Rishabh

3/2/2024

Aimee isn't just an amazing postpartum doula, she's basically a superhero for new parents (us!). Expressing how amazing she is feels as challenging as those first few months with a newborn.

Aimee's care for our little one went above and beyond our expectations. From comforting our daughter during her fussiest moments to providing emotional support for my wife, Aimee was there every step of the way. Aimee seamlessly coordinated with both sets of grandparents, making sure everyone felt comfortable and able to contribute positively to our new family dynamic. Both our parents adore Aimee, which speaks volumes about her warmth and professionalism.

One of the most remarkable things about Aimee is her genuine willingness to go above and beyond for her clients. She didn't just meet our needs; she anticipated them and went the extra mile to ensure that we felt supported and cared for every step of the way. We went through some rough patches with multiple hospital visits, and Aimee was our rock through it all. I honestly don't think we could have survived without her. She not only tended to the needs of our little one and my partner but also ensured that I, as a father, felt supported and equipped to navigate this new chapter of our lives. Her expertise helped us feel prepared right from the start. Even after her official doula period got over, Aimee still had our backs. She helped us find the perfect nanny, and was there to lend a hand when my wife needed surgery. Aimee even volunteered to help when our daughter struggled with taking a bottle.

Look, if you're new parents and feeling overwhelmed (because, duh!), Aimee is your saving grace. She's not just some professional, she's like a friend who gets it and wants to genuinely help your family thrive. Trust me, you won't regret having her on your team! She's the real MVP of parenthood. We highly recommend Aimee to any family seeking exceptional support during this pivotal time in their lives.

Karen

10/8/2023

You might be wondering if getting a postpartum doula is the right call, and you might want to know more about Aimee. Trying to provide the most helpful information for you, dear reader. Seeking help can sometimes be seen as a sign of weakness, with the constant pressure to be the perfect human, parent, and everything else in between. But if there is ever a point in your life to make space for help, it's postpartum. 

It's hard to describe the magic of Aimee. She saw what was needed and jumped in. Sure, there are the tasks of holding and soothing the baby, getting me what I needed when I had to pump/feed, playing with our older kid, tidying up our spaces... but then there's the invisible stuff. She was amazing company for us, for our older kid, and for my immigrant Asian mom. Respectful and friendly, no judgment, no awkwardness. All of our anxiety and stress levels went down. Worth noting that I'm Chinese and I was following the tradition of "sitting moon." And Aimee helped support me with that. She gave us the runway for us to heal and get to a good place, so we can be the best parents we can be.

Special note about the Doula Meet & Greet event that Aimee organizes:
It's like a good-spirited community fair - very warm and inviting. Highly recommend! Prior to the event, I was stressed out from work and feeling disconnected with my second pregnancy. But the Meet & Greet definitely helped me feel more excited about having another kid!

--About us--
In the household: mother, father, new baby, 3yo child, maternal grandmother, dog
Pregnancy & Birth: our second birth, vaginal @ Swedish, no notable injuries or circumstances
Doula schedule: Mon-Fri, 3-7pm for 6 weeks. We chose this time because we knew we needed help around when our older kid comes back from preschool at 5:30.

Lisa

8/11/2023

Aimee came into our lives at six weeks postpartum. She walked into our home and greeted me with "What do you need?" She folded laundry while listening to my birth story, she held my crying baby and got him to sleep, she clocked more tummy time with him than I ever could. She assured me that I was making the right choices and caring for my baby well, which as a new parent is so important to hear from someone who has experience!

Whenever we voiced a need Aimee would fill it, whether it was letting us borrow (and teaching us how to use) a baby carrier, or helping us figure out how to hire a nanny. I feel very lucky to be part of Aimee's orbit, I know that if I ever needed something that I could ask her and she would connect us to the right person. She made it possible for me to have the space to savor and cherish my time with my newborn and I'll be forever grateful for that.

Azi

12/7/2022

We had a wonderful experience with Aimee and I highly recommend her. She was our postpartum doula for the first three months after the birth of our baby. We came home knowing nothing but she had already made everything single detail ready and guided and helped us through everything throughout our “4th trimester”.

