Elizabeth Umerley

12/2/2024

Debra is passionate about what she does and from the moment you meet her, all throughout the journey of birth and beyond, you can see and feel it. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to help educate me through my last trimester and coach me through birth. And she went above and beyond to make my birthing atmosphere calm and peaceful! She’s an absolute sweetheart. If you are looking for someone who is knowledgeable, passionate, calming and will be an overall advocate for you and your partner in your birthing experience, look no further, Debra is the Doula for you!

Samantha Brabo

11/27/2024

Words truly cannot describe how grateful I am for the service(s) Debra provides. As a caregiver myself, I have an extremely hard time asking for help. With Debra’s help we were able to curate a plan that allowed her to advocate on my behalf, especially during the labor and delivery process. Leading up to the birth of our son, Debra provided us with evidence based research that gave us the ability to make well rounded, educated decisions that were best for our family. Not only did she provide us with educational resources she helped me physically and mentally prepare, validated my concerns, sent frequent affirmations, helped me find the most supportive medical team to help me achieve my VBAC, set up a calming/peaceful birthing environment, and most importantly, she prayed with me in the exact moment she knew I needed it most. She provided PEACE in more ways than one and gave me the utmost confidence - couldn’t speak more highly of Doula Debra!

Mykaela C

10/18/2024

Doula Debra was nothing short of amazing. I honestly had no clue about anything about having a birth plan or what it even entailed. She helped inform my husband and I immensley and answered all of our questions with in great detail. One thing that really stuck out to me was the fact that she just made me feel so comfortable and she just felt like family. She was there to give me tips and tricks on how to make my birth experience better and always stuck up for me and my husband. If you're considering her, just know she wont let you down.

Mackenzie B.

10/11/2024

My husband and I were so excited to have found Debra. The moment I had my first phone call with her I knew she was the one I wanted to hire for my birth. I remember telling my husband, "Her voice is already so soothing, so I think that's a good sign she's the doula for us!" Not only was her voice very calming, but she also shared her perspective on doula-ing, which I loved - she told me that she was there to empower my husband to be the best support he could be to me in labor, as well as give both of us the tools we needed for the task, to be the most prepared we could be. Unfortunately, Debra was unable to be at my birth due to me going overdue and a family emergency for her, but she told me she would be on call until she left for her trip and as soon as she got back. I ended up going into labor when she was gone, but she still supported me and texted me from afar as I was in labor. She did our postpartum visit as well. Through it all, she encouraged me, supported me, and pointed me to the Lord. I am so glad we hired Debra as our doula! 

Andrea Jones

7/11/2024

We had a truly phenomenal experience with Debra! I found Debra through the VBAC Link website, as I was planning my first VBAC after a less than stellar experience with my first birth. Debra was extremely supportive and kind as I worked through my fears and concerns from that experience and supplied wonderful resources and support throughout my second pregnancy to help me feel confident and peaceful about my VBAC. During my labor and birth, she truly went above and beyond in the amount of time she gave (I had a long, long labor!) and worked so well with my husband to support me - together they made my labor a calm, peaceful, memorable experience that I will treasure my whole life. Debra was a voice of peace in moments of exhaustion and most importantly to me, she helped my husband know how to support and encourage me throughout each stage of the process. It is clear in every conversation with Debra that she is passionate about birth education, empowering moms to know their rights and choices, and to equipping birth partners to be a part of the experience in supporting moms on their journey of labor and delivery. I cannot recommend her services enough!!

Miriam

6/30/2024

Debra was the best support I could have asked for. She went above and beyond for my family, and I credit her for my successful VBAC.

She is knowledgeable and an advocate for her clients. She puts her heart and soul into being a doula and genuinely cares. I would highly recommend Debra to anyone searching for a doula. She is skilled in her line of work, and it was an absolute privilege to work with her. 

Rachel Kappler

6/28/2024

Pregnancy, labor, and delivery are not for the faint of heart! Doula Debra was a necessary resource as my husband and I navigated it all for the first time. We appreciated Debra's accessibility and her willingness to help; especially during my longer than expected labor. Debra stayed at the hospital well past her agreed upon number of contract hours until our child was born and not once did she hold that against us. During labor Debra encouraged my husband in his role as supporter, offered me resources to ease the labor, helped us navigate the decision making process when interventions were needed, and prayed for us through it all! Debra's personable and calm nature helped set the tone in the labor room. We are so grateful for all that she did and look forward to the day when we are able to hire her again!

