Julie Ricciardi

2/17/2015

If it weren't for Candace, I know I would not have had the birth I imagined in my mind! She knew exactly how to handle each situation with grace. She has such a calming affect on everyone. She was the best support for my husband and put his mind at ease with the entire pregnancy, labor and postpartum period! She has an answer for every concern you can imagine whether it be during pregnancy or after with baby and momma care! We love her and wish we could move her with us to illinois.

Jennifer Macadangdang

10/12/2014

Our experience with Candace was exceptional. I was able to endure 40+ hours of labor without the use of drugs and in the comfort of my own home. Because of Candace's knowledgable input, we were able to arrive at the hospital 2 hours before our daughter was born. This was one of many reasons why we hired her. From the very first time we met Hershey made my husband and I feel very comfortable. Throughout my labor she was able to help mange my pain with natural remedies and keep me calm. Once we arrived at the hospital, her knowledge and experience was helpful to ensure that our birth plan was followed through. It was also very obvious that she had a good relationship with the staff at the hospital, which ensured we had the support of the staff. Her care did not stop once our daughter was born. Her breastfeeding knowledge allowed for a smooth transition to feeding. If she had not been there with us, I don't know what we would have done, since my daughter was born at night when a lactation consultant was not available at the hospital. She stayed with us several hours after our daughters birth. Additionally, she was available to answer any of our questions/concerns after our daughter was born. Her post birth in-home visit was very helpful and she was able to help with breast feeding questions and was able to give useful suggestions. I am confident that if we had not had Candace with us during my labor and birth of our daughter, our birth experience would not have been as positive. We will defiantly be hiring her again for our next birth.

Kristin Woodward

9/2/2014

My husband and I hired Candace in June 2014 for our baby's arrival in July 2014. Candace had been recommended to us by two of my husbands' coworkers who had used her as a doula at the hospital and with home births. Our experience with Candace was wonderful. She is pretty well known in the brithing circles around town and has a great reputation. When I was looking to switch doctors at 36 weeks pregnant, she had recommendations. I made the switch and was very happy with the new doctor.

Candace had tons of information and worksheets to help us develop a birth plan and walk through various labor and delivery scenarios. I felt very prepared for the birth. My labor started in the middle of the night and she responded immediately to our text messages. We kept checking in with her over the next couple hours, and 4 hours into laboring at home with my husband, I realized I needed to push....badly. We called Candace and she told us to meet her at the hospital. Little did I know that I was having a very fast and activle labor for my first time!  We arrived at the hospital at the same time. She helped me relax through the strong push pains while waiting for the doctor to arrive. I pushed for an hour and then our son was born - all natural just like we wanted. During pushing she gave me drinks of water, reminded the hospital staff of elements in our birth plan, and took pictures during the crucial moments right at and after the birth. She even got our bags from our car and moved it from the emergency parking drop off since we came rushing into the hospital so quickly!

Although my labor was so quick we didn't get to utilize her skills much during that part, she was fantastic afterward with home visits to help with breastfeeding. We had a rough start breastfeeding, and she was absolutely instrumental in getting us back on track and making sure we were successful. We recommend Candace to anyone!

Lindsey Lee

7/13/2014

My experience with Candance was absolutley wonderful!  I had numerous challenges during my pregnancy and delivery; Candace was a great resource and provided us with data us assist us with making decisions.  When Candance arrived at the hospital she had an immediate positive impact - calming the emotion in the room, helping me focus and relax, and providing excellent support to both my husband and I.  Her encouragment allowed me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.  I would not hesitate for a moment to have her as my doula in the future.  I strongly recommend Candace to anyone seeking doula services - her participation in our pregnancy and birth was invaluable and I'm ever so grateful for her assistance.  -- Lindsey

Candace was absolutely fantastic throughout our entire pregnancy and labor. I was hesitant at first on whether or not we needed a doula. But, after our birth, I can't imagine doing it without her. The level of comfort and calm that she brought to our birth, especially after we deviated from our plan, was completely priceless. Most people think that a doula is only to help the woman during the process, but Candace made the entire process much more pleasant for me as well. Anyone considering hiring her should do it without a second thought. My wife and I discussed the cost extensively in the beginning but we both agree wholeheartedly after the fact that we would have happily paid ten times as much. I can't thank Candance enough for all of her assistance along the way. Bringing our daughter into the world was a wonderful process largely due to her presence. -- Nick

Da Da

7/10/2014

Full Name is Kandee Khodl.  We hired Candace McCollett in June of 2013 to work as our doula for our son's birth in September 2013.  We intereviewed many different doulas and choose Candace for her professional approach and her extensive background ande experience.   Candace had this amazing abilitiy to really listen to who we were and what we wanted to expereince.  Her focus was always to help us understand and communicate what we truly wanted to experience in our labor, before during and after.  Her support before the birth was immense as I chose to move doctors at 38 weeks, worked to drop stress and built-up anxiety and continued to hack out our birth plan.  Candace spent 90% of our pre-labor, hospital labor, and post labor at our side.  She was very instrumental in coordinating with the doctor during the entire labor.  In my haze of labor, Candace was my steady and my rock.  She documented our entire labor which was a wonderful surprise for us to read through afterwards.  Candace was also there to give aide during my first breastfeeding sessions and to answer questions.  Candace met with us not only before the labor to dispense answers to our many questions and smooth fears, but her visits after the baby came were priceless.  Again her wealth of experience and knowledge was exactly what my husband and I were looking for.  We felt very supported, safe, and cared for with Candace.  We do plan to continue to use Candace McCollett's services as a doula for future births.  I have reccommended Candace to many expecting mothers and will continue to praise her outstanding services.