She is very knowledgeable and patiently helped us navigate all our questions and anxiety of first time parents. She brought us many things that we didn't even know we needed which we still use to this day. She even gave me some of her own gear to use so I don't have to buy since the baby was going to grow out of it fast. On many occasions she offered to run to the store for us to get a baby product that we needed. She has excellent work ethic and is very reliable. Absolutely recommend her!

Ruth-Anne

12/5/2022

Aimee is an absolutely fantastic postpartum doula and wonderful person. She supported our family through the first five weeks with our first and I'm not sure we could've done it without her! She brought rest, comfort, endless knowledge, and advice to our home, and genuine care for our family. 

Aimee let us know ahead of time that she would help us settle in the first night at home, even if that meant coming by during the weekend. She stopped by before baby was born to become familiar with our place and made some great product recommendations. Then when we came home on a Saturday night, she came over and prepared us for the first night alone. Over the next five weeks, our newborn spent so many hours comforted and cared for by Aimee - she has such a way with babies! We loved having her support with baby care so that we could have time to ourselves to nap and recover. Aimee checked in daily with me as a new mom and provided endless encouragement and reassurance through our many conversations.

It's clear that Aimee thinks about her families day and night and she would often arrive with new resources and referrals that seemed perfectly tailored to our family and what we needed. My husband and I cannot recommend her enough! 

Amanda

2/12/2022

We highly recommend Aimee's postpartum doula support! Aimee worked with us following the birth of our first child. She was generous and reliable with her time, kind to us and our baby, and provided so much support to us during an exciting and challenging time!

Aimee was very transparent about her COVID protocols, taking maximum precautions and communicating about this throughout our work together. She was one of the few people who had such close contact with our newborn, and we always felt safe working with her.

Aimee was also kind, gentle, and caring to our infant (and us!). She treated our kiddo with respect and both listened directly and took cues from us about our parenting preferences. We trusted that she would take great care of our little one when we were busy doing something else, and we felt super comfortable having her in our home. Aimee was easy to talk to and helped us understand our child's development and reflect on our early experiences. We really appreciated how, strengths-based and trauma-informed Aimee was in our interactions, particularly on the difficult days.

Aimee also took initiative to help us with non-baby things, like dishes, laundry, and other household tasks. Now that we’ve been without Aimee’s services for the past few months, we *really* notice the difference and how much she had been doing to help us out. She would often find extra helpful things to take care of without asking, which was greatly appreciated when we were overwhelmed with being new parents!

When we were looking for extra help (prenatally and postpartum), Aimee helped connect us with other great resources and provide referrals to her colleagues and knowledgable, trusted professionals.

Working with Aimee was a fantastic experience and we would recommend her to anyone else seeking postpartum doula services. She is responsible, communicative, compassionate, helpful, and respectful! 

Sriya

1/3/2022

Aimee is a rockstar! I would recommend her to my family and friends in a heartbeat. She took very little time to ramp up and instantly became an integral part of our small family.

We hired Aimee to help with our baby’s feeding, to engage him, and and to help with his overall development. She did all of the above and more. She read to him, took him on walks, and found fun and creative ways to engage him and make him laugh. My son absolutely loves her! She brought him some of his favorite toys, he still uses the blankie she got him. Aimee is very Covid cautious, takes social distancing seriously, and takes Covid tests often. I was reassured to know that our baby was always safe, comforted, and happy with her.

Although this was not part of her job, Aimee checked in on the parents often and found ways to make us more comfortable and rested. She helped with household tasks even though she didn’t have to. She is a master organizer. It took her less than an hour to organize our incredibly messy closet. 

Aimee always goes the extra mile. She has been available over weekends and after hours to give advice. Aimee and her wonderful husband even came over a weekend and setup the crib for us.
She brought us baby carriers, closet organizers, a stroller, pack n’ play crib, and so many more. She has saved me a ton of money, especially on stuff that the baby would soon grow out of.

Although immensely knowledgeable, she was not too proud to listen to us and was fantastic at following instructions. She is very open minded and is receptive to different cultures. She got along with the grandparents and our dog pretty well.

If you can’t tell by now, I enthusiastically recommend Aimee, it is rare to find someone like her and I don’t know how we got so lucky. I think she will be a great addition to her future family, her love and care for tiny humans is incredible.

Matt and Rachel

3/24/2021

We were fortunate to have Aimee's help following the birth of our second kiddo.  Due to COVID, we weren't able to get our parents' assistance, so she was an important lifeline during this difficult time. She provided great moral support and gave excellent advice (stuff we wished we would have known our first time around).  

