfeeding. 

Emily is an outstanding doula that proceeds with compassion, and professionalism while being down to earth and easy to talk with.  She is a shining example of a woman supporting other women!

Sara A

8/27/2023

Working with Emily was incredible! I had a few goals for the birth of my son and Emily helped me achieve all of those. One was that I wanted to make informed decisions and feel empowered as I made those decisions. Many times medical staff do not explain things well and lead you on the path that is most convenient for them. Emily asked medical staff questions that I never would have thought of. These questions and her knowledge made it possible for me to have a vaginal birth instead of a c-section, which is what the hospital wanted. She also connected me with an amazing midwife who also supported going for a vaginal birth. This was especially important to me because my husband and I adopted 5 embryos and we hope to use the remaining 4. I wanted to have a positive birth experience so that I could feel excited about the births of our next 4 future children. I know that would not have been possible without Emily. We are looking forward to having her by our side with our next births. 

Carina Parsons

12/15/2022

As soon as I learned what a doula was I was on the search for one. I chose Emily because of her years of experience, and I just had a gut feeling before even meeting her that she was the right choice. That gut feeling was so right! I absolutely LOVE Emily and couldn't imagine going through my first birth without her. The in-person meetings we had before the big day were so educational and put my husband and I at ease on what the day might look like. I chose to be induced and have an epidural (although it was still a rough experience). Emily was already in the area when I needed her. She just knew I would need her sooner rather than later, loved that. From the moment she walked into our laboring room she was so helpful, reassuring, kind, encouraging, and she really cared about me. During moments that I felt out of it, she made sure I knew what was going on. Emily was very hands-on with rotating me to comfortable positions during labor, holding my leg while pushing, getting me a drink or cold washcloth, and cleaning me up when needed. After our daughter was born she made sure I had a snack, was feeling okay (physically and emotionally) and packed up all our things for us before she left. I also really loved that she took notes during the whole laboring/birth experience to look back on later. I 100% want Emily at my next birth as my doula. She is fantastic!

Nick Fivas

9/21/2022

Emily helped us through a critical moment in our lives that has left a lasting impression.

First, Emily was a step ahead of everyone in the room, from beginning to end. She was pulling things out of nooks and crannies in that room like it was her second home. The nurses were impressed.

What was extremely crucial was her explaining the pros and cons of every intervention that the medical team was proposing and making us feel empowered to choose what felt best. The baby was was not letting things go our way, but we felt in control! And we were, with her by our side. And that is not easy in that environment. Her explanations were always, always more clear, more full of context, more neutral and more empowering than the medical team's.

In her final act, as things we're getting much more intense, she did two things that I'm so grateful for...

First, with two awesome midwives and a nurse all knowing my wife's goals for delivery, it was only Emily that pushed for a small tweak to what everyone was doing that turned out to make all the difference.  In our lives our original goals can feel like they don't matter in the enormity or urgency of the moment, but giving up on them too easily can lead to regret later. Emily honored my wife's wishes in that moment like nobody else in that room could.

Second, at the very moment of delivery, her strong, comforting presence allowed my wife to find a strong, peaceful place inside her that was truly inspiring to witness. It brought tears to the eyes of some nurses, and all were impressed by her fortitude and courage. I know it was my wife's body and her heart and determination that impressed us all, but Emily allowed her to find that place inside her.

We have a birth story that didn't exactly go according to plan. But when I think back to that day, it's with nothing but pure happiness and pride. Emily had a real impact on our lives that day, and I won't ever forget it.

Sabrina Fivas

9/21/2022

I can't say enough about Emily. It was during my third pregnancy that I finally decided to hire a doula. I had a c section with my first baby (breech) and a vacuum assisted VBAC and epidural with my second. I felt determined to have an unmedicated VBAC for my third and last baby. We hired Emily and I am so so grateful we did. She is incredibly knowledgeable about all things birth, unbelievably soothing and just so present and comforting. Having her there to support me and my husband during an unmedicated hospital birth was priceless. She was encouraging, validating, and so good at explaining what was going on and what my choices were. And she supported us every step of the way. Not only did she make me feel so cared for, my husband felt cared for as well. If I were having any more babies I know without a doubt, I'd be hiring Emily to be apart of the process. She is made to do this work and an all around lovely human being. I feel so lucky to have had her be a part of my labor and delivery. 

Mackenzie H

9/10/2022

I'm the daughter of a high-risk OBGYN, and grew up hearing about everything that could go horribly wrong during pregnancy and childbirth as normal dinner table conversation. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious about both. I also knew that I wanted to give birth at a hospital, and that I probably wanted an epidural (perhaps not the traditional doula clientele). 

