Tatum Crone

4/17/2024

We had the privilege of working with Sam for the birth of our daughter in February, and we couldn't have asked for a better doula. Sam’s gentle demeanor, kindness, and knowledge were invaluable throughout our journey to achieve the unmedicated hospital birth we hoped for. Sam took the time to understand our birth preferences and provided us with guidance and support every step of the way. We are incredibly grateful for her role in our daughter's arrival. We highly recommend Sam to any expecting parents seeking compassionate, knowledgeable, and empowering doula support. Thank you, Sam, for being a part of our birth experience and for helping us welcome our daughter into the world with love!

Alexa Kaiser

1/25/2024

We were so grateful for Sam's guidance during our first pregnancy & labor. Her input was so reassuring as we navigated the uncharted waters of the first time! She helped us balance our expectations and that alone was so worth having her on our team. 

JENNIFER NGUYEN

1/21/2024

This was my first pregnancy and I am the type of person who needs to plan every detail for any big events in my life. Being prepared makes me feel much less anxious. I knew since it was my first baby, I wanted as much support as possible to prepare for the days before, during and after birth which is why I seeked out to find a Doula to guide me through all of this. From my encounters with Samantha Kim, she seemed very calm,laid back but experienced enough to answer all the questions that I wanted to ask her. As prepared as we were, the day of my baby's birth came very unexpected. Even through the chaos, Sam was by my side supporting me and helping me stay calm. She was my cheerleader telling me I can do it when I felt like the pain was too much and didn't think I could push through any longer. She also kept my husband calm and made sure we had everything we needed all while capturing beautiful priceless photos of the whole process. I am forever gratedful for these memories now that I have had time to process everything that happened. I 100% would recommend Samantha Kim to anyone seeking a Doula. 

Madison Malberg

10/11/2023

Samantha was such a wonderful doula and made my entire birth experience so much more relaxed. From the prenatal home visit, to our time in the hospital and the postpartum home visit, she was attentive, kind and I always felt comfortable asking her all of my questions. When I was admitted to the hospital and had to be induced, she came as soon as I asked her too. She helped keep myself and my husband calm throughout labor, offered different positions and pain management options and helped advocate for me during the entire process. At my postpartum visit she sat with me and helped me get my baby to latch and work through breastfeeding troubles. My entire experience would have been so different without her and we are so thankful that we had her there with us through it all! I would not hesitate to use her again in the future. 

Kandice R

10/2/2023

Sam was fantastic! She was very helpful before the birth during our meetings. She helped me know what to expect and what can be unexpected for my first birth! She was great guiding me during early labor and very helpful during active labor. She arrived at the hospital very fast and stayed after the birth to help with my latch and breastfeeding. It was so amazing to have someone knowledgeable and familiar to help me during this time. The pictures she took during my labor and after the baby arrived were absolutely priceless and I couldnt have asked for better capture of those precious moments (without me even knowing she was doing it). I would highly recommend her services and will be forever grateful for her support during my pregnancy and birth!

Lesli Van Dusen

9/27/2023

Sam Kim was our doula for our second boy and was absolutely amazing! I was hoping for a VBAC this time around and we literally couldn’t have done it without Sam! She recommended different methods for pain and different laboring positions that ultimately led to me having a successful VBAC.She helped with all my questions leading up to the birth and gave me a peace of mind in the labor and delivery room! I knew she had my back and that I didn’t have to worry about my birth plan not being prioritized! She is very encouraging, kind, knowledgeable and helpful! Plus she did this all while being pregnant herself! She is the absolute best! Thank you Sam!

Brooke Salmins

9/5/2023

If you are looking for a doula, Samantha Kim at Sunshine Doulas is a MUST!  Even my husband said, “She was worth every penny!” 

