Nisan

8/25/2023

A doula recommendation from a dad's perspective:

If you're asking yourself whether a doula is worth the money, the answer is a resounding yes. Do yourself a huge favor and hire Alice as your doula. Alice was both birth and postpartum doula, and we couldn't be happier.

Alice's expertise was key in helping us navigate our birth preferences and choices going into our daughter's birth.

Being able to tag team caring for my wife allowed me to take an occasional break, whether it was a quick power nap, getting coffee, or even going for a walk in the park outside the hospital.

Our experience would have been  1000x harder without her there!
During the prolonged active pushing, when my wife needed me to coach, encourage, and help her stay focused, Alice was right there, helping keep my wife comfortable, providing quick sips of a cold drink, a soothing squeeze of the hand, or a gentle temple rub. In many cases, I followed Alice's example and learned on the fly new ways to help my wife through labor.

Alice came over the next day to start the postpartum part our service package. We would not have survived the first week without her. We were exhausted. We needed sleep. We needed to eat. And our baby was hungry and fussy and crying while we waited days for the breastmilk to come in.
Having Alice there help us get some sleep by handling the baby for a couple of hours, or show us different ways to hold, soothe, swaddle, and take care of our baby girl was priceless. When my wife had health complications shortly after the birth, Alice was there for both of us for both emotional and practical support.
I can't stress strongly enough how critical it was for us to receive this help. Alice showed us that despite how difficult this experience was, it was also beautiful and magical, and we had a very positive experience.

Katelyn

8/25/2023

Alice is the gold standard for doula care. She was my doula for both birth and postpartum, which I wanted for continuity of care, and I’m so glad she was there for the whole journey! She was an invaluable resource the entire way through. Not only does she have excellent knowledge of the birth process and talked me through my options, her presence is calming, warm,  and assertive, making her the perfect advocate at the hospital. Alice demonstrated excellent rapport with the hospital staff and kept my birth preferences and consent at the forefront every step of the way while helping me welcome my beautiful baby. She was so skilled and helpful, two OBGYNs asked for her information afterwards!

As a postpartum doula, Alice was a godsend. Her support allowed me crucial rest and recovery, as well as teaching and helping me through the day to day of baby care. Working with Alice, I was in good hands as she took wonderful care of both baby and me. If you are a first time parent, or you are looking for extra support in your birth and postpartum journey, look no further than Alice!

Jaclyn Ortiz

4/10/2023

Childbirth was an experience I will never forget. I experienced surfacing of so many emotions that I did not expect. I realize unmedicated birth isn't just about getting through the pain.  I know it was very painful but it was the surfacing of so many emotions during that time that made it so real. Looking back, it was magical. It is amazing what the body can do if we just trust ourselves and our deep intuition. Alice kept me on the path going forward during labor. I cannot imagine navigating labor without her.

Being a nurse myself, I knew I wanted to deliver in a hospital but I also wanted to try the most natural way possible. Alice gave me and reminded me of the tools I had while I was in the thick of labor. It was amazing how she could tell which stage of labor I was in because of her experience versus relying on the hospital resources.

Alice effortlessly provided me with massage and positive affirmations in the most vulnerable experience of my life. I was able to follow her slow deep breathing next to me while laboring. I remember feeling so scared at one point and it was Alice's calm energy and reassurance for my husband and I that kept me going. Even though I knew I was in good hands at the hospital, It was having her there that made me feel safe. While I was in labor, Alice would gently remind my husband and I things on my birth plan in front of hospital personnel to make sure we were all on the same page. She worked so well with the hospital staff all while advocating for me.  I am so grateful I had Alice there as a vital part of my birthing team. I will definitely have here there for baby number two! 

Alyson and Leilani Shields

3/25/2023

When we set out to find a doula, Alice was exactly the type of person we had in mind. She is personable, kind, compassionate, patient, and immensely knowledgeable about birth, pre natal, and post partum. With Alice's help, we were able to have the natural birth we always dreamed of at a public hospital, and felt confident navigating the medical system and staff. We were unsure at first if a doula would be "worth it," but looking back would not have done it any other way. We've already recommended Alice to close friends, and will absolutely work with her again if we have a second. For anyone even considering a doula, pre natal or post partum support, we highly recommend Alice Adams!

Ann

1/23/2023

My husband and I were looking for extra support to prepare us for this huge milestone in our lives— the birth of our first child. We connected with Alice immediately and felt confident that she would be able to help us have a safe and healthy delivery. Alice met with us in person at our home and provided us with a lot of resources and books in preparation for the big day. During her visits, she showed us how to effectively utilize the space in our home during early labor. She provided us with helpful tips so I could stay at home for as long as possible which was the goal. Throughout my pregnancy, she listened to our preferences and helped me to create an ideal and realistic birth plan. She was very responsive via text, phone, and email which we appreciated. On the day our daughter was born, Alice met us at the hospital with several props and aromatherapy to help me feel more comfortable and brought a copy of my birth plan to share with the healthcare team. She was also very knowledgeable about my personal preferences. In the delivery room, Alice brought a calming and supportive presence. She encouraged my husband to get involved in the labor process by providing physical and emotional support. She took a series of beautiful photos as our daughter was being born and immediately after which we will cherish forever.

