Dilhara Gunaratna

9/10/2024

My son was born with a lip tie and a tounge tie. We stayed in the hospital for five days due to him losing weight despite me having milk. The hospital staff was not able to identify the issue. It was Leah who suggested that this may be a liptie/toung tie and we saw a pediatric dentist immidiately to correct the issue when he was two weeks. It was quite difficult to establish a latch as he was used to the bottle at this time. Leah's encouragement was a major factor that kept me trying to breastfeed and failing which pump exclusively. At three months my baby finally took the breast when he was down with covid. At 7 months I am still breasfeeding him. Im so happy that I met her!

Sonja Beall

5/30/2024

I highly recommend Leah's services as a birthing doula and the investment is 100% worth it! I hired her late in my 2nd trimester and she was answering my questions right away. She helped soothe my nerves about what to expect in the late stages of my first pregnancy, when everything felt overwhelming. She also showed that she would be supporting my husband through this as well which was very important to me.

We had a planned pitocin induction due to issues with the placenta. This was not what I had envisioned for our son's entrance to the world; I was so disappointed. I had wanted a hospital birth but wanted to labor at home for as long as possible. This went right out the window the day I went in for my 39 week appointment and was told I would need to be induced in 18 hours. I was on the phone soon with Leah; she asked questions directly to the doctor that I wouldn't have been able to even think of. She was ready to go the next morning, questioning the nurses about what was available to me, things I wouldn't have even thought to have asked for. She was also making sure I had every amenity I could while laboring: a mountain of pillows, all my snacks I had brought, every birthing ball they had, and even chicken broth which lifted my spirits! 

I ultimately decided to get an epidural but was struggling to make the call. She talked me through the decision process and never made me feel guilty or ashamed about it. When the contractions were the most intense, she was there to guide me through and show my husband how to help me. She was a familiar face that coached me through pushing when I was losing focus and wasting energy. Everyday I look at the pictures she took of our son being born and his first moments. My husband was so impressed with her and said she filled in all the gaps and made it a wonderful experience. She is exactly the person who was meant to be with us for this journey!

Lauren

5/11/2023

My husband and I were expecting our first child in March, 2023. We chose to go with a midwife and birthing center and thought it would be beneficial to have the extra support of a doula during labor. Leah was the doula that we chose for my labor and I would definitely recommend her to others. 

 Leah has a very calm and gentle personality which fit very well with the personalities of myself and my husband. She was able to recommend good resources during pregnancy to help me prepare for labor. 

My labor itself was very fast (5 hours) and went very smoothly so Leah did not even need to use any of the tools she brought with her such as the rebozo scarf.  That said, I had much more difficulty with nursing (we found out later that it was due my son having a tongue and lip tie so he couldn't move his mouth properly to nurse) and Leah was a wonderful source of help and encouragement during that difficult and emotional time. For me, one of the most valuable skills was Leah being able to refer me to other experts such as a lactation consultant or a dentist who specializes in tongue/lip ties when we suspected that our son had one.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience with Leah and if you are looking for a doula, I would definitely recommend her. 

Prianka Raha

12/24/2022

Leah Garner was our birth and postpartum doula. My husband and I are extemely satisfied and pleased with Leah's services.

Birth Services: Leah was extremely helpful and shared relevant information throughout my pregnancy. She was very responsive and professional. She was not able to be present during the birth of my child due to some unavoidable circumstances, but she made sure that I was in good hands by arranging a backup doula. We had discussed in details about my birth plan and Leah filled in the backup doula nicely. After I came home Leah scheduled a zoom call and made sure I was doing okay and shared a few very helpful tips. Conversations with her gave me and my husband a lot of strength and confidence. She listens carefully, and gives the best advice, and also explains things clearly, which are extremely helpful to get a good understanding.

Postpartum Services: Leah was also fantastic as a postpartum doula. As first-time parents, my husband and I needed a lot of help and guidance from an expert. Leah was the perfect choice for us. She was gentle and explained everything scientifically, and provided a lot of help and support. She also helped me and my baby with breastfeeding. She even cooked healthy meals for me. Her support during the most needed time was simply unmatched. I would highly highly recommend Leah to anyone, for both birth and postpartum services. I am SO GLAD we found her!

