Hillary Smith

8/30/2024

Marianna was our first call after we found out we were pregnant with our second baby! She had been such an incredible help with our first child we could not wait to have her back. 

Marianna helped us with our second baby for twelve weeks starting the day we got home from the hospital. Our son had some feeding and sleeping challenges early on and Marianna provided us with much-needed rest and relief, sometimes holding him throughout the entire night so he'd be more comfortable. We had 100% trust in her and could see how much she guinely cared for our son.

Every night she was with us she'd miraculously find time to help with all of the chores building up around the house, and would surprise our older son with beautiful drawings on his easel some mornings (she's a shockingly good artist!).

Both of our children are excellent sleepers and we have Marianna to thank for that. Our younger son is not even four months old and is already sleeping 12 hours most nights! 

Marianna is an exceptionally nurturing and kind-hearted person, we can't recommend her more strongly to any parent.  

natassia Rozario

5/3/2024

Marianna is truly a baby whisperer and has an amazing gift. She brings such sincere joy and love to her work and we feel so very lucky that she was part of our journey and could play such a special role in my son's life. I instantly felt comfortable with Marianna and was 100% confident in her ability to take care for my little one while I was able to get some rest and recover. She was diligent, caring, and professional. She also has such deep expertise and was generous with her wisdom and taught us several useful tips to help soothe and better understand an infant. Her lactation cookies are also amazing!

Mary Holly

3/15/2024

This is the second time we have had the absolute pleasure of working with Marianna. I wish there were enough words to describe how amazing our experience both times were. She is such a special person, and is truly meant to care for babies. She always reassured us our baby would be in the best hands and taken care of and without a doubt she followed through on that. My husband and I always felt so comfortable and that our babies were being cared for while in Marianna's hands. Please consider this testimony your sign to book this amazing woman!

Tova

9/5/2023

Marianna has single-handedly transformed our newborn experience from something we struggled through solo with our first child, to something we have enjoyed immensely with our second child now that we have her here with us. From the get-go, Marianna’s passion for her job was apparent— she genuinely adores newborns and is always willing and eager to go the extra mile. For example, Marianna not only stayed awake every night caring for our newborn (she documented each feeding/dirty diaper, kept us abreast of anything noteworthy, etc.), but she also consistently tidied up our playroom,  swept the floors, sanitized our bottles, cleaned our dishes, and washed and folded our laundry!! Mariana is also very punctual— she was not late once and arrived 5-10 minutes early each night! She encouraged my husband and I to go out on date nights, and even made me lactation cookies to help with breastfeeding. And on top of her evident passion and unparalleled work ethic, Marianna is an incredibly kind and compassionate individual— it’s genuinely impossible not to like her. I cannot think of anything else we could’ve hoped for in a doula, and Marianna surpassed any and all expectations we had. There was nothing I loved more than sneaking a peak at them during one of my many pumping sessions, and seeing Marianna beaming at my daughter or singing her lullabies. And Marianna has allowed us to be well-slept and have more time during the day to spend with the baby rather than on various household and newborn chores. We have grown to think of Marianna as an extension of our family, and we will be forever grateful for the impact she has had on each of our lives. I cannot sing her praises enough!

Patricia Zaleski

7/8/2023

I don't know what we would have done without Marianna. She truly is the best at what she does and treated our family with genuine care and love. I felt completely comfortable with our newborn in her care and at ease that she stayed up with him throughout the night. As a result I was able to sleep and get much needed rest to recover and take care of my 2 older girls in the morning. When she met our family she engaged with my 18mo and 4yo girls and played with them so that when they would see her either at night or in the morning they would feel comfortable. She even played with them some mornings while my husband and I got situated which was a huge help! She felt like an extended family member in our household. She also helped with laundry and dishes which was not expected but a huge help. Additionally, she was a joy to be around and listened to our needs, provided expertise while working with us as we figured out life with our latest addition! We are so very thankful to have Marianna in our lives. 

Allison Mueller

5/26/2023

Marianna is a dream-come-true for any new mother, and we would highly recommend her services to anyone looking for a warm, friendly, experienced, professional caregiver. We were introduced to Marianna by two sets of friends who could not speak highly enough about her.

Right from the start, Marianna demostrated incredible respect and knowledge about anything and everything. She was able to begin working with us when our baby was just four days old, which really helped me recover quickly from my delivery. The extra hands was also a huge blessing -- looking after pets, laundry, dishes -- all the things that get overshadowed when a newborn arrives!

