Katie & Matt

9/24/2024

Laurie was excellent and made a huge difference in our experience. We will absolutely be engaging her again if we continue to expand our family as we can't imagine what it would have been like without her.

The two get-to-know-you sessions left us feeling confident she understood what our ideal birth experience looked like and how she could support us in advocating for our preferences if interventions became needed. The materials and resources she provided were clear, and her responsiveness both over text and phone gave us confidence heading into the ambiguity of the birth process that we were supported.

Laurie is extremely knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. Her guidance helped us labor at home and arrive at the hospital at 5 cm dialated (which was our goal). Her familiarity with Swedish First Hill and the staff was also really helpful (e.g., she knew where to grab towels to place under my knees in the tub for extra comfort, and knew which nurses we'd work well with). Her coaching during the labor process was helpful for both of us—from a birthing parent perspective she had the language to describe and coach me on techniques to handle the contractions since we went unmedicated, and knew me well enough to be able to give affirmations in ways that motivated me and helped me through. From a supporting partner perspective, she provided tips on how to touch, speak to and be the anchor through the process. 

After the birth, the massage was divine and she helped us figure out breast feeding tips. We also know that while she's fulfilled her contractual obligations that she'll be a resource for us ongoing and someone we wouldn't hesitate to call. Can't say enough good things! 

Rebecca

9/16/2024

Hire Laurie! We had an empowering birth experience because of her work with us. We had expected an anxious or traumatic labor but her skills as a doula, therapist, and massage therapist created a highly supportive experience. We felt informed, supported, and safe because of her. Can't recommend enough!

Emily W

8/19/2024

Laurie was our doula for our second child, so we sort of knew what to expect but really valued having a doula at our first birth, so we enlisted Laurie to support our second birth! Laurie offers two sessions prior to delivery and my husband and I found these helpful to get to know her and align on our birth preferences. Laurie was especially helpful when my baby was breech at 36 weeks and I started researching options on how to flip her to get the natural birth I wanted. Laurie is a great listener, support person, and cheerleader. I was especially impressed with her availability to come to the hospital when we went both during pregnancy and for the ECV. My birth went great and attribute a lot of that to Laurie's preparation before and presence during the birth. Oh and the postnatal massage was absolutely wonderful! 

Jen

8/19/2024

Laurie was just what we needed to help us through what turned out to be a marathon (50 hours from arrival for induction to birth). She knew our "plan" (very loose, healthy mom and kid), but also got to know our personalities and what we would need during that time. She was there for us to gut check our intuition and help deftly ensure we had the right nursing and dr team for us (including at the end when we had to make a decision between using our providor doctor or the hospital doctor for delivery). She allowed my husband to focus purely on me and being present for the birth. Having someone with us with that level of knowledge, experience, kindness, and humor, helped us relax as much as we could given the circumstances. She is one of a few people (including my dr. and my personal trainer) that I credit with helping me avoid a c-section despite getting very close multiple times. Without her, I am sure I would have had one. I wouldn't hesitate to use Laurie again. 

Bailey and Beach

5/16/2024

Laurie is awesome! We had an incredible birth experience thanks to her expertise, humor, and warmth. Our two birth prep sessions were so helpful and her resources/insights quelled any anxiety we had. When I went into labor, Laurie was there to make sure we timed our hospital arrival and took fantastic care of us once we arrived.

Postpartum it has been incredibly helpful to have Laurie as a resource - she is super responsive and was there to answer all of my questions. Plus, the postpartum massage she gave was truly heavenly. I can't imagine not having Laurie by our side for future births and recommend working with her wholeheartedly! 

Alana and Phil

4/29/2024

We had a wonderful birth experience with Laurie. Firstly, the two sessions we had with her before the birth were informative and prompted lots of great discussion. They were very clarifying and allowed us to identify our priorities as we prepared for our child's birth. Laurie was always helpful and avaialble to answer questions and offer advice as we approached my due date. 

Once labour began, Laurie was incredible. She set everything up to create a warm and comfortable environment, and was force of calm, composure, and proactivity during the entire process. We had a very empowered birth experience and I think a big part of that is thanks to Laurie. Her postpartum support has been great, and we are so thankful we got to work with her. 

Erika B

2/24/2024

This was our second time working with Laurie as our doula and she is absolutely incredible. She helped us with questions all along the way and was instrumental in making the birthing process smooth and positive. She supported emotionally and physically during the labor and always brings care, fun and humor to our time together. I really can't say enough about how amazing she is! Get on her calendar asap!

