Jim and Rachel

12/15/2024

Being new to doulas and in the final weeks of our pregnancy, we initially struggled to understand what support we needed during labor, delivery and postpartum, and were concerned about mounting costs after already hiring a birth doula. In hindsight, the postpartum doula support is where we found the most value as parents that were having their first baby and we were beyond lucky to have found Oryslawa. 

Ory helped me go from a mother that trusted her newborn care more with care staff than myself, to feeling confident in how to care for a baby and helping both my husband and I develop a strong foundation of tools that we continue to use all the time now. The tools we learned helped us transition through countless development milestones with overall ease, understanding what was going on and knowing what we needed to do to help move through them. Ory felt like a friend in our home, each visit she checked in - how was I? breastfeeding? sleeping? - and we would focus in on baby and we always felt like we got so much out of each of our visits and beyond that, she made sure of it. If we were at a point where we didn't need another visit in the near-term, she would suggest not meeting until we could use some additional guidance or had hit a particular milestone. We really appreciated her making the most out of both of our time and our money investment. As new parents, time is a precious commodity, and we always felt our time together was beneficial. Ory also provided comprehensive product reviews based on her experience letting us know after each visit what we were missing, what may work better…this aided us in ramping up quickly. As first time parents we were in the dark about how much you need to evolve early on. 

We will be forever grateful to Oryslawa and the care she provided to our family during this most precious time and how it will positively impact our family for the future. We highly recommend Ory to others seeking support.

Laura Pruitt & Chris Seidell

8/8/2024

We hired Ory to provide overnight care and lactation support for 12 weeks (5 nights a week), and we could not have been happier with the overall experience. We would rehire her in a heartbeat, and we highly recommend her. Ory became a trusted member of our household from day 1, and that trust deepened as each day passed.

She has a wealth of knowledge and experiences to draw upon. Everything that happened along the way felt new to us, even though we are second time parents, but nothing was new to Ory. She helped us understand our baby’s unique cues. She helped us recalibrate our expectations — it’s easy to contrast what you experienced with your first child to what you’re experiencing with your second! She helped us refine a daily routine that got us through those early days with as little stress as possible, and the later days feeling lucky with how well our baby was doing.  If a challenge arose, Ory offered a range of solutions; there wasn’t ever only one way to do things. And, when she’d offer solutions, she’d share articles or research to provide context for her recommendation.

Ory was nurturing and caring with our daughter. She spoke to, held, fed and cared for our daughter as if our she were a part of Ory’s own family. We always felt comfortable when our baby was in Ory’s care.

By the end of our engagement with Ory our daughter was healthy, she was sleeping through the night, we had an established routine, and our older daughter loved waking up and hanging out with Ory for a few minutes before Ory left for the day. 

Beyond being good at what she does for a living, Ory is a wonderful, positive person that genuinely cares about the success of the baby and households she cares for. She has the best of intentions and approaches her care as though it is an all-in, team effort. We can’t recommend her highly enough.

Rachel

6/9/2024

I am incredibly grateful for my lactation consultant, who was paramount in establishing the beautiful breastfeeding relationship I now have with my little girl. Because of her help, I love breastfeeding and feel more confident than ever, which would not have been possible without our meetings and the foundation she helped us build. Her expertise, patience, and support have made all the difference in our journey, and I cannot thank her enough for guiding us every step of the way.
 
 

Carrie

5/22/2024

We recently welcomed a beautiful addition to our family, and amidst the whirlwind of diaper changes, feedings, and sleepless nights, we were so fortunate and glad to have hired Ory as our night doula.

From the moment Ory stepped into our home, it felt like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders. Her warm demeanor and nurturing presence immediately put us at ease. Whether it was keeping our child quiet through the night or offering invaluable advice on caring for a newborn, setting routines, and breastfeeding techniques, Ory demonstrated expertise and compassion every step of the way.

Beyond her technical skills, Ory infused our nights with a sense of tranquility. As exhausted parents, having someone trustworthy to entrust our baby's care to allowed us to finally catch up on much-needed rest. Her gentle presence in the wee hours of the morning not only ensured our baby's well-being but also provided us with the peace of mind necessary for quality sleep. Additionally, with Ory’s advice and help, we were off to a wonderful start and it ended up being a much more enjoyable experience than what we had experienced with our first child. What truly sets Ory apart is her unwavering dedication and genuine love for her work. Her commitment to supporting new parents during this vulnerable time is nothing short of remarkable.

Hiring Ory was one of the best decisions we made as we welcomed a second child into our family. She not only helped us navigate the challenges of those early days but also empowered us with the confidence and knowledge to thrive as a family. If you're considering enlisting the services of a night doula, look no further than Ory. She's not just a caregiver; she's a beacon of comfort and support when you need it most.

Christie & Greg

3/8/2024

Working with Ory as our new parent coach was one of the most rewarding decisions we made for our family's journey into parenthood. Her knowledge, warmth, and genuine care for both our newborn and us as parents were evident from the moment she stepped into our home.

Ory brought a sense of calm and confidence that we needed. She was not just there for our baby but for us, providing emotional support and practical help that was specific to our needs. Her expertise in newborn care, breastfeeding support, and postnatal recovery was invaluable, offering guidance that was both empowering and compassionate.

She answered our myriad of questions, from feeding and sleeping patterns to baby soothing techniques, always with patience and understanding. Her responses were always through the lens of what she observed through our son.  Beyond the practical aspects, Ory's emotional support was a lifeline. She provided a non-judgmental space to discuss our feelings, fears, and joys, offering reassurance and wisdom that helped us find our footing as new parents.