B Johnson

3/9/2022

We could not have asked for anything more from a doula than what Leah provided! The reading material she recommend and input she provided was invaluable in helping decide on and prepare for my goal of an unmedicated birth. She also provided critical advocacy during the delivery without which we would not have had the waterbirth that we wanted and so appreciated. She was extremely supportive throughout the whole process, especially when I was briefly separated from my baby and husband due to some minor concerns immediately after delivery. We would recommend Leah to anyone seeking the support of a doula.

Kelsey K

2/16/2022

My husband and I selected Leah's Birth and Beyond package, so we worked with her for a prenatal appointment, childbirth classes, the birth, postnatal appointment, and breastfeeding consultations. We absolutely loved her! She was so respectful of all of our wishes, was incredibly kind and easy to talk to, and full of knowledge! So trustworthy and helpful. The childbirth classes taught us so much and really put us at ease in preparation for our first baby. She was easily available by text and email whenever I had questions as well. For the actual labor and delivery, Leah was integral to our having a successful and positive birthing experience. And her support continued into the postpartum period when I really needed it. I am so grateful for her services and highly recommend her!

Monica

12/16/2021

I'm so glad I had Leah as my doula for the birth of my first child. I'm pretty sure Leah (and her spinning babies knowledge) is one of the main reasons I didn't have to have a c-section. She's good at what she does. She checked in before my prenatal appointments and prepared me for what was coming and helped me formulate questions I could ask the doctor. She made sure I was aware of all of my options every step of the way and would explain the risks and benefits of all of the decisions to be made. She listened to my wishes for my birth plan and helped me make decisions to facilitate that plan becoming a reality. I appreciated her calm demeanor and she is well-respected within the community. I would recommend her to anyone who wants evidence-based information and advice. 

Sara Schellenberger-Jones

12/1/2021

Our experience with Leah was fantastic! We met with Leah for the first time just a week before our son was born (he arrived 2 weeks early). We were able to learn how Leah could help us, ask any questions we had and go over what I wanted of my birth experience. Leah, with her sweet and kind manner, made sure during labor/delivery that my requests of my birth plan were followed and she was a constant support through every contraction. I was extremely nervous to get hooked up and left in a hospital bed until it was time to push. I also wanted to have as natural of a birth as possible but still knowing interventions may be needed. Leah made sure that I had wireless monitors and birthing balls and every question I had during the experience Leah made sure they were answered. My husband was able to rest and take it easy until I really needed him because Leah was there. Having Leah be apart of our experience was by far the best decision I made because she help make all the rest of the decisions so easy. As long as she is available we plan on having Leah be a part of the rest of our pregnancies. Because of our experience I have encouraged several family members and friends to look into doula services in their area. 

Alissa

8/9/2021

I am so glad Leah was our doula for the birth of our first child!  My daughter was born during the pandemic, when my hospital restricted guests to 1 person + a certified doula.  Leah was helpful before, during, and after the delivery process and we chose her out of several doulas in part because of how she included my husband in the discussions.  Leah's presence allowed my husband to nap while we were waiting for things to progress.  She used an essential oil that immediately cleared up my sudden onset of nausea, which was a big comfort to me.  She also had a strong relationship and demonstrated professionalism with the clinicians, which was important to me as well. I highly recommend Leah!

Caitlin

2/21/2021

I loved having Leah as part of my birth team- I can't say enough good things! Throughout the whole process from preparing for birth to labor and delivery itself she was a great source of knowledge, information, comfort and calmness. She was a great support person to both me and my husband. She took the time to ensure she understood what kind of birth be wanted and gave us the information and tools to advocate for ourselves and was there when we needed help and guidance. She also provided lactation consultant services for us and was there right after the birth to help our daughter latch right away and we've had great success breastfeeding since. I have so much love and appreciation for Leah and would recommend her to anyone! 

