Candace Matthews

1/13/2024

We are incredibly thankful we had Ines by our side when we welcomed our first bundle of joy into the world! Ines embodies everything that you need in a doula — full of knowledge and resources to maximize chances of a positive labor / delivery experience, provides individualized care based on expectant mom’s wants / needs, quickly responds to calls / texts, and most importantly has a heart of gold. With her in the room I felt that I could relax knowing that I could trust her to advocate for me every step of the way and she did. Her capturing our birth story with beautiful pictures and videos was icing on the cake. THANK YOU INES! We will be back for baby #2!!

Joe M

12/18/2023

Where do I begin? Ines was incredible and I can't imagine our birth happening without her. She was warm, thoughtful, caring, insightful, timely, and reassuring. I loved everything about working with her. She gave my wife tons of stretches, contraction counter pressure exercises, and food/beverage tips in the days prior to going to the hospital to prepare her body for delivery. Then, on the day of, she went into overdrive - she rolled up her sleeves and helped us through hours of intense labor in multiple ways. She gave counterpressure, massage, encouragement, set the mood in the hospital room, and clarified key issues with medical staff to ease our minds.

We joked with her, but it's true - our lone issue with Ines is she doesn't charge enough for all she does! You will not regret hiring Ines for your birth prep/birth day.

Toni

1/27/2023

My husband and I are very grateful to have Ines part of our birth story. During pregnancy, she's been very responsive to my queries and sharec evidence-based resources. We also took an Infant Care class with her, and she came to our house prepared with a presentation and props so we can do hands-on activities--that turned out to be very useful when our baby came. 

During labor, Ines was constantly attentive to my needs. She even went beyond and picked up our hospital bag at our home to assist with our urgent situation. I felt consistently guided and encouraged during labor. I love massages, so her constant relaxing massage esp when I was experiencing pain helped me physically (pain relief) and emotionally as well. Finally, her post-partum visit really helped in addressing our remaining concerns about breastfeeding and infant care. I spoke with many doulas during my research, and I'm so so glad I went with Ines. 

Carissa Rincon

8/31/2022

First off I want to start off by saying Thankyou again, for helping me deliver my beautiful baby boy.
Ines was an angel during my delivery. As a first time mom, I can say I had an amazing experience. I know without Ines my experience would have not been the same! I was in labor for almost 24 hours and Ines supported my though every minute of it. Helping me by massaging me, bringing different aromas  to the delivery room, and even the cutest disco light that changed colors and calmed the mood in the room.
I am extremely grateful, Thankyou for such a beautiful experience! 

CathyO

7/20/2022

Ines was very helpful from my pregnancy to labor and delivery. Her birthing classes really prepared my husband and I for the birth of our daughter. Ines made the labor and delivery process less daunting and made our labor progress quicker with the different balancing movements. The doctors and nurses were very happy that Ines was in the room she brought a lot of positive energy. We are so pleased to have opted for the full package. The prenatal massage is a must have and also the pictures during labor. Ines captured one of the most important moments of our lives. We are so thankful she was part of our journey. 

Erica Lee

5/17/2022

I cannot thank Ines enough for being my doula. Her dedication and love for this role shines through every message and day-of actions during my entire pregnancy and labor journey. As soon as we chose Ines to be our Doula, she constantly kept tabs on me and my health and the babies health and gave us tips and pointers as the weeks progressed. Where she stood out the most was on the day of my labor. My contractions started at 12:30am and we called Ines at 4:00am in the morning when the contraction pains started to get stronger. She immediately picked up and came to our house. During the early stages of my labor, I was in a lot of pain and as soon as she came, she immediately worked on different excercises and massages on me that eased my pain and made me have very purposeful and deep contractions that sped up my labor. Her calm energy, education, knowledge and know-how of the entire labor process was INCREDIBLE. My husband followed her every direction and we felt at peace and in control of the labor process. Not only that, but she respected my every wish of wanting a non-medicated birth and advocated for me when we got to the hospital. She knew how to work with the nurses without getting in their way and knew how to work with them to benefit me. I gave birth 3 hours after we arrived to the hospital and Ines was by my side for every minute. She was incredibly proactive and continued to ease my discomfort with different tools, massages, breathing techniques, essential oils and positions that made my experience even more positive. Later, after my baby was born, we discovered that Ines was missing her son's First Communion!! It comes to show her dedication and love for her job as a Doula. I commend her for her full support and putting mother and baby first. 
I will absolutely be working with her again and promoting her as the best doula in the NJ/NY area. 