She made me feel comfortable and competent as a first-time mother, offering advice without overstepping. She knew exactly what the baby needed. She became an extended member of our family. Even our two pet cats miss her!

Ilyana

4/11/2023

I don’t know where to begin in describing how amazing it was to work with Marianna.  Marianna was our night nurse for six weeks after the birth of our son.  By the end of this short, six-week period, he was essentially sleeping through the night, which I have to believe is some kind of record!  Each evening, she and I worked together to come up with a plan in terms of when to wake him so he could nurse or whether to have me pump ahead of time so that I could skip a feeding and get extra sleep.  As the weeks went by, he would steadily increase intervals between feedings and now (he’s 3.5 months) he remains an excellent sleeper (knock on wood!).  I’m not sure how exactly she accomplished this feat, but Marianna simply has a magic touch.  Her love for infants and children is so evident in all that she does.

I was also blown away by all the things not directly related to baby-care that Marianna did to make our lives easier.  Understandably, most night nurses sleep while the baby sleeps.  But Marianna doesn’t sleep and instead would find things around the house to do, whether that was helping our older child to settle down for the night, emptying the dishwasher, or doing our baby’s laundry.  The attention she gave our 4-year-old daughter helped so much, given the challenges of transitioning from only child to older sister.  Marianna would even come early at night once a week to babysit our daughter so that my husband and I get a night out.  She goes truly above and beyond and made those six weeks so much easier for me, and I could fully focus on bonding with our newborn and recovering from pregnancy.

In short, Marianna became part of our family for this period (and we remain in touch and miss seeing her every day!).  I cannot recommend her highly enough.  She is a very special person and we consider ourselves so lucky to have her in our lives.

Chitra Kodery

1/4/2023

Marianna is one of the most genuine, caring inviduals I have ever met.  She truly loves what she does and was beyond amazing with our newborn.  
It can feel unsettling to new parents allowing someone you do not know into your home, but Marianna instantly made us feel extremely comfortable and was like family by the end.  Our only regret was that we had not hired her for longer! We would recommend Marianna a thousand times over!

Hillary Smith

11/4/2022

Marianna was with us for about two months, shortly after our first baby was born. She provided us with much needed rest, and the peace of mind that our baby was in loving and capable hands each night. She truly went above and beyond - always arriving early, helping us with mountains of laundry, washing and sterilizing bottles, and baking delicious lactation cookies.

Marianna was a comfortable presence in our household in the same way family would be. We cannot recommend her more highly, and look forward to working with her again!

Kristin Spence

10/29/2022

Marianna was such a blessing to have. She was with us from the day we came home from the hospital until our son turned 2 months. I wish she could have stayed with us longer! She truly went above and beyond. From coming early, to making me the most delicious lactation cookies, and always following up on appointments for both my son and I. It truly showed how much she cares for her clients and enjoy what she does! I always looked forward to the nights she was with us not only because I knew my son was in great hands but also because I enjoyed our conversations. Having her during overnight feeds helped me feel not alone through this newborn journey. I had a very difficult time adjusting from 0 to 1 children but she made the transition from 1 to 2 seemless. My postpartum mental health was much better this time around and I can contribute that largely to Marianna. I would recommend her and actually hope are paths cross again in the future. Thank you again, Marianna, for being so loving, caring, and generous with me and my family. Your time with us will be cherished. 

Wilson

8/26/2022

We were absolutely blown away with the amount of genuine care, attention, and most importantly, love, that Marianna gave to us as parents and especially our newborn. After a few complications, we desperately needed help and did not know what to expect when enlisting the services of a doula, but Marianna exceeded every expectation and then some! 

Marianna genuinely loves what she does and has an absolute passion for caring for infants and their families. She was an absolute pleasure to have while we navigated being new parents. We will miss her! 

Amy

6/23/2022

Marianna was our post partum doula the first three weeks after the birth of my second child. She spent overnights with us so that I could get some decent rest and recover from a cesarean section. I felt so safe and cared for with her in the house, knowing that our daughter was being watched attentively night, and it meant I got great stretches of restorative sleep! She was meticulous with her note taking, and thorough with reporting what she observed about our child's sleep and eating. She was cheerful and helpful, and has a real passion for caring for infants and their moms. She made what can be such a challenging time so much easier. I recommend her services highly! 

louisathomas

5/31/2022

We had a fabulous experience with Marianna! She was wonderful with my newborn, my 4 year old adored her, and she provided excellent assistance at a time when I needed it. I recommend her very highly.

