Noel

3/19/2023

I cannot recommend Ursula more highly. It is hard to imagine we would have had anywhere near as successful a delivery and post-partum period without her. A few things stand out:

- Her knowledge of complex medical conditions. Ursula was well-versed in how my underlying conditions could impact pregnancy, labor, and recovery, and she strategized with me from day one on how best to prepare, including preparing for a birth without pain medication. When one of my conditions popped up during delivery, Ursula recognized it and made sure the medical team dealt with it swiftly.

- Her effectiveness in the delivery room. Immediately on entering the room, Ursula integrated herself seamlessly with the hospital team and gained their trust. That allowed her to effectively advocate for me and really take charge of my labor. Ursula directed my first and second stages of labor through different position changes and pain relief techniques, including a TENS unit. She helped me avoid pain medication, tightly controlled the second stage, and helped the baby turn to OA.

- Breastfeeding support. I sincerely believe I may not have been able to breastfeed if not for Ursula. After our child was born, Ursula recognized a tongue tie (that the hospital pediatrician and lactation missed) and educated us as to the challenges ahead. Ursula made sure we were seen within days by the best lactation consultant I could imagine, who put us on a completely different path than what was recommended by lackluster hospital lactation and made all the difference for establishing a supply—and for maintaining my sanity.

If I ever become pregnant again, Ursula will be my first call!

Roberto

3/19/2023

I cannot recommend Ursula enough for pre-labor, labor, and post-labor services. My wife and I just had our first child, and Ursula was an integral part of our pregnancy and birth journey. The class was informative and refreshingly efficient. Ursula has extensive knowledge and contacts about different providers in the DMV, including hospitals, PTs, lactation consultants, etc., and when you sign up for BYD, you are also getting access to her amazing network.

One highlight of our experience with Ursula was her focus on preparing an individual care plan for my wife, who has a handful of medical conditions that indicated potential issues during pregnancy and delivery. During delivery, Ursula effectively advocated for us to the medical team and, frankly, commanded the room. Ursula's attention to my wife's conditions made a potentially difficult and dangerous delivery into a safe and controlled labor.

Following the birth of our daughter, Ursula continued to check in on us and put us in touch with professionals to help address our daughter's tongue tie (which Ursula noticed and flagged for us about 2 MINUTES after our daughter was born!). Thanks to Ursula, we were able to successfully address the tongue tie and work with amazing lactation consultants to help my wife meet her goal of breastfeeding our baby.

If we are ever expecting again, we will definitely be seeking Ursula's services.

Spencer Cantrell

1/25/2023

Ursula was absolutely amazing as a birth doula. Leading up to the birth, we checked in after doctors appointments as things kept changing (baby’s position, date of induction, etc.) Ursula helped me understand what was happening and what my options truly were. Once I shared with her the issues I had during a previous birth, she worked so hard with my provider to ensure and reassure me that this labor and birth would be different.

Once we were at the hospital for the induction, Ursula provided the emotional and physical support to help me have a successful VBAC. She knew what positions to place me in to optimize baby’s positioning and how to frame it for me to give me the confidence I needed to power thru labor. She also encouraged me to ask questions and I felt really empowered and informed throughout. She helped me use the TENS unit which combined with a short labor helped me avoid an epidural. She also helped me husband support me during labor, sharing ways with him he could actively support me.

I am so appreciative of all that Ursula did to support me in having such a restorative birth experience. Before, during and after labor she was an encouraging and realistic presence helping me deal with the ups and downs . I highly recommend her and Birth you Desire. The classes and resources she provides are so helpful too!

Ursula is amazing!!

Paige

1/12/2023

We worked with Lynn for our birth doula doula and Royan and Nobee for postpartum help and our daughter’s birth and first few weeks of her life were made something to be enjoyed instead of survived thanks to all their loving and professional assistance.

I had always planned on an epidural so wasn’t totally sure I would need a doula but Lynn absolutely made my birth experience. She knew how to massage me and guide me through different positions even after my epidural and I felt safe and cared for and could just focus on getting to meet my baby instead of being afraid, which is exactly what I had hoped for. My daughter’s birth was a wonderful experience because of her. She was also great at helping my partner know how to help me and involving him in the birth. Lynn, my nurse, and my husband truly worked as a team to be there for me as I brought her into the world, which was the hardest and most meaningful thing I have ever done.

After she was born, Royan’s assistance as a night doula was also invaluable. She taught us how to bathe her, swaddle her, soothe her. I struggled to breastfeed and she was there to help me but also completely respected my decision to move to formula and helped us make that transition. Nobee also came a few nights to support us and was so warm and kind. It was so wonderful to go up to bed and get some sleep and know our baby was downstairs in great hands for the night. Getting some sleep and some help is the best investment you can make in getting your new family off on the right foot, and I’m so thankful we were able to work with the team at Birth You Desire. Thank you all!!!

Christina Randall-James

1/3/2023

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for Ursula. I did not think of myself as a doula sort of person really, but after a traumatic cesarean with my first baby I really wanted a VBAC and as I got closer to the due date it became clearer and clearer that the doctors did not see that as a priority and I knew I needed someone in my corner to advocate for the birth I wanted. We found Ursula at 36 weeks pregnant and instantly knew she was the right fit for us: she is frank, down to earth, strong, kind, no nonsense and instantly made us feel at ease and that we were in capable and compassionate hands. She helped me parse out my priorities for the birth ahead of time, kept me focused and calm throughout 19 hours of labor, took time to explain before the doctors came in to check on me each time what they were likely to advise and why, and helped me make decisions with my goals in mind. My birth didn't look like I imagined it - I ended up with both petocin and an epidural by the end, when I had hoped to birth naturally - but thanks to Ursula I felt confident about those choices when I made them and not only did I get the VBAC I hoped for but I actually smile when I think about delivering my daughter. It is a precious and joyful memory and I absolutely credit Ursula with getting me to that place. She was an amazing rock and guide and our whole family is grateful for her. 

Stevie Carter

12/10/2022

I cannot recommend Birth You Desire enough. I was in labor for 20 hours, with maybe 2 hours of that interacting with the healthcare team at the hospital (no complaints, they were pleasant and professional but that's just how it goes). There was a lot of time in the room in between where my husband and I were just sitting there, sometimes worrying and sometimes just at a loss as to what to do.

After Ursula came in, that down time was spent being repositioned to try to facilitate the baby's position, her checking in with us as to how we're doing, her checking with hospital staff as to the progress of things (she had a lot of experience with the staff at my hospital), informing my husband how to facilitate my healing after birth (exercises, etc.). She kept in constant touch with the charge nurse, informing her of my progress as I began to show signs of infection. As my OB started pushing for me to be taken back for a C-section when I started showing signs of infection Ursula helped facilitate the process a couple of steps ahead of my OB with the staff.

Aside from all of that, she was always available for questions before birth and is also there if I need her after.

I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend Birth You Desire!

Milly Huizinga Hicks

11/20/2022

How can you put into words the gratitude you feel towards someone who helped bring your child safely into this world?! Lynn was our amazing doula with Birth You Desire, and we are SO glad we made the decision to work with such an amazing woman to welcome our first baby. Through a complicated pregnancy, Lynn was our sounding board, our voice of reason, and a calming presence. As labor began, Lynn was there for us every step of the way cheering me on and helping my husband support me in the best way possible. By the time our little boy made his arrival, there was nothing my husband and I wouldn’t trust Lynn with! And we certainly would NEVER go through the birth process without a doula. And even after our little one arrived, she was there for the pep talks when I so badly needed them, always encouraging and down to earth. We love Lynn and are so grateful to have been supported by such an amazing woman through our first birth!

Jean Ennis

10/20/2022

I have used BYD for all 4 of my births and it is the best decision I have ever made. Birth was much more challenging than I had expected and it was necessary to have the emotional and physical support of my doula, Ursula. Her experience with positioning, coaching, and pain relief made all of my birth experiences feel safer, better, and gave me more hands on attention than my hospital nurses could provide. Birth is a battlefield and you are have nothing to lose and everything to gain by hiring Ursula.

Emily Helpern

9/20/2022

We've worked with Ursula through the birth of both of our daughters and my husband and I both always say, "we could not have done this without Ursula". Through both births Ursula guided us every step of the way. During pregnancy, we participated in Birth You Desire's birthing class and Infant CPR classes - helping us go into labor and postpartum with more confidence. Through both very different labor and birth experiences, Ursula helped us make important decisions to achieve the birth experience we wanted and helped us understand and make sense of different options and courses of actions. Ursula does an amazon job of establishing a great relationship with doctors and nurses in the room. Ursula provided both my husband and I the right support for our needs, which allowed us to be focused on each other and the birth of our daughters. Cannot recommend working with Ursula and Birth You Desire more.

Anonymous

9/20/2022

Vee, thank you for being our post-partum doula. We really appreciate all your help during such a difficult time. You were so professional and will be missed!

Josh Snyder

9/14/2022

Both of my daughters were born with Ursula and Birth You Desire at their side. After going through the experience, I couldn't imagine doing this without their guidance and comfort. For all fathers-to-be: you don't know anything about birthing a baby!!! You need this!!! An unbelievable resource that provided peace of mind throughout the entire birth process from pre-planning to postpartum check-up. This was hands down, the best investment we could have made in ensuring our daughters had a healthy birth. If you are considering working with Birth You Desire, do not think twice. You will have such a better experience with them by your side. Can't say enough good things about our experience!!

Ann-Marie Luciano

8/24/2022

Over 13 years ago I was so lucky to meet & have the privilege of hiring Ursula as my doula for the birth of my first son (csection) and second second (natural VBAC). I will sing her praises from the mountaintops! Ursula is the best of the best - tons of experience, super knowledgeable, incredibly responsive, compassionate, nonjudgmental, and resourceful and full of ideas for every question (& there were many!) I had. I love Ursula so much I always tell her I wish I could keep having babies just so I can work with her again. Yes, she's that good. Ursula helped me navigate my anxiety, empowered me to have an unmedicated VBAC, & expertly guided me when I experienced post-partum anxiety and breastfeeding issues. I cannot recommend her more highly for any woman, no matter what type of birthing experience you seek.

Shaunte Duverna

8/18/2022

I am a 36 y/o African American woman who sought out a doula to give me the best chance to avoid another c-section with my 2nd child. There is no doubt that Ursula made it possible for me to get my VBAC. I had many obstacles - my son flipped sideways (transverse position) before we could start the low dose of pitocin for my induction which meant I was having a c-section. Luckily my doctor wasn't scheduled to come in until noon, which bought me time to see if he would flip back and he did! However, we still had more obstacles. Ursula recommended that we wrap my belly to prevent my son from flipping back and guided me through spinning babies techniques to move him down and facing my back (optimal position). From the time I actually started my induction and gave birth was around 6 hours, and of that I pushed for 15 minutes. With Ursula's coaching and guidance I truly got the birth I desired.

Not only did she support me, but she also supported my husband and worked well with my OB and nurses (my doctor actually said she was the best doula she has worked with). Ursula made sure that I knew what questions to ask during my prenatal appointments and at the hospital. I felt heard, supported and informed. It honestly felt like having a favorite aunt coaching me and although I had previously given birth, I learned a LOT. The guidance, coaching and advice is invaluable. If you are able to secure Ursula or her team, it will be one of the best investments you could make for yourself and your family. 

Karen

8/18/2022

 Velesha was my doula during the pandemic for a large part of 2020 and part of 2021. Although we had video appointments and were unable to meet in person, I always felt I was well supported, well educated, and well prepared during my birthing journey. Although this was my last child, there was so much I learned from working with Velesha (and so many things I wish I had known before). In addition, this was a child had after a loss and because of that there saw a lot of anxiety I had about being pregnant again and giving birth. Doula Vee went above and beyond to answer questions, address fears and supported me pre and post birth. She is simply the best.

