Christy Van Den Heuvel

10/17/2023

Delivering my babies unmedicated mattered a lot to me. My mother passed before I became pregnant with my first son and it was difficult not being able to share that joy with her or ask questions about her pregnancy with me. The one thing I knew (because I heard the story every year on my birthday) is that she delivered me unmedicated and I arrived at a whopping 11lbs 1oz! She squeezed my father's hand so hard his fingers went numb! To me, it was an incredible testimonial of her strength and I knew I wanted to live that same experience. I delivered my first son in Colorado and found an amazing doula who I came to call the MVP of that childbirth experience. She enabled the exact birth experience I imagined and I couldn't be more grateful to her. Fast forward 3 years, we've moved to Idaho Falls, and I'm pregnant with our second son. My very first priority was to find a doula and I'm so grateful I found Julie. For my due date timeframe there were only two doulas available in Idaho Falls and Julie was by far the more experienced. When my husband and I first met with her we quickly knew she'd be the right one to help me achieve another unmedicated delivery. Julie is kind, thoughtful, and motherly. My husband especially appreciated when Julie asked how she could support him. This led to her teaching him how to provide counter pressure during contractions and him playing a more active role during my labor. I appreciated how attentive she was to my needs. She also provided several hours of postpartum support when I needed help transitioning our son to the crib and this proved invaluable to me. I tried so many times and felt so discouraged but she took over for one night and got him sleeping in the crib! She taught me her techniques and it's been a success every night since. I can't thank Julie enough for all she's done to support me and my family. I appreciate her so much and highly recommend her services.

Teri Corless

3/15/2023

Words are not enough to express how thankful we are for finding Julie at such a vulnerable and special time in our lives. Her care, compassion and expertise made all the difference in bringing our son into this world and was beyond what we could have ever hoped for in a Doula and friend.  My labor and birth did not go as planned and was very long. Julie stayed right by my side every step of the way calming mine and my husbands fears. After hours and hours of labor and very little sleep she continued to radiate compassion for my birth process and helped us navigate the changes to my story. She will forever be a cherished memory in our sons birth story and we are so so thankful for all she did for us. 

Madison & William

10/3/2022

We are so happy we hired Julie for our birth doula. Julie helped us achieve our goal of having an unmedicated twin birth. Julie provided us with prenatal resources leading up to the birth and helped us talk through our birth plan. She also virtually met with us multiple times prior to the birth, attended one of my prenatal appointments, and met with us after the birth as well. When I went into labor, Julie met us at the hospital and helped me through my contractions by providing pain management tactics such as counter pressure, breathing techniques, and hydrotherapy. She was also pivital in helping me to avoid continuous fetal monitoring and internal fetal monitoring, and I was instead able to go through labor with just intermittent fetal monitoring. Julie was also incredibly helpful when it came to the pushing phase and provided me with additional counterpressure, sips of water, and a hand to hold. She also helped get both babies latch immediately after birth. My husband and I were so happy to have Julie with us during my entire labor and delivery and could not imagine our birth without her there and cannot thank her enough. We cannot recommend Julie enough!

Alleigh

2/26/2022

Finding and hiring Julie was the best decision my husband and I made in regards to our birth. We first attended her birth classes and then had her attend the birth. 

She was fabulous. I had an unmedicated birth, and just when I though I wasn't able to do much more, Julie was right there with my husband giving counter pressure. She was also a great advocate for us with all the nurses coming in and out. If we are still in the area I would 100% hire Julie to be our doula for the birth of our second child. 