Valerie Batista

4/13/2022

When I first found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to have a doula but I had no idea where to look for one. I searched on doulamatch.net and read many reviews. I interviewed a couple of doulas but after interviewing with Ines Serna, my husband and I knew she was a great fit for us. From our first call she was so welcoming and knowledgeable. Throughout my pregnancy Ines was very resourceful and provided me with all the information I needed. She always made me aware that I was in control of my pregnancy and had a choice of how I wanted things done. The birthing classes taught my husband and I so much that when it came time for labor and delivery we weren't scared because we were prepared for this moment. We were educated on the process. The best thing about working with Ines is that she never makes you feel like you have to do things her way rather she gives you the information for all of the options lets you decide and supports you in your decision. When it came to labor and delivery I couldn't have done it without her. 12 hour labor, vaginal birth without epidural or any other interventions. She was there from begining to end and because of her help it helped my husband remain calm and helpful for my delivery. My husband and I both agreed for our next child Ines will be our doula again. Thank you Ines!!!! 

Karim Amadeo

3/24/2022

Ines is an outstanding doula; she is very caring and extremely knowledgeable. Ever since our introductory  meeting I knew that I was going to be in good hands. Every step of the process reassure me that I was going to have a great birth experience. I had a fast labour and I was able to deliver my second baby boy without an epidural and no intervention. I am 100 percent positive that I couldn't' done it without her. I will never forget how she helped and empowered me with her soothing voice while I was in active labour and how she supported us as couple when we were at the hospital. A few days after I was back home, she came to my postpartum visit, and I felt like I was seen an old time friend. My experience was amazing!!!

Nathalie C.

1/4/2022

As I entered my third trimester, the anxiousness and nervousness kicked in. I never considered a doula but had to find one quickly. My anxiety was mostly about the hospital system and rise of unnecessary forced interventions.  I ran into Labor Lounge while on the DONA directory and loved that she was certified and evidence-based. During our interview we clicked. She was bilingual, cultural aware and not pushy at all. What really sealed the deal for me was that she used to work at Englewood Hospital, which is where I was going to deliver and she knew their protocols as well as some of the staff. It really made a difference in my laboring experience to feel relaxed and that I was in good hands. She made the labor room feel more cozy and less hospital like. Her coaching during the actual delivery was so effective, my anxiety went out the window, was so focused, I didn’t even think to ask for an epidural. I had exactly the delivery I hoped for and I could not have done it without her. She was a fantastic ally for my husband who was also nervous about the whole thing but felt things were more manageable having her around with tips, tricks, insights and resources. We selected the package with massage and photography and it was so worth it. The massage was calming in the days leading up to my due date. We have priceless memories documented. Didn’t even notice her taking the photos until after baby was born. Ines is a beautiful and talented human being and we are so happy we had her, as well as Susana, as part of our labor and delivery dream team.  My husband and I look forward to working with them again for the next one!

Elizabeth Bianchi

1/3/2022

I want to say, after interviewing a couple different people and starting to become discouraged, I was excited to come  across Ines information. From the first time I spoke to Ines, I knew she was the perfect person that I needed and wanted to be at our side during my child's birth. I felt like we were old friends from the very beginning, and she made me feel extremely comfortable. Even though I had no idea of a lot of things going in, she was very kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable. She took her time to explain many things, and provide all sorts of helpful information that helped me stay healthy and confident throughout my pregnancy. 

The day I went into labor, she really helped me to gain confidence, especially since there were a few times where I didnt think I could manage. We were so thankful to have her there coaching, encouraging us, and taking charge and control of the situation. She kept calm, was very patient with me the whole time, and never left my side from the beginning to the end. She performed many techniques to help manage the pain, and they were all extremely helpful.

The fact that she was so experienced with labor procedures, helped us to confidently interact with the labor staff, and ultimately "feel heard and respected". I can't stress enough how thankful I am for having her there for my baby's birth. I really feel that it is because of Ines, that my labor went so smooth. She respected my family's wishes and values the whole way, and just made the whole experience that much more relaxed.

I would recommend her 100% to anybody regardless of how much experience you have giving birth. From me and my Family Ines, we want to say Thank You, we are forever grateful for being a part of this experience. 

Samantha Ray

10/27/2021

Ines is an absolutely wonderful, caring and supportive doula. She was an integral part of our entire birthing experience from prenatal to postpartum - I don't know what my husband and I would've done without her!

While I was pregnant Ines answered every question and concern with helpful info and always provided reading material for us to learn more.  She gave us the confidence that we got this! 

Once I went into labor she was the calm light we needed during an unexpectedly difficult birthing experience. She stayed with us for a full 24 hours until my son was born safely - she wouldn't leave until she met him! Ines helped to explain everything happening at the hospital so we could make informed decisions and made sure I was always comfortable both physically and mentally. 