Megan N.

8/14/2022

We picked Lindsey for the birth of our first child because our OB recommended her, and we liked the fact that she had a medical background.  She was very good at being in touch and answering our many questions.  We also chose to do the Birth You Desire childbirth class with Ursula, which was so helpful, my husband I had no clue on what to expect with birth and we wanted to be prepared.  When we found out we needed an induction Lindsey made sure to sit down with us and go over why my doctor was recommending it and what to expect in the hospital.  This greatly helped decrease my anxiety and reassured me that I was making the safest decision for my baby.  My birth didn’t go as we had planned but my husband and I felt incredibly supported by Lindsey and my doctor.  When my contractions got intense, she showed up to the hospital at just the right time.  Her recommendation of the use a tens unit for my pain helped me labor without an epidural and I am so grateful!!  An unmedicated birth was my goal and with Lindsey’s help I was able to achieve that!  Thank you Lindsey and Birth You Desire!!

Kristin

8/13/2022

When trying to decide which doula would be the best fit for us, my husband and I chose Lindsey because of her experience as a registered nurse in labor and delivery. This provided additional reassurance for us knowing that she had the medical understanding of what was happening and could explain things to us and advocate for me, when necessary, in the delivery room. Lindsey is a good listener and helped reassure me, especially as a new mother. I felt better knowing that Lindsey was available for questions leading up to my delivery day and that she would be in the delivery room. The first week after our baby was born was very challenging, including breastfeeding. I was tired, overwhelmed, and having a really hard time. Lindsey came for a home visit, talked through a lot of things with me. I felt heard, understood, and reassured having her talk through options with me. During my pregnancy and after delivery, Lindsey offered many helpful ideas and additional individuals to contact to help in various areas. I highly recommend working with her.

Randolph

8/5/2022

When my wife first talked about hiring a doula, I was not at the least excited about having someone in the delivery room. With that said, my wife made me sit in on multiple interviews with doulas. At our first consultation with Ursula, I immediately felt at ease. Her knowledge and candid conversation made me forget about all my initial hesitations. So, we went with Ursula, more for how comfortable she made us feel and for the experience (more than 2k births). My wife's delivery was not smooth sailing, as in the movies, but Ursula was a godsend. My son ended up being transverse before the induction. Ursula took charge and coached my wife to force the baby boy to flip down, using spinning baby techniques. She prepped us for the questions we needed to ask the nurses and doctors. She worked well with the hospital staff and made my wife's delivery successful. After working with Ursula, I am a firm believer that a doula is important to have during delivery. With that, if you are considering Ursula, you are making the right choice.

Char

8/2/2022

My husband and I decided last minute to hire a doula. We were so fortunate that another mom had gone into labor early, so Ursula had a spot open up! My husband was skeptical of hiring a doula (at first) but said he would do whatever I wanted to make birth the best it could possibly be so he went into our meeting with Ursula with an open mind. Part of what sold him was that she would be able to help him be able to help me through labor. Smart man because he hasn't seen any births before. Needless to say, Ursula did that and more!

I expected my labor to be quick and easy due to my family history, while still knowing that anything could happen. And I thank my lucky stars that my husband and I had Ursula with us. I had complications that ultimately led to a C section, despite wanting an unmedicated birth. Had we not had Ursula, I would have second guessed every decision I made, wondering if a C section could have been prevented. Ursula explained things to us in a way that made it easy to understand and we knew we could trust her even though our relationship was built fairly quickly due to us realizing very late in the game that we wanted the support of a doula. The nurses and doctors were all amazing, but since my labor was so long, I had several different nurses and teams of doctors which made it hard to build a connection with them. Having one person with me consistently throughout my labor made a huge difference in how I felt about my experience.

Being a survivor of sexual assault was part of what led to me wanting a doula. Ursula explained what to put in the birth plan to alert the care team of my wishes and made sure to advocate for me in addition to teaching me how to advocate for myself in a medical setting. I was terrified of having an epidural and not being able to see or feel what the medical team was doing but I felt safe and supported with Ursula there.

Ursula's experience and knowledge is worth the world! 

Jade Floyd

8/1/2022

Ursula has been with me through the birth of both of my children during the pandemic. She was instrumental to a smooth birthing process for both and also ensuring that my healing journey was filled with the support and experts (from lactation to acupuncture) I needed. I have recommended her to several friends as well. She's incredible and I highly recommend her to you for your birth and postpartum journey.

Nicole

7/30/2022

I was blessed enough to have Velesha as my Doula. She really made a big difference in my birthing experience. To look at it on a more positive side, feeling empowered than going in with fear. Before birth she made sure I prepared me with some exercises, affirmations etc as well as checking on me. She was very present during my stay in the hospital with daily visits and after that checking on me mentally as well. It's been such a great pleasure working with her and would definitely 100% recommend her services

Lidwine

7/22/2022

Nowadays, natural childbirth in a clinical environment requires to be very strong and fiercely advocate for yourself. Giving birth in 2020 was especially nerve wrecking. I was particularly blessed for having met Vee, who was my childbirth educator and virtual borth doula. During the whole process, Vee reassured me that my needs where valid. She helped me see ways to maneuver the insecurity of the year of covid 19.  Vee is experienced. She helped me remember my own strength. With her in the picture (although she did not physically assist my delivery), I could make my wish for an unmedicated, natural birth a reality. Thank you so much for your emotional guidance and for being my rock Vee. 

Jasmin

7/22/2022

Doula Vee was everything I prayed for and wanted for my second pregnancy. I always wanted to try a doula from the beginning of my children bearing years but as life would have it I was not able to have a doula with my first pregnancy, so when I met doula Vee in the beginning of my second trimester I was extremely excited. I did not know all that doulas did but I knew going into my second pregnancy and wanting to be a VBAC momma I wanted some help and guidance with the birthing and post partum process. Doula Vee really helped to change how I looked and felt about my birthing experience. Even through this time of living through a worldwide pandemic Doula Vee guidance helped me and my husband to implement the techniques and positions to help guide our new little one into this world. Also the post partum support that Doula Vee gave this momma was much needed and extremely life altering as I was able to ease into my new life as a mommy for a second time. Doula Vee has a very calming and soothing presence that every new mommy,2nd time,or even a multi child mommy would want on their team to assist them in their pregnancy or post partum care.

Holly B

7/18/2022

I cannot recommend Birth You Desire (BYD) and specifically Ursula and Lindsey highly enough. We used BYD as a one-stop shop for our birth preparation, taking their online birth classes and infant CPR classes as well as utilizing Ursula and Lindsey as our doulas. We found all the classes to be very helpful and it was great having them all in one place as it's one less thing to think about in the run up to having a baby. Ursula and Lindsey's support throughout the pre- and post-natal period was fantastic. I found the prenatal support so helpful as it provided me with another set of expert opinions to ask questions and get reassurance in those final few weeks. And both Ursula and Lindsey were incredibly responsive over text, email, and calls when I had questions or concerns. Lindsey was present at the birth and truly I don't think it would have gone as smoothly without her there. Just when I started doubting my ability to make it through to the epidural, Lindsey showed up and her calming presence, humor, and guidance made it possible to push through multiple hours of back labor. (Also shout out to the TENS unit which Ursula and Lindsey encouraged me to rent through BYD. It 100% made the 12 hours of back labor bearable. I was skeptical but HIGHLY recommend!) Lindsey not only was able to guide me into different positions pre and post epidural, but was able to help explain in terms we could understand information from our nurses/doctors, next steps, and potential upcoming decision. After pushing for 2 hours, due to several complications, I ended up needing an unplanned, urgent c-section and again Lindsey's calm guidance was so, so invaluable (she even went above and beyond and packed up all of our bags while we were in the OR!). Even though I had planned for a medicated, vaginal birth, labor and delivery has a way of throwing you curveballs and I was so glad to have both Lindsey and Ursula's support.  

Suzanne Thorpe

7/4/2022

Ursula is a amazing!  She supported us in the birth of all three of our boys as well as through a very emotional pregnancy loss in the second trimester. She was so knowledge and made me feel safe and supported through all of my pregnancies, labors, and births. I had a low platelet count in all of my pregnancies where the doctors wanted to discuss induction. With my goal of an unmedicated birth, I did not want the added pressure if induction. Ursula was able to recommend the use of some natural herbal supplements that safely raised my platelets out of the worry zone!  When I went into labor, Ursula was available to support me with pain coping techniques and positions and helped  my husband in knowing how to support me so he felt like an integral part of the birth of his sons. She was an expert in guiding us, but never taking over, our birth experiences. With her support I achieved my goal of three unmedicated births. I could not imagine labor and delivey without Ursula by my side!! 10/10, would recommend to a friend :)

Jessica R

7/1/2022

Having just had my 4th child, I decided it was time to share again how incredible of a doula Ursula Sabia Sukinik is.  I have been blessed to have had her by my side for all of my pregnancies, miscarriages and deliveries.  Each one of my pregnancies was different and she was able to provide the knowledge and support needed for each unique situation.  Ursula has the most calming and reassuring presence.  She empowers YOU by making sure you know what to ask and get the answers you need.  If it was not for Ursula, my birth experiences would have been totally different then I would have wanted.  She helped me create the best possible birthing plan before having my babies and then molded them into the best options during the birth.  What I have learned from having 4 children is, you never know what can happen.  But having Ursua's support makes all of those unknowns less intimidating.  You can truly have the birth you desire! Having just moved to another state, I could not imagine having a baby without Ursula's support.  Thankfully, she also offers virtual services and so we were able to have via zoom which was the next best option.  
If you are having a baby, you NEED a doula.  If you want the BEST doula, hire Ursula! 

Jacqueline Devereaux

7/1/2022

Summary: Ursula is incredible. She has helped us bring 4 children into this world. Ursula was first our doula in 2015 (hospital birth) when we moved to California shortly afterwards. Because of her unmatched support and impeccable balance between comfort and encouragement, even though we had moved, we hired her to be our VIRTUAL doula for our births in 2017 (birth center), 2019 (homebirth), and 2021 (homebirth). 

At our last homebirth, our labor was slow for 20 hours, and then picked up within 45 minutes before I had the baby. In that 45 minutes when it became clear the baby was coming quickly and the midwife was still in transit, Ursula simultaneously and seamlessly communicated with our midwife, calmly explained to my mother how to deliver a baby in roughly 10 steps and discreetly slowed my progress, and all the while I felt completely connected with and supported by her. She had all the bases covered: informing the midwife, preparing my mother in case the midwife couldn't get there, and trying to slowing my progress just enough to try to buy some time. And it worked! The midwife arrived 7 minutes before the baby was born.

I could go on and on about all the details of each of my labors, but the point is: we've invested more money into Ursula than we have put into almost any other provider and we wouldn't change a thing (and my husband is an accountant, so that says a lot)! In fact we spend weeks post-delivery thinking about how else we can show our appreciation, and any material item always seems to fall short of the incredible gift she gave us. Her support, knowledge, calmness, and dedication created the perfect birthing environment for our children to enter into this world. We cannot recommend her enough!

Stephen Devereaux

7/1/2022

Partner’s Perspective: I highly recommend Ursula for any expecting couple that wants to have an informed and collaborative doula as part of their birth experience.

Ursula provided great support for both my wife and myself throughout the birthing journeys of our 4 children. She was a calming influence through was can otherwise be stressful situations. She provided us with great guidance before birth in helping to set us up for success (both mentally and recommended products and supplies.

Ursula was incredibly thoughtful with how she managed the birthing teams for each birth, working collaboratively with the midwives, creating a positive atmosphere. After working with her during our first birth, we decided to never birth without her again!