Annie Hallstrom

3/30/2021

Julie is absolutely wonderful. She was there for me whenever I had questions or concerns regarding my birth plan and helped calm my fears regarding labor and doctors. I have an anxiety disorder specifically surrounding doctors and medical procedures and Julie was very patient and kind to me despite my fears. I took her birth and postpartum prep class and would highly recommend this to anyone preparing for labor and being a new parent. Julie is very professional to work with while remaining warm and kind. At my son's birth, she stood by my side and helped me understand exactly what was going on and reassured me when I was afraid or unsure of myself. Julie stood up for me and helped me advocate my desire to avoid a C-Section and explore other options when my doctor started pushing me in that direction. She helped me gain confidence in myself as a woman able to achieve what my body was made for. Not only that, but she was next to me as they placed my little angel on my chest. I loved being able to share that moment with her. I am very pleased to have met her and loved having her as a doula. I highly recommend her if you are considering hiring a doula or postpartum support person. 

Lorraine

9/3/2020

I found myself pregnant in my third trimester during Covid 19. I needed help! My out of state support was in isolation and unable to come help me. Julie was recommended to me as a post-partum doula. She is wonderful! She is a supportive nurturing soul. Her knowledge and experience exceeded all my expectations. I could not have recovered properly without her help. Her continued guidance has been a great blessing to me and my little family. I highly recommend her services!!!

Elizabeth

8/24/2020

Julie helped my husband and I through the birth of our second child, and I do not think we could have done it without her! Julie provided excellent support leading up to the birth with her childbirth class and several meetings to get to know Julie and prepare for delivery. Every time we met with Julie, I left feeling encouraged and excited about the upcoming birth. She offered excellent advice for all my questions before, during, and after the birth. During labor, Julie often knew just what I would need before I realized it myself. Some of the ways she helped were giving counterpressure, offering snacks and drinks, and saying exactly what I needed to hear when I was overwhelmed. I would recommend Julie to anyone looking for a doula. We came away from this experience not only with professional help and advice, but with a sweet new friendship. I am so thankful we shared this special experience with Julie!

Cassandra Hume

7/31/2019

Julie was an incredible addition to our delivery, and I can't imagine not having her help.  I was skeptical about the value of a doula given our plan to have an epidural, but Julie offered invaluable help and guidance.  She also went above and beyond, driving over four hours when I went into labor early, and she worked with a medical team that all of us were unfamiliar with.  Her encouragement and advice during labor were hugely helpful and made the experience go much more smoothly and efficiently.  Given that this was our first child, my husband was especially happy to have someone with us who is an expert in childbirth and could provide advice before, during and after labor.

Meeting with Julie before delivery helped me better understand what to expect during labor, and she has been a great post partum resource as well.  

Jonathan Gallup

6/4/2019

Julie is an amazing Doula! I have been super involved in my wife's three home birth deliveries and initally was a bit nervous of losing my job or role of supporting my wife, but hiring Julie was the best descision ever! Not only did she have great ideas and methods of coaching and comforting my wife, but she also helped me so that I could really be there to support my wife throughout the entire labor. 

I am so thankful for Julie and all of her love and support to our family! She was mindful of our birth plan wishes and desires and really helped create the overall atmosphere we were targeting for this special moment in time. I am strongly recommend you meet with Julie and let her be your Doula so you can feel the difference she makes at your upcoming birth!

Jaime

6/4/2019

My husband and I hired Julie for the birth of our third child. I am a birth worker, myself, so I understand the need of having the right people on my team! This birth was very important to me because of the emotions that surrounded my pregnancy, so I knew that I needed special support on my team. Julie was able to see me and meet me where I was and she truly understood my feelings. Julie was gentle and encouraging and always ready to help me research if I needed help or had questions.

During labor, Julie saw nearly every need before I realized that I needed it! My husband and I were able to connect better because she was attending to needs and even encouraged ways for us to work together. She gently encouraged me and provided a lot of counterpressure and visualization methods. She was also able to provide support to my other family members who were there. Julie was such a beautiful, vital member of my labor team and I am beyond grateful for her.

