Kaethe

12/6/2024

One of my friends (also a SMBC) and I had the same birth doula, Keli Schurman-Darby, and she is TOP NOTCH. From our first meeting, I found I really vibed with her energy, and she was quite patient to answer all my questions, and explained a few areas that had not yet been covered (and I ask A LOT of questions).

The doula role is slightly different for c section than vaginal birth, but I felt SO much more prepared for having worked with Keli. Even if I had a partner, I’d want a birth doula (better to have someone by your side who has been through 86 c sections, than a support person likely to faint/vomit/panic/otherwise need your emotional bandwidth when what you need is support). My experience with Keli was absolutely superlative. She talked me through the whole process (twice!) in advance, was with me from when we checked in to the hospital (UW Northwest, which was truly the most supportive experience), through the surgery, recovery bay, and until I was back in my postpartum suite. She worked well with the entire care team, helped with early lactation, took all the photos (don’t forget to get one of the placenta! You grew a whole organ!), texted with my parents, calmed me down when there was even the tiniest hiccup in my procedure, and generally had my back. Her presence was calm but authoritative and I really can’t imagine going through birth without her. I very highly recommend you work with Keli!!

Xuejin Ruan

11/30/2024

I cannot recommend Keli highly enough! She was my birth doula and was an incredible source of knowledge, empathy, and unwavering support throughout my labor journey. During the induction process, she advocated for me, ensuring my voice was heard and my preferences were respected.

When my labor didn’t progress as planned and I needed an emergent C-section, she stayed by my side, providing emotional comfort and reassurance when I needed it most. Her calming presence made a difficult situation so much more manageable. I truly felt cared for every step of the way.

If you’re looking for a compassionate, skilled, and dedicated doula, Keli is the one you want by your side. She’s absolutely amazing!

Natalie M.

10/19/2024

We would absolutely work with Keli again. In the weeks leading up to birth, during the birth, and after the birth, my husband and I keep reiterating how thankful we were to have Keli as our birth doula. 

After our original doula fell through just a couple months prior to the delivery date, we were panicked to find birth doula support. We found Keli, and right from the beginning, she was responsive, informative, and moved quickly.  As we prepared for birth, Keli scheduled time with us on multiple occasions to give us an overview of what to expect, discuss specific processes at Swedish where I was delivering, and answer the list of questions I had as a first time mother.  

What impressed us about Keli is that she leads with professionalism and knowledge, which gave us confidence in selecting her as our doula. She has significant experience working as a doula in the hospital setting and even previously worked for the Swedish doula program.  In addition to her experience, she has a warm and funny personality, which was so helpful and very much appreciated as I navigated the induction process which entailed a really fast progression from early to active labor (my process took basically 24 hours). 

In the hospital, Keli helped my husband and I navigate through every step of the process and gave us easy to digest information, reassurance, and physical assistance (Keli literally helped me move into various positions during my active labor).  As the physician is only in the room for the delivery and available for a couple conversations prior to delivery, Keli’s presence and support mitigated my anxiety and gave me confidence during the entire process. 

Rachel Roberson

10/10/2024

Keli is a very entrusting individual. She was extremely helpful and resourceful both within prenatal and postpartum care. She always had the best interest of our son and my recovery in mind! We greatly appreciate her support with kick starting our journey off as parents.

Payton

9/2/2024

I cannot recommend Kelli highly enough as a doula! It was my first pregnancy and delivery, and there was so much unknown. I had a very difficult pregnancy and during that time, she provided such empathetic support as someone to vent my fears and frustrations to as well as recommended tangible solutions of things to try to prep for birth and take my mind off the negatives. Leading up to my delivery, she was very proactive about letting me know there was a chance she would need to dispatch her back up doula to my delivery as another client of hers had unforeseen complications. She arranged for me to meet with the back up virtually and while I was hopeful I’d have Kelli, I felt comfortable with the alternative plan if it came to that. Luckily, it worked out Kelli was available for my delivery and I attribute a large part of my positive labor experience to her. I was fortunate that uncontrollable factors also went my way, but Kelli’s coaching of getting me into different positions while laboring and input on timing of when to utilize my interventions we’d agreed upon beforehand was instrumental. I felt so lucky to have her in my corner throughout my whole experience!