Erika

2/12/2024

Laurie is incredible, goes above and beyond, and I cannot recommend her enough! I had so much anxiety and Laurie was a knowledgeable and calming presence. She was a thoughtful, thorough, responsive resource throughout my pregnancy, checking in and making herself available to answer questions, recommend resources, and get to know us. During a long and tedious labor, she was supportive and flexible to our needs. During the postpartum weeks, a very diffcult time for me, she stayed in contact, checking in, providing massage, and offering continued support and services. I truly felt like I made a life long friend. 

Liz

12/22/2023

Laurie supported me again with the birth of our second child, and once again, she showed compassion and humor and helped advocate at moments that were critical. She was my cheerleader, and supporter, and reassured me throughout my pregnancy. I always felt that I could reach out and ask questions, especially early on in pregnancy as I was working through anxiety. Laurie is THE BEST! Also - she will bring you chocolate shakes when you are in labor and/or after you give birth!! :)

Jo L

11/30/2023

I can’t recommend Laurie strongly enough. Throughout the birth prep, birth, and postpartum journey, Laurie’s expertise and support was invaluable. As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I valued so much how Laurie was grounded in the latest research to help guide my birth preferences. She also has a strong institutional knowledge of the Swedish birthing center, and was able to track down birthing balls, set up the jacuzzi (with twinkle lights!), and call in the best food orders to help support my husband and I during labor on a day the medical staff was stretched thin. Laurie was hands on during my contractions and pushing process to help me cope and make progress. As with many first birth experiences, not everything went to “plan,” and she was invaluable in helping to make last minute decisions. Laurie is passionate about her profession and a huge asset for anyone's birth team, I can't thank her enough!

Molly M

11/19/2023

There honestly aren't enough words in this form to express how positive and transformational of an experience we had partnering with Laurie for the birth of our first child. As someone who came into both pregnancy and childbirth with a lot of anxiety, I can't imagine not having had Laurie to help guide me and my husband through the entire journey, from thoughtfully designed prenatal prep sessions, the birth itself (a nearly 2 day induction affair during which Laurie was present) and the postpartum period during which she continues to be an ongoing resource and friend. When we first met, I told Laurie with honesty that I had low expectations for my birth, that all I wanted was for me and my baby to get through in one piece. She looked at me and said, "we need to raise your expectations." She was right and because of her, I would 100 percent do it again (although not anytime soon :) ). 

Ali

10/20/2023

Laurie was such as fantastic doula for our family! I took a doula course from herin 2019, and was so excited to learn that she was available for my due date when I found out that I was pregnant. I ended up being unexpectedly hospitalized at 28 weeks, and remained in the hospital until I was induced at 35 weeks. During my hospitalization, Laurie provided both emotional and logistical support for my husband and I. I encountered several decision-making points during my hospitalization for which her support, expertise and advocacy were critical. It was such a huge help and comfort to be able to reach out to her for information and perspective. During labor, Laurie's calm and confident presence made such a difference for both my husband and I. I cannot recommend her highly enough! 

Claire Rodriguez

9/16/2023

Laurie was our doula for the birth of my first son born in August '23. I whole heartedly recommend Laurie -- she was so integral to our entire birth journey and went above and beyond to support us pre and post birth. Laurie is incredibly warm and made it easy to spend intimate time together. Just a few of the ways Laurie went above and beyond -- I had a breech baby and she talked me through the ECV procedure and sent a proxy doula to support the procedure (she happened to be off call which we knew about ahead of time), she helped us contingency plan for a c section which we ended up needing and made it special even though she knew it wasn't our preferred birth plan, and when I was having severe pain from breast feeding 1 week post Partum Laurie made an impromptu visit at 10pm to help me make a plan for the night and give some latching guidance.

All this is to say you should absolutely hire Laurie as your doula. We are so grateful for all of her help and support.

Alli W.

9/9/2023

Laurie supported us with the birth of our daughter in late June 2023 and the first thing I want to say is if you are considering using her, do it!!!! She was such an integral part of helping us achieve the kind of birth we wanted and supported us before; during, and after giving birth. Beforehand she came over our house twice and answered a million questions for us. She helped us decide on a birthing class provider, find the confidence to ask for no IV during a hospital birth, helped when I was spiraling from failing the first glucose test, and gave us tips on how to help eachother get enough sleep with a newborn which was something we were really nervous about. When my water broke she helped us decide when to go to the hospital and supported us when we turned down getting induced 3 or 4 times. Laurie stayed with us for over 24 hours in labor at the hospital up until an hour or two after we delivered our baby exactly how we had hoped: unmedicated and with no IV (I don't like needles!), which is something I don't know if I could have done without the support of a doula. Postpartum she answered tons of questions for us and came over and gave me the best massage of my life. Last thing is there's always a tiny chance that your doula could be sick or unavailable when you go into labor so it was really important to me that the back up doula be someone who we knew and trusted and Laurie's back up, though we didnt end up needing to use her, was equally amazing and also met us at our home with her before we gave birth upon our request. 10/10 Laurie is the best!!!

