Ashley Rippengale

3/4/2024

Kate was my doula. We were so lucky to have her. She was knowledgeable and helped with mine and my husbands concerns. She did a great job with keeping me calm and reminding me to relax and breathe during labor. I also loved how she "set the mood" with the labor and delivery room. I feel like she got really understood what was important to us. Also, she took some pictures of me with ny consent during labor that I will cherish!

Lisa

12/13/2023

I am so thankful to have found Kate during my search for a doula. The best choice I made during my pregnancy was having her by my side through the process. Kate took the time to educate me about pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. She helped me build a plan for each phase of the process and checked in regularly to make sure my husband and I felt supported. During my labor she brought me peace and confidence in my capabilities to move through the process. She taught my husband how to support me during labor and helped bridge the gaps between hospital staff and us. I would 100% recommend her services to any and every pregnant person. ??

Kylee

6/20/2023

Kate was absolutely incredible to work with! I cannot begin to say enough good things about her. For anyone considering hiring a doula, I would highly recommend Kate. As a first time momma, having Kate's expertise and guidance was priceless. Our prenatal meetings helped me to better learn about and prepare for labor. While in the hospital, she brought such a sense of peace and comfort. Knowing she was there to help advocate for my labor preferences took away so much stress and allowed me to just focus on having a healthy baby. She was also a fantastic guide for my husband on how to better support me during labor. She brought so much positivity to our labor experience. I have no doubt that we had the positive labor and delivery that we did because of her. Kate is not only super knowledgeable but she also has a wonderful personality. I absolutely plan to work with Kate for our future pregnancies! 

Sarah

6/20/2023

Looking for a doula can be intimidating and overwhelming. How do you know the doula is right for you? How do you know you’ll vibe with the doula? Will your husband like and trust the doula?

Whether you are having a home birth or hospital birth… Kate would be the best addition to your birth team. 

My husband and I knew we wanted Kate to be our doula from our first meeting. She has such a calm presence and is extremely knowledgeable in birth work. 

Kate held space for me in so many ways. She helped me work through the trauma of not having my mom or aunt present at my birth since they have passed away. She helped me work through that loss and grief before the birth so I was more prepared if/when any emotions came up. 

My birth started as a home birth and then I was transferred to the hospital. While at home Kate supported me through tough contractions and coached my husband on what to do, where to apply counter pressure, and how to hold space for me. While I was in labor land I knew Kate was nearby but most of the time I didn’t know if it was Kate or my husband. That is how comfortable I was with Kate. She just became one with us. When I wanted to give up and be done with the labor Kate was there to support me, listen to my needs, and try to help me keep on going. Once we were transferred to the hospital Kate was there to help us make some tough decisions. She helped us understand what the doctors were explaining and answer questions. Without Kate there, I would have lost control of my birth and there would have been more chaos in the end. 

My husband and I are both so incredibly thankful for her. When we have our second kid she will absolutely be a part of our team again. We couldn't imagine a birth without her by our side. 

kayleigh lewis

6/16/2023

Kate was there for me during the delivery of my 5th child. I had never before used a Doula but made the choice to utilize a doula due to personal reasons. She was a blessing to me. I had a long labor where nothing went according to what I was used to and Kate never skipped a beat. A situation that had always been natural to me seemed everything but natural. Kate helped me feel calm and empowered. She sympathized with me through the hard parts, kept me distracted when I needed it and stepped in to aid me in my decisions about interventions. She is very knowledgeable to help with and without an epidural and has a talent for reading the room. Due to the loss of my mother and my spouse Kate was the only person who was with me in the delivery room. During our sessions before labor and during labor she helped me to navigate through the confusing emotions of simultaneous elation and grief. She was willing to do whatever I needed her to do and had suggestions of her own but was never pushy. She is a natural and has such a calm spirit and kind heart.
Kate came to the hospital when my back labor started and stayed with me until discharge doing all she could to help move things along naturally to avoid discharge and kept in touch with me the next day until I was readmitted to the hospital due to my water breaking. She spent what to me felt like forever with me at the hospital and had lots of tricks up her sleeve to help move things along in a labor that was stalling. She worked great alongside the nurses and was able to be flexible and figure out new things when monitoring or other things to ensure me and babies health interfered with our laboring plans. I truly believe my birth experience would have gone extremely differently and I would have needed many interventions if Kate had not been with me through the process. Kate's services and knowledge were priceless for me and she will be the first call I make in the future if I ever need doula services again.