V. Pantano

6/30/2022

We hired Ursula to be our Childbirth Educator as well as our birth assistant/Doula for all three of our home births. Each birth was completely different as were the skills and support provided to perfectly match what was needed each time. Ursula provides intuitive, firm, and loving support and knows exactly when to make the right suggestion to help with whatever is presenting, beginning from the first day of hiring. My first birth was extremely prolonged (as they can be) and Ursula stayed with us for all 20+ hours even though I was in early labor for a lot of that time, which allowed my husband to rest just prior to the birth. For my third birth I was very sick with the flu and Ursula was intrumental in helping to make the birth as efficient as possible given the extra challenges of the situation. While the midwife slept, Ursula did hip compressions, supported me through transition in the shower, and ended up having to call the midwife upstairs because the birth was imminent. She even saved the carpet in my bedroom by placing a pad underneath me seconds before my water broke. My husband and I treasure each our birth experiences with Ursula and the incredible support she offered, before, during, and after the births of my three children. She is an integral part of our birth journies and helped to make each of them an empowering experience!

Patricia McCanna

6/30/2022

My daughter was fortunate enough to find Lindsey when she was looking for a doula.  From their first meeting it was clear that Lindsey was the professional my daughter needed to add to her team.  While her OB was wonderful and her husband was supportive, the extra level of care and encouragement that Lindsey brought made the world of difference.  She was able to calm my daughter's fears by explaining in detail what would need to be done in each of the several scenarios that could happen during the birthing process.   When it was determined that an induction was necessary, Lindsay met us at the hosptial and set up the room to provide the most comfort for my daughter.  She and my son-in-law worked as a team to make sure that my daughter was supported and that everything was explined in detail.  Even when she was not at the hospital (the induction process took several days) she was in touch to see what she could do to help.  Once it was determined that a C-section was required, she again helped explain everything to my daughter and give her and her husband as much support as they needed. Because of COVID restrictions I could not be at the hospital but I knew that Lindsey was there and that gave me a sense of peace that I can never thank her for.

Harold

6/29/2022

As a second-time client of Birth You Desire, my wife and I couldn't have been more pleased with the birth experience, thanks in large part to Ursula. We took a one-day "refresher" birth course that BYD offers (we also took BYD's full-length 6-week course several years ago before the birth of our first child) and felt well prepared to welcome our second child. During labor, Ursula was present every step of the way via phone, text, and then in person. She was instrumental in helping us feel incredibly supported and assisted us in navigating each step of the birth experience. With an unmatched depth of experience coupled with a keen intuition about how best to support mothers and their partners, Ursula is incredible. Her calm demeanor, preparation (e.g., my wife credits the TENS unit Ursula suggested using with making it possible to have a natural birth) and instruction made us feel like we had 100% of her attention during the entire journey. Without hesitation, we give her the highest rating and we absolutely recommend BYD and Ursula to anyone seeking doula services.

CG

6/28/2022

As a dad, it is hard to know what your partner will need in labor. I wanted to be the best I could but I knew I needed help. My wife and I found Birth You Desire through a friend and we could not be happier! Their compassion and communication before, during, and after the birth was excellent! Just yesterday we we're talking about having her again for the next baby! 

Nikki

6/28/2022

Having Ursula and the BYD team with me exceeded my expectations. I was induced and one of the doulas stopped by and checked on me while she was at the hospital with another client. Ursula checked in hourly and made sure I was doing ok. As soon as things got scary she showed up and helped me to birth, my second baby, vaginally. 

I felt incredibly supported and had full access to her through all 26 hours I was in the hospital. Ursula’s face, voice, and guidance was my anchor throughout the pregnancy, birth, and long after the contract was over. 

Nadine Ajaka

6/28/2022

I want to respectfully share my negative experience with "Birth You Desire," run by Ursula Sabia Sukinik. I employed BYD and a doula named Lindsey Mehan for nearly $2K out-of-pocket since I knew I’d be anxious giving birth and wanted support during the day. I thought she’d be there for the duration of my labor at Sibley. Instead, she left for hours at a time — up to seven — under Ursula’s guidance to attend another birth, during which a host of scary things happened (I got a fever, baby became tachycardic, I learned I may need a c-section). These were the moments when I really needed a doula. I felt terrified and alone, and ended up having a birth experience that was traumatic and that I can’t talk about without crying. When I told Ursula how disappointed I was that the doula was absent for exactly half my labor in the hospital, she told me “I’m sorry you feel that way." After I asked for a refund, Ursula wanted me to sign a refund agreement that included a non-disclosure section limiting who I could speak to about my experience. I'm not sure how many other women have had bad experiences with BYD and Ursula but are silenced in this manner, so I feel like I need to speak up for those who can't or won't for whatever reason. My advice would be to avoid BYD, since after the check has been cut they seem to have little interest in actually supporting you during what should be one of the most important days of your life.

Erin

6/14/2022

I have worked with Lynn from BYD for three births (all at GWU). I would not have had the immensely positive birth experiences without her help. With each birth, Lynn supported me and my husband in talking about our options before birth, ensuring we felt safe and supported through labor and delivery, and afterwards. Lynn has legitimately become part of our family after being with us when our kids were born (the most amazing day of our lives!). We are so grateful for Lynn and the BYD team!

For our third, I knew I both wanted and needed additional support in the postpartum journey. We worked with Amy for our postpartum care. Amy has been coming two times a week for the last 8 weeks to ensure we get some better sleep and care for our baby. Amy's knowledge of newborns, love of our daughter, and immense care for her cannot be over-stated. She immediately put me at ease the first night and every night since. I have gotten good sleep, felt supported in breastfeeding our daughter, and ensured I was supported for each part of the postpartum journey.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about BYD and the doulas on their team. So immensely grateful for them and all they have done to help our family as we have grown with each child!

Amanda

6/7/2022

We had a truly wonderful experience with Ursula, Lynn and the entire Birth You Desire team. My pregnancy had multiple complications with gestational diabetes, a breech baby, and blood clot. Additionally, I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility type. I was fully supported during the entire pregnancy, delivery and after. Honestly, I am not sure how I would have survived it all without Ursula and her team. Ursula was always available to answer questions and support me as things came up. It was also AMAZING to have a doula that fully understood my EDS and its implications on my pregnancy and delivery.

Due to a breech baby, I also had an ECV. Lynn and Ursula were both so incredibly helpful in explaining and supporting me through the process. In the end, I had to have a c-section. I was so thankful that Ursula was able to support me and advocate for me in-person both pre and post operation. I am endlessly grateful to the Birth You Desire team for all the support during this challenging pregnancy.

Maria

6/6/2022

I had the most excellent experience with Jenn Carlson. My labor was long, complicated and required a lot of decisions to be made. In general my labor went totally different compared to what I had planned. But thanks to Jenn, her support, patience, knowledge everything ended very good and I have very positive memories about the labor. I'm 100% happy with my labor experience and this is totally thanks to Jenn's.

Larissa Rosenberg

5/10/2022

I have been meaning to write this review for quite awhile, but have been distracted by motherhood in addition to not quite being able to find the words to properly describe how invaluable Ursula was. We had our baby in June of 2021. Ursula took time to really get to know us, specifically my husband, as they would be working side by side as my support team. She calmed our nerves, helped us craft our birth preferences, and assured us that she would be there every step of the way, whether virtually or in person. Thankfully, she was able to attend the birth. I had a long and arduous labor. Things did not go entirely according to plan and some of my birth preferences had to be reevaluated. Ursula was by my side, helping us make the right decisions for me and my baby. There were moments where I felt defeated, frustrated and discouraged. She was able to find a way to talk to me, to communicate in a way where I could hear her in order to get me back in the right frame of mind. Even in my low moments, there was never a point where I felt I couldn’t get through it, and that was because I knew Ursula was part of my support team. In the end, everything turned out great. We are blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby boy. She checked in with us as soon as we got home from the hospital as we navigated the challenges of breastfeeding and sleeping. The fourth trimester is a crucial time and she made sure we had the tools and resources to navigate that process with confidence. I cannot recommend working with a doula, and specifically Ursula, highly enough. It is money well spent and you will not regret it. I can’t imagine what our experience would have been like had we not had a doula.  If my husband and I decide to have more children, we would absolutely use Ursula again. We continue to have a friendship with her, and enjoy keeping her updated on how our son is doing because she was so instrumental in his delivery.

Amy

4/19/2022

We are so grateful to Ursula for everything she did to help us achieve our dream VBAC. After our first child was born by emergency c-section, we began researching how to attempt a vaginal birth for our next child. Ursula was highly recommended and had extensive experience helping families achieve VBACs. Impressed by her experience, expertise, and empathy, we began working with her from the very first weeks of our pregnancy. Her support—from the earliest weeks through to labor, delivery, and postpartum—is truly what enabled us to achieve the VBAC we’d been praying for. She took the time to understand our situation and hopes. With honesty, kindness, and true expertise, she provided us with week-by-week recommendations for a diet, exercise, supplements, providers, and birth plan that could all work together to optimize our chance of a VBAC. If we hadn’t worked with Ursula, I feel certain we’d have had a repeat c-section. Having guided thousands of families through pregnancy, labor, and delivery, Ursula provided us with the best road map and support to achieve a perfect labor and delivery. Thank you Ursula! We are so happy and so grateful to you!

Greg Mueller

4/13/2022

My wife and I worked with Lynn, who was absolutely fantastic. From our first visit, she made us feel comfortable, was prepared for everything we brought to the table, and helped us prepare a plan and feel as confident as possible. My wife's birth didnt go as expected, and Lynn was solid as a rock and helped us advocate for our needs even when we were being pressured to make a decision we werent ready to make. In the end, it worked out AND we felt proud of how we handled the situation. In our follow up, she helped my wife process some of her emotions and uncertainties regarding that day, and helped her find peace with how everything turned out. She is warm, caring, competent, and a fierce defender of your rights as parents. Highly recommend!

Allegra McLeod

3/24/2022

I have worked with Amy Lentner for both birth and post partum doula support and she is truly wonderful, a godsend. Amy is deeply knowledgeable, kind, warm, responsive, full of helpful ideas without ever being overbearing, flexible, COViD cautious, and has taken amazing care of both our baby and me. We are so grateful to have found her and benefited from her thoughtfulness and care during this momentous time of welcoming our second child.

Prior to our baby’s birth, Amy provided useful information in response to every concern I had about the pregnancy and delivery and helped me prepare with a birth ball, evidence based resources to read so I could make my own informed decisions, and was willing to take extra precautions so I felt safe with pandemic related risks.

At the birth, my partner couldn’t be present because I went into labor in the middle of the night a week and a half early and we hadn’t arranged childcare for our preschooler son. Amy helped me feel completely supported, even decorating the room at the hospital with soft string lights, and enabling me to have an unmedicated natural birth that felt calm and beautiful despite all the physical intensity. Our son came relatively quickly and both of us were healthy and well, which we credit in significant part to Amy’s presence.

Amy has also provided regular ongoing post partum night doula support and helped with everything from nursing to laundry and enabling my partner and me to get much needed nighttime sleep. We adore Amy and could not be more grateful to her.

Pat

3/4/2022

My wife and I worked with Ursula at BYD in preparation for the birth of our first child, and we could not have asked for a better experience. Although our birth plan needed to change multiple times, Ursula was able to help us navigate. She was knowledgeable, a thorough and easy communicator, and extremely helpful to have present during delivery. As a first time Dad, her presence was reassuring at every step of the way, and I would highly recommend to anyone considering a doula in the DMV.

