Wendy Chan

6/11/2019

I know Patricia for more than 5 years as she mentored me when I became a Doula myself. When I got pregnant for the 3rd time, I wanted Patricia to help me through my fears and anxiety when giving birth. My 2nd pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth, so I had lots of trauma and fear in my recent one. I trust Patricia's wide knowledge, and reassurance that I was going to be ok. She empowered me when I felt like I wanted to give up as I entered into full active non-medicated raw labor. Patricia never gave up on me and made sure that my husband, my mother and my older child was involved in my birthing process. I felt loved, respected, supported, safe, encouraged! She tells it like it is and I LOVE IT! With every powerful contraction I expirenced, she was there to give me a double hip squeeze as hard as she could. Giving me encouraging words and reminding me that I am powerful. After 14 hours of natural raw labor, I had givien birth to my Rainbow baby in a loving and quiet environment in the birthing center! Undistrubed skin-to-skin, and more than an hour of delay cord clamping. It was the birth of my dreams! And I thank Patricia for being my rock and letting me hold her tight when I was falling apart. I love you!!!!

Lynell Horry

8/13/2014

Patricia was the most wonderful doula. The best choice I made during my pregnancy was hiring her. She made me feel more comfortable with expressing my desires to naturally birth with the doctors and was a source of encouragement when I was not sure. At the hospital she was attentive and even more present than the father! She set the tone for the birth and had my aromatherapy and dimmed lights and music all to my liking and she kept the ice chips coming!! When it was time to push she held my had the whole time, and made sure I was breathing properly. I couldn't have asked for a better birth. She is very knowledgeable about breastfeeding and visited me at home to check on us and helped me with some breastfeeding issues. I definitely want her to be there for my next birth!

Malo Lip

3/22/2014

Patricia was our doula for the birth of our son last August and I only have great things to say about our experience with her. She is very warm, pleasant, knowledgeable and available. We met a couple of time before the birth at my home and at the center in Clinton Hill, which was a good way to get to know each other. When I missed the 40th and 41th week mark, we talked regularly on the phone and she came to the hospital twice (one when I thought I had lost my water, and one when, on the day of the 42th week, we decided to let them broke my water) and provided us with very good advice, a strong but discreet presence and moral and physical support that I am not sure how I would have managed without.

I had a contentious relationship with my doctor who pushed for induction starting right before the due date and scoffed at my desire not to have an epidural. Patricia managed to carefully navigate around this not-so-good situation to be supportive, very helpful in terms of letting us know what our options were and not threathening to the doctor.

Unfortunately, despite all efforts (moving around, standing up, changing postures, etc.) the baby never advanced into the birth canal and after many hours, we ended up having to greenlight a c-section, which was heartbreaking but I don't think we had many options left without starting to endanger the baby's health.

Through the ordeal, Patricia's warm and caring presence helped me focus and go through the pain and supported both my husband and I when the experience was starting to take a mental toll on the two of us.

I am writing this testimonial 7 months after the birth, which is quite late but maybe that's what I needed to process it. But in the end, it might sound like a cliche, but once you have a healthy baby on your chest, everything recedes into the background. Once again, I want to thank you Patricia, I don't know how I would have done without you.

Maggie Mitchell

2/25/2014

Patrica was such a great support and friend to me and my husband during the weeks leading up to and the days surrounding my son's birth.

Our meetings with her before the birth were always so enjoyable and informative.  The minute I met her I felt like I was in safe hands, as she is both warm and caring, as well as professional, confident, and incredibly knowledgable.  It being my first birth, and having just moved to the city with no family nearby, I needed that experience and that strength, and she brought it.  When my birth didn't go as planned -- I wanted a natural birth, but when I was 10 days overdue with a large baby, I was advised to go for induction, which predictably ended in pitocin, water breaking, and then C-section, EVERYTHING I didn't want -- I don't know what my husband and I would have done if we didn't have Patricia's support over those few days.  She stood up for me to the nurses, she stayed up with me all night watching tv when I couldn't sleep, and she held my hand as I cried in anger when they told me I had to have a C section.  She gave my husband all the gentle nudges he needed to be the man I needed him to be at that time. I have a beautiful healthy son, and I would recommend Patricia to ANYONE who wants a doula on their team.

