Catherine

2/4/2025

I was referred to Arri by my prenatal yoga instructor who gave me a list of doulas. I contacted 3 doulas, but Arri stood out to me the most. She was very responsive through text and calling and set up a face to face meeting to get to know her better. This was for my first birth. Her voice was calming on the phone and I knew that this was important to me during birth to have a calming presence. Arri came to my house and gave me a thorough explanation of the services she provided. We walked through my birth plan and she was very knowledgeable about the birthing process. She was able to tailor my needs for a doula and meet me at an agreeable price. Arri would check in on me through texts and calls following up to the birth. On the day of, she met me at the hospital (what we agreed upon) and the moment she got there, she was actively helping me through my labor pains. I was planning on doing an unmedicated birth and through each contraction, Arri was there coaching me through hypnobirthing breathing exercises and giving me my juice and snacks to keep me hydrated. When my pain was unbearable, she'd come up with another solution by changing up my position or giving me back massages/squeezing my hips. At times, I felt like giving up, but she was very encouraging. She followed through with my birth plan, but also supported me when I had to make certain decisions. She encouraged me to be my own advocate and she'd help me by making sure the decision I made was truly the one I wanted. I also felt very comfortable around her, she has a calming presence but is flexible and can be energetic/uplifting when you need it. My whole birth/labor was long and lasted 26 hours and she was there from 3pm to 9am the next day! I couldn't have done it without her and I truly appreciate what she does. She is amazing, very knowledgeable, and compassionate. I would hire her again for my next baby.