Paul McDonald

3/22/2024

Dana is a total professional. Dana attended our second child's homebirth to photograph. I was a bit nervous about having a photographer there but she has An amazing calm energy that definitely helped with the birth. The photos she took are some of my most prized possessions now, she really did an outstanding job. 

Cecilia Portwood

2/23/2024

Dana was very hands on throughout my labor by applying counter pressure and massaging various acupressure points on my body during the more intense contractions. She also lent me a beautiful wooden comb to grip to help stay present during each contraction. Dana has a keen intuition of what may be helpful in the moment, but also regularly and gently checked in with me to make sure what she was doing felt right.

Not only is Dana an amazing doula, she somehow manages to capture the beauty and power involved in childbirth through her camera (without missing a beat in her doula work). I initially felt a bit nervous about photography during birth, but Dana’s passion for childbirth and capturing the raw power birthing people are capable of is so apparent when you see her work. With her great eye for composition and colors, she managed to make a hospital room look iridescent and beautiful. Looking back, Dana’s photography really helped me fully realize how powerful and amazing our bodies really are.

Dana, I thank you for your reaffirming and grounding presence during my labor and delivery, as well as the beautiful photos you captured that I will forever cherish. I felt stronger and more capable with you by my side during my birth. 

Maggie Garinther

11/27/2023

We had an incredible experience with Dana! She came to our house for several prenatal visits to help us better understand the stages of labor, optimal positions for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and also walked us through strategies for getting into a positive mindset for the bith. Dana shared books, websites, print-outs, and other resources with us, and provided recommendations for chiropractic care and accupuncturists in town. Dana provided support to us throughout the entire labor and delivery process, took photos and videos (including of the moment our son was born!), and she also brought the placenta home for us. In the week following the birth, she cooked us a delicious soup to help with lactation and recovery, and regularly checked in with us to make sure things were going smoothly and to see if we had any questions.

Dana's knowledge of birth and support needed really helped us have to have a successful and positive birth experience. She was enthusiastic in all the right ways, and helped me to stay positive so many times when I felt like giving up. She was great at anticipating my needs, and telling my partner things he could do to provide encouragement. Dana is also just a calming person in general, so that helped me to relax and made our birthing suite an awesome place. She brought tools for aromatherapy, had tea lights, and just had a great sense for the right way to arrange the space. It felt like a long labor (at around 30 hours), but she never once gave up or lost steam - we're so grateful for her help and to have met her through this process!

From my husband:

Dana was incredibly helpful physically and mentally. She offered great suggestions with regards to positioning, working through contractions, and things I could do as a partner to support her. She was adaptive and had a good sense for reading the room and knowing what was needed when.