Elizabeth

3/3/2022

As first time parents, we really wanted someone around for our pregnancy and birth who had experience with our medical providers and the birth process as a whole. Based on a recommendation from family, we hired Ursula as our doula. Throughout the pregnancy, she alerted us to things we should be thinking about. We also signed up for her birth class and found the information and group environment very helpful to prepare for what to expect during birth. In the last month, when our low risk pregnancy turned higher risk, we appreciated her ability to help us think through questions to ask our providers and reframe our expectations for our birth. During our scheduled induction, Ursula was present the whole time and helped us advocate for our birth preferences, as well as understand the risks and benefits of a few unexpected challenges during birth. We’d highly recommend her to other first time parents, and would likely hire her again for any future pregnancies.

Lucia

2/24/2022

Hello everybody! First time mama here ??

Even if I had a slightly complicated labor (my water broke and my contractions did not start so I was induced with Pitocin for a long time and ended up with an epidural but yet a beautiful vaginal birth!), our birth experience with Ursula as a doula was amazing and smooth. 

Ursula was with us the whole time at the hospital since my active labor started! She is a strength of Nature … she nourished me with food, she calmed me down with herbal drops in my mouth, she amazingly cooperated with all the nurses and the midwives at GW, she made useful maneuvers to descend my baby into the cervix (he was not well positioned and he had a hand stuck next to his head that obstructed the exit … Ursula was able to liberate that hand and help the baby to move down).

Ursula is very confident and she has a lot of expertise in her field; one of her best talents is to make you too very confident that you can do it, mama … I think that is very important since many first-time mamas don’t exactly know what to expect and may start doubting about themselves and not believe in themselves anymore in those challenging moments. She is able to transmit a lot of strength, power, tranquillity … I felt that both me and my baby were safe, protected, loved and cared about in her hands the whole time. In addition, she created an amazing atmosphere in the delivery room … thanks to her management and problem-solving skills, she, my fiancée, the nurses and the midwives worked as a tight equipe that was there to take full care of me and the baby! I could not have wished for a better care than the one we received from the whole staff that day! And I won’t be able to thank her enough for the help she gave to my family there! She is really good at her job and you can really see how she loves it too!!!!

R.H.

2/3/2022

Julia was a huge help to us after we brought our baby home from the hospital. She is kind, friendly, responsive, knowledgeable and professional. Especially if you are an overwhelmed first time mom (like I was), you’ll be glad you hired her! 

Nori

12/7/2021

We just had our second baby, and wouldn't have thought of asking anyone else to be our doula. Once again, Ursula was supportive, knowledgeable, professional, and available at all times, even during a last-minute unexpected trip to the hospital over the Thanksgiving holiday. Ursula's expertise and responsiveness were so reassuring, and she really made a huge difference in our birth experience. We would always recommend her to anyone looking for a doula--she's amazing!

Ivy K

11/27/2021

We had Lynn and Ursula by our side for our first and second deliveries, and I couldn't imagine it any other way. They offered tremendous support and knowledge during pregnancy, during labor at the hospital, and post partum. If you are considering having a doula for support, do not hesitate to use BYD. Their knowledge and support blew us away both times. Just like I would not climb a mountain without a sherpa, I would not deliver without a doula. We also enrolled in the CPR and birthing class, both of which were informative. 

Chris P

11/24/2021

We had a great experience with Ursula, Lynn and the entire team. My wife and I were fully supported by them during the entire pregnancy, during delivery and after. My wife's pregnancy was a bit challenging—gestational diabetes, breech baby, risk of blood clots, constant nausea—but any question or concern she had, she could turn to our doula (or any on the team). They have years and years of experience and have seen it all. It was so helpful for my wife to be able to reach out to our doula first and talk things through before going to her doctor. My wife had to have a c-section, which was not her plan unfortunately. I was so thankful to have our doula's support through it all because we were not as well prepared for a c-section and the recovery. Ursula made sure we knew what to expect and helped keep us calm before the procedure and has been giving us great guidance for recovery. As a support partner, it can be overwhelming to feel like you have to be everything your partner needs throughout delivery—especially when you have little to no experience attending births... I'm so thankful we had a doula to help us navigate all the possible outcomes and help make sure we had the birth experience my wife wanted given the medical limitations.

Cameron Jensen

10/13/2021

We knew that we wanted the support of a doula for the birth of our first baby and had a vague idea of how it worked. We were absolutely blown away by the expertise, professionalism and support given by Ursula at BYD. Not only does she bring years of experience to the table but she gets to know you, listens and provides the steadfast care a new nervous parent needs for the birth journey. I was so surprised to learn that she knows the ins and outs of all area hospitals and has wonderful relationships with the doctors and staff. Truly grateful for her support!

Margaret

8/18/2021

I am so grateful to have been able to have Ursula by my side to welcome my daughter! I will be forever grateful for the insights she gave to me during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum! I was so impressed with how well Ursula worked alongside the nurses and doctors! I highly recommend Birth You Desire to all in the DMV! 

Nicole

7/20/2021

We worked with Ursula before, during and after the birth of our first child and are so glad that we did especially once we found out our birth story would not be what we had initially hoped for. Ursula has an incredible wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise and not only helped us to prepare for the arrival of our child but was a tremendous help when faced with unexpected decisions prior to the birth of our child as well as during labor and delivery. Thanks to Ursula, even though our birth experience had to be different from what we initially envisioned, it was the best “plan b” that we could have imagined and her assistance was truly invaluable during the birthing process. We could not recommend Ursula enough, no matter your vision for your birth story and look forward to working with her again in the future.

Lerone Carson

7/7/2021

My experience with BYD exceeded my expectations of the care I would receive from a doula. I worked with Ursula, and she was simply amazing. She was friendly, personable, and professional. From our first call together, she listened well, and helped me identify my personal priorities for a good birth experience. As a first time Mom, this was extremely important to me. Ursula was with me (virtually) during the entire L&D process, from the moment I noticed the first contraction, through following up to review the birth experience postpartum. I wasn't sure how we were going to maximize our experience with a virtual visit due to COVID, however, I was extremely satisfied and grateful for the support Ursula provided during labor. I am happy that I chose BYD, and highly recommend them.

Dana Dachman-Soled

3/8/2021

My baby was due in February 2021. Due to COVID hospital restrictions which allowed a single support person (and must be same in L&D and potpartum), and since my husband had to be home with our other children, our plan was to hire a doula to support me during labor and then I would stay for one night in the hospital (either by myself if I was feeling up to it, or with the doula). We hired Priscilla McGee after being impressed with her knowledge and demeanor during a Birth You Desire information session.

Since my baby was breech, Priscilla met with us over Zoom an extra time to show us exercises. When baby was still breech after the next ultrasound, she drove over to our house to show us a more complicated exercise in person.

Unfortunately, I needed to have an unexpected C-section at 36 weeks.

Priscilla dropped everything and came when I called her from the hospital in triage. She gowned up and accompanied me to my c-section, provided support and took pics of those precious first moments.

Priscilla then stayed with me for **three** days and nights. She was there to support me during that whole time, not leaving the hospital and only taking a few moments to text her family. Throughout our time together, her demeanor was calm and kind and we actually enjoyed the time spent together. Priscilla assisted me with:

--breastfeeding, positions, latch, and even using an SNS (supplemental nursing system)

--emotional support when baby was taken to NICU and when I had complications after the c-section

--changing baby's diaper and handing him to me for feedings throughout the night

--interacting with hospital staff, asking questions about procedures when necessary

In summary, I cannot overstate the help that Priscilla gave me. I do not know what I would have done without her. I very highly recommend her as a doula who is skilled, caring and consistently goes above and beyond to help her clients.

Brandon

2/12/2021

My wife and I were expecting our first child and wanted a crash course in preparing for labor. Ursula came recommended and she was exactly what we were looking for. She was flexible and professional in setting up virtual classes that fit our schedule. She was engaging and charming and presented the information in an easy-to-understand manner. We felt supported and cared for, knowing Ursula was a call or text away. She really went above and beyond and I would highly recommend her expert services to anyone looking.

Sharon McCabe

2/8/2021

I worked with Ursula as my doula for my first birth this past January and I am so so glad that I did! As a first time mother I was understandably nervous about birth, so when my midwives suggested getting a doula, I immediately began searching.  Birth You Desire was recommended by several people, including my midwives, and I'm so glad I went with Ursula!

Ursula was beyond knowledgeable about every aspect of pregnancy, birth and care for myself and my baby afterwards. She was always available (I'm not sure when she sleeps!), and was a critical part of my birth. From helping me with optimal positions during active labor to talking me through tough decisions when things didn't go as planned, I felt supported, loved, and safe with Ursula on my team during my birth and will 100% call her and Birth You Desire for my next pregnancy!

Matt

1/23/2021

Dad here. First time dad. Hopefully this review gives perspective to the soon-to-be birth partners out there who are trying to figure out what the heck a doula does. I wasn't sure what role they played and was not sold on the cost associated with it. I will say that it has been worth every penny. We worked with Ursula who has TONS of experience and has seen pretty much everything there is to see when it comes to birth. Before the birth Ursula made herself available to guide us through the unique decisions we had to make (changing providers, medical requirements). You can take all the classes in the world, but somehow a lot of that info seems to slip away. Our plan was to have the birth in a birth center but we ended up with a surprise home birth. Ursula was our primary point of contact as she was the steady anchor throughout all of the various people we had to be in touch with (midwives, birth assistants, etc). She stayed on FaceTime with us throughout the whole process. She coached us through the fright and pain of contractions, helped coordinate getting the birth team to our house, got up close and personal with Mom's backside to consistently evaluate her status, coached me through what materials to prep for a potential Dad-delivery (Didn't happen fortunately). I like to describe Ursula's general demeanor as "warm and demanding". She is no nonsense and will tell you what you need to know without sugarcoating it. But she does so in a way that immediately earns your trust and makes you feel comfortable. One thing I appreciate about Ursula is her attention to the birthing partner. Ultimately, the birth process is centered around Mom, naturally. But the partner plays a big role (more so depending on the type of birth). And Ursula was there every step of the way to guide us and me, specifically, to best support Mom. Ursula was there for us post-brith as well to help connect us to different resources based on some concerns and questions we had

Anna M

10/13/2020

Bringing Ursula into your birth experience is literally like bringing hundreds of years of traditional birthing wisdom, in addition to her own many years of experience as a doula in the DC metro area into your experience. The combination is seriously the “best of both worlds”! We worked with Ursula for all three of our births- each very different from each other with their own challenges (in a nutshell-we had an unplanned home birth with Ursula catching the baby, a hospital induction and a planned home birth during COVID-19). For each one, she expertly helped us navigate various decisions, showing the broad range of experience that she has with different birth environments and family choices. Taking her birth class several years ago when we were expecting our first child not only opened our eyes to both informed, evidence-based childbirth, but helped us prepare for parenting- her recommendations helped us to find a chiropractor, lactation consultant and pediatrician, all of whom have been very important resources for us. Ursula also provided a sense of continuity across the different providers we had, and her availability and experience provided an initial sounding board for questions and concerns when we weren't sure what we needed. During birth her knowledge of optimal positioning also enabled us to both physically prepare for and have three very smooth deliveries, with her reassuring presence helping us to relax in a variety of birth settings. She is someone who we felt we could reach out to for advice even in between our pregnancies and we know we will stay in touch with for years to come! We not only believe so much in her, but in everything that she stands for in terms of supporting families in their birth choices and wanting to support them in having the best possible birth experience. Thank you Ursula!!!

Lauren Talarico

8/29/2020

There are truly NO WORDS to express how grateful we are for Ursula. She was our doula for all 3 of our children and coached me through a natural, unmedicated birth each time. That may not seem like that big of a deal...but to coach a mom through an unmedicated birth in a hospital setting can be very challenging these days!

I had a very serious complication after the birth of my second child, and if it wasn't for Ursula staying by my bedside I might not be here today. Needless to say, when I got a positive pregnancy test with my third child, Ursula was the first person I texted (even before my husband!!!)