I had started looking for a doula once my husband and I decided that I wanted to try for an unmedicated birth.  A google search led me to Sam along with a few other doulas.  Sunshine Doulas offers a free zoom session where you can get to know the doula and ask some initial questions.  After our zoom call I knew Sam was going to be the perfect fit.  She responded promptly to all of my text messages throughout pregnancy when I had questions or concerns.  The prenatal and postnatal home visits that are offered provide so much valuable information as well!  I could tell that Sam was very knowledgable and was going to offer me great advice.

When it came to the day of labor and delivery Sam was in constant contact with my husband as I labored at home for a couple hours.  As we transitioned to the hospital Sam beat us there and was waiting out front.  She was super helpful when it came to me answering questions about several things that I had not considered prior, like getting an IV drip for fluids.  It was reassuring to know that I could count on Sam to make the right decisions for me as I focused on the contractions.  She was able to move me into different positions as contractions got stronger and continued to remind me to breath and relax as much as possible.

Working with Sam was truly one of the best decisions I could have made in order to deliver unmedicated.  She was meant to be a doula and I could not recommend her enough!

Meghan Andreoff

6/10/2023

Sam was the absolute best during my very difficult delivery. Even more important, she gave my husband and I amazing advice about caring for our newborn during her post partum visit. Thank you Sam!

Brandie Roberts

5/9/2023

My husband and I just delievered our first child. We are both very "type A" personalities so being "preparred" was something we both worked hard at. We had a lot of anticipation about the birth process and what to expect... knowing that things could change course at any time. Hiring Samantha was a step we took to give ourselves some peace of mind that we would have an advocate in our hospital delivery setting. 

Samantha made herself available via email and text from the moment we became clients. We were in consistant communication with her giving her updates regarding our OB appointments and our eventual induction plans. We didn't realize it at the time, but Samantha was already hard at work putting together a detailed birth timeline that she would later send us after we delivered. This was such a precious momento to have! 

Samantha helped my husband and I create our birth plan and educated us on the different phases of labor. She made sure to leave us plenty of useful information during her in home prenatal visit around the 35 week mark. We were also given homework that helped us prepare in advance. 

Our birth plan went out the window! I was more than a week past due and required a medical induction that took about 12 hours of laboring before making progress. I chose to have an epidural at this point and what I imagined Samanthas role would be changed signifigantly. Rather than be there to "give me massages to help with the pain of unmedicated labor" she instead transitioned into a kind voice to help me make the choices that were best for me in the actual REAL moment. She advocated for me when the nursing staff wanted to up my pitocin levels. She was pivotal in helping my newborn get a good latch right away during our golden hour... something I attribute to our successful breastfeeding journey thus far. Did I mention the photos?! We are in love with our birth photos! 

Samantha is highly recommended! 

Kristen Papadeas

5/5/2023

From the moment we met Sam, we knew we were in good hands. She was friendly, passionate, knowledgeable, and caring. She put our minds at ease by preparing us for labor and preparing for newborn life. During labor, she was calm and encouraging. She was supportive during the entire process and extremely helpful. She helped with positioning and listened to our needs. We are grateful for her during the entire process. 

Caitlin Shaffer

1/1/2023

I am so grateful to have had Sam as my doula! I had the most incredible birth experience and a huge part of it was due to Sam. Being my first child It was so beneficial to have someone in my corner during my labor and keeping me reassured. I ended up having to be induced and was so discouraged as I did not want to have an epidural. A few of the nurses at the hospital made me feel as though it was close to impossible to have Pitocin contractions without getting an epidural and as soon as Sam came to the hospital she immediately reassured me I could still have the birth I envisioned. She got me up and into different positions to speed up labor and was confident the entire time and that is just what I needed. She encouraged me during the difficult stages of labor and I ended up with a birth I’ll remember forever and no pain medication just as I wanted. Not to mention the incredible labor photos she took that I will cherish forever! Im so grateful to be able to look back at the birth of my daughter in such a positive way, I’m forever grateful!

