Sara & Dana Zimmerman

11/20/2024

Mary was simply outstanding as the doula for the birth of our first child. She has a plethora of experience in all types of births and locations, and her greatest gift is her caring spirit. She is a very good listener and tuned into our needs as first-time parents. We went through many years of infertility treatments and losses before this successful pregnancy and Mary was sensitive to those past experiences. During my 15 hours of labor, Mary was consistently with me. She provided so many insights and good options for me to choose from. She knew when to do hip squeezes to relieve pain. She helped to set up a few baths for me, which was such a special time in my labor. She was very flexible in our pre-birth meetings and helping us prepare. I truly appreciate everything Mary did for us. My husband also really loved having Mary on our birth team! He got tired many times and needed a break, Mary was always there to support me. She also wrote a beautiful birth story that she gave to us post-partum. Our daughter entered this world with so much love and support thanks to Mary. 

Jenna Tenney

1/23/2020

I was recommended to Mary and I am so happy I was! She was one of the best decisions I made in my birthing journey & would hire her again and again!

Right from the beginning, she was so responsive and had great communication skills. During our first meeting, she was organized, confident, and thorough. She reviewed our birth plan, comfort techniques, the laboring process, and answered any questions we had. She was prepared and showed us her doula bag filled with the laboring essentials which made me feel confident and comfortable. She went above and beyond to make my pregnancy comfortable by bringing over a birthing ball and recommending remedies for any ailments I was feeling.

During the birthing process, I felt so supported, cared for, and loved. She was a great advocate for me and was by my side throughout the entire journey. She was a great asset for my partner and he was so appreciative for her being there too! She used such encouraging words and made me feel strong. I welcomed a precious baby boy January 2020! It was a really special moment I will never forget.

Mary came to the hospital the next day to visit me and the baby and words couldn’t describe the thankfulness I felt for her. A couple weeks later, she visited us at home to see the family and how big the baby was growing. She wrote a wonderful birth story that I will treasure.

Mary really has a gift for being a doula and I am so appreciative for Mary in my journey.

Alissa

11/27/2019

Having Mary as our doula was one of the best decisions we made as she played such an important role in our birth.  She is extremely caring, calm, thoughtful, and kind.  She met with my husband and I before birth to go over our birth plan and comfort measures and helped answer our questions and concerns.  During the week leading up to birth she was extremely responsive, provided encouragement and was there when we needed her.  During labor she was present the entire time and provided the support my husband and I needed.  When there were roadblocks that occurred during my labor, Mary helped us navigate them and continued to provide reassurance.  She even captured numerous photos during the birth which we are so thankful for.  Mary visited us in the hospital a couple times after birth and also a couple weeks later in our home which was comforting to know she was still available for questions and support.  She wrote out our birth story and we are so thankful for all the details and events she documented.  We will definitely look back and cherish this forever.  Her presence, support, and encouragement made such a difference in our birth.  We are so thankful for Mary and I would definitely recommend her!  

Eleanor McLean-Browne

12/27/2018

Mary is a dream doula! She is thoughtful, caring, experienced and kind. I could go on and on about how great she is. She helped my husband and me feel confident and more relaxed about our birthing experience. We met with her several times before our daughter was born and she was very responsive to our questions/concerns leading up to the birth.

Mary helped us have the kind of birth experience that we hoped for. She helped us prepare our birth plan and also navigate the unexpected parts during birth, which are guaranteed to happen.

She worked seamlessly with the hospital staff and made suggestions that helped us have less medical intervention. She was calm, present and attentive throughout the entire labor.

After the birth she continued to provide support and reassurance.

i can’t wait for someone else I know to have a baby because I hope that they can hire Mary and share our experience of working with such a wonderful doula.

She truly is a gem and i feel so lucky to have had her as my doula.

TERRA SCHMITT

3/31/2014

I wanted to share our experience with Mary Norby as it was a wonderful experience and I could not have asked for more support during my pregnany, labor and delivery.

Mary met with my husband and I twice during my pregnancy. She came to our home. We reviewed comfort measures, watched water birthing videos, and reviewed and finalized my birth plan. She instructed my husband on how he could provide comfort in labor. She brought her "doula bag" which includes everything she brings to a delivery including snacks, massage oil, massage tools, chapstick, aromatherapy oils etc. She offered breastfeeding books for my review and suggested naural hospital birth books to read as well.

During the week leading up to my delivery, I cooresponded multiple times, via phone, email and text and she encouraged me during this time. On the morning of my labor, I called her at 5 am and she was at my home within the hour! She was so calm, confident and I believe helped me flip from baby who was sunnyside up according to my back pain and contraction pattern. When it was time to head to the hospital, she confrimed / agreed that it was time to go and helped my husband and I get packed up and ready!

At the hospital, Mary did not leave my side! She was present and actively supporting me during EVERY SINGLE contraction. She did not leave my side and that was the support I needed. She stayed with us until I had successfully nursed our beautiful little daughter and also visited us the next day, quickly, and again gave breastfeedign tips.

Mary was an ESSENTIAL part of my success to have the birth I wanted...a non medicated one. I truly cannot imagine doing it without her support.

Mary came to our home when the baby was 2 weeks old as well. She presented us with a beautiful written birth story as she had documented and captured every part of my labor. This birth story is so beautiful and I will cherish it forever!

Elyse Vymazal

11/18/2012

Florentina vazquez

6/22/2012

 Ii am so happy that i have mary for my doula.  I have not yet given birth but she has been there for me whenever i needed her.  This pregnancy has had some complications and she has been there to reassure me and remind me how strong me and my baby are.  She has shown compassion and understanding throughout this whole process.  She even attended my baby shower!!!  I am so excited to have her there for the big day.  I highly recommend mary to be your doula.  She is absolutely wonderful. 

Megan Goodwin

4/29/2012

Mary was an important part of our birth team and our birthing experience.

In the months leading up to the birth of our daughter, Mary met with us and discussed with us our wishes for our birth and any concerns we had. She asked good questions that helped us prepare for birth and she was an excellent resource for every question we had. Her support helped us enter our birth with confidence.

On the day our daughter was born, Mary helped us through every moment of labor and delivery. She guided us through different movements during labor, and made sure that we always felt safe and confident in our decisions. It was as though she could sense exactly what we needed, whether that was to change positions, or to have a few moments together to prepare for what was to come next. After our daughter was born, Mary was able to capture some of my husband’s first moments as a father on my camera all the while making sure I was comfortable and breastfeeding. It was amazing.

Mary’s support continued as I encountered several health challenges in the month following my daughter’s birth. It was comforting to have Mary’s continued presence during that time and she was always just an email or phone call away.

I give Mary my strongest recommendation as a birth doula. Her presence and support was an important part of our positive birth experience and in our transition into parenthood.
 

Stephanie Guindon

3/25/2012