Emily was great in both the lead up to the birth talking through preferences, support techniques, breastfeeding prep, etc., and was invaluable during the birth and afterwards.

Emily knew her way around IHC Murray and helped get peanut balls, get me into good positions to continue progressing after my epidural, helped me with nausea, and stayed and helped me after my son and husband ended up unexpectedly going to the NICU. I'd describe her as a calming presence that fit seamlessly into the birth process. She would intuitively know the right thing to do, and was immensely helpful (e.g. I thought I was going to throw up, and the next thing I knew there was an ice cold cloth on my head and peppermint essential oils on a vomit bag).

Emily also came to our house several times after the birth to help with breastfeeding, and helped make my son's transition out of the NICU and to breastfeeding seamless. She also had good advice on how to combine occassional bottles of breastmilk with breastfeeding so I could get a bit more rest. 

I'd definitely recommend Emily and Birth Learning! 

Dr. Stefanie Podlog (PhD, Doula)

5/23/2022

Emily is a very experienced and engaged doula who is invaluable and supportive at all stages of pregnancy and childbirth for so many reasons. She does an outstanding job of incorporating evidence-based practice in her patient-centered care approach. Emily provides loving care, attention, and respect to the birthing person and their family. Her experience, professionalism, and commitment are crucial during the incredible transformation into parenthood. I wholeheartedly recommend Emily to anyone who wants to enhance their birth experience.

Further, Emily is a fabulous mentor, an excellent team player, and blends smoothly into interprofessional care teams in various settings such as hospitals, birth centers, or families’ homes. She is highly respected amongst birth workers, and I look forward to working with her in the future! 

Laura

4/16/2022

Emily is an incredibly knowledgeable doula. Her experience and expertise made what some would call a traumatic birthing situation into a calm and informed procedure with an amazing outcome. She is the type of professional that knows when to be a friend. We are so grateful for having had her on this journey and look forward to working with her in the future!  

Aiswarya Josyula

10/18/2021

Emily is a very friendly, kind and patient doula. Having a baby amid the COVID pandemic was stressful as it is and with my first delivery we were overwhelmed with the information the delivery staff was giving us. Emily immediately showed us that she is very well informed and has a lot of experience with birthing and was able to explain a lot of birthing and lactation details prior to delivery. She was also very encouraging during labor and was treading carefully on what I was comfortable with. Although my delivery was fast ( thanks to the lunges and ball movements she helped me with) I had an unexpected postpartum complication. Emily stayed with us until she knew I was stable enough and her partner was able to come to take over. She also provided a lot of mental support to my husband  during my traumatic postpartum period and was very flexible about coming by to be with me whenever we needed her. At one week postpartum she came by to check on how I was doing and shared some breastfeeding tips as well which helped me latch and eventually encouraged me to successfully breastfeed my baby( which I initially thought was impossible owing to my complication) . Emily has been more than what we could've asked for and I highly recommend having her as your doula!

Marcie

7/14/2021

Emily was part of the doula team that we chose to be part of our birth experience and I cannot recommend her enough! I think the only way to describe her presence is "calming and empowering". This was my first birth and I had my heart set on laboring without medication. In our birth-planning meeting, we discussed several things including what we wanted for both the birth and post partum period. As a new mom, I was feeling most overwhelmed with the thought of not getting enough sleep (I'm not a good person when I'm tired) and how breast feeding might impact my husband's ability to help me during night feedings.  We talked through this with Emily and she not only helped us come up with a plan that would work for our family, but by talking through our options, she made us feel empowered that we CAN actually make this work. It may not look like anyone else's plan but it would work for us and that was what was most important.

Emily was present for the first part of my labor experience and I could not have been more grateful for her presence. She knew exactly what to do to help relieve pressure during the intense labor and was a steady, calming presence when I thought I might not be able to make it through without an epidural. My husband also felt tremendous confidence and reassurance by having her with us. 

As grateful as I was for Emily's presence during my labor, I found her experience and expertise invaluable in the post partum period. I had so many questions that came up about breast feeding and once again, Emily was able to provide advice that was both empowering and reassuring. 

I am forever grateful for Emily entering and partnering with us at such a tender and vulnerable time. The gift she has given us simply by being is something that a thousand thank-yous could never repay. 