Throughout each pregnancy Ursula was available for questions and responded extremely promptly. She never made my questions feel insignificant, which was something I really appreciated. Her experience is invaluable and she really listens to every mother's fears, wishes and concerns (trust me...I had a LOT of concerns with this pregnancy given the current pandemic conditions!)

We truly consider Ursula to be a member of our family. She is an absolutely amazing person, friend and doula. We cannot recommend her highly enough!

Rachael

8/27/2020

I’m so glad Priscilla was our doula! Without her, I suspect my son’s birth could have gone very differently. She was skilled at preventing me from getting in my own way and helped me shed my self consciousness so I could focus on the hard work of childbirth. Due to covid, we didn’t meet in person until our postpartum visit, but working together remotely was totally fine for us. In fact, since my labor accelerated quite quickly, it meant that she was at our side with eyes on me for the entire process. So, from the early afternoon when I wasn’t sure I was experiencing labor and she suggested my husband and I practice positions, to several hours later and the car ride to the hospital, where my husband felt like he could focus on driving safely because Priscilla was talking to me and keeping an eye on me via Facetime. Once we were at the hospital, having an advocate in the room, even digitally, made me more comfortable expressing what I needed. We highly recommend Priscilla.

L.Gutierrez

7/30/2020

During a stressful time exacerbated by a racial justice movement, a health pandemic, and political division, Ursula provided much needed comfort and support. Ursula provided us with virtual doula support during our labor and delivery, but her support began during pregnancy. She answered my hundred questions because as a first-time mom, I worried about everything. She was prompt with her responses and always provided non-judgmental advice. She is so knowledgeable of the birth process in the DMV and had an answer for most of our hospital questions. During our labor, she was able to guide us as we made decisions about medical interventions. We are grateful to have had such an experienced doula by our virtual side, and we hope one day everyone can have a doula by their side. A doula ensures you feel empowered in your decision making and ultimately that your birth experience is yours and led by your desires.

Liz

7/18/2020

I cannot say enough great things about Ursula, both as a doula and as a birth educator.

Before the birth of our son, my husband and I took Ursula’s birth class. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the instruction was virtual. However, even over Zoom, Ursula’s warm and caring demeanor came through, and over six weeks, I really felt like I got to know her. She provided wonderful instruction on labor, delivery, and postpartum, and made my husband and me feel more confident about the process. As an additional bonus, because she and her team were assisting with so many births during the pandemic, she was able to provide real-time information about all of the area hospitals’ COVID-19 policies and how labor and delivery would look, which made me feel prepared. Even my expecting friends who did not take the birth class appreciated this insider insight! 

I also hired Ursula as my doula. Knowing that I would likely not be able to have a second support person in the delivery room because of the pandemic, I chose her because of her experience providing virtual services pre-pandemic. I felt better knowing that she already had a tried and true virtual system in place and was used to providing services remotely. Throughout my labor at home, she was constantly checking in with my husband and talking me through the contractions. And, when I got to the hospital, she talked me through two-and-a-half hours of pushing and stayed on the line with me the entire time. She knew all of the midwives and nurses in the room and was chatting with them as well as me throughout the delivery, which made me feel like she was in the room. 

In the end, I feel incredibly satisfied with how the birth went, which is in large part thanks to Ursula. Having Ursula as a support person—even virtually—made what could have been a scary and defeating experience feel empowering, and I cannot recommend her enough! 

Liz

7/18/2020

I cannot say enough great things about Ursula, both as a doula and as a birth educator.

Before the birth of our son, my husband and I took Ursula’s birth class. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the instruction was virtual. However, even over Zoom, Ursula’s warm and caring demeanor came through, and over six weeks, I really felt like I got to know her. She provided wonderful instruction on labor, delivery, and postpartum, and made my husband and me feel more confident about the process. As an additional bonus, because she and her team were assisting with so many births during the pandemic, she was able to provide real-time information about all of the area hospitals’ COVID-19 policies and how labor and delivery would look, which made me feel prepared. Even my expecting friends who did not take the birth class appreciated this insider insight! 

I also hired Ursula as my doula. Knowing that I would likely not be able to have a second support person in the delivery room because of the pandemic, I chose her because of her experience providing virtual services pre-pandemic. I felt better knowing that she already had a tried and true virtual system in place and was used to providing services remotely. Throughout my labor at home, she was constantly checking in with my husband and talking me through the contractions. And, when I got to the hospital, she talked me through two-and-a-half hours of pushing and stayed on the line with me the entire time. She knew all of the midwives and nurses in the room and was chatting with them as well as me throughout the delivery, which made me feel like she was in the room. 

In the end, I feel incredibly satisfied with how the birth went, which is in large part thanks to Ursula. Having Ursula as a support person—even virtually—made what could have been a scary and defeating experience feel empowering, and I can not recommend her enough! 

Andrea S

7/15/2020

This was my second birth with Ursula and we once again found her to be a vital part of the process - one we wouldn't want to do without her. Unfortunately given my due date in early June and the current state of the world, this meant that Ursula was only available to us virtually. Regardless, Ursula was super supportive and extremely helpful throughout. Leading up to our due date, she had her finger on the pulse regarding all of the constantly changing guidelines and was very proactive in communicating them to us. Whenever I experienced anxiety or stress (which typically was specifically related to the pandemic and how my L&D would be impacted), Ursula was a much needed calming and centering support and was readily available to discuss plans of action to talk me down. During labor, Ursula was there (virtually) every step of the way and was instrumental throughout with her advice and words of support. Her presence was extremely felt and appreciated within the room from start to finish. So much so, that once my husband and son had moved to our post partum room and were settling in - I realized we still had our TENS unit that we had rented from Ursula and I anxiously said to my husband how we had forgotten to return it to Ursula after labor (as we had done after our first birth assisted by Ursula). Only after the words were out of my mouth did I realize how silly they were because obviously we could not have returned the unit to Ursula given that she was only there virtually! However, I think this anecdote really sheds some perspective on just how much we felt Ursula within the room throughout labor, despite her only being there virtually. While we would have loved and preferred her physical presence, I just can not stress enough how helpful Ursula was virtually and how I would never want to deliver without her. 

Ambor

7/9/2020

There are no words that can express how Birth You Desire helped educate, prepare, and guide my husband and me in our children’s birth. We took classes with Birth You Desire for our first child, and the information covered was all-inclusive to help prepare us for any outcome. I was experienced with birth knowledge, and my husband was not. He continues today to advocate for women and to push other men to take a class. His words are, “I wasn’t happy to have to go to the class at first, but having the information on how to support your wife, work with doctors, and learning about any birth outcome made the whole process easier. I wouldn’t do it again without them.” Our second child, we re-took the classes and also had Ursula as our Doula. Ursula made sure that she knew us well. My husband and I both felt so comfortable having someone in the room who knew us so well and had been with us throughout the entire pregnancy. She was the first one to arrive and helped implement all our plans so that my husband could focus on what he needed to. We had a different Midwife for all of our birth’s, but Ursula was present at the last two and knew my history and needs without looking at a chart. For our third birth, knowing that Ursula was going to be there gave us such peace in the process that we weren’t concerned about who might be on call for us. Post birth she provided nursing support, doctor recommendations, pain management, and we felt comfortable calling her for any little question. Her wealth of knowledge is priceless. Our second child ended up in the hospital with fever before turning 30 days, and just speaking with her on the phone was soothing and reassuring. Five months after our third she was still on call to guide us with her knowledge and connections to doctors in the area. Ursula was a pivotal part of our birth journey that can not be expressed in words.

Amy Wilson

6/12/2020

Ursula was our doula for all five of our births.  Having her present influenced each of our birth experiences for the positive.  Our first child's birth was long and ardous, but Ursula was there by my side from 9pm when we arrived at the hospital until 11am when he was born.  She was steadfast in her support every step of the way, and she helped me achieve my goal of not using pain medication and avoiding a C-section, which was a feat since he was 10lb, 10oz and many complications arose during labor.  Our second child was born in the car outside the hospital, but Ursula could recognize from our phone call that things were going fast, and so she got the hospital to call "code Stork".  They were waiting for us right when we pulled up to the ER roundabout, so the midwife was able to safely deliver my son in the car.  Our next three births were also "precipitous", and though we were not at the hospital long before each of them, Ursula's connections at the hospital and knowledge helped each of those natural births go as smoothly as possible.  During our fifth birth, I mentioned to Ursula in the hospital elevator that my left hip had been bothering me the prior few days.  She pushed on my hip a certain way right there in the elevator, and I could almost immediately feel the baby drop, and our little girl was born about 10 minutes later.  It was "little things" like this that helped make big positive differences in our birth outcomes.  Ursula's advice and guidance was invaluable not only at the time of birth, but also in the months of pregnancy leading up to it.  When I heeded her advice closely during my last four pregnancies to prepare for labor, I believe this helped to set myself up for the smooth and fast labor and deliveries that they were.  If you have Urusula by your side during pregnancy, labor and delivery, she will help your outcome to be the best it can possibly be!

Chrissy M.

6/9/2020

My husband and I hired Lynn Converse to be our doula and assist with the birth of our 2nd child after a traumatic first birth. We were a high risk pregnancy, in addition to pursuing a VBAC, and we knew we wanted strong and compassionate support for the process. Lynn was exactly the person we needed to help us in the preparation for this birth, and to help keep us grounded and centered during the birthing process. Our son was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, and so it turned out that Lynn would not be able to join us in person for the birth as I wanted my husband to be present as my one allowed support partner. We brought our laptop and Lynn was present with us via Zoom for all 36 hours of our process! While it would have been amazing to have her with us in person, we were pleasantly surprised with how well it worked. And, when it was time for 2 hours of pushing, we set the laptop up so Lynn was pretty close to my head...I could easily hear her coaching and it actually wasn't occurring to me in the moment that she was in the room via a remote connection. If you're expecting during a time when hospitals are still limiting support partners, we highly recommend engaging your doula remotely! It made such a positive imprint on our experience and we would highly recommend working with Lynn.

Emily

4/9/2020

I cannot recommend Ursula and Birth You Desire strongly enough. Ursula supported me through two successful unmedicated VBACs. Throughout both pregnancies she was amazingly helpful with every question and issue that came up - helping me manage a host of anxieties and when necessary pointing me to one of her many referrals. There is no one better networked in the dc area birth community than Ursula!

She was also an incredible presence during both deliveries - helping me to feel in control and guiding me to direct my pain and energy to progress my labor. My final VBAC was truly a 10 out of 10 delivery experience, and I have no doubt that Ursula’s involvement helped me to achieve this amazing birth outcome.

Lauren Alexander

4/5/2020

Birth is an intensely intimate, emotional and life-changing experience.  Having Ursula to guide me, listen to me and witness my transformation into motherhood was important to both my preparation for birth and, perhaps even more so, in processing my births.  As a first time mom, I didn't realize the depth and complexity of the transition from pregnancy to being a mother.  Ursula did and was available to me any time I needed her help.  Understanding my births and being able to speak freely about them with someone who not only understood them but could offer factual explanations of parts that I needed to work through was beyond words for my recovery emotionally and physically.  I would not be in the healthy mental and emotional space I am in now 9 months after my son's birth without her help.  When I started my search for a doula, I thought their purpose was to help with pain management during delivery, but I understand now the extent of the importance a doula can be.  During both of my pregnancies, I worked with Ursula entirely by phone and FaceTime because we are on opposite coasts.  Though she was not present for my deliveries, she was available anytime we needed her (which we took her up on!)  I can't emphasize enough the comfort of her professional warmth and her confidence in me to create our family.

