Tammara Hanna

3/15/2024

Emerald was incredibly supportive and informative throughout my pregnancy and post partum. While I was unable to have the "natural" birth, my partner and I were able to rely on Emerald for guidance and calmness before, during and after my c section.  My partner expressed immense gratitude for Emerald because of her knowledge and ability to support me during a process where he was unsure how to provide comfort. She also gave him guidance and emotional check ins that he was grateful for as well. I would recommend Emerald's services to any person needed birth services.

Priya Goncalves

2/29/2024

Emerald was such a huge help during my labor and postpartum. When she came into the room it was an instant calm. I went through a long and stressful induction process and had to do multiple interventions I didn't want. She made sure that all the things that I could get done like low lighting, warm compress on the perineum, music and minimal interruptions were advocated for and respected. She made she that I was comfortable at all times. Her voice was extremely soothing and made me relaxed. She empowered me to speak up at the doctors office for my wants and needs. In my postpartum visits she made sure that I had enough support and debriefed with me over my birth experience. She treated me like family. Overall I highly recommend Emerald!! 

Jazmine

2/23/2024

As a mom to a one year old, and pregnant with my second child (due in 2 months), I decided I needed a doula.  I was nauseous my whole pregnancy, working two jobs and going to school.  Feeling overwhelmed with more appointments, my doctor informed me about possibly getting a doula.  The very next day I had encountered a doula, and she motivated me.  My home visitor came up with a list of doulas in my area who were covered by my medical.  I found Emerald's name and reached out to her asap since I was due very soon. She was able to have a phone conversation with my spouse and I and answer all of our questions.  Right away, she supported me and my family before giving birth, during labor and after (post-partum).  She made us all feel comfortable.  Emerald is very helpful, nonjudgmental and wonderful!  She was available mornings, afternoons, evenings in-person or phone.  She assisted with not just the baby but chores around the house, so that I can shower or do something for myself.  I breastfed so if I had any questions she pointed me in the right direction.  After maternity leave I went back to school and work, she helped me with the babies' pm routines so I can study for my exams as well. I am very thankful for her and I highly recommend.

Katherine Cifuentes

2/20/2024

I have had the immense pleasure of working with Emerald twice now. She helped me mentally prepare prior to both labor processes and was able to help keep me so calm during both labors. She is always there, ready with her expertise, guidance, and helpful tips on all things baby, pregnancy and postpartum. Emerald has truly made my experience easier and more enjoyable than I could have imagined. She now feels like family and will always be a wonderful part of my birthing stories. 

Carissa Damoura

10/15/2023

Honestly my experience giving birth was amazing, thanks to Emerald. She was all that I needed and more :) I highly recommend her! 

Carissa Damoura

10/11/2023

Honestly my experience giving birth was amazing, thanks to Emerald. She was all that I needed and more :) I highly recommend her! 

Cristina

1/9/2023

I can't say enough good things about Emerald.

She is an amazing Doula. 

She answered all the questions and made sure to talk about all the important parts of planning for birth. 

She has VISUALS (Perfect for me being a visual learner) 

She gave me insight into what the day would be like. She was 100% on point. It was reassuring and calming that we planned for how the birth would go no matter what. 

She showed up and she was wonderful company while waiting, but so supportive and right there for the work parts. 

I felt secure, I felt in charge and I felt safe! Thanks to her advocating for my choices and reminding me that I'm in charge. 

Emerald, you're a one of a kind and beautiful soul. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

Skaya and Jason

12/27/2022

I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through birth without Emerald. Her expertise, wisdom, kindness, and foresight were so valuable and needed. I was induced at 37 weeks due to gestational hypertension. Nothing went as planned. It was Emerald who really helped me internalize the fact about birth: that you can't plan for birth completely. My induction had to be stopped halfway through because there were so many people having babies that there was no delivery room available. Then, after birth, I had pre-eclampsia twice and kidney stones. Baby had low blood sugar and jaundice. I have some medical trauma and she helped me navigate a medical system that has a hard time understanding that. She has also been helpful and reassuring regarding our breastfeeding journey. We are so grateful! Thank you Emerald! 