Katie

6/21/2021

Emily is an incredibly empathetic, supportive doula. I’ve hired her twice for my 3rd and 4th pregnancies. I wish I had found her sooner as I didn’t have a doula with my first two. With my 3rd, I was finally able to achieve a non-epidural birth even having been put on pitocin for going overdue. Emily was a calming presence the whole time as each intervention was put into place. She knew just how to help me but more importantly, how to help my husband to know how to help me throughout my entire labor.

With my recent birth, I didn’t want the same experience of a birth with pitocin, nor did I like the hospital protocols being put into place due to COVID. With Emily, I knew I didn’t need the hospital and could give birth in the comfort of my own home instead. She helped me months before the birth in planning how this would happen and helped me find a midwife with the medical mindset that I was looking for. I was in constant contact with Emily throughout the day and she knew just how to coach me and ensured my entire support team was there when they were needed. She was the first to show up to my home and the last to leave and made sure that all my wishes were met. She even checked up on me multiple days and weeks after to see how I was doing for both births.

I would 110% recommend her to anyone who is expecting. My husband also says that he had no worries with a home birth once he knew that Emily was going to be there.

Lindsay Bowton

5/25/2018

I highly recommend Emily!  I appreciated that she was very available during my pregnancy--we met several times for mutliple hours for her to answer our questions and educate us.  Emily is very willing to help with whatever it is that you need, from recommending movies and books to even helping us install the car seat before the birth.  Just as Emily warned, the birth I had in mind that I wanted was not at all what we got.  I ended up with an emergency C-section and I honestly don't know what we would have done if Emily wasn't there waiting for us when we returned from the operating room.  She immediately got my daughter breastfeeding, fed me ice and packed up our belongings to move into our maternity room.  Emily continued to make herself available to us after we got home from the hopsital and her post-partum visits were a relief.  Anyone looking for additional support during pregnancy, birth and post-partum can't go wrong with Emily.

Janessa Bright

9/21/2015

Emily was wonderful as a doula. She made me feel empowered and supported throughout my pregnancy and delivery. I struggled with my doctor and appreciated being able to talk to Emily after each appointment and have her exlain to me what was going on and what more of my options would be. She never judged any of my decisions but educated me on what was available. Best decision ever to hire a doula and so glad I chose Emily!

Amanda Hunt

9/11/2015

Emily was absolutely AMAZING. She traveled quite the distance, and worked with me financially because she knew otherwise I would be birthing without support. Her presence made all the difference. I had my ideal birth experience in a far from ideal situation. I recommend doulas to all my friends--especially Emily.

Terra Maynes

9/8/2015

Emily is the most educated doula I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her experience and knowledge of birth is vast. She spends so much time learning about her clients and their needs and expectations of birth that she is able to provide beautiful and empowered births no matter what the situations surrounding birth may be.

Thayne Dickey

9/8/2015

Emily was a very caring and competent Doula. My wife and I chose to have a home birth, and that requires a whole new level of preparation in order to be ready. I was terrified that I would not know what to do or when to do it, However Emily met with us several times leading up to the birth and discussed what could happen, and what role all of the people present would need to play. Even when the labor began, Emily provided gentle suggestions to help me and my wife, without being intrusive or bossy.
My wife ended up transferring to the nearby hospital due to complications. Emily stayed with us for near 24 hours at the hospital. She was very good at making us aware of how the decisions we were being asked to make would affect my wife and son. When the nurses wanted to use internal monitoring, due to difficulty of the ultrasound paddles staying in place, Emily sat near my wife for many hours and held the ultrasound paddles to my wife’s belly so they would not have to be so invasive.

When she was not directly needed by my wife or I she was quietly taking photos of the birth, or getting food and drinks for myself, my wife, the midwife and her assistants.

Emily visited us several times after the birth to help situate us in our home with the new baby, including bringing several meals to us, and helping with some light cleaning and laundry.

Emily went above and beyond in every way possible, she was an absolute life saver and I would suggest anyone whether at home or in the hospital hire her.

- T

Sarah Dickey

9/8/2015

I can't imagine having to go through labor and delivery without Emily by my side. She was calm, and helped me to understand all of my options after an unexpected transfer to the hospital. She helped me achieve a successful birth even though things didn't go according to plan. She was supportive, patient, knowledgeable, and stayed by my side through a long hard labor. Without a doubt, she will attend any future deliveries I have, her services were invaluable and I know that without her I would have ended up with a C-section, which I will never be able to thank her enough for helping me avoid. Doulas are worth their weight in gold, and Emily is an unparalleled professional in this area.