Neha Chachra

8/5/2024

This was our second time working with Keli as our birth doula. We enjoyed working with her the first time as well as this time. She's empathetic, responsive, reliable, and very knowledgeable. We're very grateful for her help with both our deliveries :-)

Danielle Ballantyne

7/7/2024

Keli is warm, compassionate, easy-going, and funny. We felt very comfortable around her from the start and loved how easy it was to be with her. Keli has lots of resources to offer for support along the pregnancy journey. During delivery, she was helpful in suggesting different positions, providing direction when pushing, and being encouraging overall. We very much appreciated her support and would recommend her as a doula.

Katelyn and John Thomas

5/25/2024

Choosing Keli was one of the best decisions my partner and I made during our pregnancy. From the beginning, her easygoing nature and expertise she demonstrated put us at easy. When we went into labor earlier than expected Keli was there immediately and through every twist and turn offering unwavering support, guidance, and reassurance.

Her coaching during labor was nothing short of exceptional. With her calming presence and wealth of knowledge, she offered great physical but also emotional support, ensuring that both my partner and I felt heard, understood, and empowered throughout the entire process.

What truly sets Keli apart is her genuine care and compassion. She went above and beyond to ensure that we felt supported not just during labor but throughout the entirety of our time together. Whether it was answering late-night calls, providing resources, or simply lending a listening ear, she was there every step of the way.

Thanks to Keli, what could have been an overwhelming and daunting experience turned into a journey filled with empowerment and positivity. We are so grateful for her unwavering dedication and support, and we wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone seeking a doula who is not just exceptional at what she does but who also brings an abundance of empathy and compassion to her practice.

Thank you, Keli, for being our rock during one of the most challenging yet rewarding times of our lives.

Amanda

5/20/2024

We were so grateful to have Keli as our doula! Keli is amazing to work with. She is kind and compassionate, and provided a wealth of knowledge and guidance. She was an invaluable resource during my pregnancy and labor. I would highly recommend Keli to anyone looking for a doula!

Paige

5/13/2024

We had such a great experience with Keli. She checked in often as we waited for labor to begin. She was a great coach as contractions intensified and then a calming presence when things didn't go as planned and we had to have a c section. 

I would use her again and recommend her to all my friends

Samantha

4/29/2024

Keli was a joy to work with! From our first virtual visit, to postpartum care, she was kind and thoughtful while offering advice and suggestions for us to consider. Keli's calm and honest presence was so helpful, particularly when my birth did not goes as planned. Keli is a wonderful part of our son's birth story and we are so grateful for her knowledge and assistance!

Madeleine Bergeron-Edasi

1/31/2024

I chose Keli out of a few different doulas initially because I liked her experience and certifications. When my husband and I interviewed her, I immediately knew she was the doula for us with her love of both science and the woo around birth. We hired her immediately and I was able to access her recommended items and packing list. They were both very helpful though I didn't end up using a lot of it as my baby was breech. When I told Keli he was breech, she gave me resources to help turn him and offered words of encouragement about c-section birth being valid and just as magical as vaginal birth. I really needed that in the headspace I had entered in the final weeks of my pregnancy. Baby boy was scheduled for a c-section but ended up coming early and we were easily able to contact Keli and she got there just in time to support us and to make sure I was able to have pictures of my baby being born and my husband and me holding him. Keli made sure we had a lactation consultant come to our room quickly and made sure we were in a good space before she went to her next birth. Keli's follow up visits were great too! We loved the star chart and her ability to answer our random questions. I'd hire her again in a heartbeat.