Deirdre

5/1/2019

When my husband and I found Julie we were just looking to hire a doula. What we ended up getting was so much more. Julie was not only able to do everything we had expected from a doula but was also able to help with my pregnancy nutrition and also taught our childbirth classes. Julie made sure that we met multiple times before the birth so that we were able to ask any questions we may have and also were able to build a relationship before our baby was born. During the birth of my son, Julie was there every step of the way.  She brought multiple items with her to help make me comfortable also such as essential oils and stress balls to squeeze. After the birth she stayed to help me with breastfeeding which I was truly grateful for because I feel that this really helped me be able to breastfeed painlessly from the start. I felt so much more comfortable and confident in my pregnancy knowing that I had someone I could ask all of my questions to and who would be there whenever I needed. Both my husband and I will forever be grateful for Julie with her help, knowledge, and nurturing care. 

Jessica Zook-Roberts

5/30/2018

Having Julie as our doula and Lamaze teacher for the birth of our first child in March 2018 was the best decision my husband and I made for our birth experience. My labor lasted over 18 hours and Julie was there providing comfort, calmness, and support the whole time. She guided my husband in supporting me and gave him breaks as well. I appreciated the different techniques she used to ease me through contractions and the encouragement she gave me all day. Without her, I know I would not have had the amazing natural birth experience I did. I highly recommend Julie‘s doula services.

Shweta Malik

7/14/2017

Julie was instrumental in the birth of my first child in March 2017. From our very first meeting with her, I felt so comfortable and knew that I would benefit from her vast experience. As a Doula, she is very knowledgeable and I have learned so much from her before, during and after the birth. She helped me prepare a realistic birth plan. My baby was posterior for the majority of my long labor, and I could not have survived it without Julie's help! She was at my side for HOURS, providing counter-pressure to my lower back and legs with each contraction (which is a very physically demanding task!). Her calm demeanor and encouraging words throughout the birth were so helpful for my husband and myself. I appreciated her follow up after the birth and I highly recommend Julie and her doula practice.

Marion Cardwell

4/3/2017

Julie was a great doula. She visited me while I was pregnant and made sure I was doing ok. i also attended a great child birth class taught by her. When it was time for me to give birth, I ended up changing plans and she was very flexible. I also ended up having postpartum help and she was great! She helped with laundry and even made a meal for me! I would recommend her to anyone who is pregnant!

Kristin Mitchell

7/20/2016

My husband and I chose to attend Julie's 6 week prepared childbirth class and we are so glad we did! As soon to be first-time parents, we were seeking a class that would help prepare us for welcoming our little boy into the world, whole still being open to what we wanted.

The class was very educational, and Julie is super knowledgeable but not pushy at all! We learned about everything from the biological process of Giving birth to positions and pain-coping mechanisms to handle the pain of labor. just practicing the coping strategies alone with Julie made the whole process seem much more manageable when the time to go to the hospital came!

We had a smooth natural birth, my husband was a huuuuge support to me, which I know was a result of getting in the right mindset in class to be my rock when the time came to have our baby! We would recommend Julie Buck to anyone who is looking for kind, experienced, and knowledgeable support through pregnancy and giving birth.

Kelsey Kreutzer Skinner

7/17/2016

After preparing with Julie for 6 weeks, I felt calm, relaxed and ready to have my baby. Fear was replaced with a calm confidence within myself and my sweet husband. I wanted to have a natural, low intervention labor and birth with my baby boy but unfortunately that is not what I got. I was induced at 27 weeks because of preclampsia and after a 30 hour labor, my midwife told me I needed a c-section. Even though this was not the birth I expected or wanted, I look back at the whole experiecne with a smile and feelings of warmth. Julie taught me how beautiful birth is and the amazing ways our bodies adjust and cope with making this miracle happen. Through intense and constant contractions after having been given pitocin, I felt strong and empowered and grateful to have been experiencing the birth of my baby. That perspective was truly a direct result of Julie's mindset and the labor exercises that helped me focus and relax. I may not have been able to deliver the way I wanted, but I'm happy knowing that my and baby and I are safe and healthy, and I'm ready to tackle the next baby's delivery the natural way i've been prepared for. I recommend everyone to take Julie's child birth classes, especially those who have a fear of labor and delivery and those who want to take a more natural route.