In Ory, we found more than a postpartum doula; we found a compassionate ally, a wealth of knowledge, and a nurturing presence that enriched our transition into parenthood immeasurably. We are profoundly grateful for her support and cannot recommend her highly enough to any family seeking a gentle, empowering path through the early days of parenting.

Ankur K

2/26/2024

I would highly recommend Ory to anyone who is looking for an amazing doula.

Here are the top that's that we really valued working with Ory:

1) As first time parents we found her expertise and knowledge very valuable. She not only had good generally applicable advice and tips but also helped us understand our kids unique needs which was a lifesaver.

2) She was very empathetic and great to work with; being new parents can be overwhelming but she helped us work through it and have fun.

3) She also has a very strong work ethic. She takes pride in her work, is always learning new things to get better and has great communication. This really helped us feel like we could rely on her and trust her.

Overall we loved working with Ory and would highly recommend her to anyone without second thoughts.

Nadia and Kevin Carr

5/29/2023

We were recommended to Ory by our over night doula. Ory helped us tremendously. She came over to our house in Blossom Valley for a 2 hour appointment within a few days, and by the end of it, we were successfully breastfeeding. Not only that, but she observed our interactions with him and made recommendations that truly impacted and helped our premature baby. She also taught us the most important facts that even a 3 hour Stanford seminar on breastfeeding did not even mention. By the time the session was over, my mom, husband and I were all very impressed and unanimously thought it was worth every penny. I have her number saved for future calls!

Mariya A.

6/29/2016

If you are reading this and considering Ory to be your doula, you are the luckiest parents in the world. We have never met a person who is so exuberant, passionate, and knowledgeable - Ory is a true professional who cares deeply about her work with infants. From our first conversation with her, we just knew she was going to become a special person in our lives.

What will surprise and delight you about Ory is her ability to understand your child before he or she ever learns a single word. She is a natural nurturer, who believes in a holistic approach to infant and postnatal care, often taking on the role of therapist, mother, and confidante, in addition to being an outstanding doula. She was a tremendous help since we brought our little boy home after a very difficult delivery. Armed with homemade lactation cookies and infectious optimism, Ory guided me through the challenges of breastfeeding, bonding with my baby, and setting an effective and collaborative regimen to encourage good night-sleeping habits. She has been singularly, without a doubt, the most important person in all of our lives during the early development of our first child.
Ory is a very patient teacher. Her breadth and depth of experience is seemingly inexhaustible; she is an intellectual and creative thinker, and I always felt confident that there was no issue we couldn’t solve together. We are blessed to have had Ory care for our son for four months, and we are thrilled to cultivate our friendship as she moves on to another family.
If you would like to speak to us about our experience with Ory in greater detail, please do not hesitate to contact us via email or phone. We would be more than happy to wax poetic about her role in our lives, and how much our son misses his sweet and gentle doula!
We hope that after reading this, you can sit back, take a deep breath, smile, and accept that you might be the next lucky parents to have this angel in your lives.

Carey D.

4/28/2016

Ory was our night doula for our second child. My first post partum period was very difficult due to some health complications.

Then we met Ory. She came for an interview and right off the bat I could tell what a warm and caring she was. She presented herself in such a way that both my husband and I felt comfortable with her from the start. When she began with us, it only took a few nights until our trust in her grew so much that all my concerns vanished.

Part of this was her communication. She had a log of everything that happened and we discussed it in detail every morning. At night, we were able to both spend a little time with our baby before she went down. Watching how Ory would sing to her and cuddle her was truly heart warming. Not only is she helping me to sleep, but she was truly bonding with my baby. It was nothing short of amazing.

Although I had an 18 month old when my girl was born, I still had many questions and the constant worry of if I was doing every thing “right”. I always felt comfortable discussing any and every issue with Ory. Despite that fact that she was clearly knowledgeable about topics surrounding the post partum period, she never made me feel inadequate or unintelligent. Everything was always an open exchange to find the best solution that worked for our baby and our family.

In a time when sleep is hard to come bye, hormones are crazy, and everything about life has been completely turned around, Ory was our angel. She was unbelievably kind, supportive, knowledgeable, reliable and compassionate. She is someone in our lives that truly impacted the way our family of 4 spent its first few months. I truly believe she helped my marriage, my bonding with my baby girl, and strengthened my relationship with my son. Anyone who is lucky enough to have her as their doula will be truly blessed.

Sara S.

4/20/2016

Ory took on the challenging work of helping us as a night doula when our twin boys arrived. Ory is dependable, she always arrives on time, she’s easy to schedule and coordinate with, she’s reliable, and she’s professional. She handles all the kids’ laundry and bottles. On one occasion, when we had to take one of the babies to the ER in the middle of the night, Ory stayed longer that morning so we could recover for that day. She also does the little things, like leaving breakfast for Sara in the morning since she knows Sara can’t prepare one for herself. She also prepares bottles for the babies for the next day. Beyond the basics, and beyond her background in child development, Ory is naturally gifted at working with babies: She is patient, calm, and warm with them. When they are sick, she takes extra care, many nights holding a baby in her arms for hours to ensure they sleep. With the added complexity of twin boys, Ory intuitively understands the boys are individuals with different needs and effortlessly adjusts her work based on her reading of those needs. A step further, Ory is a great “thought­partner” to me. She is always there to hear me out, to offer her feedback. She helps us all trouble­shoot issues and wants to help fix things when something’s not working. For example, she has worked very closely with me to develop a feeding system for the babies since they tandem­nurse. She worked very hard to develop a sleep schedule, and the babies are now sleeping longer stretches at night, all thanks to her idea we set in motion and her continual monitoring of their progress. These are just a few examples. We would warmly recommend Ory to any family in search of a super­doula. And, she can clearly handle twins ­­ no small feat. We are happy to answer any other specific questions via email, listed above. Best, Semil and Sara