Erica

1/30/2024

Keli is amazing! She offered helpful advice and moral support throughout our entire birth experience, which was much needed as first time parents. To this day my husband and I still talk about how glad we were to have her there with us in the hospital. Our daughter’s birth did not go as expected and I ended up having an unplanned C section, and Keli was with us through every step and made the entire process so much less scary. She was also awesome as a postpartum doula and allowed us to get some much needed sleep in those early weeks! My only complaint is that we had to reschedule quite a few times for our postpartum sessions, which was frustrating, but I understand that there are many moving pieces with a doula schedule and sometimes life happens. She did find backup coverage when needed which was much appreciated. Overall we had a very positive experience and would recommend Keli as a birth and postpartum doula!

Bri Cowan

12/5/2023

I am beyond happy that I had Keli by my side during labor and delivery. We did prep before birth and having her there was a game changer. I relied on her A LOT to help me through contractions, keep me motivated, remind of birth plan and support as things needed to shift, positions to ease delivery and so much more! Confidence is key during labor and Keli upped mine tremendously. She is knowledgeable and committed to the best birth outcome for mom and baby. She also provided my husband with lots of support and encouraged him to be hands on as he felt comfortable. Keli would help explain things to me that I needed to hear again with everything going on. I felt supported and advocated for. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Lauren Bluher

10/20/2023

We hired Keli as our birth doula and she was wonderful! She did a great job bridging the gap between the personal/emotional experience and the medical experience of labor and childbirth, helping us understand and process events, options and curveballs along the way. She also was great in helping us prepare for labor and delivery. But the thing that REALLY stood out to me was Keli's support and communication in the OR when we were faced with an unexpected c-section delivery. She provided me and my husband with the perfect calming breathing technique, and kept giving us the "cliff notes" throughout the procedure so we knew what was happening and didn't have to guess at what the medical staff was saying. She kept us calm, with just the right level of information delivered in a very reassuring way. Without her there, we would have been lost and terrified.

Emily Fulkerson

9/19/2023

We were lucky enough to have Keli with us for the first 6 weeks postpartum. She is extremely organized, thorough, and knowledgeable. She has a very calm and positive presence and I really enjoyed her company throughout the night. She made such a difference in my sleep, mental health, and recovery -- it's a night and day difference from my first PP experience. Keli always has tips and advice for all things baby-related and she helped us immensely, even though it's our second baby. I can't recommend her enough! 

Kara Harvin

9/12/2023

Keli is absolutely amazing and I couldn't be more grateful to have her as our doula. I felt such a connection with Keli almost instantly in our meet-and-greet meeting and her compassion, humor, ease, and nurturing spirit gave me and my husband the reassurance and confidence we needed throughout our prenatal, birthing, and postpartum experience. Since I'm a first time mom, Keli's expertise, knowledge and guidance made me feel prepared and so much less anxious in the weeks leading up to my delivery, and her confidence in me gave me the mental strength I needed as I prepared for childbirth. During labor and delivery, she provided the exact type of support I needed every step of the way and I really can't imagine my experience without her. She brought humor and light-heartedness at just the right moments and a calming presence when I was feeling anxious. There were times that the delivery room felt chaotic with doctors and nurses coming in and out, so having Keli's consistent guidance and being able to focus on just her voice through contractions and the pushing stage was completely invaluable. She provided so much support to my husband too as she helped interpret things from the doctors, particularly during a few situations that seemed really scary until Keli explained things to us and gave us the reassurance we needed. We loved everything about working Keli and I cannot recommend her enough as a doula. I can't wait to work with her again in the future when we hopefully have another baby!