Molly Keller

12/7/2022

I can not say how crucial a doula was not only for me but for my husband as well. I knew I wanted an unmedicated labor but being in the medical field was also aware and open to an epidural or cesarean if needed to keep me and baby safe and healthy. Sam was only encouraging and reassuring and never judgmental or “pushy” on my decisions which before getting a doula I was nervous about. It was so nice to have the 1 on 1 support with someone who was knowledgeable in births and knew exactly what I wanted/didn’t want. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to push the baby out and she assured me I did. She reminded me to breathe when I was holding my breath in pain. She advocated for me when I was unable to talk through contractions and helped me get into positions that would help progress my labor. You don’t get to pick your nurses during labor and delivery but you can pick your doula and I know she played a huge role in my positive birth experience. I’m so thankful to have had her by my side. My husband was also extremely thankful to have her there as she helped support him as well. She helped me with breastfeeding after baby was born, she took photos during and post delivery that I will cherish forever and she even came to my house for a postpartum visit. I honestly can’t say enough wonderful things.

Clair P

10/28/2022

After our first meeting with Sam over Zoom, we knew we wanted her to be our doula. Her compassion, strength, and confidence came through the screen and I immediately felt comfortable with her and knew I would be in the best of hands. Sam was available to me in the weeks leading up to my due date with any questions and she checked in on me periodically. When she arrived at the hospital, I felt calmer and safer knowing she was there to care and advocate for me. Having her knowledge during a few decisions made the process easier and helped me get what I wanted and envisioned for my birth. While laboring she helped me deal with pain, get me into better positions, and supported my husband so he could better support me. Lastly, the photographs she took we will treasure forever. She listened to exactly what I wanted in the photos and they came out so beautifully. We love you Samantha! 

Josephine Ong

7/25/2022

We decided to get a doula for our first birth experience and we are so glad that we did! I am someone who needs the extra support and confidence for things that are new territory for me. Samantha definitely provided me and my husband that comfort! She was with us for most of my time in the hospital and was able to help guide me through different activities to help move the labor along. She gave encouraging words and provided us with knowledge for the different labor options/decisions that we had to make. I felt confident in the decisions we took to delivery my baby safely while keeping mama safe as well. Overall I would definitely go with Sunshine Doula Services again!

Katie

7/11/2022

Sam provided excellent support for me and my husband during the later weeks of pregnancy and the actual delivery of our daughter. Sam was quick to respond to any questions / concerns I had in the late weeks of my pregnancy. I had originally wanted an unmedicated birth and Sam had helped me prepare for that. However, once I went into labor, things changed and I ended up getting an epidural. Sam was so supportive of the changes to my plan and provided amazing guidance to help my labor progress. She also took amazing photos of the delivery of our daughter. I am so glad we were able to work with Sam & would definitely hire her again for our next child! 

Emily Keene

2/21/2022

Sam helped to make Penelope's birth such an incredible experience! I ended up getting induced at 37 weeks due to suspected growth restriction and was told I'd have a 4 pound baby, and we already were expecting heart issues as well, so I was very nervous going into birth. Sam was such a rock during the whole experience! She helped me stick to my guns with staying unmedicated, provided really amazing pain relief during contractions, and helped me progress so I could avoid pitocin if possible (which I did!)  Sam truly went above and beyond during my whole 24 hour labor and was right there with us every step of the way. There was so much about Penelope's birth that went off my original plan-I was hoping for a home birth with a midwife and ended up with an early induction and with a  5 day hospital stay- but the actual birth experience itself was natural and beautiful and I attribute so much of that to having Sam in the room!! The photos she took were also lovely and I didn't realize how much I would love having those to look back on. I cannot recommend her enough and am so grateful to her for helping make my birth so beautiful. 

Robyn Heister

2/17/2022

Sam was a wonderful Doula for my husband and I. We had our first son on January 17th 2022. Sam helped us prepare before his arrival with plenty of helpful tips and documents for us to use during labor. When we went to the hospital Sam arrived right away and helped us have a beautiful experience during delivery. The pictures she took are my absolute favorite! I will cherish them forever! My husband and I highly recommend Sam to anyone looking for a Doula. She was fantastic!