My husband and I are so grateful to have Alice with us as we began this journey into parenthood. She empowered me to be able to have the birth experience that I envisioned (an unmedicated birth with minimal interventions in a hospital setting). I strongly recommend Alice. She is amazing at what she does and we would like her to be present again at the birth of our next child.

Cathy

4/1/2020

Alice is a treasure and a life-saver! She has a passion and for babies and new mothers that pours from her heart and soul, and brings a sense of peace, support, and calm to your life.  I couldn’t have navigated through the start of motherhood without her support, wisdom, and help. 

She comes with experience, expertise, compassion, and a bright smile that will immediately put you at ease and reassure you that you have made the right choice.  In addition to all of the regular doula tasks that are provided, Alice has a special gift for knowing how to bolster and support mamas in a way that allows them to tap into their own strength and confidence.  This quality was particularly helpful at a time I was at my lowest --feeling maximum amounts of stress, exhaustion, and anxiousness. 

A fun bonus is that Alice has a particular knack for knowing how to dress/create outfits for all kinds of body shapes and sizes.  She knows how to highlight your assets while minimizing areas you’d rather notice --all with the clothes in your own closet, or with simple suggestions of items to purchase.

It’s a win-win with Alice --happy baby, confident and rested mom, and wardrobe help to boot! 

James O

3/25/2020

Alice came to our family to help care for our infant twins and my wife who was trying to manage postpartum depression. She immediately had a calming presence with our children, but was also so offering tips and techniques for my wife to feel confident in her abilities as a mom. She is supportive and knowledgable for us, and warm, energetic and patient with our children. She's also a former teacher who has been great at educating our children and is always coming up with new activities with our toys to practice new skills. We only stopped working with her because we moved, otherwise she would've ideally remained a part of our family for years to come.

I highly recommend Alice to anyone's growing family. 

Tanja Johnson

3/24/2020

I met Alice while visiting my daughter.  Since I live a few thousand miles away, my visits were often and a week each visit.  When my daughter told me she was hiring a Doula named  Alice, I was hoping and praying that this lady would love and care for my grand babies and my daughter just  like I would. Alice met and exceeded my  expectations.  In fact, I would like to share my thoughts and feelilngs for Alice.  

Lets talk about smart, educated,  kind, loving, caring, nurturing, concerned, compassionate, passionate, humble,  prompt, reliable and  helpful- these are just a few words that describe Alice. Not only was she this way with our twin grand babies, but she was all of these with our daughter who struggled with Post partum depression.  Each day she was there, she truly wanted to make sure that our daughter was doing ok. Alice made a huge difference. 

Lets talk about the twins and how she engaged with them. She was amazing! You would have thought these babies were hers. She truly, truly loves them.  She would sing to them, read to them, play with them, cuddle them, feed them, care for them while sick or teething and she always, always did it with love.  When the babies napped, she spent quality and much needed time with my daughter. She did anything and everything she could do to help my daugher adjust to being a new twin mom. 

If you happen to be the lucky family who gets to have Alice as your Doula- All I can say is that you will be the most blessed family on the planet.  Alice became family to my daughter. I know that they're both so sad that my daughter is moving, but I can tell you that they will be friends forever! Alice didn't just do business with our daughter, she did life with our daughther. And to Alice, I will be forever grateful!!!

Alison Ouska

3/24/2020

Alice was essential to my post-partum care and infant support during the time we worked with her. We have boy/girl premature twins and I needed a doula and infant support from someone that felt confident, didn't get flustered with multiples and was able to support me as a new mother dealing with post-partum depression/anxiety. The first time I met her, she immediately brought a calming energy into our home and in the last 8 months she has continued to do just that.

Alice is punctual, dependable and a natural nurturer. She began her pp-doula care with our family when our twins were very small - I knew I needed someone that felt confident and calm handling multiples with some residing preemie issues. 

In a nutshell, here are our favorite things about her: - Knowlege and everything she taught me as a new mother. -Constant support to make our lives easier. - her engagement with my children. Always finding ways to engage them in appropriately developmental ways. - reliable and punctual. - her honesty - her compassion - proactive mentality. She was always looking for ways to make our house more presentable than when she arrived. Always had formula ready and bottles clean before she left - her creativity to engage my children. 

Overall, you would be so lucky to have Alice as part of your life. We wish we could take her with us, but unfortuantely our family is relocating.