Amber Swymer

1/6/2023

Karen was our doula for my first birth in May 2022. During pregnancy, she made herself available for routine communication and updates. During our two prenatal visits, she really took the time to get to know my husband and I, what my wishes were, and provided so many resources to help us prepare for birth as a team. I loved her guided meditations and her visual birth plan is a hit! During labor, Karen was a vital part of my birth team and a constant source of support. Though my labor ended in an unexpected c-section, she was still so supportive and helpful and I'm SO glad she was a part of my birth story. Karen's such a knowledgeable, kind, and passionate person. We recommended her to a set of friends who just welcomed their first baby and would recommend her again many times over! 

Ashley Wagner

11/13/2020

Karen was everything we could have possibly hoped for in a doula and more. During our visits before delivery she walked us through all the potential options for birth plans, medication, and general information that we as first time parents would not have fully understood without her. Once we went into labor we felt very prepared for decision making and Karen was right there with us every step of the way. She assisted in the labor and delivery in a way that was caring, non-intrusive, and incredibly comforting. She stayed after delivery until we felt comfortable, and she answered every question that we had in a way that we could understand given our very fatigued mental state. Her follow-up visits and checkins were thoughtful and genuine. Information from personal research was shaky at best, and the information from doctors and staff can be daunting at times, so Karen was the perfect solution for us before, during, and after delivery. She made each phase more digestible and helped us feel confident in the decisions that we made. 

It is clear that Karen is in this field for the right reasons. She is open to assisting mothers with whatever birth plan or style that they desire, and she only seeks to help and comfort. Having her to help on our journey was definitely worth the time and money and I would give my strongest recommendation for her to anyone seeking a doula.  

Selene

11/8/2020

We used Karen as our Doula for our third pregnancy. It was our first Doula experience and I regret not having a Doula for my previous two pregnancies. We had slight traumatic labor and delivery with our second baby which led us to consider a Doula for our third baby. One of my favorite things was how Karen would end our home visits with a guided meditation. I already knew that walking and doing exercising would help mom and baby during delivery but Karen gave me specific stretches and exercises to help prepare my body for labor and delivery.

Family is comforting to have in the delivery room for support but in our experience, it caused more emotional stress than anything when things got scary during our second delivery. Karen was our calm during a time when anything could have gone wrong, not only for me but for my husband. I decided to do a medicated hospital birth. Karen helped me be confident to go as long as I did without an epidural. She kept me energized and hydrated during my labor. Karen cared for me just as my own mother would have.