Nora Vralsted-Thomas

8/14/2024

Having Lisa as our doula was invaluable. I had read in multiple sources that doulas are a very beneficial resource for birth as they can provide additional support during labor and ultimately lower the chances of having a c-section. Honestly, had I not read this, I would not have considered having one as birth and labor are a fairly intimate experience that I wanted to reserve for just my partner and me. Furthermore, upon meeting Lisa, I realized that our personalities were opposite: she quite flexible and easy going and I rather "type a". This caused me concern since I wasn't sure how this would impact the ultimate experience of my birth and labor. Within minutes of Lisa arriving at the hospital, I was reassured that she was pivotal to the experience as her knowledge and expertise were immediately put into action, relieving stress from both my family and I. Throughout my labor, Lisa provided assistance that no one else was able to, and overall my labor was much easier because of it. I cannot recommend Lisa more; she is caring, experienced, responsive, supportive, and committed to ensuring that you have the best pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum experience she can possibly help provide. 

Kailee

6/25/2023

I cannot speak highly enough about Lisa! My husband and I had our first baby this May and working with Lisa made it such an incredible experience.

She provided several books, resources, and recommendations to help both my husband and I prepare for labor and delivery, infant care, and breastfeeding. It took out so much of the fear of the unknown. All of her recommendations for materials ended up being useful.

She met with us several times during pregnancy to talk through things like our birth plan, but also just generally how we were doing. It made us feel so cared for. She has a gentle wisdom that offers her knowledge and experience, but is also supportive of what we ultimately wanted for our birth experience. It was exactly what we needed.

During labor and delivery, Lisa was beyond amazing! She helped guide and support us to the peaceful labor experience we wanted, even in a hospital setting. She has a great rapport with nurses and midwives, which helped to advocate for me and communicate my needs, allowing me to stay “in the zone”. She honestly knew what I needed in the moment better than I did. She has the perfect balance of being there, without being overbearing. In the actual delivery, Lisa was right there in it, helping me into positions, coaching and encouraging me, and really getting me get over the finish line to our beautiful baby. Postpartum, Lisa visited us at home to check-in and see how we were all doing and adjusting – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Overall, Lisa is a wonderful person and I am so grateful we got the opportunity to work with her. I genuinely cannot imagine my birth experience without her a part of it. Aside from her great experience and work for delivery, she also has a delightful personality which made every meeting with her so enjoyable! If you’re on the fence about a doula, do it! It made all the difference and Lisa will be a great addition to your care team.

Amanda

5/11/2023

Lisa was wonderful to partner with during my prenatal, birthing and postnatal periods. My husband and myself enjoyed getting to know Lisa before the birth. She always made us feel very comfortable and heard. This was our first baby and it was reassuring to have Lisa's knowledgeable guidance through the entire process. From excellent materials to help prepare us for labor, to hand holding during labor, to important postpartum conversations to process my experience, Lisa was always there when we needed her. I would highly recommend Lisa to any of my friends  interested in hiring a birth doula. She is truly gifted. 

Sofia

8/25/2022

Lisa will go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable, safe, and empowered throughout your pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. 

Her communication leading up to my labor was excellent. She was always reachable when I had questions and when I thought I was in labor, and she kept in touch with me to make sure that I knew what she was up to in case my labor started!

During a long labor and delivery, she was continuously supportive and made sure both myself and my partner were doing well. She provided both emotional support as well as physical support, offering relief through different massages, and providing suggestions for myself and my partner as well. 

She made sure I was taken care of in every step of labor, and followed up with me in postpartum to ensure our family was adjusting well. 

We are extreme grateful for Lisa's work as a doula and I highly recommend her to any expecting parents. 

Annelise

8/1/2022

We had a wonderful experience with Lisa at the birth of our baby. She is a kind, calm, and knowledgeable person to have at your side during an emotional and challenging experience. 

We began meeting with Lisa in the second trimester. She helped connect us with resources that supported us with having the birthing experience that we wanted. This included books, some prenatal exercise videos, and classes. She met with us regularly leading up to the birth to check in with my husband and I about how we were feeling and what concerns or thoughts we had as we approached our due date.

During labor Lisa was proactive without being intrusive. She was very intuitive about stepping in when we needed her while making space for my husband to be a very involved birth partner. She helped me breath through contractions and offered massage and comforting touch. When my cervix was not dilating she offered suggestions for positions and activities I could do. When my birth preferences had to change due to the situation she helped me process the change and supported me in my decision. When it was time to push Lisa was there supporting me and giving positive encouragement. 

She supported us actively during a 26 hour labor. Beyond being there for me the birthing person, during those 26 hours she also helped my birth partner rest when there were opportunities for him to do so and made sure that he stayed fed and hydrated. When there was something unexpected that was painful for me she not only supported me but afterwards made space for my husband to process the experience of watching his person in pain. 

She followed up with me postpartum. She checked in with how I was feeling, how my recovery was going, my reflections on my birthing experience, my partner’s reflections on the experience, and made herself available as a resource to help us if we needed or wanted it.