Amber Luongo

7/9/2014

I would highly recommend Candace as your doula! Candace is extremely knowledgeable and offered many resources prior to our delivery. She was available to answer our questions as we prepared for our first child and took the time to get to know us and listen to what we wanted in our birth experience. During our delivery she did a great job involving my husband in the process and did not take over his role. She was extremely helpful communicating with the doctors and nurses, always being our advocate. I trusted her completely in helping us make decisions during labor. I was so thankful for her support in the weeks after my birth too. As a first time mom, I valued the opportunity to ask the many questions I had during her postpartum visits. I know she helped improve my overall experience giving birth to my first child!

Stacy Glaus

7/8/2014

I can still remember the first time my husband and I met with Candace prior to the birth of our first child. One of the questions she asked was, "why do you want to hire a doula?" The question caught me off guard - I couldn't think of a good answer other than, "because I'm scared and want to be fully prepared for this process." And to be honest, that was the truth.

We ended up hiring Candace and I'm so glad we did! She worked with us through all our questions both before and after delivery. Her calming presence and extensive knowledge made me confident we made the right decision to have her on our team. It was also so helpful to have to answer my phone calls and text messages at nearly every hour of the day or night.

When someone looks to hire a doula, it seems like their primary goal is to have a natural birth with no medical interventions. For me, a natural birth was something I was interested in but it wasn't a top priority, yet we chose to hire a doula anyway. Candace was always supportive of our decisions and gave us information on the choices my husband and I made as opposed to persuading us into make specific decisions - and I ended up with a natural birth anyway!

Another worry of mine when hiring a doula was whether or not I would have a long enough labor to have a doula really help. Labor can be so unpredictable! For me, my labor turned out to be relatively short and we only saw Candace for a short time, yet, having her there was extremely helpful. She helped us remember what was on our birth plan, get started with breastfeeding, and help us enjoy our time together as a new family. Her follow-up visits after we came home were also invaluable. We covered everything from the weight of our baby to how to use a baby carrier to problems I didn't even realize I had with breastfeeding.

If you are on the fence about hiring a doula or don't know which one to hire, stop now and call Candace. You will not regret it!

Sara Petrie

7/7/2014

Candace was my doula for both of my hospital births- one in 2010 & one in 2013. My husband & I both agree she was worth her weight in gold, and worth every penny we spent. Her preparation meetings during pregnancy were very helpful. We felt very connected to her, trusted her, and were calmed by her presence. She was reliable & arrived quickly to both births after we called her. With my first, I had pregnancy-induced-hypertension. Candace gave me the tools and reassurance to make the best of the situation, and suggestions to help lower my blood pressure (or prevent it from getting worse). Despite the high blood pressure, I was able to delay induction by going on bed rest for 2 weeks. Once induction because the best choice for my situation, I was still able to avoid pitocin and epidural- had free range of movement and use of tub. When I wanted to give up, she reminded me of my goals & was so positive and encouraging. She has a quiet, calming yet strong & professional demenor. She earned the respect of my doctor and the hospital nurses that day. It is obvious that she is very well known and consitently respected in the birth community of Colorado Springs as a whole.

In preparation for my second bith, Candance had some wonderful suggestions for how I could try to prevent high blood pressure again- and I was able to! My second birth was completely intervention free. With Candace by my side, the nurse trusted that I was in good hands & generally left us alone. With Candace's suggestion, the nurse allowed me to stay in tub for entire labor & brough doppler to tub to check on baby. Candace used a "hypnobirthing" visualization story that really helped me at one point as well.

I will never forget the role that Candace played in bringing my babies into the world. I could not have asked for better experiences & a better doula!!

Julie Fossum

7/7/2014

One of the best decisions I made for my birth was hiring Candace as my doula. I was alone for the birth of my son as my husband was serving on a nine-month deployment. Candace went out of her way before and after the birth to make sure I never felt alone, had everything I needed and felt empowered to be a mom by myself for a little while. During our meetings I never felt like she was rushing around or had to be somewhere else. She makes you feel important and understood and gives her all to her clients. She asks so many questions before the birth that I felt confident in her ability to be my voice while at the hospital. No matter what your desires are for your birth, Candace will be there to support you 100%.

Sarah Lund

7/7/2014

Candace was our doula almost a year ago, and I still think she was worth her fee, three times over! She was very attentive, listened well and communicated with me prior to birth to be sure she knew what I wanted when I was in labor. She was the extra set of eyes and ears for my labor experience, and for that I am so grateful. Candace gently suggested some techniques during transition that helped tremendously to ease my comfort, and ultimately was a wise guide during the birth of our son. After he was born, I had lost a lot of blood and was weak, so Candace stayed for quite a while and helped him to latch and breastfeed while I was required to lie flat. I am forever grateful to Candace, for her wisdom, sensitivity, and her desire to help us achieve a beautiful birth.