Adam V

2/11/2020

Ursula and team are true birth ninjas!! We both took Ursula's class, and used her as our Doula, and would highly recommend both. The class was super informative and we left feeling as prepared as we could. That said, it was the actual birth where Ursula really shined. We had a few complications, and Ursula expertly guided my wife through the ups and downs, including some incredible on-the-fly adjustments that ultimately led to a healthy, natural delivery. Speaking on behalf of my wife (who is sleeping:), we are both super grateful for Ursula and all she did to help us have a happy and healthy son Fitz. In my opition, there arecertain things in life worth spending on a true professional who you can trust when times get tough, and Ursula is exactly that. We would recommend her / BYD 1000x over!

Emily M.

1/10/2020

The amazing doulas of Birth You Desire helped my husband and me to bring two babies into the world in dramatically different fashions. Ursula’s presence at both births was invaluable. For us, working with BYD was a critically important choice.

Our first birth was a long process. Throughout it all, Ursula answered questions, advocated for me, and supported my husband, who was limited by a broken leg. We immediately felt less panicked in her presence: she has worked at all the area hospitals and it was clear that our midwife team and most of the hospital staff knew and trusted her. (Ursula was actually initially on call as backup, and we are so impressed by how quickly she adapted to the situation when called in at the last minute.) When things stalled and a discussion of possible interventions began, Ursula made several positioning and movement suggestions that we would not have considered on our own. She was firm but encouraging; when I was ready to give up, she reasoned with me; and when we finally welcomed our baby, we were joyous and feeling strong. The second birth 18 months later was a much faster process, and this time we needed a lot more support before arriving at the hospital. Once we determined we should go, I was especially grateful that Ursula was there because she was able to tell the staff about me—things were progressing quickly and they would not have had time to learn this information on their own. She recalled which strategies had worked in the past and tried them earlier. This baby was born within a few intense hours, and Ursula’s presence made the birth a much more supported and straightforward event.

Ursula is quick to respond,  thorough, and encouraging. We have attended her Birthing Again class and value her advice. I recommend her services to anyone considering using a doula and will always be grateful to BYD for supporting my family at these crazy and vulnerable and beautiful times.

Shannon S

1/2/2020

Ursula was truly a godsend for the delivery of my baby girl last year. Having several months to reflect on my birth experience, I can’t imagine a more positive experience because I had Ursula by my side coaching me and my husband through the entire process. Leading up to my delivery I was naturally nervous because this was my first birth and there are so many unknowns. Ursula was able to calm my fears, especially on the day of, because of her unmatched experience and deep passion for what she does. She truly wants the best oucome and experience for each of her clients, and I can’t thank her enough for all the love and support she has provided our family.  

Kayla Owen

12/30/2019

Ursula is worth every penny, and so much more!!  I had my first son abroad 8 years ago in a country that assigns midwives who stay with you for the whole birthing process.  The idea of giving birth to our rainbow baby in the US terrified me.  Add advanced maternal age and several health issues and I knew there was no way I could do it without the help of a professional.  Going into my delivery I had every confidence Ursula could help me achieve my goal of a natural delivery, but there were 3 separate instances that she caught that my medical team did not that could have quickly railroaded us into an emergency c section.  Through her persistence and determination to try any and everything possible to help get our boy out safely her knowledge of positioning, pressure points and talking through all of the options helped us to achieve the best possible outcome.  I got my natural delivery with a happy healthy baby boy.  Ursula made all of our lives easier, including the L&D team/staff.  She is well respected, has tremendous knowledge and an awesome sense of humor.  If by some miracle we are ever blessed with another one, my first call after a positive pregnancy test would be to Ursula!  She’s become a member of the family and I am 100% confident I never would have achieved anything other than a C section without her!!!

One last thing, her recommendations for Chiro, accupuncture, and breastfeeding help led me to a team of goddess providers that I will be using for a long time to come!

Zack Nagel

12/2/2019

Usula and Birth You Desire are amazing! Ursula was our doula for both of our daughters' births and we owe her immense gratitude. My wife and I are both planners... we discussed, prepared, read blogs/books/articles, and did birthing classes. We still had anxiety and unease because of the unpredictable nature of pregnancy and the birthing process. Ursula coached us through every change and helped overcome frustrations and challenges. For every uncertainty or change, she was ready. We will forever be grateful for her presence and her coaching.

We had a wonderful experience and it is due to Ursula and Birth You Desire.

Jessie

11/6/2019

Ursula was instrumental in my successful breech vbac. During labor, she kept me calm, kept the hospital staff calm, made sure the right medical personnel were in the room, applied super helpful counter-pressure, and generally did everything necessary to provide me an amazing birth experience during which I could be present with the process and not worry about anything except my body and my baby. She is immenently knowledgable and truly has an incredible gift at supporting pregnant and birthing people. 

She is accessible at all hours at any point and was able, on a couple of occasions, to calm me down when I thought (falsely) I might be going into labor early. She did so with no judgement and no hint of exasperation even though it was the middle of the night (both times). 

She has encyclopedic knowledge of the birth process, positioning, resources, tools, etc.; personal relationships with seemingly every doctor, nurse, midwife, etc. in the DC area; and an incredibly warm, caring, and supportive demeanor. I am so grateful to her and recommend her confidently and whole-heartedly. 

Becky

11/5/2019

My first birth was a traumatic emergency one with a preemie and all kinds of craziness. When I was finally ready to have a second child I knew I needed a very specific type of support. Ursula and Birth You Desire did not disappoint and wisely helped me make my way through some difficult decisions. This paved the way for a birth and post-partum experience that enabled me to bond the way I wanted with my daughter, get the emotional and medical support I needed, and feel empowered and strong through it all. I highly recommend Birth You Desire and Ursula for ANY type of birth, including planned C-sections. There's so much to process and wade through before, during, and after any birth, and I'm particularly impressed by their post-birth support.

Jacqueline Devereaux

10/3/2019

Highlight: Ursula is so incredibly talented that she was able to provide me the support described below VITUALLY via FaceTime and I can confidently attest that I feel just as supported as when she was there in person for my first birth.

Ursula is my birth rock. She helped me bring all three of my children into this world and the last two births she was a virtual doula over FaceTime. She keeps me grounded and present. She keeps me safe. She comforts me and pushes me. She builds up me strength and confidence so I can create any birthing experience I desire, truly living up to her name: Birth You Desire.

Ursula - You are amazing and found your true calling. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for our family. We love you.

Nori

10/2/2019

We weren't initially sure we needed a doula since everything seemed to be going well during the first trimesters of my pregnancy, but we decided to go ahead with doula support anyway. We are *so* glad we did. Ursula was simply amazing--I really can't say enough to explain how incredibly helpful and supportive she was in the run-up to and during the birth. She was responsive to all our concerns, always available when we needed her, incredibly knowledgeable about all the medical procedures and options we were confronted with, and immensely supportive to me emotionally. I had no idea how complicated and challenging making decisions would be during the last few weeks of my pregnancy when I suddenly dealt with a breech baby, an ECV, an induction, and other unforeseen circumstances. Ursula made such a difference in ensuring that we felt we had made all the best decisions we possibly could, and I would never want to prepare for another birth without her!

Mat Glassman

8/29/2019

This review is for all the dads/partners. There is a significant misconception that doula's are to help Mom's-to-be (or at least, I had that thought). This couldn't be further from the truth. A doula is entirely for the father/partner. Going through the birthing process without a doula, would be like an NFL game without a referee - it would be a terrible idea. Without guidance, the game would happen, but there would likely be more crying, tantrums, potential injuries, and upset players than there needed to be.

I have a medical background, but felt like I was on a 1980s stock market trading floor (in another country) when my wife was giving birth. The doctors and nursing staff have been through this 100s of times- you haven't. No matter how prepared you think you will be, there is no substitute to having an advocate for you, your wife, and your unborn baby, in the room - helping to make sure that your best interests are attended to. As great as your doctor and nurses are, they are likely juggling several other deliveries at the same time - not to mention there personal lives. It is impossible for them to care as much as you do about this birth. Having a doula gave me the comfort and the piece of mind that I could stand there like an ineffective, inanimate object, while this amazing event occurred - and there would be at least one adult in the room looking after my (I mean, my wife's) best interests.

You can't get any better than the doula's at Birth You Desire- Ursula is amazing and once you meet her, you will understand that she would not tolerate anyone working with her that is not just as amazing and experienced.

Congratulations and good luck.

Zack

8/6/2019

We couldn't be happier with the support Ursula provided. I'll admit I started off skeptical of whether we needed a doula at all but wanted to make sure my partner felt fully supported going through the birth process with our second child. While I don't know if every doula would have been right for us, Ursula was amazing, providing the right information and support to my wife, me, and the care team. What was most notable was the way Ursula elevated the whole care team - she clearly had earned the trust of every care professional in the room and made everyone's life easier. I would highly recommend Ursula to anyone - especially if you are at all skeptical of whether a doula is 'worth it'.

Alex

7/30/2019

We had the best experience with Ursula. As first time parents, she gave us the support and knowledge we needed to feel confident and really enjoy the full experience of labor and delivery. I experienced some unexpected complications during labor, but Ursula was able to coach me through it all and I was able to have the birth experience I was hoping for. You can really tell Ursula truly cares for her moms, dads and babies! I couldn't have asked for anything more or imagined going through it all without her!

Jamie

4/8/2019

I continue to reflect with such gratitude for Ursula and her gift of supporting my labor and the birth of my child. I actually can think of what it would have looked like without her there...and it’s not the empowering and amazing experience that she ensured my story to be.

She gave us knowledge and courage, she gave us safety and trust. Ursula's affirming, non-judgmental care allowed me to trust my intuition and my body. And through all the challenges and turns in the labor & birthing process, my narrative of the birth of my child highlights me as a total birth warrior. I celebrate and love every part of my child's birthday because it is our very special (albeit a bit long) story, which Ursula helped in every possible way to make happen.  

Marion

3/12/2019

We had the most amazing experience with Ursula! After a very traumatic birth with my first I felt very strongly that I wanted to deliver naturally the second time around. I was able to do just that with Ursula and I'm sure I would not have without her. I trusted her completely throughout the labor and delivery experience and was very thankful to have her there because she didn't let me give up on myself. As a result the birth was so empowering and my recovery has been so much easier.

Stuart F

3/10/2019

??My first child was born recently, and my wife and I are so happy we had Lynn as our doula to help us in this most important period in our life. She was highly recommended to us by a friend who just had her first baby, and now we can see why!

?Speaking as the husband/father, I am so happy we had Lynn as our doula. Like most men, I had no experience with pregnancy, labor, delivery, or post-partum care. I tried to be diligent by reading and taking courses, but I knew nothing I did would come close to the wisdom Lynn brings from having supported so many women through childbirth. 

I loved that Lynn was there entirely to support my wife. Nurses, doctors, and midwives are all wonderful, but they have other patients and other obligations than just my wife. And providing emotional support is not necessarily part of their jobs. That's why having Lynn was special and important - she was there to support my wife 100%. Lynn also helped me better assist my wife - giving helpful suggestions throughout the process that I really appreciated.

Our baby came very quickly in the middle of the night, and Lynn was there at the drop of the hat to be there for us, doing things both big and small to help that we will never forget, and we even had her cut the umbilical cord which was also a special moment. Lynn worked seamlessly with the midwives and nurse, who I think really appreciated having her and her expertise there as well. My wife and I are so grateful for Lynn, her extensive knowledge and experience, her warmth and thoughtfulness, and that she played such a special role in the birth of our baby. Needless to say, I would highly recommend Lynn as your doula!

Latrice Willis

12/10/2018

Mt husband and I took an 8 week birthing class with Vynessa Pantano and it was great! The documents we received were well written and organized with really helpful photos and illustrations. Vynessa's friendly demeanor was comforting and she had answers to all of our questions. Her class wasn't just telling and explaining, it was showing and letting us practice as well. We even did a few meditation exercises and visualizations. It was a super great experience and my hubby and I were actually sad when it ended. But we feel so well informed that it made us more confident in our labor and delivery preparation. I highly recommend working with Vynessa, she's amazing!

