CAR

10/6/2023

We would not have made it without Heather. All three of us - mom, dad, and baby - are here because of her.

We hired her for the worst-case scenario. We trained and learned for months. We asked every question. She found every answer and let us know when we were asking the impossible.

When it came down to the wire, our worst-case scenario hit. We were ready. We did everything we could, given the situation. And we all came away healthy and alive. You can't ask for more, and what she provides is so beyond just the knowledge. The emotional support she sews cannot be measured. It is masterful.

Jillian

4/16/2023

The experience I had with Heather, Certified Birth Doula, from Willamette Valley Doula Collective during my first pregnancy was phenomenal. When I began my search for a doula I was looking for someone to help me make informed decisions and navigate a hospital birth. She did just that, and so much more. 

Heather took the time to get to know me, and genuinely care about my unique situation. Heather is very professional, relatable, warm and calm. I truly felt like she took me under her wing, and encouraged me to fight for the birthing experience I was hoping for. 

One of the most important things for me in looking for a doula was to find someone that could help me make informed decisions. I needed a guide to provide emotional, physical and informational support in the heat of the moment. Not only for myself, but for my partner, so that he could feel a sense of purpose during the birth and confidence in what he was doing.

When I told her about a particular phobia I had with certain medical procedures, she was my greatest advocate. I was heard, and calmed, by her throughout the process and was able to have the ability to choose my own outcomes within the safe parameters of my birth. 

Only after I have reflected upon my birth postpartum have I truly understood the impact of Heather’s support. I was able to speak up for myself without becoming incredibly overwhelmed. I was able to avoid being overly anxious and ultimately passive to the point that I put the comfort of the medical staff above myself. Because of this, I can say that (within the limitations of my birth) I was able to experience something that was as close to my desired outcome that I could get. 

I would recommend Heather to any close friend or member of my family. I completely trust her, and can not thank her enough for the services that she provided me in the extremely delicate time of my pregnancy and postpartum period.

Erin Gray

9/26/2022

As a first time mom, I can't emphasize enough how Heather's knowledge and support helped ease my mind and prepare me as much as possible for the wild ride that is carrying and birthing a child. She has a sweet and empathetic nature and supports whichever path you want to take on your journey. I'm a plus size mama, and it was important for me to find a support person who understood my particular concerns and never judged. That's why Heather was a great fit for me. Plus, her massages are wonderful. She knows exactly what you need and where you need it, because she's following your journey right along side you. 

Arwen Edsall

9/26/2022

Heather was our birth doula (for my daughter born in July 2022) and I don't know what we would have done without her! From the moment I met her I felt incredibly supported. As a first time mom with health concerns, I needed her extra reassurance. She walked us through everything we wanted to know and everything we didn't know we needed to know. She helped me understand all the options I had to be able to make the best decisions for labor and delivery. She helped both me and my husband have a positive birth experience. Heather also provided wonderful post partum support and is an excellent prenatal masseuse. Our family is very grateful that she was able to be a part of this amazing experience. Best decision I made for my pregnancy!

Ali Gilliland

7/14/2022

Heather was so much more than I expected, and I couldn't imagine another pregnancy without her! Not only is she a wealth of knowledge but she is so warm and genuinely caring. Her lessons helped empower me to confidently make my own decisions and advocate for myself. She is there with you every step of the way for questions, updates, or emotional venting. My pregnancy had unexpected issues but she went above and beyond to help me navigate those challenges and feelings before, during, and even after the birth. She clearly loves what she does and will be a blessing to whoever is lucky enough to have her at their side through such a life changing journey!

Katrina patterson

11/8/2021

Heather was an amazing help in achieving the natural birth experience I wanted. She was so attentive and helpful in prenatal visits, offering luxurious massages, insightful information and encouragement for the big day. She was always responsive to any questions or concerns and was immediately available when the time finally came! Having her by my side for the birth was the best decision! She intuitively was one step ahead of my needs and seemed to effortlessly make the room relaxing, offer amazing pressure point and massage techniques and aided me in achieving the natural birth I was after. If you are considering hiring a doula for your birth absolutely go with Heather.  She has magic hands and secret techniques that ease the contractions, it's amazing!  She is so kind, compassionate, knowledgeable and a great presence in the labor and delivery room.  She feels like a friend you've known for a long time, which makes the entire experience very comfortable, considering it's such an intimate space. Absolutely hire her for your next birth, you will not be disappointed! 

Brittany

6/24/2021

Heather was absolutely invaluable during my experience as a first time mom. I did a lot of research about pregnancy and labor but none of it compared to her experience, kindness, and insight. I felt so supported by her at all times. I ended up going significantly past my due date but Heather helped me trust my body and feel confident in every decision I made. During labor, she kept me grounded with suggestions for pain management and progression. My husband and I are both so grateful for her wisdom and help and can't imagine the birth without her there. After birth, she provided a thorough timeline which helped me process and understand the experience, as well as pictures which are so nice to have! I highly recommend Heather, she is knowledgeable, friendly, and so incredible at supporting in whatever way is needed. 

