Natasha Plasker

10/22/2024

It's tough for us to put into words how grateful we are to have had Shala at our side for our entire birth process. From the moment we first spoke with her, we knew that she was the doula for us. We clicked instantly and we looked forward to having her during our birth. She was confident, encouraging, inspiring, and relentlessly supportive. We were having a home birth that did not go as planned, and we ended up needing to urgently transport to the hospital. Without question, Shala followed us and stayed with us the entire time at the hospital. She was always a calming presence and did everything that she possibly could to make us feel safe, loved and supported. She was invaluable to us and we couldnt be more grateful for her. We cant recommend her enough. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

Blythe

5/23/2021

Shala is an amazing amazing doula. She has wonderful energy and was EXTRAORDINARY at my baby's birth! She listened so thoughtfully to what I wanted ahead of time, and she was an amazing advocate for me at the hospital. And she helped through some hectic stuff. Like, my doctor FELL ASLEEP while I was pushing and was snoring in a chair. Later, my partner wondered why I wasn't freaking out. Honestly, I think it's because Shala was there. Her presence was soooo calming and comforting. She also helped me make tough decisions about epidurals and, ultimately, a C-section. I felt so fully supported the whole time. You should hire her! 

Lucy

5/19/2021

Now looking back on the day of her birth, with our baby daughter in my arms, Shala was the center of calmness in chaos. As I was pregnant with my first baby in 2020, I wanted to have someone who can guide me and my husband through the process and be our advocate as I find the hospital setting a little unnerving especially during the pandemic. Pre-birth zoom calls were helpful, it was nice to have someone other than friends and husband to share pregnancy concerns and get advice. But it was on the day of delivery that she really helped us on so many aspects. I wanted to spend as much time as possible at home before going to the hospital so tried to sleep through early stages of contraction. Shala was available on chat/phone and eventually came to our place in the morning when we asked her to. She assessed which area I feel the the pain and encouraged me to do a few exercises together with her. At the hospital, we had 4 teams of nurses coming in and out as it was in between day/night shifts so we could not get consistent care by dedicated nurses. Shala filled the gap so well, making sure I breath well and move my body as much as possible (switching a peanut ball between legs periodically). My labor was smooth in the end and I really think it would have been so much worse without Shala. THANK YOU, SHALA! 

Rosemarie Ott

3/17/2019

My husband and I cannot say enough kind things about our doula , Shala. She was a calming force and a pillar of strength for us during our very long/stressful  labor and delivery. We feel like Shala is now a part of our family and look forward to her being a part of our daughters life.

Prenatally, Shala was informative and extremely accessible to any questions we had. She sent us so many useful resources and backed up any advice for us. She helped us develop our birth plan and helped to guide us with questions for our healthcare provider. She gave us hands on tips to help relieve pain while laboring at home. Most importantly, after 37 weeks, she was constantly checking in with me and never made me feel I was bothering her but encouraged communication. I felt so supported - especially during my long nights of prodromal labor.

When it was time for the hospital, Shala was amazing. When it became clear that our birth plan would be augmented - she made us feel so supported and confident in our choices.  She stayed with us every step of the way with various pain relief options, a calming voice or a needed laugh. My mom, who is a career nurse practitioner, was especially struck by her calming presence and her support. 

Her postnatal visit was amazing as we were able to talk through the whole labor and I could start to process everything. She observed us breastfeeding and offered tips and introduced more resources to help us appropriately introduce bottles when the time comes. 

My husband and I can not recommend Shala highly enough- if you have her as your doula please consider yourself lucky and look forward to gaining a friend !

Maya Kremien

1/16/2019

I feel very lucky that Shala was with us for the birth of our twin boys. Our birth didn't go according to the plan we had in mind and ended up as a C-section. Shala helped us deal with the situation as it developed physically and mentally. It was really good to have Shala with us in addition to my husband and myself, her calmness and experience really made a difference and helped relieve some of the stress and pain during the birth.

I am especially grateful to Shala for helping me get a really good start with breastfeeding. I was still in the recovery room and Shala helped me get the boys latched on for the first time and since then breastfeeding has been going well.

Thank you Shala!

Sarah Whitney

1/2/2019

Shala was such a blessing. From the moment we met her, her energy put us at ease. We gave birth at home with a midwife and we wanted the physical and emotional support of a doula for both me and husband. Her presence allowed my husband to take a break after he had been supporting me for 24 hours on his own. He could sleep for a while knowing I was in great hands. She immediately went to work on helping me relax by reminding me to breathe, massaging me, suggesting different positions for me, and so much more! I had the most incredible birth, and Shala is largely to thank for that. She helped me relax so much that I slept through transition! After laboring for for nearly 36 hours, Shala knew exactly what to say to offer a moment of lightness, love, and humor that carried us all the way to the moment that our beautiful baby was born. Before, during, and after labor she was an incredible source of knowledge and encouragement. We highly recommend her to anyone considering a doula!

Laurel MacKenzie

4/18/2018

Shala is kind, respectful, positive, and a wonderfully calming presence. What stands out to me most is what a good listener and observer she is. She seemed to sense that my husband and I had a strong bond and could get through much of labor on our own, even if we didn't realize it ourselves -- and she was right. She let us take the lead with our birth while at the same time always being present and ready to assist when we needed her. Shala also provided much-needed level-headedness as we got our things together to go to the hospital, and was an incredibly valuable extra pair of hands during and after delivery. We highly recommend her as someone who will listen carefully to what you want out of your birth experience and then make it happen.

Nykia Taylor

2/4/2018

I am really thankful for Shar. From the day I met her I knew she was something special. As a single woman traveling down a road of the unknown of pregnancy and labor. She was there for me beyond employee and employer. Shar called to check up on me and offer her ear and helpful tools to get me through this time in my life. She was very knowledgeable with tools manage labor pains and after labor. But these things were not the most important for me. The important parts were to have someone one in my corner during this time. AND SHE WAS. When my labor experience became a trauma. Shar became my voice of reason. She knew everything I wanted. When I was no longer able to speak up for myself. This is when I truly knew she was more than my doula. She became my friend and Im truly blessed to have her in my life. I would recommend her to every women in the world because I know she will do an amazing job of empowering women. So Thank for guys introducing her into my life. I am truly greatful .

Nykia

Abigail Claflin

7/13/2017

In searching for a doula for the birth of our first child, we met Shar and clicked immediately. Her warm presence and clear passion for the birth process was exactly the supportive energy we were hoping to find. Shar is very knowledgeable, and she was great about talking through my birth wishes, discussing hopes and fears, and answering questions. We had two prenatal meetings, and she checked in with me regularly, providing great resources and book recommendations. I was nervous about giving birth in the hospital, but I felt reassured knowing that Shar would be with us and would support me in laboring as long as possible at home. I also wanted (and had) an unmedicated birth, and I felt confident that Shar would advocate for my wishes.

I realized I was in labor early in the morning, and Shar came right over and stayed with us until my son was born some 8 hours later. She brought amazing calm and strength, and a sense of humor throughout (one of my birth wishes was to be able to laugh and have some fun during labor). She's also a yoga instructor, which was great since I wanted to move/change positions during labor. The birth of my son was the most mentally and physically challenging thing I have ever done, and my husband and I are incredibly grateful that Shar was part of our birth team. I highly recommend Shar as a birth doula, and if I give birth again, I hope she can be by my side.