Anne Gialanella

1/4/2018

Ursula is simply the best! She supported my husband and me during the births of both of our children. After the birth of our son in 2014 I told my husband I wouldn't have another baby without Ursula. She was that good! She was a reassuring, constant presence at the births which allowed me to relax and trust that I had an educated health professional supporting me with any decisions that came up. She offered hands-on support that eased discomfort and pain and also helped my husband support me by showing him what might help with various symptoms. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula!

Erin Eckles

12/15/2017

Hiring Lynn was the best decision my husband and I made to help us have the most positive birth experience. From the moment I spoke with Lynn she was calm, knowledgeable, and positive about making sure that I had the birth experience that I wanted. This was my first pregnancy and Lynn was incredibly helpful in answering all of my questions about labor, pregnancy discomfort, etc. Lynn eased any fears I had about labor and delivery. I knew before I went into labor that having Lynn in the room would ensure that we would have the most positive birth experience.

My labor was incredibly fast and intense for a first-time mom and Lynn coached me through every stage of labor. With Lynn, my husband, and the labor and delivery nurse, I felt so supported during the entire labor and delivery. I had planned on having an unmedicated birth and I was able to achieve my goal, even with pushing out a 9 lb baby. Lynn acted as a calming presence during the entire labor and even when the pain was so intense, Lynn calmed me and cheered me on. Any time I looked worried, Lynn assured me that I was handling each contraction and that I could do this naturally. Because of Lynn I have only the most positive things to say about delivering naturally.

We feel so blessed to have had Lynn with us during the birth of our son. Lynn will forever be part of our lives as she helped welcome our son into this world. I highly, highly, recommend Lynn. She is professional, kind, caring, and lighthearted. I look forward to having her be part of our lives for years to come.

Joy Cato

11/27/2017

Lynn far exceeded my expectations as my doula.  I was preparing for a VBAC and had some of the doubts and lingering issues one might expect.  Lynn was such an encouragement and an unwavering support to me.  She is a wealth of information, she helped me with preparation aspects that I would not have thought of and also helped me through some of my birth-adjacent worries.  

From our first meeting, she listened and gave advice and was available for answers when I needed them.  When it came time to go to our hospital Lynn met us there and was an advocate and comfort to me from the beginning.  In the end, Lynn called in her back up doula as another client was progressing right along at the same time as me (Lynn is in high demand!), but it was a smooth transition and it turned out to be in the same hospital as me!  Lynn's care combined with our back up helped me to have an unmedicated VBAC and I cannot be any more grateful.

I highly recommend Lynn and her caring, professional service without reservation.

Jane Knisely

11/8/2017

Ursula was our doula and childbirth educator for the birth of our daughter. She made us feel as prepared as we possibly could for an optimal pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Our daughter arrived ahead of schedule and Ursula was out of town (we knew this would be the case), so Lynn was the doula who attended our birth, along with trainee Kelly. They were both of immense help during a difficult labor process and I credit them with keeping me out of the OR and enabling a vaginal birth. The follow up and support from all three ladies after the birth has been helpful and reassuring. I am not sure I would be in a good place without the preparation and follow up from birth you desire. They were also adept at helping my husband and me to bond during this process. I highly recommend them to anyone who is seeking wisdom and help on their journey to parenthood.

Bryce Jacobs

11/5/2017

My husband and I had an excellent experience with Lynn Converse. She was very helpful before the birth in letting us know what to expect and helping us come up with a birth plan. She took the time to get to know us and what we were looking for in terms of support and our ideal vision of our child's birth.

During labor she was helpful in giving me breathing techniques, comfort positions and moral support. Lynn was enormously helpful in talking through the contractions and helping me with coping mechanisms through the labor. Lynn also knew hands on techniques that helped with pain and helped the baby get into position for birth. She knew when and how to use my husband for help as well.

We were able to look to Lynn for advice when decisions had to be made on the spot and she was able to explain what was happening and the pros and cons to any decision. It was comforting to have Lynn at the birth of our first baby as someone who has seen this before and who could reassure us of what was normal and what we could expect to happen. Though we had taken a class and read books, during the labor and delivery we seem to have forgotten everything we learned and planned, but Lynn was there to guide us through every step and remind us of what we wanted and how best to acheive it.

Lynn was patient, supportive, and clear headed, all of which was helpful both as we planned in advance and during the labor and delivery itself.

It was helpful for my husband to know that there was someone there who had our back and could help us through the whole process. It made a tremendous difference in the entire experience.

Shelley Megquier

10/10/2017

Hiring Lynn as our doula was one of the best decisions my partner and I made related to our daughter's birth. She'll forever hold a special place in our hearts due to the comfort and support provided to us during our pregnancy, labor, and delivery.  

I loved working with Lynn every step of the way and fully believe that her skills allowed me to avoid a c-section. Lynn was a supportive and affirmative presence during the lead-up to my due date. She was reliable and offered helpful information during our prenatal visits. She took our birth preferences seriously and nothing we said or shared was ever met with judgement. Each time I met with her, I finished the meeting with a renewed sense of confidence and ease. 

During labor, Lynn's role became even more vital, especially during a long early labor and after, in the hospital, it became clear that our little girl was in a bad position for vaginal delivery. Lynn sensed that there was a likelihood of a c-section and asked for time to try to manuever the baby into a more optimal position.  She then worked me through a series of inversions and belly lifts to move the baby into a different position. Her efforts paid off and I'm so grateful! Throughout the long labor, Lynn helped us talk through and understand difficult decisions and offered effective, soothing comfort measures including massage, TENS unit, and aromatherapy. She patiently spent over 24 hours with us before our girl was born. Lynn was an incredible source of strength and encouragement at some low points when I needed her the most.  She worked smoothly side-by-side with my partner: letting him take the lead in supporting me, giving us space when we needed it, and providing him with tools to best comfort me.  

Lynn is kind, supportive, knowledgeable, judgment-free and endlessly patient. I recommend Lynn highly to whoever is considering her services, regardless of the type of birth they plan on. 

Brandi Wilkins

9/15/2017

We could not be happier with our experience hiring a Birth You Desire doula. Lynn was so amazing!!! Her support before, during labor and birth and post partum was amazing. She made us feel like family! Her encouragement was beyond our expectations. During labor and delivery Lynn's presence was exactly what was needed. I genuinely believe that it was because of Lynn that I was so pleased by our birth exprience. Couldn't have been happier!! We recommend Birth You Desire with no hesitation!

Ona Pappas

6/6/2017

Ursula was our doula for both of our daughters births. Diana was born in May 2014 and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that had it not been for Ursula I would have ended up with a c-section; which would have been okay but was not my preference or plan. Diana was a long 30+ hour labor due to PROM. She was in a compound presentation and thanks to Ursula (not the doctors)she figured out that I had a band of tissue that wasn't allowing my daughter to descend which needed to be sniped.

With the birth of our second daughter, Evie in November 2015 we again had Ursula by our side. Evie was a much better textbook kind of delivery with the exception of being in a DOUBLE compound; yet still was an easier delivery than Diana.

People always ask my why we used a Doula. For me personally having an advocate like Ursula by my side took the confusion, unknowns, and anxiety out of the equation. I 100% trusted her and she allowed me to feel very impowered and confident as a birthing mother. She's geniunely cares about her families and connects on a personal and emotional level far long after the birth of your children.

I can't even begin to image giving birth again without her. Truthfully she will know as soon as the stick has a second line :)

Emily Singer Hurvitz

4/7/2017

My husband and I agree that hiring a doula, and specifically hiring Lynn, was the best decision we made in our efforts to have a natural birth without interventions. Lynn has a very warm and positive personality and she made us feel much more relaxed leading up to the labor and birth. My husband travels a lot for work and I was comforted knowing that Lynn would be there for me if he were out of town when I went into labor.

My water broke in the morning but I did not go to the hospital until the following morning because my contractions were not strong enough. I communicated with Lynn while I was home and she provided support and suggestions. When I arrived to the hospital, I was given an oral prostaglandin to help get labor started. I communicated with Lynn by text until my contractions got stronger and I was ready for her to meet me at the hospital. Once my labor was in full swing, Lynn was absolutely critical in enabling me to deliver my baby without any additional interventions. Lynn provided us with suggestions for positions to use during the contractions including using her tens unit at one point and then recommending that I labor in the shower (which I did for several hours), she kept the environment in the room calming by using her essential oils and salt lamp, she was very hands-on in helping to relieve my pain when it got very intense, and she supported both my husband and I throughout the labor. I was in active labor for 18 hours and I am certain that Lynn’s presence and her amazing abilities as a doula played a major role in enabling me to have the natural birth that I wanted. My husband and I will always be thankful for our positive birth experience, which we certainly could not have had without Lynn.

Mila Liachenko

3/13/2017

Lynn was recommended to us by our friends who had a wonderful experience with her as their doula. After the initial conversation with Lynn, we knew that we found our doula and were reassured of our decision during the two meetings prior to me going into labor. Lynn came over to our house twice before labor to meet with us to discuss our birth plan, suggest activities to ensure that the final weeks of my pregnancy were as healthy and happy as possible, and to go over our plan of action once labor did begin.

Unfortunately, our original plan for an un-medicated birth went out the window when I had to be induced 5 days post due date due to low amniotic fluid. We stayed in constant communication with Lynn after we were admitted to the hospital until she arrived on day two of induction. Through the ups and downs of labor, Lynn was a calm and reassuring voice of reason that helped my husband and I navigate through the many interventions that we were not originally planning on. Lynn was there to talk us through all the options and ensure that I voiced my questions and concerns. Lynn worked with me to help me get into different positions, coached me through breathing, and even used some essential oils to help with relaxation. Her constant presence and support also allowed my husband an opportunity to rest and take a break during an almost 60 hour labor.

We are beyond thankful to Lynn for all her guidance and support and see her as an integral part of the birth of our baby girl. Thank you, Lynn!

Nicki Greenlee

3/1/2017

Ursula was present for the birth of my daughter in 2015 and was an amazing support. I arrived in DC from West Africa during the 34th week of my pregnancy. Being so far along I was unable to take prenatal classes, and as a first time mother to be was nervous about delivery. From my first contact with Ursula she talked to me about my anxieties and was available to answer any questions I had leading up to the big day. During delivery I could not have asked for better support. In addition to being technically competent, her attitude ensured a relaxed experience by balancing a great sense of humor with strong mental and physical coaching. Her constant presence by my side and her ability to make me feel at ease helped me birth my baby with little stress. I know that my time in labor was much reduced thanks to Ursula's coaching and I can't be thankful enough.

From the beginning of my pregnancy I was not set on any particular birth plan except that I wanted to avoid an unnecessary c-section. Although I wanted to see if an unmedicated labor would be possible for me, I appreciated how nonjudgmental Ursula was about the use of epidurals when that was the direction I chose to take, and when I opted for the epidural it was an informed decision. I cannot stress how important this was for me as during my pregnancy I often found the discourse surrounding labor to be strongly divided (and often nasty) between the all natural route versus the other end of the spectrum.

Ursula's support did not end at my baby's birth. During a post-partum home visit she helped me through difficulties I was having with nursing due to my baby being born with a tongue tie. She taught me how to improve my daughter's latch and referred me to a lactation consultant who provided us with continued support thereafter. I highly recommend that anyone in DC who is looking for a competent birth coach with an awesome bedside manner consider hiring Ursula as their doula, she is great!