Laura

4/20/2021

I am someone who struggles with anxiety, so the thought of giving birth was very scary and anxiety provoking for me. I knew I needed extra support through my pregnancy and birth and Heather was exactly the support I needed. Her prenatal education was very informative and helped my husband and I feel more prepared for what to expect. Her prenatal massages were wonderful and helped ease my anxiety and body aches. Her 24/7 availability to answer my questions and offer guidance through my pregnancy was such a blessing. In the delivery room, Heather was such a calming presence. She also helped keep me informed about what was going on each step of the labor process. My husband and I also appreciated her postpartum visits. We were able to utilize Heather to watch our little one while we napped. Working with Heather was such a wonderful experience and we recommend her to anyone expecting a baby. We are so thankful to have found Heather.

Meggie

4/1/2021

Heather walked alongside us during our first pregnancy and birth this year and we were so grateful to have her. Our birth plans changed dramatically from birthing center birth to a high risk pregnancy to a hospital caesarean birth and she was with us every step of the way to provide emotional support, evidenced-based information and advocacy so we could proceed with the best choices for our family! She continued to support us post-partum as we adjusted to life with a very small newborn and recovered from a major surgery. Thank you Heather for committing so much time, energy and resources to help us prepare and bring our sweet baby home!

Gina

12/27/2020

I cannot say enough good things about Heather. She is warm, encouraging, and truly cares about her clients. She went above and beyond for me like I was a member of her family. I felt so cared for and known throughout my pregnancy. She stayed by my side during a long, rough labor and delivery and was an incredible support not just for me, but for my husband as well. I thought I was just hiring a doula, but I ended up with a friend. Heather is an amazing doula and a loving person...I highly recommend her!

Ashley

2/16/2020

Heather was integral in our birth experience. She provided the emotional and physical support that I needed and when I needed it without me having to communicate it, which I was unable to do. My birth experience was very long and she was by my side the entire time. Her voice and words were encouraging and sweet. Some people have a knack and passion for this area, and she is definitely one of them. I will always remember them fondly when I was in pain, but soothed by her kind and encouraging words. I don’t know how to thank her enough for her presence and hard work for my birth.
Not only is she an incredible doula, but an amazing person all around.
Heather moved our hearts and led me to find an inner strength I never knew I had. I truly believe she is the reason I had an immensely empowering birth experience. It was an honor to have Heather attend our birth and we are forever grateful.
It's bittersweet that this is our last baby, as my last delivery experience was magical. With all her guidance, my delivery was the perfect ending to my last pregnancy.
I would highly recommend Heather as a Doula!!!

Kate N

12/18/2019

Heather saw me through my pregnancy with my first baby and helped me achieve my goal of an unmedicated childbirth. All along the way she blew me away with her kindness, wisdom, and excellence at her job! I still don't understand how she kept a detailed birth timeline and took pictures during my labor, it felt like she was holding my hand and encouraging me the whole time without pause. It's so obvious that she loves helping mamas bring healthy babies into the world! I highly recommend her to any pregnant mama and hope to have her as my doula for future pregnancies. 

Lisa E Lindman

3/8/2019

The first night home from the hospital is the biggest shock because you don’t have your amazing nurses who run in whenever you need them. I was alone, my family was sick so quarantined off,  had slept a total of eight hours in three days, and was very sore and weak from my surgery. Heather came to save the day.  She came in every three hours to help me get set up to nurse, and then she would take my son in the other room and rock him so I could catch some precious sleep. 

I have so many great things to say about our visits, but I want to highlight the gems. 

She pointed out a type of baby cry that means your baby has gas. 

She showed us how to swaddle in a way that relieves gas. This tech does not exist in the internet!

She helped us implement soothing tools and techniques that allows me to get some me time.

She set me up with a pump station and helped me becomes a nursing pro! Last time I had cracked nipples and mastitis. I was miserable. This time, no issues.

She gives killer postpartum massages. Heather has many skills, but she’s a natural masseuse!  

She checks in daily via text and is always sending helpful info and articles. Even now that our time together is over, she continues to stay and touch and help. 

Heather is super kind, and she just naturally makes people feel comfortable, which is so important as she becomes part of the family during your time together. She became such a stable person in our life that we miss seeing her very much! I think every mom should have a doula. They would be extremely lucky to have Heather in that role. 

Marjorie Rosenthal Hutsell

10/2/2018

I highly recommend Heather as a doula. For my first birth she and another doula split the duties and based on the day I went into labor they were both there. (The other doula was the one I originally contacted but was possibly not available. She introduced me to Heather.) For my second birth I hired Heather. The best word I can use to describe her is accessible. She was always available during my pregnancy if I needed to chat or ask a question. During labor I always felt her presence which was so comforting. She is so sweet and easy to talk to. Some moments that really stick out: my second labor was very fast... she drove me to the hospital in the wee hours while my husband was still tracking down a neighbor to stay with our sleeping toddler. She was totally prepared and despite leaving my husband I knew I was safe and with someone who cared for me and the baby. (Good thing too because, like I mentioned, it was very fast!) Also, during the birth there was a point where I said, “I feel like I need to push,” but wasn’t sure what to do. (Sounds silly but at my first labor I had to not push for a while for reasons I won’t go into here. I think that’s what hung me up.) Heather whispered to me, “do what your body wants to do.“ Minutes later the baby was born. She remembered my birth plan and helped me advocate for it while I was in an introverted/slightly out of it state right after delivery. At first I wasn’t sure I’d have a doula for my second baby but I know if we decide to have a third I will definitely be calling Heather!