Melissa Parent

7/7/2014

Candace has attended the last 2 of my 4 births, and those two were such amazing experiences because of her!  Though all 4 of my births were unmedicated and natural, I feel the last 2 that Candace attended were the most empowering, peaceful, and joyful.  Candace takes time to get to know her clients, so that she can match her skills and talents to what they need during labor.  She made sure she understood how my husband and I work together, and how she could best support each of us.  I personally love her calm, confident demeanor.  I had full faith that she had seen so many different births and situations that she'd know exactly what to do to help me.  This allowed me to let go of all of my anxiety and fear and just concentrate on doing what my body needed to have my babies.   Candace was also caring and attentive after the birth, stopping by a few days post partum to check on me, weigh the baby, and give breastfeeding tips and advice.  If I had to choose between having her or my husband at my side during labor, I'd choose Candace (don't tell my husband that)!  I would not have another baby without her there.

Leigh Shapiro Kaplan

7/7/2014

Candace was an amazing and integral part of our first child's birth. My husband wanted to be a supportive birth partner, but he does not like situations in which he doesn't have a step-by-step plan, and I couldn't give him that because I didn't know exactly how labor would progress (who does?). Candace provided the perfect go-between for this; she talked us through possible scenarios ahead of time, and in the moment, was able to give him a good idea of what was happening with me (when I couldn't talk about it, because I turn inward and get quiet to handle pain and stress) so he could be there to support me. She was also a calm, reassuring presence during what ended up being a very quick labor; nurses seemed constantly to be coming and going, and the doctor showed up toward the end, but Candace was always there, solid and present in the moment. I also don't think I'd have made it through without her magic peppermint oil, which immediately quelled the nausea that, for me, was worse than the pain of contractions!

My strong preference was for an unmedicated birth unless I specifically requested otherwise. Candace was crucial in helping me formulate how to state that so the hospital staff understood, and they were on board with my request from the start because nothing in my written birth preference list was accusatory or confrontational. She knew and worked well with the team at that hospital, and that was also a big bonus for us.

Throughout my labor and delivery, Candace was just that extra person who knew what my husband and I preferred so that if either of us forgot or was unwilling to speak up, we had someone there to remind us gently to voice our thoughts to the hospital staff. She was the constant through all the change of that whirlwind experience! She was so helpful, in fact, that she'll be with us again when our next baby arrives this fall.

Liz Wilson

7/7/2014

Candace is extremely compassionate, caring, and professional. She assisted me in a hospital setting with both my babies, and I would never use anybody else... She was a huge support to my husband and me, but she never tried to take over for my husband. He relied on her expertise and knowledge the whole time anyway, as did I. With my first birth, she advocated for me by reminding me how to advocate for myself, which prevented me from possible induction... That resulted in a successful natural birth! With my 2nd, things didn't go as planned, but she stayed with us in the hospital for 36+ hours, without complaining, and she helped us shift to plan B, which ultimately led to a successful vaginal birth... We could never say enough good things about Candace! You would not regret hiring this doula for your birth!

Matt Thelen

7/7/2014

Candace was a major part of the delivery of my son. Candace provided helpful tips during my pregnancy and arrived at my house the morning of my son's birth. She was a calming presence during the labor process and provided helpful thoughts and ideas for me to focus on during the contractions. I asked to labor primarily at home, but give birth at the hospital. Whether on purpose or by mistake we arrived at the hospital about 45 minutes before my son was born. She was calm and focused during the delivery in the midst of my quick arrival and entrance into the delivery room. My son was born and Candace stayed to ensure we were settled. One of the most helpful things Candace did was to come to my house after the deliver to see how I was doing and give me tips on nursing my son. I woudl recommend Candace as a Doula because she is focus on the mother who is delivering and provides a calm presence during an emotional time.

L. Hull

7/7/2014

We love Candace! We have had her assistance for two of our births, and have experienced her to be very caring, kind, supportive, and a good listener. She seems to have a strong desire to assist in the manor that the client desires. She is calm & supportive during labor, seeming to have a good ability to discern how & when she is needed. We have very much enjoyed our experiences with Candace and have confidence others will also!

Dena B

7/7/2014

Candace did a great job helping us before labor, during labor, and after the baby was born with breast feeding. I would highly recommend her.

Jen Ramdawar

7/7/2014

We cannot rave enough about our doula, Candace McCollett. She was a very calming presence throughout my pregnancy and during the birth of our daughter. Her knowledge and expertise were exceptional and she could answer any questions we had. When my labor had begun she was very quick to arrive and came prepared at 3 am. We had an unexpected home birth and she was so professional and leveled headed that we did not panick as we trusted that she could handle the situation. She caught my daughter and coordinated our safe arrival to the hospital. She acted as an advocate for us and provided us with information that the hospital staff did not. Her service and support was invaluable to us. She has our wholehearted recommendation to anyone seeking a doula.