Marion

6/16/2023

Kate was an angel during my delivery.  She showed up at the birth center with so many tools for my pain management and comfort, and from that point on was always checking in on how I was doing.  She offered different positions, including utilizing the tub and toilet (which were my favorites), and provided hot and cold compresses, essential oils, hip squeezes, lip balm, snacks, water, and many other things that I can't quite recall.  She even delegated things for my sister to do who was there, which just made everything more seamless and manageable.  She was always advocating for me!  I couldn't imagine how it would have been had she not been there, especially because the baby's father was not there to support me and I had a challenging delivery.  After being fully dilated at 10cm and pushing for 4 hours with no progress, I chose to transfer to the hospital to get an epidural and rest. At the hospital, Kate spoke to the nurses and staff and made sure they knew exactly what I wanted from my birth plan, again prioritizing my needs and comfort.  She stayed the entire night while I rested and even talked me down in the morning when I started getting anxiety about pushing again.  She helped give me the confidence to continue, and 3 hours later, my baby boy arrived!  I am so grateful for Kate and would highly recommend her a thousand times over :)

Whitney

3/25/2023

Working with Kate was an absolute pleasure -- I cannot express how much I endorse her doula services! First off, Kate is just an awesome person: she is kind, smart, and helped me feel at ease in the weeks leading up to labor and during a long birthing experience. She is extremely well versed in pregnancy, birth, and childcare issues and I really appreciated her well researched and data-driven inputs on things we had questions about. Prior to birth, Kate met with myself and my husband and we discussed my goals and fears. Her input was really helpful to prepare us for 'the big day.' When it came time to give birth, our plan went out the window and Kate helped us feel in control and informed as we navigated a long induction. Her presence at the hospital was absolutely key! She continued to advocate for us, help us make informed decisions, and was an awesome cheerleader when the time came to get to work pushing. The little touches (scent, lighting) helped create a calming atmosphere, but moreover she was instrumental in helping us make key decisions when we were emotional and running on little sleep. She also reassured us at stressful points during the process and my husband appreciated her presence and support too – it can be a nerve wracking process for the people supporting the birthing mother as well!  If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, there is some great evidence on better outcomes having one at your side. Having Kate in my arsenal of support people during my baby's birth was hands down the best decision I've made all year -- and I don't say that lightly. Highly, highly recommend Kate! 

Nicole

1/29/2023

you need Kate as your doula. End of story. No matter where you are giving birth (hospital, birthing center, home). You need a doula and you need Kate.

i had a home birth with Kate as my doula and for the short amount of time she wasn't there it was absolutely chaos. I had a very fast labor (4 hours) and for the very short time Kate wasn't there it resulted in me crying through the pain and my husband crying as well because he is not a doula. Is he is supportive and an amazing husband? YES. But he has never witnessed a birth and is not trained to handle them. I DONT THINK I WOULDVE HAD THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITHOUT KATE. During transition I was losing it and she was bringing me back with my breath and helping me in the way I needed to be helped.

kate is extremely educated, was able to help me make informed decisions, help me breath through the surges and ultimately helped me bring my baby girl into the world. I highly recommend Kate as your doula. LISTEN TO HER. Surrender and do everything she says and you will have an incredible birth too! 

Willow

1/18/2023

Kate was our north star during our birth experience! I actually met her for the first time after I had already been laboring in the hospital. I’d been diagnosed with preeclampsia and needed to be induced on short notice, leaving my original doula already booked with another client, so Kate stepped in. The hospital environment and staff was very professional and supportive, but my labor went through many phases and lasted almost 40hrs, so naturally there were many staff changes. While the important clinical information is relayed shift to shift, it’s hard to translate the emotional journey we’ve been on. Kate created stability and a sense of progress, even when the way felt lost. She offered hands-on comfort and techniques when labor was happening, and sound, strategic advice when it stalled. I had my heart set on a vaginal delivery with as few interventions as possible, so beyond what was required with the induction process, I was resisting as many unnatural elements as I could, including an epidural. But after fighting through excruciating contractions from the Pitocin, Kate explained the pain vs suffering dynamic and helped me step back from my struggle and revisit my plan. I decided to get an epidural that provided me incredible relief and some much needed rest. After getting my first few hours of sleep in almost 36 hours, my dilation had completed and I pushed for less than an hour and finally gave birth. I can’t state how grateful I am for having Kate on my birth team.

