Working with Jessica was such a great experience. She was so kind, caring, attentive and knowledgable. She met with us multiple times before the birth and after the birth, and of course was at the hospital for the entire birth itself. 

We couldn't have gotten through the birth without her. It was a very long birth, and she was constantly there for my wife, coaching her through contractions and offering support when she needed it but I needed a break. She also talked with me as well through the entire thing, which kept me awake and helped me be more supportive for my wife.

Before and after she always checked in via text message to see how we were doing, and answer all of our (many) questions.

Since our baby's birth, I have been filled with joy, overwhelming support, and searching for a way to properly articulate the experience to others. In those communications one thing is always clear, neither my partner nor I can imagine what the experience would have been like without the incredible Shannon Mackey! Shannon takes her role as a doula very seriously. However, it is her friendly, inviting, and familiar demeanor that allows her to feel like family. She provides knowledge, insights, and a support person to check in with if questions arise or you need a friend to talk to. She supports all types of birth and truly allowed my partner and I to take the lead, while feeling like we had access to all her knowledge to lean in to. She helped us think about aspects of birth and labor that we had not thought of. When I went in for the "past due" ultrasound, my ob suggested an induction. It was then that my partner and I went to the hospital to begin this process. We had no idea we would be starting on a 54 hours process to meet our son. Shannon was prompt and available to discuss induction, my options, what it would look like, and how it compared to my birth plan. She provided information that was not given by medical professionals and allowed me to feel empowered. She showed up early in the induction/labor experience and stayed with us until the very end (even sleeping on the floor one night). She provided endless support, brought us food & tea, walked the halls, sang to us, explained medical jargon, advocated for us, and cried with us. In the middle of labor, I vividly remember her telling me a story. This is a story I now tell my son. To say that Shannon acted as our doula somehow feels like an understatement, we feel like she is family and will not experience a pregnancy, labor, or birth without her there. She truly was invaluable to our birth experience. We HIGHLY recommend Shannon Mackey for all aspects of family planning and support.

When we decided to work with Maine Doulas for the birth of our first child, we were looking forward to their help navigating labor and birth - something we didn't know much about! We got to know Natalie and Jessica through the prenatal visits, coming up with hopes around how we wanted the birth to unfold as well as setting realistic expectations, and frequently texting between.

While Natalie was in the room next door at the hospital during our birth, Jessica supported us through a very lengthy induced labor, with everything from counterpressure during my contractions to encouragement when deciding on epidural timing to taking special photos of our family immediately after birth. We are so grateful for everything she contributed to that long labor experience!

We have been working with Natalie and Johanna for overnight support and the comfort and ease that they bring our family is amazing! Navigating breastfeeding injuries, understanding if our daughter was gaining enough weight, improving our techniques for getting her back to sleep after night feeds, the list goes on... all this on top of the joy of a good night's sleep.

Everyone we've worked with from Maine Doulas has approached us with such warmth and knowledge and made a trying time for our family more manageable and supportive. We would recommend them to anyone!