Her COVID precautions were great, and gave us comfort that she wasn't an exposure risk.  She was also great with our three-year old , and helped alleviate any jealousy or other potential problems.  In fact, she made the three-year old into a good helper and collaborator in the post-partum process. Those good habits and behaviours remained after Aimee transitioned away.  Our three year old still speaks of her fondly. 

One of Aimee's superpowers was anticipating our needs and being able to know what to do around the house without a lot of guidance (she had the right amount of initiative). Her solutions to our problems or questions have helped us improve our own habits/behaviors.  She's definitely a great resource and we were very lucky to have had her support. 

Simina

2/28/2021

We were so fortunate to have Aimee as our postpartum doula. As new parents during a pandemic, with almost no experience with babies, and no family in the area that could help, Aimee was our only help during those first few months. We really appreciated how thoughtful, caring and skillful was in all aspects - she always arrived early, took great care of our daughter and calmed her even during the fussiest times, prepared delicious, nourising food for us, and gave us many tips related to newborn care, breastfeeding and parenting.

From the moment we met, Aimee fit right in, and we felt so at ease having her around. I still remember what a huge difference she made from the first day she came - she knew instantly how to calm a crying baby, brought us a really good home-made, seasonal soup, I got to take a long, restful nap, and my husband went for a run. Depending on the day, sometimes she would put baby to sleep or play with her, cook a meal for us (always healthy and vegetarian according to our diet), clean the kitchen and spend time talking to us whenever we needed support. Aimee is super empathic and also has a good sense of humor. She was also super quick to reply to any of my texts whenever i had any questions.

Aimee is knowledgeable and could answer our many, many questions and provide additional resources. She tought us how to calm a fussy baby using different techniques, she showed me multiple breastfeeding positions, and even how to give baby a bottle. I also appreciated that she cared about our preferences - for instance, I was firm in encouraging independent sleep even during those first few weeks and not let our baby fall asleep in our arms. Aimee made sure to respect our preferences and I could trust her fully at all times.

Finally, Aimee was extremely safe when it comes to Covid-19 precautions and was expecting the same from us, which was perfect for our team. 

Emily G

9/15/2020

We thankfully met Aimee this winter just before our second little one arrived.  The same week our baby was born, the COVID crisis went into full swing along with the choas of lockdown etc. Not sure what we would have done without her. 

We LOVED Aimee!

We didn’t know about post partum doulas with our first but being new to Green Lake and to Seattle with our second, our midwives suggested the idea.  We found Aimee and were so lucky we did! It was so great to have an extra pair of hands in those first 6 weeks postpartum and honestly less complicated than relying on family - which we couldn't have anyways due to travel bans etc.

If you are looking for a solid, super helpful, caring and professional support person who takes social distancing seriously, then Aimee is awesome. She helped us manage the transition to two in the challenging first months of Covid Lockdown. We had no other support people and she really did help us muddle through in those early days. Preserved my sanity - especially when my husband had to go back to work!

Aimee was quick to jump into action when she came over in the mornings, helped with any task we needed, gave lots of baby cuddles so I could have a break, provided mom with lots of snacks and sometimes just tired mommy conversation.  

Welcoming a new baby literally in the first weeks of COVID was unchartered territory for everyone but Aimee maintained her composure, shared our concerns, and maintained open communication so that everyone felt comfortable with expectations and managing feelings around covid etc. She was very easy to talk to.

We highly recommend Aimee for any family who is searching for a friendly doula who can blend into their family life and chaos seamlessly. We wish we could have had her stay forever.

Robert

12/28/2019

As a dad, I can say that Aimee was a true gift to us in those first few months after our daughter was born. While much of a postpartum doula's focus is the birthing person and new baby, it's hard to express how incredible an impact it can have on the whole family.

Aimee took care of us and helped us feel prepared right from the very beginning. She helped us prep our home and the baby stations before the birth. She sent us the most amazing list of things to get in advance (we had too many lists from other people -- we just ended up getting everything she suggested and it worked out perfectly!) And she even helped coordinate our homecoming with baby, working that weekend no less. 