Katie H

11/29/2022

I highly recommend Kate to anyone looking for a doula. I hired Kate for my first birth and could not be happier with the support my husband and I received. From my own perspective, it was worth every penny to have an advocate who could help me through my experience. There were times during labor that were much easier to get through thanks to Kates help. My husband was also grateful for her coaching on how to be helpful during the birth. Without her being there, he would've struggled with knowing when and where he could/should step in. I look back at my birth with very positive thoughts and I don't think I would feel the same without Kate being there. 

Maria Wert

10/31/2022

We had the best experience with Kate!  As a first time mom, she helped make my labor experience an extremely positive one.  She knew what I envisioned for my labor and delivery goals which helped make both my husband and I confident and excited for the whole process.  It’s important to trust your birth team, as it’s one of the most sentimental days of your life!  Would recommend her to anyone, and would definitely use her for all future babies ;)

Ty Payton

10/18/2022

I wanted to share how much I appreciate my doula, Kate. This incredible woman sat by my side for 50 hours, nurturing me and helping my partner and I cope through my strenuous birth. I don’t think I could walk away from my birth saying it was a positive experience unless I had her by my side helping me advocate for myself MANY times. Helping me grieve every piece of my birth plan I had to let go of as I went. She is a so incredibly patient and pushed me where she knew I could handle it, which helped me to know I gave it my all. The ways Kate helped me through birthing Xan will forever shape my future. The world needs more kind compassionate and strong women like her. So much love for you Kate! 

Margot Molloy

8/17/2022

We had a great experience with Kate! We appreciated her candor and sense of humor and how she supported us through a bunch of unknowns. She has great materials and resources for preparing for birth. I ended up with a breech baby and first attempted a version procedure at week 34 to be able to have a vaginal birth. Kate helped me stay calm through the intense procedure, anticipated me wanting my husband’s support and helped him get in position and ready through the procedure. We ended up needing to have a c-section and Kate helped us get ready for the procedure and emotionally prepare and feel grounded in what would happen. She came to the hospital with us and gave me one of the best foot massages of my life as I anxiously awaited a procedure I was very scared about. We are very grateful she was their to support our journey into parenthood!

Camille Cochran

7/12/2022

Kate is an amazing doula and helped my husband and I through the end of pregnancy and child birth. She is very knowledgeable about all aspects of pregnancy, labor and postpartum and shared her knowledge with us during prenatal appointments that helped us prepare for child birth. During labor, she was great emotional support and was very encouraging- I would not have been able to have an unmedicated birth in a hospital setting without her. She involved my husband during labor and had many effective strategies to get through each contraction. She is kind and understanding and an all around great person and doula. I would reccomend Kate to all expecting mamas! 

Danielle

5/25/2022

If you are lucky enough to have an option to hire Kate Finley as your doula, jump on it. Not only does she have the compassion to support you through your pregnancy and your birth, she has in depth knowledge, and she is constantly learning. Before I met Kate, I was terrified of birth. I did not think I was capable. I am a person who ended up at a stand alone birth center having an unmedicated birth, and I was excited about it. Kate provided me with support I needed to make the right decisions for me during my pregnancy and during the postpartum period. I learned about nutrition, supplements, self-care before and after birth, products I could make for myself to prepare for what I would need, including yummy recipes that aided in replenishment and lactation, as well as helping to source supplies I could buy that help me reach my goals. She is a caring ear but so much more. She helps you make the decisions that are right for you, whatever those may be. She has no agenda other than to help you meet your own goals, whether that is a birth center, a hospital, an epidural, an unmedicated birth, or whatever else is in between. She has helped me make some of the most important decisions of my life. I would not want to do birth without her. 

Erin

3/31/2022

My husband and I hired Kate late in my pregnancy to be our doula for my daughter's birth at the beginning of March 2022. Kate met with us multiple times and helped us to prepare a birth plan. Once I passed 38 weeks, Kate was available by text or email 24/7. As this was my first birth, the information Kate provided about what to expect during the birth process, coping strategies for labor and other resources for postpartum were extremely helpful. When I went into labor, Kate met us at the hospital and stayed with us until after my daughter was born. I was able to labor and deliver my baby without an epidural. I believe part of the reason I was able to do this was due to Kate's support as our doula. I'd recommend that any first time mom consider hiring a doula for support regardless of where they plan to deliver their baby. Having Kate with me gave me so much confidence in myself. She was an excellent advocate for me and also a great comfort during and after birth.