Ruth Owen

2/4/2021

Leah is the consumate professional.  She is knowledgeable about many facets of pregnancy and childbirth.  I especially appreciate that she agreed to work with us even though we live over an hour away from her.  Leah came to visit a couple of weeks before I went into labor (I went into labor 3 weeks early), and gave me a lot of information about my options for child delivery.  She also helped me create a birth plan.  She joined me for my birth and was indispensible in terms of her knowledge of how to push and what positions I should be in to facilitate a vaginal birth.  After three hours of pushing, it became evident that I would need to go forward with a cesarian section.  Leah helped me make that decision, and also helped me make peace with that decision.  She took pictures of me and the baby shortly after the birth and created a detailed narrative of my birth story.  She also helped us learn more about getting the baby to latch and other breastfeeding-related topics.  After we brought baby Rose home, Leah came to visit and we discussed post-partum issues such as post-partum depression and PURPLE crying (the new way of thinking about colic).  

I would recommend Leah; she is a font of knowledge and her qualifications are truly impressive.  She made my birth easier than it would have been had we not retained her.  We appreciate everything she did for us before, during, and after our labor and delivery.

Olga Senicheva

12/7/2020

I would highly recommend Leah Garner. We had a great experience with her before/during/after the birth. She empowered my husband to be a great birthing partner. She observed the process and knew when to offer advice that we greatly benefited from. After we came back home, she continued to check on us, making sure we were doing well with a new baby. As we are first-time parents with no family around, it was important for us that she could come, observe how we were doing and help whenever we asked. We felt supported and ejoyed having her by our side. 

Maggie & Mitch

10/22/2019

I was terrified about labor and birth until we met with Leah. I had not wanted to learn about the process because it was too intimidating. After Leah's classes, I not only felt less scared, I felt knowledgeable and empowered - even excited!

During the labor and birth process, Leah was absolutely fantastic. She made me feel supported and comforted, and was also a great source of support for my husband. She allowed us to have our space, while giving us the techniques we needed to be successful and to follow our desired birth plan.

After the birth, Leah provided lactation consultation. It was incredible to have someone we were already so connected and comfortable with provide this service. She helped with breastfeeding and teaching my husband to bottle feed - which we found out was more difficult than we thought. We are incredibly grateful for all of Leah's support and services. We hope that we can work with Leah again for our second child. We highly recommend Leah for anyone thinking about using a doula.

Erica McDaniel

2/6/2019

Leah was intuitive, supportive, compassionate, and reliable. She listened carefully to what I was saying and supported my goals even when I doubted myself. Her calming presence was a blessing during my eventful labor.

Iris Kunert

1/12/2019

We knew that we wanted a doula for the birth of our first child, and interviewed several before deciding to work with Leah. From the first moment, she projected calm and wisdom. Her pre-brith infromation sessions on comfort measures and managing the birth were fantastic and extremely helpful. Then, we worked with Leah for a 30+ hour labor at IU Arnett, where the entire midwife and mother-baby team knew her well. Having continual support during labor was extremely helpful. She was there with us from the beginning, offering advice on positions and movements to do. She helped us work through the possible decisions that come up for a birth experience, and when our plans broke down she helped us come to the safest and healthiest next decisions for mom and baby so that we could move past complications without needing surgery. When the labor went past 24 hours and she was exhausted, she brought in her back up, who helped us get to the end and a wonderful birth. Then, she visited us in the hospital and at home to work with us on breastfeeding and help us process the intense experience. She gave us so much helpful support and advice during the postpartum visit. She helped me feel more confident in my ability to breastfeed at a time when everything still feels so overwhelming. Every step of the way was wonderful, and we would be thrilled to work with her again.

Erin Moodie

8/28/2018

Leah's help was invaluable for the births of both of our children! With our second, she provided my husband with advice about comfort techniques and then met us at the hospital at very short notice when my irregular contractions turned out to be a somewhat rapid labor. She provided excellent support during the active labor and pushing phases (both mental and physical support, plus crucial advice about when to labor standing up to help move baby downwards) and helped me have the birth experience I wanted by helping me do more than I thought I was capable of. She also helped a lot with breastfeeding after the delivery and in our postpartum meeting! We highly recommend her services.

Aryca Peay Woodson

5/4/2018

I didn't know what to do with a crying, fussy baby after my husband's return to work. Leah's services were a God-send!  The soothing techniques she taught me work like a charm, and we are doing great with babywearing and nursing! I'm enjoying being a mom and it's starting to feel like second nature.

Margaret McDaniel

5/4/2018

I hired Leah to come to our house for a private 3 hour lesson after asking my midwife for recommendations on how to help me cope through the labor process. I have lots of fears related to blood work/needles/pain/medical stuff and I didn’t want labor to be as fearful and traumatic as it had been during my first 2 pregnancies.