Jenny Bautista-Ravreby

9/24/2022

I have had the opportunity to work with Emerald on both the personal and professional side. I first invited her to hold a couple of doula informational sessions at my job, Blue Cross and Blue Shield. She was very knowledgable and well spoken when it came to sharing more about the vital role that doulas play in supporting the emotional well-being of pregnant people. I enjoyed working with her and knew that when I got pregnant, I would want her to be my doula. Shortly after I became pregnant, my husband and I got a chance to connect with her personally. From day 1, she centered her support around our specific needs. She took the time to get to know us, our style, and how we envisioned our pregnancy, labor and delivery experience to be. Her prenatal visits were extremely helpful to us as new parents and she was always a text away when we had questions. We took time to plan out my birth plan and discussed the ways that I wanted to be supported. When my water broke on a Tuesday morning, I texted her immediately. I laboured at home for half of the day, as we had originally planned and she stayed connected with me throughout the day to coach me through. She arrived at the hospital soon after we had gotten there. She immediately familiarized herself with our nurse and doctor, and set up the room as we had previously discussed. We had the lights off, tea lights around the room, and lavender oil burning on a diffuser. She also started helping me through contractions, coaching me through my breathing exercises and with massages. She helped keep me cool, calm and collected. Emerald worked with my husband for the pushing piece and was there when we welcomed our baby girl. We are both so thankful to have had her be a part of our birth team, providing us support and being the liasion with the hospital staff. She checked in with us after the birth and ensured we had everything we needed postpartum. I would highly recommend Emerald for your doula services. 

Maia Pons

8/4/2022

Emerald’s knowledge, experience, and calming demeanor was exactly what we needed during my birth. Having someone around who understood the hospital, process and was easy to talk to and be around was an incredible resource in a very vulnerable time. Emerald’s presence also allowed my partner to do things like eat and go outside without guilt that he was leaving me alone. Even when my birth didn’t go as planned, I knew the new plan was necessary and felt safe and supported. 

Kassiana Sumbundo

8/18/2021

Choosing Emerald and making a connection with her was one of the best decisions I have ever made! Because of Emerald I was able to have my natural birth like we discussed in my birth plan, she made my boyfriend and I very confident in our decisions  in the hospital the day of delivery, she advocated for us when we needed it , stood with us the entire time , guiding us through everything especially as first time parents not knowing what to expect. She is the best of the best!! Even after I came home from the hospital and had questions and needed lactation consultants she was on it and got me connected right away now I'm on a successful path towards best feeding all thanks to Emerald!! Thank you for being right there with me the entire time!

Akua

3/17/2021

Words can't express how grateful I am to have found Emerald! Halfway through my pregnancy, my partner and I moved to Rhode Island to be closer to family during the pandemic. We had been planning a homebirth in L.A with an excellent birthteam, so I was initially discouraged when I had to start my doula search all over again, in a state I was wholely unfamiliar with. As a woman of color, I was hoping to work with a doula who was aware and informed about the black maternal health crisis in America, and who could support me in feeling safe and empowered throughout pregnancy/labor. As soon as we spoke I knew Emerald, with her warm and grounded confidence, was the doula for me. 

Emerald had extensive familiarity with each hospital and the various care providers in Rhode Island and immediately got me up to speed with the best options available to me. When I expressed apprehensions about whether or not I would need to be transfered to the hospital during my homebirth, Emerald invited me to vocalize my fears and concerns but also helped remind me of my capacity to have the birth I truly wanted. By the end of my pregnancy I felt empowered, informed and confident that I could get through labor without hospital intervention.

Emerald was keen to involve my partner in the entire process and went out of her way to ensure we all felt adequately-acquainted before labor. Emerald is equipped with so many resources, techniques and perspectives to approach labor; we couldn't have felt more supported and ready. When I went into labor, Emerald showed up and instantly put me at ease. She and the midwife worked seemlessly together to support me in delivering our child. It was absolute magic. I look back at my birth and postpartum experience and am so proud and touched by the care I received; a type of care everyone is deserving of. I highly recommend Emerald to anyone seeking an informed and empowered birth experience; she is a gift to the world of birthwork.

Romina Ramos (first time mom/30 yrs old)

2/22/2021

I flew from St. Croix to Rhode Island to give birth in my home state for better care. A relative recommended me a doula for a safe and rich experience. I came across Emerald on doulamatch. After reading her testimonials, I immediately contacted her. She was super responsive, flexible and empathetic.

Emerald guided me on my pregnancy and birth journey. All of her tips, recommendations and information were extremely helpful to me as a first time mom. Doulas come with expertise going to different hospitals. I wanted to conceive a natural water birth without any induction. She recommended me a hospital that had great maternity care, and a group of midwives & OB/GYN’s that were about working with the women’s body in the most natural way, rather than being invasive (unless necessary). I appreciated her input, and I am so thankful to come across her. 

