Maria

4/25/2023

Mel was absolutely wonderful to work with! She is very caring,  engaging, and knowledgeable. I would recommend her to anyone looking for postpartum support and/or lactation consultant services!

Emily Nachazel

8/6/2022

We had the pleasure of having Mel support us in the first few weeks of our son's life, and I now recommend a postpartum doula to all expecting parents I meet. Not only does Mel have expertise in feeding, caring for and soothing a newborn baby, they also have a calming, grounding presence which was such a gift in any home with a brand new human.

It was so helpful to have Mel on our support team, especially when we encounted common challenges postpartum: thrush in baby, clogged ducts and mastisis in mama and the general questions that come with being parents for the first time. We felt at ease knowing Mel would be coming over, and that we could text them in between visits as well.

We appreciated how Mel advocated for us parents too - encouraging mama to rest or do a sitz bath, and checking in with dad's goal of quiting smoking. Our son is now 10 weeks old - we certainly owe a big part of our sanity in those early days, and our confidence as parents now to the support that Mel provided us.

Karl & Bethany Nyborg

6/12/2022

We needed a doula at very last minute and Mel answered the call. They provided a calm voice and a wonderful amount of experience that we sorely lacked. Very considerate, professional, and was an absolute God-send!

Charli Bash

3/29/2022

Mel was always available when needed and informative when asked questions. She provided beyond the standard of care and support. Would highly recommend!

Anh Lyons

12/28/2021

Mel was heaven sent to me after my C section! I was so stressed out about recovering with a newborn and twins who were just 19 months old but Mel's calm demeanor kept me in check. She helped out with chores around the house so I could rest. She was so gentle with my newborn and so patient with my toddlers. When I talked to her about my breastfeeding challenges, she offered to help my baby latch and we were successful! I was never able to breastfeed with my twins but this time, thanks to Mel, it made life a lot easier for me than having to exclusively pump! Mel is THE BEST and I was very sad when our contract was up. 

Julia

12/22/2021

Mel helped me with overnight care after my daughter was born.  They were incredible, loving toward my daugher and patient with me.  Most importantly, I felt that I could trust them with my daugther at night in my apartment.   Mel was also responsive and communicative about her availability.  Finally, Mel is smart and interesting to talk to, which is important when you are exhausted and also need adult converastion.

Stephanie McDonald

10/4/2021

Hi Mel served as our student midwife throughout my pregnancy and already had a special connection with my husband and I before the birth of our son. Throughout preparation for birth they paid special attention to my husband who was expressing some worry and anxiety over the birthing process assuring him everything would be in good hands and redirected his energy. They also gave special love to our family dog who is like our first born fur-child who was also in need of extra love before the arrival. This put everyone involved at ease and allowed me to focus on getting our son here without a hitch. After birth, my son and I needed lactation assistance. Mel provided me with warmth, love and her extensive knowledge to assist in getting breastfeeding off to a solid start when I was struggling. This assistance continued a few months after his birth when I was still struggling with feeding. Mel came to our home postpartum and witnessed our feeding routine and assisted me with the breastfeeding issues I was encountering. I was left with knowledge, peace of mind and comfort after their visit. I cannot recommend Mel enough to everyone I speak to. Mel is encouraging, knowledgeable and comforting. I cannot imagine a future pregnancy without Mel being involved - they have made a lasting impact on our family and we can't thank them enough for their support and love throughout this life changing experience.

Andrea Johnson

7/21/2021

We were so grateful to have Mel as our Doula. We so appreciated Mel's real and frank insights into labor and delivery experiences in the DC area and non-judgemental guidance for ensuring that we were empowered to make the decisions right for us during labor and delivery. Mel was a calming and funny presence when things got intense during labor and the first person we turned to for support and guidance when we had feeding and health challenges post-partum. Mel's at home postpartum visit about a week after delivery was incredibly calming and reassuring. And I really appreciated Mel's responsiveness to anxiety-laden texts both before and after delivery. 

Brenda

7/12/2021

Mel is a gentle, caring, and intuitive doula who provided excellent care for our twin girls, one of whom required special care and attention due to digestive and feeding difficulties. Mel was able to quickly learn the particular feeding position and methods that needed to be used for one of our girls, and it was clear that they both felt comfortable in her hands.

Mel has the intuition and intelligence to read what babies need when experiencing upset or discomfort, and wore the babies in a wrap whenever they needed extra TLC. We were able to sleep soundly at night knowing that the girls were with Mel, something that was not always easy for us to do with other care providers. 