Leah came at a convenient time for our family and listened to my concerns and based her class around what I wanted to know. She explained what happened during labor and gave me several positions to help during contractions. She was very patient with me; at first, I didn’t realize I was supposed to be taking notes! She gave me some ideas of how to concentrate and focus during contractions including breathing as well as ways to think and meditate during contractions. She gave me so many ideas that it seemed overwhelming at the time!

When labor came a couple of weeks later, I felt empowered and more positive as I went through it. I actually had my longest labor (25 hours) and yet I had so many different positions and techniques to try that I had a much better attitude throughout it. I can’t thank Leah enough for taking the time to meet with me. Leah‘s private class made the world of a difference! In my previous labor, I was just begging for the epidural and this time I felt more in cintros and held off longer before getting it. Leah has a gift for helping others and I am grateful for her!

Marianne McCall

4/14/2018

Leah’s support and encouragement was such a gift to us throughout the labor and delivery of our fifth child. This was our first birth without pain medication, and Leah’s coahung really empowered my husband and me to work together as a team to have the birth experience we were hoping for. Having Leah there to encourage and advocate for us really freed us up to connect and focus on the work my body was doing to bring our daughter into this world. Leah also provided incredible prenatal and postnatal support to both of us! We would highly recommend her services!

BodyOfMyGuitar

1/27/2018

I had a wonderful experience with Leah. She was supportive, attentive, and nurturing. She explained medical topics in a very clear way, and she also helped me understand a lot of the emotions going on during the whole process. She was a good advocate for me with my doctors. She helped me make important decisions.

Thank you, Leah!

Nicole Hendricks

12/31/2017

I have had two wonderful experiences with Leah as my birth doula. My first experience was a natural, unmedicated water birth. Leah was so supportive and helpful. I truly believe that she was exactly what I needed to have a successful, natural birth. Her support gave me perseverance and strength. I am forever grateful! My second birth was a high risk twin birth. Again, it was natural and unmedicated. There were lots of plans for delivering in the OR and considerations for what would happen after the babies were born and possibly taken to the NICU. Leah was amazing and such an incredible support to both my husband and me as we navigatged these big plans and also during the labor and delivery. During this second birth, things were higher risk and did not go accoring to plan, as the babies were delivered quickly on the hospital bathroom floor. Leah was completly calm, mentally prepared, supportive and by my side through it all.  Some things that I appreciate about Leah are her calm nature and incredible knowledge. Leah has this amazing way of supporting the whole family, while respecting the desires of the parents and supproting them in multiple asects of the birth, from beginning to end. I loved that she helped make sure we were informed before the birth, as to what to expect and having proper plans for laboring at home and getting to the hospital, our desires for the birth plan, etc. She also was helpful and supportive during her postpartum house visit. Having Leah by our side during this experiences is something we will cherish forever!

Molly Harms

12/28/2017

One of the best decisions we made as parents we ever made was to hire Leah Garner as a postpartum doula. Our twins were born just shy of our older child turning 19 months, so it was a challenging time to say the least. I had experience with breastfeeding, but not tandem nursing. Leah helped me learn how that was possible as well as how to babywear. She was a sounding board for me for all things motherhood and beyond, and she even helped me prepare meals and went to the store. Above all, she helped me gain the confidence I needed to actually be able to do this. She was always very professional, and most importantly to me, she was very gentle and kind with all 3 of my children. I would recommend ber to anyone needing help, and what new parents don't?!

Sara Hagmann

2/2/2016

Leah was personable, helpful and supportive the whole way through. She helped me to stick to my goals and evaluate what was going to work best for my body and our family. My husband loved having her there to lead him through how to help me without making him feel stupid or redundant, not to mention take a shift when he was worn out. I loved that Leah kept reminding me about methods to try and honestly to just keep breathing! We would strongly recommend Leah for her calming, friendly nature as well as her knowledgeable help and expertise.