Heidi Lambert

12/17/2016

Lynn was such an important part of our birth experience and hiring her was one of the best decisions we made. Her knowledge, support and compassion were integral to creating the precious and positive memories we’ll always have of our son’s birth. She made us feel strong and confident—always listening and providing great suggestions, advice and ideas. She’s one of the most genuine and caring people I’ve ever met—with a true love and enthusiasm for her work. I was sent to the hospital unexpectedly at 37 weeks (with preeclampsia), which resulted in a three-day induction process. Lynn was with us the entire time, going WAY beyond what was expected, providing continuous encouragement and support during a confusing time. Her knowledge and experience helped us navigate the constant flow of doctors and all of the options they provided. She helped us stay optimistic and kept working us towards the birth we had been planning for. I truly believe that the work she did with us in the delivery room helped me avoid having a C-section. Lynn was so many things to us: a support system, an advocate, a teacher, and, ultimately, a friend. She was with us day and night, reassuring us when things got tough, explaining things when we were delirious and helping us enjoy every minute of an experience that could’ve become overwhelming. When the active labor began, she transformed into a motivating coach—helping us summon strength and energy while giving clear instructions and enthusiastic encouragement. By the time we got to the delivery, I was prepared, confident and feeling strong, supported and excited. We will always be incredibly grateful for her generosity, compassion and for making what could’ve been a scary and chaotic hospital experience into a very positive, empowering and fulfilling memory. We’ll forever hold a special place in our hearts for Lynn and all she did for us during this life-changing time in our lives.

Andrew Kehr

12/6/2016

I really can't put into words just how helpful Lynn was during our pregnancy and birth, but I will try.

From our first meeting, Lynn was always professional, but exceptionally warm and friendly.  In our meetings, we discussed the various fears my wife and I had for the pregnancy and birth, and Lynn proceeded to work with us in our future meetings to give practical advice on how to overcome those fears.

In the end, my wife was in early labor for about 36 hours and active labor for another 14.  During that time, Lynn was constantly available for support by phone/text and gave lots of advice for foods to eat to keep up our energy and when it got to the point that we felt we couldn't handle things by ourselves any longer, Lynn came to our support.  She came in the evening and immediately began helping my wife with different positions to help move the baby around, and told me to go take a nap because I was exhausted.  An hour later, when I woke up, I came out to the living room to see a completely different scene than the one I had left... Lynn was coaching my wife to conserve her energy by keeping her breathing slow and steady and to use low noises to moan instead of high.  When we eventually arrived at the hospital, Lynn regularly transitioned my wife into a new position to get the baby to move down and reposition.  Her touch in the L&D suite was obvious, from the salt lamp in the bathroom to keep the light low and soothing while laboring in the shower, to bringing cake pops to celebrate our daughter's birth.

To sum up our expereince, Lynn gave excellent advice and support throughout our time together and provided me (the father) with additional support for my wife so that I could rest and be prepared to help later in the night.  Lynn gave me advice to help manage my wife's pain during labor and made our experience especially meaningful.  I highly recommend Lynn.

Whitney Martz

8/30/2016

Lynn was a godsend for my husband and I, her calming demeanor and genuine love for her job was apparent in everything she did. We met with her twice before I ended up getting a pretty nasty case of food poisoning at 37 weeks sending me to labor and delivery. We had a nurse that told me (without warrant) that I would most likely be going back for an emergency c-section. Lynn rushed up to the hospital, and even when we found out that I was not going to be delivering that day, she stayed with us until I was discharged and distracted both of us with cute stories and photos of her family’s dogs. When labor did come she was there each step of the way- providing guidance over the phone and making arrangements to meet us at our house. Labor ended up starting out intense and fast moving, so she met us at the hospital and provided my husband and I both with techniques and strategies to make it through the quickly coming contractions. My baby ended up being OP and things stalled out. Lynn was there with music, snacks, a Himalayan Salt Rock lamp, fresh tube of Burt’s Bees for my lips and all the moral support she could provide. She advocated for me in a way that did not make anyone on my birthing team uncomfortable and encouraged me to speak up for myself when I was unhappy with the direction things were going. Ultimately, I had to choose between a c-section or a forcep delivery and by that point I was emotionally and physically exhausted. She calmly guided me in what she thought was the right direction for us and helped my husband feel at ease. I learned after the fact that they were texting one another, Lynn assuring him that the baby and I were fine. Her postpartum visit was a treat as well, because both my husband and I genuinely enjoyed her company through the entire process. In short, this review does no justice to how amazing Lynn truly is. If you want someone who is knowledgeable, calm, and a great advocate make sure to have Lynn on your team. 

Kate B.

8/12/2016

My husband and I initially thought that Ursula was more doula than we might need, but we decided to go with her because we immediately liked her calm, take-charge energy and sense of humor. She turned out to be exactly the doula we needed, and working with her was possibly the smartest decision we made throughout my pregnancy. After my due date came and went and I was scheduled for an induction, Ursula patiently walked us through how that would go and what options I would have for maintaining freedom of movement, positioning, etc. When I went into labor the night before the scheduled induction, Ursula came to our house in the middle of the night even though it looked like we might have a long way to go. When my labor suddenly began to progress much faster, Ursula immediately realized what was going on and calmly got us out the door. She called the hospital (I delivered with the GW Midwives) and told them we were on our way in, and because the staff there know and respect her, they listened to her assessment! When I arrived at the hospital fully ready to push, I walked straight into the delivery room, and everyone was scrubbed in and ready to go. My baby girl was born healthy less than 30 minutes later! There were a couple complications during and after the delivery, but with Ursula by my side it didn't even occur to me to worry. She enabled me to access so much inner strength and is still a source of support to me now, even though my daughter is almost a year old.

Other than the intangibles, two things about Ursula are particularly noteworthy: first, she's really well-versed in pain coping techniques, so no matter how you're laboring she can get creative to help keep things manageable. Second, she has good and long-standing relationships with medical staff (at least at GW, where we were). I can't overstate how important that was for my birth experience.

Matthew Abrams

7/20/2016

We had the experience of working with Ursula beginning with her in-home group classes and as our Doula for our first daughter. From the father/husbands perspective, I am not sure I would have enjoyed the experience nearly as much if it weren't for Ursula's support, knowledge, humor and compassion. She ensured we were prepared for every step from start to finish and was an unbelievable resource for any questions or concerns we may have had. This made our decision very simple for our second and Ursula was our first call (even before family knew!) to ensure we could retain her services once again. I would highly recommend her or any of her partners for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum needs.

Megan Lucas

7/20/2016

Ursula was an essential part of my birth team. I had dreamed of an unmedicated, natural delivery since before I even wanted children of my own so once we got pregnant, I knew we needed a doula. Ursula came recommended by two of my mom friends so we decided to take her class and hire her as our birth doula. Throughout our pregnancy, she was no non-sense yet kind, honest and full of humor. She made my husband and I feel prepared, confident, and supported in the months, days, and hours leading up to our baby girl arriving. Two things I want to highlight: 1. Ursula was incredible at working with the team at the hospital, our midwife and nurse. She was so hands on and made sure I had everything I needed! 2. You can't beat the access and experience that come with working with Ursula. She has seen it all, knows so many tricks, and has more resources than you could imagine at her disposal. Thank you, Birth You Desire and Ursula!

Anne Clark Baker

5/5/2016

Lynn was an incredible presence throughout our pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and she was an absolutely critical force in making our birth experience a positive one.

Lynn's calm, compassionate demeanor, depth of knowledge and experience, and clear love of her job made her an invaluable guide. She put a great deal of time and effort into getting to know us well ahead of our due date, and made us feel like we were her sole focus in the days leading up to our birth. She was always readily available by phone and email, and met us at the hospital in the middle of the night to guide us through labor. Her ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with the other professionals in the delivery room made us feel immediately at home, and like we were part of a team.

She was by our side every step of the way, and had an uncanny ability to help us focus on comfort, relaxation and joy at the moments when we needed this the most. As first-time parents, we are so deeply thankful for her presence and contribution to bringing our son into the world. We came away from the experience with a great deal of trust and respect for Lynn, and would highly recommend her services to others. Thank you, Lynn - for the lasting gift you have given us!

-Anne & Rob Baker

Hannah Northey

2/11/2016

Lynn was fantastic and really put my husband and I at ease leading up to and throughout the delivery. She's easy to work with and put in extra time (and provided good advice) when we found out the baby was sunny side up. She worked well with the hospital staff and provided good information -  ultimately, I believe, helping me to avoid a C-section.  highly recommend Lynn and am very grateful she was present at the birth of our son. 

Tami

12/30/2015

Lynn is fabulous. She is incredibly calming and soothing, both before labor starts with any types of anxiety or concerns, and especially during labor. My labor with my son progressed quickly, and she helped me relax during contractions, both with her demeanor and her touch. At our request, Lynn drove us to the hospital, so I could concentrate on contractions and my wife could sit in the back with me. Once we got there, we had a few complications and she was very helpful in getting us through them as calmly as possible. Our son was born at 730 am, and once we were settled, she picked up breakfast for us, which was greatly appreciated. Then she stuck around to make sure that we were doing alright and that nursing appeared off to a good start.

Lynn has a whole bag of tricks to help with labor, among them massage, visualization, aroma therapy and the tens unit. Before becoming a doula, Lynn was a medical assistant at GWU-MFA's OB/midwives' office, which is a bonus if you are delivering at GWU: she already has good relationships with many of the OBs and midwives there.

Lynn is also very helpful with nervous partners. She was a calm, unflappable support for my wife, who was nervous about my giving birth.

I should have written this review sooner (my son is now 2 months old) because details have faded from my memory--but I can tell you this for sure: she was a phenomenally helpful presence and provided a lot of help and comfort during my labor and delivery.

Natalia Strukova

12/21/2015

It is so hard to put into words the thanks I want to give to Lynn. We were so incredibly blessed to have her as our doula. Lynn has very nice personality, great sense of humor and super calming voice which I would listen for hours! She is very knowledgeable, positive and generous with her time.

Lynn came highly recommended by our birth classes teacher and happened to be available around our due date. After meeting with her once, I knew she would be the perfect personality for our birthing experience. During labor she was calming to me and my husband. My husband was sort of lost without her guidance and he found her extremely helpful. She was able to help me to go through the pain during contractions and was absolutely amazing during the pushing part so I can honestly say that I don't think I would have made it without her. I ended up getting an epidural at 10 Cm due to exhaustion and pain and I like the fact that Lynn never made me feel guilty for choosing this path on my journey. Lynn is non-judgmental in any choices you want to make. She wants the birth to be what you want it to be.  She stayed with us for quite a while helping all along the way as needed. She made me feel comfort in having someone there after the birth that I could ask questions to.

Lynn was definitely a major part in our happy labor and was there to witness bringing our son into this world. For that, I will always be grateful to her! Thank you so much, Lynn!

Ann Kvasnicka

6/22/2015

I don't imagine many women describe childbirth as pleasant but having Lynn at the birth of my son made the experience just that.  Lynn made me feel confident that I could indeed handle childbirth and she helped me navigate the dizzying medical jargon.  Lynn had the perfect amount of interaction with myself, my husband and the medical staff and her soothing demeanor took away the fear that I had previously associated with childbirth. I would absoutely call on Lynn for the birth of my next child and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula.

Rebecca Stewart

6/6/2015

Lynn was fantastic and I wholeheartedly recommend her for any expecting mother. Lynn is very knowledgeable, and has a wonderfully radiant and positive presence that was helpful before, during, and after birth. She gave great guidance during my final weeks of pregnancy that helped prepare my body to be in optimal shape heading into labor. During labor she was full of helpful techniques, postures, and tools to manage the pain of childbirth. At the hospital Lynn was an outstanding advocate for me, and her solid rapport with the nurses and doctors was vital in getting me what I needed to have the best birth possible for me. I had a great experience with Lynn and am so happy that I was lucky enough to have her as my doula. Again, I recommend Lynn for anyone looking a calming, positive, helpful, knowledgeable, and effective doula.