S Volk

4/9/2017

We were highly pleased with Gabriela and would recommend her to anyone interested in a night doula. I was initially skeptical about hiring a doula and nervous about having a stranger come to our house. However, Gabriela provided numerous references who all gave her glowing references. I was able to sleep and heal faster from my surgery. There are many things I liked about her and her service. For example, she would ask how the day went for me and my baby and she would pick up on something I said and discuss what it might have meant with regards to the baby. If I mentioned that my baby was very fussy all day, she would help troubleshoot the cause. She helped guide us, clueless first time parents, with a sure hand. She would, for example, mention that our baby was getting bigger and we should probably switch up to bigger sized diapers (we were too frazzled and clueless to notice immediately). She was VERY helpful in discussing feedings and when it might be a good time to increase bottle amounts.  Our pediatricians were not as clued in or as helpful with this as Gabriela. Additionally, the first two to three weeks after our baby was born, he was awake all night and sleepy during the day. We desperately needed him to behave as if day was day and night was night. Gabriela was instrumental in getting him to sleep at night and teaching us goood habits to make sure that he was encouraged to consider night a sleeping time. Because of Gabriela, we avoided co-sleeping and other bad habits. Finally, because I was able to sleep during the night, I was able to be fully present and enjoy my baby during the day. She allowed me to have a relationship with my son which I could not have had sleep deprived, clueless, and desperate. I got to sing to him in the morning and just enjoy him. Highly recommend her.