Mel also has a very calming presence and is always willing to help, including paying attention to our toddler, something that I needed during the extremely difficult postpartum weeks. 

I highly recommend Mel!

Hilary M

7/12/2021

We hired Mel as a postpartum doula. While it wasn't our first baby, it'd been awhile since the first one, and we needed some extra help. Mel was fabulous and really helped us out! Mel has a calm demeanor, and is very gentle with suggestions and recommendations, but most of all, they were incredibly patient with us! I was able to get organized, my older kid got some extra attention, and it was just a great experience.

Jayne Hott

2/20/2021

I can't say enough good things about Mel! Our family had our third baby and with two older siblings at home, my husband and I had our hands full. Mel offered support to not only myself, but to my kids as well. My daughter loved the time she had with Mel, especially working on crafts and talking about all her interests. As a parent as well, Mel related to my kids and knew what they needed in terms of extra attention and patience during this transition for our family. Mel also assisted with household tasks and helped me feel refreshed with a tidied house and a shower. I could truly relax when Mel was around because I knew my baby and kids were in great hands. I loved our chats and Mel's full knowledge of breastfeeding, which even as a third time mom nursing, it's so nice to have someone you trust to turn to for reassurance. I can't thank Mel enough for the support and care! I highly recommend, especially for families who plan to breastfeed and/or have older children.

Leigh

2/17/2021

Our experience with Mel was amazing right from the very beginning. Mel heard everything that was important to us in our pregnancy and birth journey. Mel helped give us words for our wants so that we could clearly communicate them to our midwife before and during delivery. Mel met with us multiple times before labor to check in and provide whatever support we needed at that time including many helpful resources online and in the community! Though our quick labor and covid prevented us from having Mel there physically with us (though had we called earlier Mel would have been right there at our home), Mel was by our side through the whole birth and afterwards too! Mel stayed on the phone with my wife to provide support for us continuously! Mel could hear when the hospital nurse was trying to push us to break my water and quickly gave us verbiage and sent us research articles to help us advocate for what we wanted. Mel always supported what we want and made my wife (non-birthing Mom) feel integral, heard and important. They was key for us! Mel also checked in and met with us virtually after we got home to provide support there. Our only change would be to have called Mel earlier so they could have come to our home, but we were first time Moms and didn't anticipate that labor would move as quickly as it did, since everyone tells you the first is always long! Would 100% work with Mel again on a future pregnancy and birth!

Miyuki

1/27/2021

She is the best doula! She has a Doula qualification in the United Kingdom as well as the United States. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge. She taught me how to eat and drink properly while breastfeeding.

My baby's latch was so strong that my nipples became bleeding and suffered. It caused terrible pain for me. But, she repeatedly taught me the correct breastfeeding position using easy-to-understand diagrams. Thanks to that, the pain of breastfeeding has disappeared and I could be breastfeed happily. She is caring and kind, and I was always able to relax. It was also very helpful to find information on breastfeeding in my native language. If I ever get pregnant again, next time I would like to ask her for her prenatal, childbirth and postnatal doulas!

Sarah

1/18/2021

Mel is very kind and was extremely helpful as we transitioned to life with our third. She brought the baby in to nurse and mainly held him while he slept between nursing. Mel never told me what to do, she would gently suggest things which I thought was helpful and not overbearing.  I always felt safe with her there. Overall it was a really positive experience and I would highly recommend her.

Liba Golman

12/5/2020

Mel was a fantastic postpartum doula! We brought our first baby home from the hospital after several days of essentially no sleep, and Mel saved us during our first two weeks home! They cared for our baby at night with so much love, allowing us to shower and sleep. Mel would gently wake me when the baby needed to eat, helped us with positioning for nursing, and brought me snacks and water during those late night nursing sessions--during which they also would talk with me about nursing, parenting, and listened while I talked about and processed my birth. While the baby slept, Mel cared for us by washing and sterilizing feeding supplies and folding baby's laundry. I don't think we could have survived those early days without Mel's support! We are so grateful to them!

Daneen

10/31/2020

Mel helped to take care of our daughter at night so that we could get some much needed rest. She also would talk to me about how I was recovering and would share tips to help me. Not to mention she would even look after our 14 month old son if he woke up. She is very professional and goes the extra mile. It is obvious she enjoys helping babies and the mommy too.