Patrick Kwiatkowski

11/20/2013

The assistance and support we received from our doula, Patricia Thomas, was invaluable in the birth of our first child. From the start, Patricia was warm and welcoming, professional, and graciously flexible with her time and approach to our goals. She helped to prepare us physically and mentally for labor, building our confidence in one another and dispelling fear with relevant information.

When induction was decidedly necessary, I was disoriented by how quickly my wife was "processed" at the hospital. She was noticeably upset, and my confidence was rattled. Patricia arrived and immediately got us back on track, her calming presence and positive vibe was just the moral boost we needed. From there, the three of us truly worked as a team. Never imposing, Patricia provided wonderful suggestions for coping and pain relief. She helped us find rhythm. Her instincts matched our own, and I was grateful for the space she gave us when we coped as a couple through the difficult moments of labor. I really felt that my role as husband and partner were fully respected.

Thank you, Patricia, for helping us bring our beautiful baby girl into the world. Patricia has our recommendation a thousand times over!

Jaime Franklin

10/20/2012

My husband and I hired Patricia for the birth of our daughter in Summer 2012.  This was our first child and we wanted a natural birth despite complications with fibroids, so we wanted someone to assist us with managing pain and advising during delivery.  Patricia was a perfect fit.  She has a kind, easy and professional demeanor that instantly made us feel comfortable.  And although she was an extremely knowledgeable advocate of natural birth, which we loved, she was also very open-minded in case we had a change of mind or needed intervention.  Before the birth, she met with us several times to practice pain management, discuss our birth vision (down to the kind of scents I liked - she has essential oils), and offer encourgement for the end of my pregnancy.  When our due date came and went (our baby was 12 days "late"), she was a calming voice reminding me to stay hydrated and to relax.  We tried EVERYthing to start labor naturally and it was helpful to be able to call Patricia for advice and ideas on what else we could try.  And, on the day of our birth, even when things didn't go exactly as planned, we were so glad she was there to help with our natural delivery and, afterwards, to answer questions about breastfeeding and caring for our new, tiny baby.  Although the hospital staff was great, it was so reassuring to have Patricia there to exclusively help us.  In the following weeks, she was also an invaluable reference for breastfeeding support and very willing to accomodate if I had needed to meet more often than planned.  From start to finish, her main concern was making sure we felt secure and comfortable.  Overall, we are so grateful to her for helping us make the amazing transition into parenthood.

Molly

8/23/2012

Natalie Greaves

5/29/2012

During my pregnancy, I learned early on that people have a tendency to share the scariest, most intimidating details of their own birth experiences. With my child's father deployed, I needed a lot of support and I needed it fast! Some helpful reading pointed me in the direction of finding a doula and I'll be the first to admit that by the time I found Patricia Thomas, I was totally overwhelmed about all that I thought I didn't know.

During our first meeting, she allayed my concerns about how well-prepared we were for baby, and had an encouraging answer for every one of my questions. Our follow-up meetings were just as great! By the time I went into labor and had my daughter, I was cool as a cucumber and ready for anything. When I explain the process to everyone, I make a point to tell them about how helpful my birth goals sheet was in answering the hospital's questions while I was in labor. It was so thorough that the nurse read through itm asked a few follow-up questions, and then simply attached it to my chart. When the next nurse came on-shift, she knew exactly what my birth preferences were and there was no need for additional conversation.

Patricia was so wonderful, I was able to send my parents home to rest while I labored at the hospital, which is almost unheard of in my family. Patricia's more than just a hired birth coach, she becomes an integral part of your birth experience and, in some cases, the voice of reason when you need it most during labor.

Bottom line, I had a very, VERY positive birth experience and Patricia Thomas was a major part of it. I would (and have!) recommend her to anyone considering a doula for their new arrival.

If you're reading this, best of luck to you and your family.

-Natalie

Juanita Miller

1/7/2011