Melissa Akin

6/29/2024

Joella was an absolute godsend during my immediate postpartum period.  I felt comfortable leaving my newborn in her care and she taught me so much, never once making me feel stupid or like I "should know" all things newborn related.  She was flexible to work with and a true calm in the storm.  I cannot recommend her services enough!  If you're on the fence about hiring a postpartum doula, just do it!  You won't regret it!  

Carrie Lee Connor

11/6/2022

Joella stayed overnight with our 8 week old to give me a much needed brake from nighttime feedings. She was so caring and attentive to not only our son but to me as well! It's very hard to leave your baby with someone but Joella made it a lot easier and took great care of our little one.

Kelsey

9/27/2022

Joella was my postpartum doula for my first child. I was extremely stressed postpartum and I wasn't sure about a doula, but I did need help. My cousin (retired doula) went above and beyond helping me and she found Joella. I was really glad she did. 

I was very new to the idea of someone I didn't really know yet come help me with my newborn. The first day I answered the door as a sleep deprived mess. I felt embarrassed but she quickly helped put me at ease. 

She worked with me on feeding my newborn, helping me figure out the baby wraps and talking through the postpartum depression and baby blues I was experiencing. She was never judgmental and helped me through a lot of my worries and doubts. 

She was extremely knowledgeable on subjects that as a first time mom I had no idea how to handle. She actually helped me teach my husband quite a few techniques to wrap and change our baby boy easier. I also did not have a set schedule for when I needed a doula but she was very flexible and able to accommodate my family and our schedules. 

If my husband and I decide to add a new little one to our family in the future I would definitely request Joella again.

Julianne Montes de Oca

8/1/2022

Joella was my postpartum doula and lactation consultant for my second child.  The best way to explain how wonderful of an experience it was with Joella is to compare my experience with her to my experience with my first child.  With my first child, everything post birth felt frantic and frenetic.  I felt like I had no control and that I was constantly rushing to catch up.  "Oh, I didn't get him latched fast enough, I didn't realize this fast enough or do that fast enough."  Go go go.  That ended with me being deep in post partum depression and anxiety.

With Joella by my side I felt calm.  Joella didn't say "oh you messed up getting him to latch."  Instead, each attempt was a step in the learning process--for me and for baby.  Her calm and her patience transfered over to me.  Not to mention the calm she gave baby boy by wrapping him up in the best burrito wraps a baby could ask for.

Joella's calm and competence carries over in her tone-maybe she was saying the same thing as other people around me but the way she said it was vital: she used more questions than statements which helped me feel like I had control over my postpartum body and experience.  And her use of questions was gentle-there was zero negativity in her questions.  Rather than feeling guilty that I had messed up she helped show me there were options and they were all valid in different ways.  She relieved my anxiety by empowering me to chose for myself and my baby.

All of the above is more intangible.  On the tangible side of things:  Joella is a wealth of information.  Any questions my husband or I had she had thoughts and ideas but also was able to tailor her ideas to our life and reality.  It is immediately obvious that Joella deeply cares about what she does and has studied hard but also has real life experience that adds to her value.  I would highly recommend her to anyone.