Marie R.

5/9/2024

We loved working with Natasha for the birth of our first child. Throughout the pregnancy I was thinking of hiring a doula, but couldn't make a decision to do it.  Finally around 35 weeks, I decided to hire a doula.  Natasha was great about quickly getting with my spouse and I to go through all the pre-birth meetings even though it was a quick turnaround. She never made me feel bad for waiting so long to hire a doula and as we talked through our birth plan I felt supported and never judged for our decisions.  

Labor went extremely fast and luckily Natasha made it in time for the birth.  She was fantastic about helping explain our options while in the hospital so we could make informed decisions. When our baby was born he wasn't crying right away and this really panicked my husband and I.  Natasha was a calm presence who stood by my side and reassured me and reminded me to talk to my baby while they worked on the baby.  She also encouraged my husband to be with the baby.  I will be forever greatful for her guidance during a really scary moment.  Luckily baby soon started crying and everything was fine. 

She was extremely supportive post-partum as we made the transition to first time parents. She would answer calls and texts to help me understand all the weird things my baby did, that were in fact normal. She helped me navigate my own recovery and was so supportive.  

I don't think that we could have had a better birth experience and that is because of Natasha's help.  We are so thankful she was there with us as we welcomed our first child into the world. 

Abigail Sanders

4/3/2024

Natasha has been with me through so much. I originally hired her for a pregnancy that sadly ended in miscarriage. She sent comfort, held space, and remembered our baby on their due date later that year. When I found out I was pregnant again, we reached out to recruit her for our VBAC. She invited me to Village Prenatals and introduced me to women who reviered birth as a natural part of life vs a medical event. She listened as I expressed concerns and was a shoulder to cry on when I talked about the baby we lost.  

When labor came, she was quick to respond (labor started around 3:30am) and swiftly met us at the birth center. She was by my side throughout labor with cool hands to ground me, towels to mop up sweat, water to sip, and support so my husband could do the essentials-be by my side unincumbered and get coffee (did I mention labor began at 3am?). She took video of our birth, which I requested and cherish-my VBAC! Most importantly, she followed us to the hospital in the chaos of an emergency transfer. She stood by my side while my husband stood by baby's. One of the inital reasons I hired Natasha was the ease at which our conversation flowed, and having her as a friend to talk to in the time between baby being taken to the NICU and when the dr finally came back to update us was invaluable. Somehow those mins passed w/o worry despite it being an incredibly stressful situation and arguably one of the hardest nights of our lives. I truly believe having her there helped midigate a good bit of trauma.

Our NICU stay ended up lasting 34 days-during that time Natasha continued to reach out, bringing food and a welcome distraction from NICU life. With her help we received donations via meal train. Once baby was home, she helped go over our birth and we compared notes to navigate a whirlwind of a day. She's welcome to visit anytime she's in town and will always be a special part in our baby's birth story.

Paula Olson

6/22/2023

We were so pleased with our experience of having Natasha as our doula! It was great to have her help us prepare and answer our questions as we led up to the birth of our daughter. Having her at the hospital with us was priceless! She's was able to help translate what the medical staff was saying and really aided us in making informed decisions. My husband said that she was a huge support for him and that he would have felt very alone and insecure without her there. 10/10 would recommend!

Michael

5/20/2022

We didn't have a doula for the birth of our son, and I'm so glad we hired Natasha for the birth of our daughter. She provided a calming presence through my wife's whole labor, and was able to keep in mind and suggest things that helped my wife labor a little more easily. She provided physical support as I provided emotional support, and then was able to provide emotional support as I stepped in to provide some physical support. She helped us feel connected with the birth process, and feel less alone in the labor and delivery suite. (Something I never knew before our son was born—when things are progressing as expected, you spend a lot of time alone, just you and your partner.)

Before labor, we met with Natasha several times—in person and virtually—to talk through all aspects of labor and delivery, including my wife's fears and emotional experience of pregnancy. Natasha had many helpful resources and always followed up with anything she promised to provide. She was also honest about things she didn't know, such a refreshing thing to hear from someone: "I don't know the answer to that, so let me do some reading and I will get back to you."

Natasha had no agenda or values she tried to push onto us. She wanted to support us and help us have the birth experience we wanted. She was calm, kind, supportive, gracious, and encouraging. She was by far the greatest asset and greatest value for this pregnancy. Those terms—asset and value—make her sound like an investment, and hiring Natasha is one of the best investments you can make for your pregnancy. But Natasha is so much more than that—she is a caring, nurturing human being who you will connect with and find your pregnancy experience enriched because of the support Natasha provides.  

Alex & Michael Schlecht

3/8/2022

Natasha was so professional, comforting beyond belief, and provided us with such peace of mind about so many topics both during pregnancy and postpartum. Her overall presence and actions during our hospital birth were so calming and effective! It provided such relief to know that she was there as a member of my care team to not only support me but to support my husband as well! 
Thank YOU, Natasha, for being exactly what we needed, when we needed it! Your counter pressure techniques, the use of the tennis balls for massage during labor and your advice to listen to the mindfulness practices in Mindful Birthing aided my labor tremendously so I could go through with my plan to give birth without an epidural. I really appreciated your commitment to helping my hospital care team follow my birth plan, especially your quick action to initiate our immediate skin-to-skin interaction! In addition, your continued care for us throughout postpartum has been incredibly reassuring and I’m so grateful for you as a client and as a friend. I’ll forever love the laid back breastfeeding position you taught me moments after Finn was born!
We are so excited to watch Natasha help more couples in their labor, delivery, and postpartum journeys and we highly recommend adding her services to your birth plan!