Katie and Dan Wynne

9/11/2023

As a NICU nurse for 15+ years, I have witnessed first hand how essential your support team is when giving birth! My husband gets a little "woozy" with medical stuff, so I knew we needed back up to support both of us! Within the first ten minutes of our zoom interview (after an endearing Harry Potter reference), we knew Keli was the doula for us! We learned more from her in our prenatal session than we did in a 2-day birth preparation class. When it came time to deliver our son, Keli hung in there with us for 40 hour induction that eventually led to a c-section. Her Tens unit she let us use was an invaluable tool until I got my epidural! She was amazing at lifting the mood in the room and helped me get more comfortable time and time again when I thought I couldn't keep going. The surgery was a little rough so my husband was focused on me, and without Keli we wouldn't have any photos of our son being born or of the first moments of his life-being weighed and brought over to meet us! She helped us initiate breastfeeding and he has quickly gained over 5lbs in 2 months! We also had a hard first month with my recovery, very little sleep, and a very colicky baby. Keli checked in on us often and offered lots of insight and suggestions to make our life easier! If you are looking for a warm, no-nonsense, knowledgeable doula, we can't recommend Keli enough!  

Jess

9/7/2023

We really appreciated working with Keli. She is brings experience, perspective, expertise, and positivity to the pregnancy and birthing experience, and we were really grateful to have her support us during labor. We had some complications pop up and we ended up getting started much earlier than we had planned, and Keli was with us to help us focus and relax. After the birth, she answered our questions and offered reassurance and additional guidance. We highly recommend working with her!

withheld due to PHI

7/7/2023

I hired Keli to be my patient advocate and she started off strong helping with pain management and trying to get a provider with better bed side manner. Much much later in the day, I complained of sharp break through pain despite the epidural. Keli and the care team tried to assure me that it was just a contraction. It wasn't until my c section that I (we?) learned my uterus had ruptured.  Mistakes get made because doctors and doulas are just people, but I hope it was a good reminder to everyone to listen to patients and use these opportunites for professional growth. Anyways, she stayed calm and helped my husband and me stay calm during the scariest moment of my life. 

Keli is nurturing, compassionate, and passionate about what she does.  During my surgery, she was an incredible support to my husband and he couldn't be more grateful for her presence during that difficult time. 

Brianne Wyman

6/11/2023

Keli is exceptional! As first time parents we had no idea what to expect bringing home a baby. Keli was there to answer any questions, calm any concerns and even be a shoulder to cry on. She was amazing with our daughter always talking to her, cuddling with her and taking careful care of her. We used Keli's services for overnights and day visits and every time we left our daughter with her we felt more than comfortable knowing she was in good hands. Keli is extremely professional, so kind, and has become a part of our family. I would 100% recommend Keli's doula services.  

Liz Van Winkle

4/10/2023

I am so glad we hired Keli to be our doula! She was a huge source of support for my husband and I; I don't know what we would have done without her. She was super informative and answered all our questions at our prenatal meetings. I'm a first time mom and was anxious about labor and delivery, but Keli made me feel prepared and confident. She also helped us a ton in getting ready for labor and preparing us to labor at home for as long as possible, like I wanted. She was also a great, reassuring and knowledgeable person to have in the delivery room when doctors and nurses weren't always around because they were with other patients. I would recommend hiring a doula to anyone giving birth, and I'd definitely recommend Keli! She was great!!

Toby

4/7/2023

We worked with Keli as a postpartum doula and her help and extensive experience were invaluable! We were able to get much needed rest knowing our kiddo was in good hands. She provided lots of helpful tips and tricks that made our journey so much easier. Would definitely recommend!

Swetha

10/1/2022

Keli is a PHENOMENAL doula! She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. She is also extremely warm, friendly, and culturally competent,  which makes it easier to candidly discuss preferences, concerns, and hopes for your birth experience with her. Keli was always great about reaching out and following up through pre-natal check-ins, which really helped ease our minds in preparation for birth. During the birth itself, Keli was such an incredible, non-judgemental, and kind advocate for us. When things were getting challenging and it was hard for us to think straight, she guided us through decisions, helped communicate with the healthcare providers, and was a fantastic champion for us. I am so so glad we got to work with Keli as our birth doula - without her, our birth experience would've been much more challenging! We are so grateful we had Keli in our corner to guide us through this momentous event in our lives! We have recommended Keli to all our friends! Do not hesitate to work with Keli for your birth or postpartum needs - she is absolutely wonderful! Thank you very much Keli!