Megan Bell

3/22/2024

We were so blessed to have Debra as our doula! As I was reflecting on my birth experience, I pulled up a conversation that Debra and I had months before in a prenatal meeting, where she asked for a couple of words to describe my vision for this birth. I was so shocked to realize that right after the birth, the doctor used that exact word to describe the delivery. I truly think Debra worked her magic in big and small ways to facilitate this. Debra took care to set up a great delivery room environment with music and lighting, and adjusted the energy and conversation in the room as needed from joyful and light, to focused and quiet. She has such a vast experience with laboring women, as well as an incredible intuition, which resulted in her carefully reading me and always seeming to suggest just the right thing exactly when I needed it. As an anxious person, I had a ton of questions about labor/ birth - Debra has such a wealth of knowledge that she was able to answer a ton, but she also knew when to flip a question back at me, allowing me to get more firmly rooted in my own intuition and embodied experience. With an unexpected early delivery and some unavoidable hiccups to my initial birth plan, she kept me grounded and ensured I had the space, time, and information to make informed decisions. I am so grateful that Debra is doing this work, she has a true God-given gift that she is sharing with families.

Noelle McKinley

6/21/2023

Debra is the best! Truly from the moment we first talked all the way through to my postpartum appointment with her I felt like I had the best and undivided love and care. From the start She cares deeply for the mom and family. She checks in, educates, listens and encourages throughout the whole journey of pregnancy/postpartum. I hired her because I felt like I needed someone to be on “my side” as an advocate for me when it came time for a hospital birth. At 30 weeks the hospital let go of all midwives so I had a decision to make; Switch care or be seen by an OB doctor, I switched to a birth center and she was right there encouraging me the whole way.

Our prenatal appointment were excellent. She spent time with us, talked through everything and listened to my personal needs for my journey. I felt seen and loved by Debra the whole time.

During labor she really shined. She cared for me in a way I didn’t know I needed. This was my fourth, so I have done laboring before, however she knew all the moves to try she kept me trying things. My active labor went quick and I believe a lot of that had to do with her knowledge and tools she had with contractions and what to do. She watched my body and gave perfect counter pressure when needed. I had a beautiful, unmediated vaginal birth

I needed a doula this time around for mental and emotional support and Debra was who I needed. I can confidently say she is the best! She will advocate for you, she believes in the women’s body to birth a baby. She takes a natural holistic approach. To top it all off she’s the kindest lady you’ll ever meet.

Debra, I’m so thankful for you and how our lives crossed. You will forever hold a place in my heart. 

Lauren Murray

5/21/2023

My doula was the beacon of light that guided me to an incredible VBAC birth, following a traumatic C-section. Despite being told by doctors that I would need another surgery due to my pregnancies being only 13 months apart, she provided unwavering support and showed me that a VBAC was possible. Throughout my intense 18-hour labor, she lifted me up and stood by my side, offering continuous encouragement. With her guidance, I achieved a natural VBAC without medication, an experience that I will forever cherish. Her kindness and nurturing presence in the delivery room made her feel like a second mother to me. I wholeheartedly recommend her services to any expecting mother seeking a knowledgeable, supportive, and empowering doula. I am immensely grateful for her role in my journey and will undoubtedly choose her again for future pregnancies.