Mary

5/30/2022

Marianna is one of the most genuine,  caring, kind hearted, trustworthy, and gentle person I have ever met. From the minute I met her I instantly knew she was a perfect match to care for my precious newborn baby. In a position that requires so much trust, I never once doubted her capabilities, compassion or safety to take care of my baby. She always went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable with everything she was doing and being sure she was doing everything I needed. She is an absolute pleasure to talk to and be around and I knew my baby was in the best set of hands, better than I could've ever dreamed of! Selfishly never wanted to let Marianna leave but can't wait to use her again in the future! 

Gilda Zikria

5/7/2022

Marianna is a kind, loving, friendly, punctual, detail oriented, dedicated and passionate doula. This is someone who truly LOVES what she does and it SHOWS each and every time. Both my children loved her and my toddler called her "Benihana", which still makes us laugh. She did a lot of arts and crafts with her, which kept her engaged and entertained. I would recommend Marianna to anyone looking for excellent quality postpartum support. We are forever grateful for the important role she played during one of the most beautiful, yet intense and exhausting  times of our lives. 

Erin Baldorossi

3/10/2022

Simply put, Marianna is the best! I called her my angel because she really is so wonderful! We were so blessed and fortunate to have her watch our newborn son Hudson within the first month of his life. My son had some medical problems which caused my husband and I to be uneasy especially at night, but after Marianna started working with us we were relaxed and got the rest we needed. Surely it can be stressful to have someone/a stranger come into your home and watch your children but I can assure you, from our initial "meet and greet" zoom call to the first minute we hugged to meet each other in person, I knew she was the right fit for our family. She took beyond excellent care of our son and even our dogs (which she didn't sign up for but was so nice to help us). She will always have a place in our hearts and family for years to come! 

Amanda Del Balso

2/21/2022

Marianna was an excellent doula for our newborn son. She has a deep love of babies that shows as soon as you meet her. In addition to her warm and compassionate demeanor, Marianna is highly skilled at taking care of young babies. She is familiar with breast and bottle feeding, including pace feeding. She helped us navigate pumping, tongue ties, and adjusting to life with multiple children. Marianna also somehow managed to ensure that our play and living spaces were clean and ready for the day ahead. On multiple occasions, she went above and beyond to make sure that our family was comfortable. I highly recommend Marianna for any family! 

Praveena Joseph de Saram

2/18/2022

I have worked with 7 doulas/night nurses over the past 4 years and Marianna is by far the best. She has incredible energy and warmth. She cared for our preemie, who had several health complications, as if for her own child and she quickly became part of our household. She was lovely with our 3 yearold, who still asks to see her from time to time. She always arrived a little early and always waited till everyone was settled into their morning routines before leaving - even if that meant staying a little over her shift's end. I rarely saw her nap (even though we were fine with that!) and it showed in the amount of work she got done in a night - she would clean the kitchen, sanitize baby bottles etc, do the laundry and even help with organizing my toddler's toys. Couldn't recommend her more highly!

Anat Fuchs

2/17/2022

Marianna worked full-time with our family during the schoolyear 2020-2021. We had a 2-month-old newborn and six years old twins in kindergarten. It's funny to use the word "worked" in this context because I always felt like she was an integral part of our family! She was the primary care for 9 hours a day for our baby, supported my nursing efforts immensely, worked seamlessly with every request I had about feeding, napping, and anything really. She would play with our baby on the floor, take her to trips outside, read to her, change her, feed her, put her to sleep, everything a mom does, but with the energy of 16-years old! But not only that, she did SO MUCH MORE for our family. To give a few examples, occasionally, she would bring some fun craft/cooking activities to entertain my twins when they were back from school, she would cook dinner for the twins while our baby napped, and later she started cooking for the baby during her naps. And if at some point she had a minute to spare, before I could blink my eyes, she was making our living room tidy or folding the laundry. Also, she often stayed after her time, just to chat or give us a few extra minutes of a quiet dinner. She really gave all her heart, and it really showed. I still remember that one day we were snowed-in, and at the first hour of having the road cleared for just a tiny bit, there she was! Like our guardian angel, saving us from another hectic day with all the kids at home, taking our twins to build a snowman. I can just keep on and on with the stories, and my words won't do any justice to this remarkable woman. Marianna is a very warm and loving person, understanding and easygoing, and she devotes herself totally to her work. She LOVES kids of all ages, especially newborns :) If we hadn't moved abroad, I think we would have had another baby just to have her as our nanny again! She really saved our year during one of the most challenging pandemic times, and we were just so lucky to have her.