I didn't do a water birth, due to a busy week of labor at the hospital. Nonetheless, we carried on and Emerald helped me through ball exercises. I had to be induced 5 times in order for my cervix to soften and dilate. She stayed right by my side when my contractions became intense. Before I delivered, I ended up taking an epidural shot, because the pain was unbearable. I had a safe vaginal delivery in the afternoon with a beautiful baby girl. Looking back, I can’t imagine giving birth without Emerald. She was my rock from the beginning to the end. When my emotions were up and down, she kept me sane, and constantly reminded me to breathe in and out.

A lot of things changed for me from my original plan, but everything played out safe with patience. When I had to make decisions, I always asked for Emerald's opinion before deciding. I didn't have my partner with me, only my mom and Emerald, which was enough support for me. I will always remember my birth experience when I look at my baby. I highly recommend Emerald to anyone who is looking for an unpretentious doula. 

Stephanie Perches

11/15/2020

Emerald did my placenta encapsulation and I am so grateful. She was professional and informative while also being very supportive. This postpartum recovery has been relatively easy and I believe encapsulating my placenta helped contribute to aiding my milk supply and helping with my hormones and mood. I highly recommend Emerald's services!  

Lucy

11/11/2020

I know that Emerald’s presence and support at my birth enabled me to have the natural child birth I knew I was capable of. When I first met Emerald I was drawn to her warmth and enthusiasm for childbirth education. In my prenatal visits she helped me feel more confident in the birth process. I wondered how her outgoing personality would fit in the birth room and was so impressed by her. When she arrived to support us it was like she had turned on a different part of herself. One that was in tune with everyone in the room, especially me. She was helpful to the nursing staff, made my partner feel more confident in supporting me and never overshadowed him, and responded to each of my contractions with counter pressure massage that helped me get through them drug free. I know I wouldn’t have been able to take them for as long as I did without her support. All I had to do was make a small noise and she would dash over to me and apply strong pressure to my back. She did this for over 12 hours. When it was time to push, she was on one side of me and my husband was on the other. They were both incredibly encouraging and after our beautiful baby was born and snuggled in for skin-to-skin Emerald let us have family time. She has been checking in since birth and so far we had one helpful postpartum visit. I can’t wait to see her again for our final visit. I will highly recommend a full spectrum doula to any woman having a baby and they can trust Emerald to help them have a calm and comfortable childbirth.

Sarah D

11/4/2020

Emerald was fantastic with our  twins. She was able to single-handedly balance their evening feeds and fussies so we could get some much needed sleep. Emerald has a strong sense of when babies are stirring and showing feeding cues so she often caught them before they starting fussing or crying.  She always cleaned up after her bottle feeds and often completed extra tasks like folding laundry or cleaning a spare cup left in the sink.

Emerald is extremely courteous and professional. She is a great resource for breastfeeding moms, new moms, and moms with multiple children. I greatly valued her advice on different breastfeeding issues. Her warm and generous personality made her very easy to work with. I would 100% hire her again and strongly recommend her to any parent with a young baby (or two) who need extra support. 

Wilmaris

10/31/2020

This was my first experience having a doula to support my pregnancy and I am so grateful that I got the chance to work with Emerald. After experiencing two consecutive second trimester losses for different reasons, being pregnant a third time with no living children was extremely scary and anxiety inducing for me. Therefore, I knew that I would need additional support this pregnancy to ensure that I had the best outcome possible. When I first reached out to Emerald, she immediately made me feel comfortable and was empathetic to my pregnancy after losses journey. She was intentional about checking in with me throughout my pregnancy, even during the early stages and was inclusive of my partner which to me made a world of a difference. As labor got closer, Emerald really empowered me to trust myself and to feel more confident about my pregnancy, labor and delivery. Her suggestions of hypnobirthing and mindfulness was extremely helpful especially during labor and delivery, where I really had to put those techniques to use. Being affirmed by Emerald made me feel heard, which was important to me as a loss mom. Even in my most anxious moments, Emerald remained calm and was able to provide me with the support that I needed. She spent over a day with my partner and I during labor and delivery and was patient, calm and supportive during that whole time making us feel important and that our birth mattered. I would recommend Emerald to any mother especially a mom who experienced loss. Although I had an amazing team at the hospital, I don't think I would have been able to feel as comfortable, calm and empowered as I did the day of my delivery without Emerald's support.