Julie Putnam

6/2/2018

After a difficult labor/delivery with my first daughter, I sought out a doula for the birth of my second.  Heather is meant to be a doula and is the best! She is passionate about birth, informed and educated, compassionate and nurturing, and advocates for her clients through every step of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum. I was determined to have an unmedicated delivery with my second daughter, mainly to prevent another traumatic postpartum recovery that I experienced with my first, but also to regain confidence in my body's ability and feel in control of the process as much as I could.  Heather was extremely supportive and believed in me 100%.  She was reliable and present through every question or concern I had leading up to labor, and put my mind at ease.  I ended up having a very fast labor and delivery, and without her expertise in the labor process I'm not sure I would have made it to the hospital in time.  She was able to let me know when it was true labor based on my contractions and just hearing my voice over the phone as I began to progress quickly.  Heather met us at the hospital and advocated for my birth plan, suggesting warm compresses during pushing and keeping me in an optimal pushing position to reduce tearing.  She was such an encouragment in those tough moments when I wanted to quit. With her help and support I was able to have an amazing birth experience, felt extremely empowered, and had an amazing recovery.  I'm so thankful for her presence throughout my pregnancy and birth, and also postpartum! She is the best, I highly recommend her!

Delissa Owen

7/28/2017

Heather was a huge blessing at our birth. She was an incredibly nurturing and soothing presence to have there. She worked so well with my husband and showed him techniques that he could use to help support me. They would switch off and on doing counterpressure and other massage. Between the two of them I felt completely supported and encouraged. With her help I had an wonderful birth experience that was exactly what I hoped it would be. 

Before the birth, she met with us and we discussed what we wanted for our birth. She gave me a wonderful aromatherapy massage as well. Heather was great at checking up on me and seeing how I was doing with my pregnancy. I always knew that I could go to her with any questions or concerns I might have. I highly recommend Heather! She is an amazing doula. I couldn't have imagined a better fit for us.

Deborah Matz

6/15/2017

Highly Recommended!

Heather is an absolute natural at being a doula.

Her warm demeanor & natural instinct make her invaluable.

She has been with our family through two births now.

My daughters first labor was long , Heather never grew tired she was attentive and fully present during the complete process . The Emotional support she brought to my daughter helped her to manage the long hours in a positive calm setting.  Her encouraging words and support also extended to our entire family . Heather is also very skilled in massage,  aromatherapy and other relaxation methods. Which help maintain that peaceful  atmosphere that is so vital when bringing a new child into the world. She communicated my daughters wishes/ Birth plan with the nurses and Dr. ( both births on all accounts) while tracking the entire birth process and well being of my daughter without missing a detail. I honestly could never say enough to fully convey the level of professionalism, warmth, and dedication this woman brings to one of the most memorable events you will experience during your lifetime.

I know you have personally enriched our lives by sharing these moments with us!

Heather we will always be truly thankful for you.

Forever Grateful,

Grandma

Chrissy Woods

10/7/2016

I had a very long labor and having Heather there was such a blessing! Heather helped me stay calm and feel like I could handle the pain like a pro. So much stress was alleviated by her presence and she brought so much comfort to the table! After our experience my husband says that he doesn’t understand how anyone gives birth without a doula present. Heather’s couching is impressive and I would whole-heartedly recommend her as a wonderful doula to any expecting mother!

Katie Sue

10/7/2016

Initially, I was very skeptical about hiring a doula. I didn't think it'd be helpful for me to have a stranger present while in labor. Upon meeting Heather, I was singing a different tune. She has a warm demeanor that seems to just roll off of her. She greeted with me a hug and I felt assured that having a doula, and Heather as mine, was a great idea. Heather didn't remain a stranger for long. Throughout my pregnancy she checked in and offered sound advice and suggestions. She was never pushy or overbearing but I always knew she was there should I need her. I was fortunate to have a very uneventful pregnancy, but knowing Heather was there to answer questions was awesome when I did get nearer to baby time. I called and texted Heather often in the days leading up to my daughter's birth. She was ready for everything I threw her way and because of her consistent reaching out in the early months, I knew I wasn't bothering her or acting silly. When my labor began in earnest, Heather came to my house as promised and stayed with me and my husband for hours. Respectful of our relationship and my husband's role, Heather took a quiet (and important!) back seat, offering additional counter pressure, words of encouragement, and suggestions for varying positions. As I progressed through the stages of labor, finally getting to the point of pushing, it was reassuring to know that Heather had my back-literally! Without hesitation, woman to woman, I recommend Heather to anyone even remotely considering hiring a doula. Without a doubt, she is whom I'll have with me when the time comes again.