sara grabko

4/13/2017

Our son joined the world back in November 2016. What a momentous, life changing event that was for us! For rest of our lives  that happy day will be imprinted in our hearts and minds. And so forever will Danielle's presence and integral role as our doula on that day.
After almost 5 months, I still struggle to articulate how much it meant to have Danielle there with us during my labor. What I can say is that she was incredibly patient, kind, supportive and knowlegable to both my husband and I. She had a lot of coping techniques for both of us and while it's all a blur to me now, I still vividly remember moments of looking at Danielle, listening to what she was saying and knowing 100% that I was in good hands, and that I was going to get through the labor, because I had a great support system. We'll always be thankful for her.

Mihak Hagel

2/8/2017

We hired Danielle as our doula for the birth of our daughter.  We had reviewed various doula profiles & settled upon 2 doulas who caught our eye based upon their bios and prior experience.  After meeting with them both, we immediately knew we wanted Danielle to be our doula.  She was incredibly knowledgeable about the labor process, but equally important, she put us at ease.  She has a way of being incredibly warm, caring, and empathetic.  She listned to our concerns, thoroughly answered our questions, and again, truly put us at ease since we both were incredibly nervous about the unknown.  Danielle met with us at our house twice prior to L&D. She helped us draft our birth plan, walked us through various possible scenarios that could occur during labor, helped us practice pain coping strategies and positions, & walked us through what to pack for the hospital. In her 2ns pre-labor visit, we walked through the induction pricess, which was prescient and incredibly helpful since as it turns out, I ended up having to have labor induced (unexpectedly!).  It was reassuring to have covered the induction process prior to actually being induced since I knew a bit more about what to expect.  During my labor, Danielle was in constant contact with my husband and I & told us she could come to the hospital whenever we needed her.  I ended up getting an epidural, but Danielle was still a tremendous help.  After the epidural, I didn't feel pain, but I did feel incredible pressure from contractrions, especially once it was time to push.  I had to labor down for several hours before I could start pushing & Danielle coached me through how to cope with the discomfort.  When it came time to push, Danielle was right there, holding up one of my legs and offering encouragement. Danielle was a consumate professional and advocate for me and my husband and we enthusiastically recommend Danielle as a doula.

Laura Ireland

2/5/2017

Danielle has a bright and caring attitude. She was easy to relate to from the first time we met. She provided amazing support during my entire 24+ hour labor, from walking the halls of the hospital with me in early labor, to helping me ease back labor in the tub by electric "candlelight" and music, to helping me try different movements to get my baby unstuck and turned around in the final hours. She draws on her own experience of mindfulness and yoga, as well as childbirth and motherhood, to bring a sense of peace and ease to labor.

Jessica Lee Walch

7/2/2016

Danielle's work as a doula during my labor and delivery was impeccable. She could not have made me feel anymore comfortable or at ease then she did. I truly believe that I would not have made it through my labor without her. When everything seemed impossible she was the light that kept me going.

Danielle was able to quickly teach and guide my partner and mother to help me through each contraction, along with herself. With being induced my contractions came very fast and frequently during my entire labor. She still never once took a break. When everything became to much and I decided to use my safe word I chose to tell her instead of my fiancé. She made me feel so safe and un judged in my decision to turn to pain relief.

She was gentle, kind and ready to help me through anything and everything. She couldn't have made me feel more at home in a hospital room. We were truly blessed to have such an amazing doula.

Rachel Bennett

1/5/2016

It is thanks largely to Danielle that the birth of my son was a truly empowering and beautiful experience. I cannot say enough about how well she supported me throughout labor—with deep sensitivity, compassion, and strength balanced with a keen understanding of the mechanics of childbirth and invaluable techniques for coping with each stage.

During the early part of active labor Danielle helped me to deeply relax with massage, breathing, and other natural comfort measures. She was extremely perceptive and attuned to my needs. At one point my labor was not progressing as we’d hoped and Danielle showed me several positions that really helped move things along.

As my contractions became very intense during the transition phase, I started to vocalize to cope with the pain. Danielle guided me towards vocalizing in a more empowering way that completely changed my experience, giving me tremendous strength and diminishing my anxiety. She also showed my husband various ways to physically support me during these powerful contractions. When I was reached a mental wall and was not sure I could continue, Danielle coached me through it with great skill and tenacity.

Throughout my labor Danielle was also a vital sounding board for the medical decisions my husband and I had to make, i.e. whether or not to use Pitocin, AROM (artificially rupture of membranes) etc. to speed up my labor. She provided an objective voice on the pros and cons of each intervention while reassuring me of my own intuition.

Physically and emotionally Danielle provided invaluable support. Although I wasn’t able to have the home birth I’d planned for, Danielle’s warmth and skill carried me through labor and was fundamental in creating a positive birth experience that I look back on with great joy, satisfaction, and pride. When my husband and I decide to go for baby number two Danielle will be my absolute first choice for a doula!