Stephanie

10/3/2020

Having Emerald by our side through the last semester of pregnancy was such a blessing. Emerald went above and beyond to ensure we were taken care of. She answered every single pregnancy question a first-time mom could ever ask, even the dumb ones. She provided all the information we needed, including videos, online articles, etc... Emerald and I were always in touch around my delivery date, and when it was time to deliver, she came to the hospital as soon as I gave her a call. She arrived super prepared with everything needed to make this process less painful. She cames prepped with her essential oils, lights, massage things, literally, every single thing you can possibly need. It was a busy night at the hospital, and the hospital was short-staffed. If it were not for Emerald, that night would have been a nightmare. She was beyond helpful and supportive to myself and my partner. Emerald humbly become more than a one-time doula, even four months after my delivery, Emerald has stayed in touch to make sure the transition, postpartum, and baby care has been going well. She still made herself available for questions. To be honest, having Emerald throughout this process was a tremendous blessing. Now, I cannot imagine giving birth without a doula as great as Emerald. She was the highly experienced, knowledgeable, and supportive doula we were looking for.

Emerald, you are a blessing. You are amazing. Thank you for the work you do every day to support women through this very important stage of their lives. Thank you for advocating for the rights of women like myself. My husband has already made it clear you are our doula for the rest of our kids haha, May God bless you tremendously. 

Stephanie Hernandez

9/23/2020

I just had a baby girl in the height of Covid in June 2020. This was my last pregnancy and I wanted to do things naturally for the first time. Unfortunately, my wish to have a natural waterbirth was derailed because of Covid. I was heartbroken, but then I met Emerald. She helped me find the strength and light that I didn’t know that I had within me. Talking to her was so calming! She provided me with the most gentle and informative prenatal and post-natal support. I love herbs and essential oils, so does she. It was nice to have things in common with my doula. Our conversations felt so fluid. When I went into labor, she helped me meet my number one birthing goal which was to have a low intervention natural birth. What I love the most about Emerald is that even though I can be a tricky person to deal with, she gets me... she gave me the space that I needed and never pressured me to do anything that I didn’t want to do. After birth, I felt like I gained a friend because she was always so consistent with checking up on me to see If I needed anything. I strongly believe that made a huge impact in my birthing experience. Her words of endearment and encouragement kept me strong so I didn’t fall into a postpartum depressive state like I did with my other pregnancies. I will always be forever grateful for the service that she provided, especially during this crazy time in our world. She made my partner feel so comfortable that even he reached out to her to talk at one point. Thank you for being there for us. Thank you for helping me bring my beautiful little Luna into this world. I couldn’t have done it without you! 

Ana Sofia De Brito

8/5/2020

I received a recommendation for placental encapsulation from my doula Jesse Rosene De Brito, and I'm glad she sent me to Emerald. Emerald was super professional, answered my texts/inquiries in a timely manner, explained everything via a phone consult and was thorough with her contract. Her actual services were even better. She came to my home and worked quietly and efficiently and cleaned up afterwards. Everything was handled safely and very hygienic. Would recommend her to anyone I know who wants to encapsulate their placenta. 

Anne

7/14/2020

Emerald was wonderful to work with. She gave clear instructions on how to handle the placenta prior to her coming to my home. I worked with Emerald during the pandemic and she had significant precautions in place to keep both herself and my family safe while she was working in my home. I can't recommend her services enough. 

Tiffany C

4/24/2019

My experience with Emerald was great. She was very informative of what my options were for my birth. She was supportive in my decisions in how I wanted my birth to go. Emerald provided a wealth of resources and information. She was present for my entire birth and actually arrived at the hospital before I did. Upon me arriving to the hospital she never left my side. Emerald followed up with me twice at home after I gave birth. During those visits she helped with dishes and demonstrated how to baby wear and belly bind. I am pleased with her services and would use her again in the future.

Nikki Ramos

4/1/2019

Having Emerald as my doula was such a big help. Giving birth to my first child was such a crazy experience and because of her i was able to remain calm the entire time. Even the times i went into preterm labor she was right beside me and spoke for me when i felt i wasn’t being listened too. She taught me techniques for not  letting fear take over me, and instead to embrace the little bit of pain i would feel in order to have the greatest blessing life has to offer. I’m so thankful to have had her during the most important event in my life. 

Breanne Sanchez

3/29/2019

Emerald Ortiz was my Doula throughout my recent pregnancy in 2018. She stood by my side from the moment I shared the news with her up until the delivery of my twin boys , up until this very day! Her aura is amazing and she holds alot of knowledge due to her extensive training and passion. When you meet her you will know, this is not her job it is her purpose.