Joshua Packman and Rachel Rosenthal

10/7/2020

Mel was an excellent post-partum doula and a great help to our family.  Our daughter's first few months were quite rough, with both sleeping and feeding issues, but Mel was unflappable throughout.  Mel had a wealth of knowledge and a very calm approach.  Even though Mel was providing night support only, she always had helpful suggestions for daytime challenges we faced.  Mel always made sure to check in with each of us to see how we were doing, which both of us greatly appreciated.

We recommend Mel without hesitation.

JaiAnn Haskins

9/18/2020

I and my family can't say enough about Mel! 

We had a couple of virtual prenatal visits and exchanged many text messages up until I went into labor. Even when I was searching for cultural resources to plan a prayer ceremony, Mel put me in contact with someone that was able to provide me with information that I found extremely vital. They have some of the best information you may not even know you need as you're planning your birth. As a new parent, I found it comforting and beneficial that Mel is a parent also.

When I was at a difficult point in early labor Mel called me and provided the emotional support I hadn't even realized I needed to help move my labor along. We talked and I cried. At no point did I feel like an inconvenience and our conversation helped me feel much less alone in my journey through labor and into single parenthood. 

When Mel arrived at the birth center I was already in active labor. I can't even describe the physical and emotional state I was in. Mel jumped right in with absolutely NO HESITATION! During our prenatals we talked about the fact that I would probably need reminders on comfort measures to help me get through the pain of contractions. Mel immediately started helping me into positions and using different breathing techniques to get through the pain and move the baby further and further down. Through the entire experience, Mel was right by my side! I know I wouldn't have made it through the experience of natural childbirth without them as my doula. I am BEYOND GRATEFUL that I was able to have such amazing support. When anyone asks me about my experience as a first time mom with natural childbirth, I talk more about Mel than I do about the midwife or RN that were present. If you are looking for an experienced and extremely supportive person that will help you get through birth, call Mel before you call anyone else! 

Mel we love you, can't thank you enough <3 <3 <3

Kanay Riddick

2/22/2020

Let me start by saying this review genuinely comes from the heart. The work that Melissa does is phenomenal. Becoming a mother whether for the first time or a beautiful addition, can be scary. You want support. You want to be heard and you want to be respected. Melissa did this for me. She helped me create the atmosphere that I wanted to give birth in bringing the best essential oils and adding a certain element to my room that I needed to stay calm and become centered during contractions. This was my first time working with a doula but I knew It was something I wanted to experience as I completed a natural water birth in the heart of the city. Melissa was very professional, kind, and overall caring. The open communication was what I needed as she made suggestions needed to help me cope and never passed judgement nor made me feel uncomfortable. She was very patient and active the entire duration. She offered so much encouragment. Once we got home, she continued to check on us, offer additional resources and was there to answer any questions or listen to any concerns. Every woman on this planet deserves that type of support. We deserve to be celebrated for creating and sustaining life for this very planet.

Kristyn Ream

2/16/2020

We are so grateful to have had Mel as our doula. We stayed in touch throughout early labor, and she continues to check in and monitor contractions. She met us at the hospital, and my contractions became extremely painful. She has tons of ideas and different positions to help me through them. She helped me breathe and got me help when the epidural didn't work properly. She moves my pour numb and heavy body into different positions and held me through pushing. She always asked me what I wanted and was supportive of my decisions. She also received great feedback from the hospital staff. This was our first child, and it wa helpful to have someone there who knew what was going on. We are very happy with our decision and all the support Mel provided during and after delivery. 

Emily

2/6/2020

I had a wonderful experience with Mel Kennedy was my birth doula and I am so glad that they were part of my birth team. Melissa worked seamlessly with the doctor, midwife, nurse, and my spouse during the birth. Mel knew just what to do even when I did not know what to ask for. I was on the fence about hiring a doula, as it was my third child, but I was attempting a VBAC after one successful VBAC. Mel has a gift for putting people at ease and being the perfect balance of assertive and empathetic. They listened to my needs and wishes without being judgemental. When my birth took an unexpected turn, and I ended up with a medically-necessary emergency c-section after laboring, they helped me navigate the stressful situation. I feel so much more at ease reflecting back on this c-section than on my first one because I was emotionally prepared and supported thanks to Mel and the rest of my excellent birth team. My spouse and I are so grateful that Mel was there to help us. I highly recommend them as a doula. Hiring a doula is absolutely worth it, no matter what type of birth you have, and Mel is an excellent choice.