Nicole Retka

10/23/2023

Catherine was such an ENORMOUS help and a place of refuge in times of confusion during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. God sure is working through this lovely woman! The evidence-based research she always had on hand to share, her kind and compassionate demeanor, and her knowledge of techniques to help before and during labor were amazing. We absolutely do not regret the money spent on her services and would whole-heartedly recommend her! 

Aubrey DeMars

8/22/2023

After using a doula for my third birth, I knew they were vital to any other births I'd go on to have. When I got pregnant with my fourth baby, my previous doula company's views didn't exactly line with my own, and I found Catherine. She was a breath of fresh air from the first phone call. Even though I had been through three other births, she helped my confidence level and had so much knowledge about the physiological aspects of birth, which is exactly what I needed for how difficult this pregnancy was and would go on to be. Fast forward to birth time, she kept being so encouraging and helped me so much with position changes and pain management tequniques with the first part of my birth. And even though she had to leave on a trip (I went exactly two weeks late), the back up doula she brought in for the rest of my birth was exactly the same breath of fresh air as Catherine. I appreciated the connections I built with Catherine and l loved her encouragements throughout my pregnancy. She was always there when I had a question, concern, or a random freak out, and the calming presence I needed. A beautiful person inside and out and a rock when birth time comes - I highly recommend her to anyone! 

Rachel Slater

8/10/2023

I had Catherine as my doula for my third birth and I had such a great experience with her. I was a little concerned about the "wild card" third birth and she was so great in the lead up with exercise and positioning tips and just reassurance. She was absolutely invaluable to me during the birth of my biggest baby - I really couldn't have done it without her. She was a constant source of safety and assurance and helped me get through my natural labor with no complications. I would highly recommend her to anyone as part of their labor team!

Katy Berryman

5/5/2023

The most important thing for us in a doula was shared faith. Pregnancy and birth are sacred times, so finding a Catholic doula was of utmost importance to me. Catherine met this criteria, but she also exceeded my expectations in every way. She was responsive, helpful, resourceful, kind, funny, and best of all: a friend. I feel that I have made a friend in Catherine through this journey, and that is very significant when you are sharing one of the most vulnerable and important moments of your life with someone.

Many women end up feeling betrayed by their birth care team because of less than stellar people at their side. Mothers don't need to fear this happening with Catherine. She is ultimately supportive of the mother's wishes--you will never be shamed by her for any decision you make in your birth, only uplifted. As soon as I decided to opt out of my natural birth and said my "safe word" to get an epidural, she instantly helped get the process going, despite our goal being to go unmedicated the whole time. She takes her supportive role very seriously, including her role as a praying intercessor if that is important to you in your birth.

Catherine is a priceless doula. Anyone seeking her services will not be disappointed with her support. If the opportunity arises, I will invite her to work with us on my future births as well. 

Sarah W

2/27/2023

Hiring Catherine was a great blessing, joy, and gift to our growing family. As first time parents, we decided to hire a doula to help us navigate the unknowns of childbirth and the early days of having a newborn. It was important to us to find someone who was not only qualified, but who understood and respected our Catholic Christian beliefs. We were delighted after our intial conversation with Catherine to find that she satisfied both of those desires. 

Catherine was extremely thorough in explaining the labor and delivery process and the various preparations we needed to make before arriving at the hospital. We appreciated that she came to our home for meetings and that she was prompt in answering any questions or concerns we had outside of those meeting times. We felt very well taken care of and prepared as best as we could be for labor when it arrived. 

There were a number of unexpected circumstances that came up during my labor and delivery experience, but Catherine was there to patiently and peacefully guide us through each situation. It was incredibly helpful to be able to take a step back with someone we trusted who could present us with different options. I believe that a large part of why I had the stamina to keep enduring through a long and difficult labor was due to Catherine's care and coaching. My husband was wonderful during labor as a caregiver, coach, and advocate. He attributes his confidence and knowledge to Catherine's teaching prior to and during labor. 

Although my labor was long, difficult, and largely not how I "planned" it, I walked away having a very positive birth experience! Our little family is so grateful for Catherine's care and we recommend her to all expectant Mamas!

Abigail

10/6/2022

Catherine was amazing to work with and made this birthing experience so much more joyful than my previous birth. She was super hands on and ready to help in so many ways: held my water bottle to sip from between contractions, suggested laboring positions, counter pressure and massage, and prayed with us! I can't imagine not having her there. Thank you Catherine! 

Melisa

10/3/2022

I had a very positive birth experience and I owe a lot of that to Catherine. She helped me prepare mentally and physically for the birth of my daughter and was available for any questions I had. I loved that I could reach out to her whenever I needed and she would respond with an abundance of helpful information and ideas. She was a calm and joyful presence during labor and delivery and I'm very grateful she was by my side. 

Adelaide von Buelow

4/16/2022

Our experience with Catherine was better than we could have imagined! As a first time mom who firmly wanted an unmedicated birth, I knew a doula would be helpful. We had no clear concept of the role of a doula going in to it, but Catherine far exceeded any expectations we did have. She traveled an hour to our house for the prenatal and postnatal visits, she was so thorough and clear with her advice and recommendations, she was kind and gentle, and she made my husband and I feel so peaceful and competent. I felt mentally and physically prepared because of her preparations with us. During labor, she was supportive without being overbearing. She knew when to step in and offer help, and she also knew when to stay in the background and let my husband and I labor alone. Catherine is knowledgeable, generous, prayerful, and personable. I would recommend her to anyone approaching labor!

Abby

1/5/2022

I had my son in May and I cannot express how meaningful it was to have Catherine as our doula. It being my first birth, I had read everything I could about labor and delivery, practiced countless relaxation techniques and meditations, did every stretch in the book and did all the preparation I could think of. While knowledge of the process surely helped me, in the moment all my plans went out the window. Having someone there who can work with you to manage the pain makes an impact that a book never could. When there is little to no down-time between contractions, a calm and knowledge person who doesn’t have the hospital’s agenda in mind is a priceless resource.

Having Catherine there for my birth helped me to focus on the experience of having my baby and helped my husband to be present. She offered options when I needed them and knew when to let me focus in silence. In addition to her training and experience, her peaceful and reassuring personality made a huge difference in how calm I was able to stay through contractions. She was creative in pain management ideas and gave useful options (but not too many that it became a distraction). She was unaffected by any hiccups in the process, too. She knew by birth plan by heart and was able to balance what I wanted with what I needed in the moment. I’m so thankful she was a part of the experience and would recommend her services to anyone.