Jay Trzcinski

4/18/2023

Bringing Debra into our lives for the birth of our second son is one of the best decisions we've ever made. After a failed induction turned C-section for our first son, we knew we had an uphill battle to reach our goal of a successful VBAC. Debra was instrumental in helping us put together a plan and take the right steps before labor to give us the highest probability of success. In our pre-labor meetings she provided incredible guidance and resources to prepare my wife's body and both of our minds for exactly what to expect and how to manage the process. Because of her support, we were both calm and confident in knowing what to say to doctors about unwanted interventions and how to advocate for ourselves and our desired outcome. When the day finally came she made the experience everything we were hoping for and more. She brought items to help make the room feel like a comforting environment, gave quick and insightful input on how to use a different stretch or movement to keep my wife active and working through the labor, and was there to support us with a delicate approach when things got intense.  She even went above and beyond to capture some pretty special moments for our family throughout the day so we could savor those precious memories forever. As a man that was eager to help but just needed guidance, Debra made it really easy for me to be there for my wife in exactly the right ways during labor so I could focus on her instead of thinking about what I should be doing. We were able to reach our goal of a successful vaginal birth and we owe so much of that to having Debra on our team. We are so deeply grateful for everything that she has done for our family and could not possibly give a higher recommendation. She is an absolute blessing to all of the mothers (and fathers) that get to work with her through the beautiful journey of childbirth!

Christina

12/31/2022

My husband and I had a great experience with Debra. She is kind, supportive, and knowledgeable on all things pregnancy and birth! She is a very warm person and she loves what she does.

Debra met with us frequently throughout the pregnancy and often checked in via text or FaceTime. This was my third pregnancy and it was my best pregnancy by far. Debra helped me physically, emotionally, and spiritually throughout my pregnancy. She responded quickly to all of our questions with evidence-based information.

Debra supported our birth plan to have a VBA2C in a hospital setting and she was a huge asset and comfort in the delivery room. She helped my husband and me know our rights in the hospital and stand up for ourselves when interventions were offered.  She also helped my husband comfort me throughout labor.

Debra was a supportive doula postpartum, always checking in and providing encouragement. I would recommend Debra to anyone in the area looking for a doula especially if you are a Christ follower!

Cassie B

12/30/2022

A gift from God! I let my Healthcare providers get in my head (your baby is too big, prepare to schedule a c-section...). I switched healthcare providers and found Debra. She helped me heal from the damage the first providers caused. She always answered my calls and texts promptly. She was there for me and restored my faith in myself and my ability to birth my baby. The birth experience was a dream come true for me (natural, pain-free, no tearing, 10 lb baby)! Debra kept me comfortable and the birth progressing. She got my husband involved which was so bonding for us. And she captured the event (with my prior permission) via photo and video. It was so affirming to look through the pictures and to watch the video, it was as blissful as I remembered. I highly recommend Debra!

Kelly Cunningham

12/7/2022

Debra was very supportive during my long labor. I had birth preferences that did not go according to plan and Debra was supportive and respectful throughout the birth of our first son. She provided appropriate coping measures through all my stages of labor and ultimately made a huge difference in my overall opinion of my birth due to her presence. I highly recommend Debra! 

Chris Cunningham

12/7/2022

My wife and I have both discussed on several occasions how grateful we were to have Debra by our side during this process. Debra is kind, compassionate, extremely knowledgeable, and really invested in her soon to be mothers and fathers.

As the father, there was a lot of things out of my control and I certainly had some anxious moments. Debra was always very supportive and answered my questions openly and honestly. We had a very long labor and Debra never wavered in her faith or confidence and that was very comforting to both me and my wife.

I would enthusiastically recommend Debra and we could not imagine having gone through this process without her love and support. 

Jennifer Bergstrom

5/16/2022

Debra was an incredible gift to our birth experience for our first son. I didn't plan to have a doula until Debra contacted me as I was arriving at the hospital. Debra immediately came to join my husband and me to help bring our son into the world. Debra's knowledge, encouragement and peace helped us in ways we didn't know we needed. Debra helped me learn how to handle the birthing process in a way I couldn't have done without her, and helped my husband understand how to provide me with the love and help I needed as my support person. 
I could not recommend Debra enough as a doula and think everyone getting ready for birth, especially if it's your first, should have a doula. 

Katie Cavanaugh

5/11/2022

Debra was my doula for a VBAC in July 2021. We had been in early labor and bedrest since 26 weeks and she walked me through everything, right up until this baby went from wanting to come early to waiting until 42 weeks when I chose to be induced! In addition to my early labor, VBAC and induction, I am disabled with several genetic illnesses. These include hEDS, POTS, MCAS and others. Debra was calm, well practiced in my conditions and worked to keep the room calm, even as the hospital pushed interventions due to my health complications. My husband and I would highly recommend!