That coordination piece was huge and this was one of the most amazing things about working with Aimee. If you have any other folks helping you (night doulas, lactation consultants, cranial sacral therapists to help with tongue tie, etc.), it ends up being a lot to schedule and arrange. Aimee did all of this and made it flow completely seamlessly. So lucky given that we were in no shape to do that the first few weeks! She also is plugged into an incredible network of people, all thoroughly vetted and both skilled and kind like she is. It was invaluable to us to get connected into the this world so completely through Aimee.

She was also amazing with visiting family, helping family find their place in the fourth trimester world. She's so warm and welcoming that it allowed everyone to feel relaxed. She's also a master of helping navigate how to include family while protecting mom and baby in a vulnerable time. Everyone loved her!

For partners out there, I couldn't recommend her more highly. As I said, it was not only a gift to mom and our new baby, but her care, wisdom, humor and network helped make a potentially stressful and bewildering time one of joy and ease for our entire family.

Jill

12/26/2019

I cannot possibly recommend Aimee enough! She was an absolute dream to work with. She truly went above and beyond in caring for our family and I honestly don't know what we would have done without her! She showed up early and stayed late every single day. She kept our house sparkly clean and so well organized. She was always there with a kind ear and words of encouragement. She took exquisite care of me, especially in the early postpartum days when I was overwhelmed and exhausted. And most of all, she absolutely adored our baby. We felt so confident and comfortable knowing that she was caring for our child. And we learned so much from her about how to be present, attentive, playful and caring caregivers. She also was an amazing resource for connecting us to other practitioners such as lactation consultants, tongue tie assessments, craniosacral practitioners and more. And she is simply a lovely person to be around. Aimee is the best and we love her! 

Valentina & Ryan Bello

6/3/2019

We hired Aimee to support us with our son’s arrival on February 4th. This was one of the best decisions we have made as Aimee not only did that—she was also an amazingly positive influence on the wellbeing of our infant and myself! She was tremendously helpful with pretty much everything during this time, and she needed very little to no direction, which was very nice as it gave me the opportunity focus on bonding with my baby and on healing and resting. Aimee is incredibly kind and gentle, has a warm, generous, and assertive personality, and made me feel very supported and understood. She was amazing with my baby, who definitely loved her (he misses her, and I do, too!) She was also very knowledgeable and helped me establish a good network of people to help me during this time (for example, she helped me find a great postpartum massage therapist). From organizing my baby’s room to printing insurance forms, and helping me figure our the best bottle for my son, she always had a fantastic and pertinent suggestion at hand. 

We miss her tremendously and feel very fortunate to have found her, and have had her be part of our son’s first months of life (we credit her in part for him being such a chill and calm baby!) We cannot recommend her enough and are very grateful for her. 

Eva Reese

1/5/2019

There aren’t enough words to describe how grateful we are that Aimee came into our lives to transition this new mom back to work.

As a new mom I was pretty terrified of trusting anyone to look after my infant alone with me away. That quickly dissipated once I saw how organized, thoughtful and caring Aimee was, not only to our daughter but with the whole family.

It’s very clear that Aimee is an experienced doula and nanny. She could magically calm my baby and get her to sleep every day. And do light housekeeping when the baby went down!!!Something that I thought was an impossible task but she did it with such ease I was in awe.

When I would come into work or partnering conflicts Aimee would always give me some insight into how to navigate my circumstance which I found so helpful and thoughtful that I’m really sad that it is no longer a daily occurrence.

Aimee truly is a unicorn. Any mom, baby or family would be lucky to have her help you navigate these early month murky waters. She sets the bar high, so be forewarned that you may never find anyone else that sets the same standards she establishes for herself.

Genevieve Estudillo

11/13/2018

My husband and I used started working with Aimee when my little one was six weeks old. She really helped me transition to the life of a full time mom when my husband returned to work.

It was very difficult for me to let a new person into our home and entrust them with my new baby. Aimee made me feel comfortable and cared for and she soon felt like a member of our family.

She helped with the everyday chores that seem to pile up when there's a new baby. It's hard to think straight when you're a new mom and Aimee was great about anticipating my needs without having to be asked. Laundry and dishes were always clean, water and snacks were always available and naps were always encouraged.

But more important than the practical supportl, Aimee was a great companion who offered tons of emotional support. I found her very easy to talk to and I never felt judged. She helped me build my confidence, helped me set up routines and introduced me to new baby products that have really helped.