Abi Carter

1/14/2016

My husband and I decided to hire a doula for our second birth so that we would feel more confident in a natural labor after experiencing an induced stillbirth the year before. Leah seemed to work well with our personalities and was able and willing to listen to and support us in the fears and conflicting emotions that come with a pregnancy and birth after loss.Leah came to our house for a prenatal appointment with me and my husband where we got to know each other better and had an in depth run-through of the labor process and how she would support us. Even though Leah didn't have much time with us during labor because things moved pretty quickly, she was able to assess the situation and make the call to go to the hospital even though I hadn't been in labor for long. We made it in time to push shortly after getting to the hospital, and Leah worked smoothly with the doctor to encourage me in pushing. After my son was born, she helped guide me in trying to start breastfeeding. After we were all settled in at home, Leah came to check in on us. She continued to encourage me in breastfeeding and give advice. Overall, we were very satisfied with our experience with Leah and, though I'm happy for the short labor, it makes me a little sad that we didn't get to spend very much time together.

Megan Werle

11/3/2015

My first child was born in 2013, and I wasn't able to successfully breastfeed himfor a variety of reasons. When we found out we were pregnant and THEN found out we were having twins, I especially wanted to make sure that breastfeeding would go well. We were referred to Leah by a friend, and I am so glad that we were able to get her help.  We worked with her as our lactation consultant, as we didn't need birthing help or guidance.

Leah came to our house to meet myself, my husband, and our toddler, for an initial session. She came with a lot of GREAT questions for us regarding my first pregnancy and breastfeeding experience, the home and work environment for myself and my husband, the attitude and energy of our toddler. Her questions for *US* showed that she knew a lot of the complications and factors that arise when having a baby, especially when there is an older child in the house. She was very professional and clearly educated and experienced regarding breastfeeding. At that initial meeting she was already giving us ideas of things we could do to prepare and help ensure that nursing the twins would be a success.

The twins were born in August 2015, and Leah came to our house a couple days after we got home from the hospital to make sure that breastfeeding was going well and to help me with tips and tricks. She helped me remember how to check their latches, gave me ideas for alternate positions to hold them in, and helped find ways to make tandem nursing more comfortable for me. Each visit she arrived on time, was good company, and a professional caregiver as she helped with nursing tips and tricks. She helped me evaluate my pump parts, and confirmed I would need a different flange size to make pumping more efficient.  She has even answered questions via email between visits.  The boys have been nursing like champs, and I give Leah TONS of credit for our success!

Kelly Mathis

3/11/2015

Leah was fantastic help from as soon as we learned we conceived to weeks after delivery.  She helped me prepare for a natural delivery with exercises that would make us more successful.  She guided us through developing a birth plan and all the things to consider (while reminding us that things rarely went exactly according to plan).  Once in the delivery room, she was great at reminding us what to do, how to manage contractions, interpreting what the machines were telling us and what our options were, etc.  We did not need an epidural, thanks to her!

A week or so after we brough our healthy girl home, she visited again, and helped a lot in normalizing all the things a new mom experiences in the first weeks of motherhood.  Thanks so much, Leah!

Kristina Milvae

10/10/2014

Leah was the birth doula for my first child.  My daughter was a high risk pregnancy with a high possibility of stillbirth.  Naturally, both my husband and I were very nervous about her birth.  Leah was a calm presence in the delivery room and helped me to find ways to manage the pain.  With her help, I was able to avoid an epidural.  I am happy to say that my daughter was born alive and we are very thankful for Leah's help.  She took notes during labor and sent those to us, which is above and beyond what we expected.  Leah is a great doula who navigated a difficult situation with ease.  Her compassion helped us to get through what could have been the worst day of our lives, but turned out to be the best day of our lives.

Ashley Robertson

1/2/2014

Leah provided very attentive care for me after the birth of our first-born.  She visited at the 8 week mark and helped entirely reorganize my pantry.  This was a project I meant to finish before baby arrived and it bothered me so much that it hadn't been finished.  I, personally, did not need much physical care, so she only visited our home once.  We had a successful nursing relationship already established, but it was evident that Leah had many tools at her disposal if we needed help in that area.  The most impressive part of her work for us was the amount of time and research she was willing to do via email to communicate with me and answer questions I had.  She even took time to test and bring us a meal according to the rules of my husband's Paleo diet.  Her words about remembering to care for myself by eating and drinking water stay with me even a year later.  Such a kind, calm woman would be a gift to any new mother.