I also have to add, that Julie has helped me with a few breastfeeding challenges that I have encountered at three months. She is exactly the support and help that I needed to reach my breast feeding goals!

Cassie Shiels

5/12/2014

Julie is wonderful! She was super great at asking what I needed all along the way. She supported my birth plan, and made me feel like I was doing a good job, during a hard labor experience. She asked if I liked where she was putting counter presure, or if I needed something different. She was great at suggesting we try different things when, I wasn't sure if I was liking what we were atempting. She let me hold onto her when I needed it, she reminded me about breathing and praised my efforts. I loved her encouragement, her gentle and uplifitng presence. She helped me manage the pain myself instead of having to go for the meds, which is what I wanted. She helped take some pictures of us when my baby was born and right after, so my husband and I could focus on other things but still have those moments. She stayed around and massaged my feet, and made sure breastfeeding started out right. I am very glad that I made the call and asked Julie to come assist me at my birth, and my husband is too! I would recammend her to any pregnant women who wants a wonderful doula! Thank you Julie!

Carla Green

10/28/2013

Julie has been my doula for my last four kids. She listens to what I want, and offers help and suggestions without being pushy. For my first two kids (two separate pregnancies), I was induced and didn't want to have an epideral.  Instead I was given narcotics that left me feeling out-of-control with my body, and left my newborn babies so sleepy they could hardly stay awake to eat for the first two days.  Julie taught me how to manage the pain and gave me the self-confidence to deliver baby three and then baby four without an epideral or pain medicines, even during a pitocin-induced delivery.  My last two pregnancies were problem free, and I enjoyed a pitocin-free and pain-medicine-free delivery.

Throughout the pregnancies, Julie was supportive: checking up on me to see how I was doing during the pregnancies, for the entire labor and delivery, and after the babies were born. She has lots of wisdom and experience to draw on for any problems I was having, and helped make me more comfortable while achieving my goals.

I am so glad I chose Julie to be my doula.  Without her I wouldn't have had the confidence to deliver my babies drug-free, and doing so was so great.

Angela Murdock

7/6/2011

I have previously had 5 children and for my 6th pregnancy I decided to have Julie be my doula. This was my first time I have had a doula help me. I was highly impressed with Julie. She is well educated about how to help the mother in labor. She knew several ways to help reduce the pain associated with labor. Julie arrived at my home to help me with labor and came with me to the birth center where I went to have my baby.  She was very supportive and I felt completely comfortable with her. She worked so hard to reduce stress and pain and to help me to have a positive birth experience. If I ever have another baby I will deffinately ask Julie to assist me again.

Lindsey Anderson

12/13/2010

Julie Harker Buck was an amazing doula, and I can't image what the birth of my daughter would have been like without her involvement. When my husband and I learned we were having our first baby, I did some research and read about how much assistance a doula can offer, not only during labor, but before and after the delivery as well. Our search for the right doula for me ended when I met Julie, as her warm demeanor and maternal nature instantly put me at ease and gave me confidence that I would be prepared to welcome my child into this world.

I was told that I had preeclampsia and would need to be induced two weeks early. Julie was the first person I called, and she instantly calmed me and made me feel better about the unplanned complication in my perfectly planned natural labor. She met us in the hospital and stayed all night with my husband and I during the balloon catheter that was used to force my cervix to dilate. It was quite uncomfortable, and Julie's calming words of encouragement and knowledge of just where to place her hands in order to ease my pain were essential factors in getting me through that night.

The birth of my first child was the most amazing experience of my husband's and my life, and a large part of that is owed to Julie Harker Buck. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anybody, whether they are about to have their first or tenth child. Her contributions were so essential to this wonderful experience, and I still marvel at the time she dedicated to making sure that my labor was everything I needed it to be. I can't wait to have another child. Julie will be the first person I call.