I've now been on my own for the last few weeks and I feel comfortable and confident with my little one and a lot of that confidence comes from Aimee's support.

Nicolie Simonson

8/26/2018

Our family had the amazing luck of having Aimee Strader as the postpartum doula to myself and my fourth baby, Nadav. Aimee has a sweet and caring disposition, matched by her ability to wordlessly assess the situation and jump in with what is most helpful. Big projects like closets being reorganized would magically be done all as she continually chipped away at each and everything that could have been potentially burdensome to a new mom. In addition to being the lovliest person, I’m honestly not sure I've met anyone more naturally suited for their professional calling as Aimee is for being a postpartum doula.

Yael Simonson

8/7/2018

Aimee Strader was my daughter in law’s postpartum doula for about four months (after their third child was born).
I am the grandmother who came by daily to be with the two older children (four and two year old girls).

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect doula!

Aimee very quickly bonded with the baby and everyone felt calm and reassured while she was tending to him. My daughter in law was able to get as much rest as she needed while knowing that the baby was being cared for by such a loving and competent person.

Aimee also very quickly figured out how the household functions and where the greatest needs are. If the baby was sleeping in the crib, she would sit quietly in his room and fold laundry (and with a baby and two toddlers there was always tons of laundry to fold!). If the older girls were feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything, and I was busy, Aimee was quick to step in and provide support (giving hugs, doing puzzles with them, etc). The girls absolutely adore her!!

Aimee is a terrific listener and she provided my daughter in law with great emotional support and wonderful advice. Also, when a lactation consultant was needed, there was Aimee with a great referral.

And finally, Aimee has this great ability to do many things very quietly, with no fan fare and without intruding.

I could go on and on because it has been such a perfect experience. Everyone in the family absolutely loves Aimee, and I know that she will remain a part of that family for a very long time.

Ozy Delafield

2/20/2018

Aimee is absolutely amazing!  When I first got home, I had horrible postpartum anxiety and had no idea what to do.  I was so scared to be alone with my daughter and was really overwhelmed with everything. Aimee saved me!  She’s incredibly kind, knowledgeable, compassionate and giving. My daughter loves being around her and she’s incredible with babies. I never get frustrated with my daughter because I have Aimee there helping me along the way. I honestly can’t say enough good things about her!

Hiring her was the best decision I’ve made and I highly recommend her.  I’ve already told her that I want to hire her with my next baby. :)

Amy Hirotaka

12/6/2017

Aimee has provided wonderful and compassionate support to our family. She is curious and responsive, and approaches all challenges with a personalized strategy (no one-size-fits-all attempts). Her support of me during my postpartum period, and my baby during the tender months of early infancy, has been incredibly valuable. I highly recommend her to any family seeking help with anything from breastfeeding to helping the household run smoothly.

A.L.

10/24/2017

We highly recommend Aimee! Our family began working with Aimee as first-time parents when our newborn son was 6 weeks old. During our initial meeting we quickly sensed a strong, positive rapport, and were eager to begin working together. In our situation, we were blessed with a healthy and resilient son, however had a number of postpartum complications for mom, including repeat hospitalization, surgery and treatment for a severe infection. Our initial goals in working with Aimee were to help our whole family come back to full health, and for mom and baby to have greater independence while mom is on leave, such that we could gain a level of confidence to manage, and thrive in our "new normal" together.

Each engagement with Aimee has been a positive, and many times significant step toward these goals. Whether gaining new knowledge and experience with breastfeeding (including the intimidating step of feeding in public), a wealth of newborn care information and role-modeling, and importantly, how to ensure us parents are prioritizing (even glimpses of) self-care such as nutrition and sleep, and filling our own cups in order to be more fully available to each other and our son.

While Aimee may not have many years of doula experience, she brings a wealth of applicable life and professional experience, and an innate sensibility, drive, intuition and initiative that are incredibly valuable, and difficult to teach. I've learned so much from simply watching her interact with our son, and narrate those interactions and the cues she is responding to.  Additionally, in many cases Aimee has seen and taken the reins on related household projects, creating systems to organize the chaos, giving the gift of sustainable support and relief we didn't even know we needed.

Our transition to parenthood has been more manageable, enjoyable, successful and sustainable because of Aimee! If we decide on baby #2, we hope to work with Aimee again.