Clara

9/26/2022

Keli made us feel greatly supported and reassured before, during, and after our son's birth. She helped us understand options when creating a birth plan, acknowledged my fears around the birthing process, coached me through pushing - like a total champ! - and dutifully followed up in person during our son's first week. We couldn't have asked for a better birth doula!

Anna Chandler

8/15/2022

We had Keli with us during our second birth. My husband and I had used a doula for our first, but weren't totally happy and were hesitant to work with someone new. Keli immediately put our minds at ease with her kind heart, generous personality, and her ability to answer all of our questions. We knew we had the right doula when she really truly listened to our fears, hopes, and concerns regarding our second birth. On the actual day, she helped me feel in control, cared for, and safe. Keli felt like a friend we had known for years and it was so nice to have someone there who was just for us. She checked on my husband when he needed some encouragement and even the nurses commented on how great she was to work with. Keli texted with us in the first couple days and gave us great ideas to help with our toddler. I am so glad we used Keli for the birth of our son and would recommend her to everyone! 

Neha Chachra

8/15/2022

We are so glad that we chose Keli as our birth doula. Everything from the initial intro online visit to in-person visit and then the birth experience felt seamless with her. On her first visit, she gave us a copy of a super helpful book that I am glad I finished reading the day before I went into labor! I felt informed, but more importantly, I knew I had an advocate in Keli at the hospital. During labor, Keli made sure I was comfortable by offering adjustments to my position, and even where the IV was placed on my arm. Birthing is hard, but I am really glad I had a wonderful team with Keli there. Couldn't have asked for more and now we're lucky to have a beautiful healthy baby.

Shubha

7/27/2022

Keli has been a wonderful postpartum doula, caring for my baby boy since he was less than a week old. Keli has a wealth of knowledge that she is happy to share, and is great at soothing infants. She has offered me tips on breastfeeding, improving my boy's sleep, and various other topics that I was clueless about being a first time mom. I recommend Keli whole to anyone looking for a postpartum doula.

Radhika

6/5/2022

I am so glad we have choose Keli as our birth doula . Thank you Keli for helping us bring our precious baby into the world. Your exceptional care and taking time to explain my husband and me the situation surrounding my pregnancy and birth was super awesome. God bless you abundantly. We greatly appreciate your service.

Best wishes,
Radhika

ALEXANDRA EFIMOVSKAYA

2/6/2022

Keli was a wonderful doula to work with from strart to finish. In the first months of our childs life, we can not imagine not having her support.

She has been excellent with our son. She has demonstrated techniques for feeding, including both breast and bottle feeding. She has also helped us with soothing techniques and sleep training. 

During the initial weeks of having our baby home, her night support was especially invaluable. As our son grew older, her support shifted to be more during the day time which allowed her to show us different care techniques for our growing son. 

In addition to all of the support she provided from our baby, she was also incredibly supportive to us as parents. She talked through any fears or questions we had and never made us feel embarrassed or bad for not knowing what to do. One of her superpowers as a doula is her ability to make you feel comfortable and cared for.

Outside of the hours when she was directly working with us she would always be available via text or phone call to answer any questions we had. 

Elyse Davis

11/23/2021

Keli is a lovely, warm, positive soul and a truly supportive doula. From day one she felt like a long lost friend and was encouraging and uplifting through the uncertain process of a first time mother giving birth. There are so many things to think about, plan, research, etc. and Keli had a great toolbox of resources, both in information from other clients, information from her experience with baby and childcare, and literal tools that helped me mentally get through my contractions without medication. I truly believe that she is the reason I was able to go almost completely unmedicated, and survive without an epidural. She was always by my side and I squeezed her hand as much or more than my husbands. Keli will check in on you before and after birth as well and make sure you're mentally and physically ok and don't need support. We always felt like we had an amazing resource in Kelly to lean on.