It's obvious that Ines loves her work. Her passion is contagious and we will always appreciate the support she gave us - we are forever grateful!

Laura Carreno

10/16/2021

Ines is an amazing doula! She provided us with the most helpful information like pre-labor exercises, tips for the support person, a visual of the labor process, templates for a birth plan, etc.

She made my delivery experience a lot more endurable and helped me get through it without any medication just by offering great advice, mental and physical support. I can’t imagine going through my birth without her.

She is very knowledgeable, compassionate, open minded, kind, and helpful. Definitely recommend reaching out to her if you are considering hiring a doula for your birth!

Kayla

4/8/2021

There are no words to describe how much my partner and I appreciated having Ines at our birth. From the very beginning she was hands on. She walked into that hospital room and immediately got to work. She knew exactly what the Midwives and Doctors were going to do before they did it. Her knowledge was comforting and helped us make informed decisions about our own birth. 

Our birth took many twists and turns and Ines knew how to handle each one. She was calm and brought a vibrant energy to the room. After 3 long days my labor stalled and resulted in an emergency cesarean and Ines WAS STILL THERE. She waited for me in the recovery room, fed me ice chips, and waited until my anasthesia wore off before heading out. 

More than a doula, Ines was truly a support person. Without her, I genuinely do not know how I would've handeld the ebbs and flows of labor and delivery. 

Paula & Ljubo Kovacevic

10/19/2020

Ines is a gift from god. Our experience felt more like a movie script. We have decided at the beginning of pregnancy to have a doula for support during the third trimester and labor. Our heard and minds were determined to have a natural birth, add a spiritual element, and also have someone in the labor room on our side to pursue our intentions.

We got blessed that Doulamatch.net helped us found our perfect match. And like a miracle, Ines has arrived in our lives. Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in the first place and to share our sacred moment with someone strange. Over the phone, all it took was 60 seconds to realized that Ines was the one, we instantly knew that she was destined to be part of our birth story. 

During over 30 hours of labor, Ines has guided both of us while the entire hospital staff was mesmerized with her skills, warmth, and manners. From acupressure point to energy work, she was hands-on for all 1000 contractions to help us deliver beautiful and healthy girl Kaia.

Ines worked beautifully along with the hospital staff to keep us comfortable and informed. Ines’s childbirth educator background helped us to make informed decisions. We are happy to have her in our lives. During postpartum, Ines taught us many skills for new parents. This lady is a must-have to help you obtain a better birth experience. 

Crystal De La Cruz

8/15/2019

Having known Ines for well over 3 years prior to our birthing experience, I had no idea the role she'd play during my first childbirth experience. We had a feeling my daughter would come early. Ines had made herself available to me throughout my entire pregnancy, and I felt comfortable knowing I had her support. She was one of the first to know! Something inside of me has always felt at peace whenever she's near me, and I feel comfortable with her in any setting! She just brings that out of you, so caring, so sweet. As time went on my belly grew, and oh did I say we grew?! lol.. Finally the day came! I remember having contractions and not being able to retain my urine, and I call Ines. I am very silly.. she knows this. She asks me the usual questions, and of course I have no idea about a mucuos plug is supposed to look like, etc. The day went on and on, I kept her updated. My contractions grew closer, and I continued to go about my day. She told me to make sure I ate because she had a strong feeling I'd have to go to the hospital tonight or by the morning to give birth. By 1 am we went to the hospital and within 45 mins later she was there. We prayed. She massaged me. We did COUNTLESS, I mean COUNTLESS COMFORTING positions, tried everything. Ines, you're an angel. I made it to 7.5cm dilated without an epidural! That day she was my coach, my angel, my comforter, my rock, aiding my husband and me. It is a day that I will never forget! She marked my life and my daughter's life forever. As I write this a tear falls down my cheek, just recalling those wondeful, glorious childbirthing hours while she was right by my side. She did anything, everything possible & I thank God for him placing me in Ines's hands. After 14.5 hours we delievered a beautiful and healthy babygirl. I am forever grateful for the most beautiful childbirth memory. I told her to get ready because in 3 years - I'll be needing her again, haha! We love you Ines. -Crystal, Reina, & Rashad xo

Randi

6/7/2019

Ines was our childbirth class instructor and we jumped at the chance to have her as our doula. She was absolutely crucial to making my labor and delivery as comfortable as possible for me. She was so well prepared, with essential oils for massage, with lollipops, walking me up and down the hallway of the maternity ward and suggesting new positions for me to try in the quest for comfort. I told my husband after our daughter was born that I might not be able to go through childbirth again without Ines.