Kim C.

7/20/2023

Laurie truly became family during a rocky labor and delivery experience with our first baby. After difficulties with fertility and pregnancy loss, it was important to us to connect with someone who would be able to act as our central through line and partner throughout our first labor experience. We have learned first hand just how important trust in your health providers can be when confronting intimidating medical procedures and treatments, and in our first interaction Laurie immediately perceived our anxiousness and brought a sense of confidence and calm to the process of planning for our birth. When my chronic blood pressure resulted in an early delivery due to pre-eclampsia, Laurie was there, checking in with us early in labor and then spending days while active labor kicked in. All of our birth planning - which was invaluable to go through to help mentally prepare us - went out the window, but it somehow was okay because Laurie was there to guide us. She translated everything the doctors were sharing, she pushed us when we needed to be pushed, she pushed the doctors and nursing staff when we needed space, she brought laughter when we needed to break the tension, and she stepped away when we needed private time to process. We cannot speak highly of her enough. She was the MVP of our birth story. 

Jen & Tom

5/18/2023

Laurie is the perfect person to have in your corner when you give birth--especially for the first time! She's super knowledgeable about all things pregnancy/labor, she is so cheerful and easy to get along with, and she will go to bat for you and ensure everything is going well in the hospital! It was so reassuring to have Laurie in my corner when starting to labor at home and being able to float questions her way. Once we got to the hospital, Laurie quickly asked for us to get reassigned to a better nurse, ensured everything went well during the delivery process, and then made sure to order me large chocolate shakes before the kitchen closed! Laurie is like having a mom/nurse/cheerleader/bulldog all in one helping you through labor! She's the glue and heart missing from modern medicine where you're rushed along and no one really takes the time to explain everything to you. I'm eternally grateful to Laurie that my delivery went as well as it could have <3

Julia and Jake

5/18/2023

Laurie was an absolutely wonderful asset throughout our twin pregnancy and cesarean birth and into the 4th trimester! She is a wealth of knowledge and has a lovely blend of practicality, humor and kindness. She was an invaluable support and I don't know what we would have done without her presence in the hospital. Her incredible hands on touch was a lifesaver for pain, and the postpartum massage has been heavenly! Cannot recommend her enough!

Nicole

5/11/2023

I highly recommend Laurie as your doula! Her expertise, attention to needs and advocacy is phenomenol. I could not invision my birth experience without Laurie and certainly will be using her for future births. Laurie has a very easy going personality that combines humor, compassion and motherly vibe that puts you instantly at ease. She was able to predict all my needs and provide the perfect intervention, even when I didn't know exactly what I needed. Her presence was invaluable. 

Hannah Franklin

3/22/2023

I can't recommend Laurie enough!! Laurie provided knowledge, expertise, and comfort for the entire experience from prenatal, birth, and postpartum. She helped us feel prepared and knowledgable about what to expect and how to advocate for ourselves. The moment she met me at labor and delivery, she added value - rubbing my feet, using the TENS machine to alleviate back pain, ordering food, and even just her calming, assured presence. 

Because of our discussions during our prenatal visits, I felt prepared to make decisions when complications arose and understood everything that was happening which helped me feel confident. Having Laurie there with us felt like we had someone on our team, in our corner - always there just for us. I remember thinking to myself during labor that I couldn't imagine doing it without her!

Meg

2/14/2023

My husband and I are incredibly grateful for the support, reassurance, advocacy and confidence that Laurie provided us during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. During our prenatals, Laurie helped us think through preferences that felt important leading up to the birth. When it came time to give birth, I was induced and Laurie arrived at the start to make sure we felt comfortable. She helped us chat through our induction options which made all the difference in our birth experience. Her presence set the tone for the night ahead. During our birth--which happened quicker than we thought--she arrived to offer emotional support, deep massage when my tailbone was killing me, and essential breastfeeding guidance post birth. When I was readmitted for pre-eclampsia 7 days postpartum, she came to the hospital to hold baby while we slept. Her massages (prenatal and postpartum) are the absolute best, and her visits and check-ins during the postpartum period have been a source of comfort and allowed me to decompress! We highly recommend Laurie if you want a doula who is a great advocate, has a wonderful sense of humor, makes you feel at ease, seemlessly connects with care teams, and has great energy! 

Amanda

12/29/2022

Laurie is an incredible doula and person to have by your side during pregnancy, birth, and beyond! While my first birth went ok, I wanted key aspects of labor and delivery to be different the second time around. I instantly felt comfortable talking to Laurie when we met. She asked all the right questions and offered great resources and perspective.

When I arrived at to L&D, Laurie joined shortly after and quickly got to work ensuring me and my mom were comfortable and had what we needed (i.e., food, pillows, blankets, birth balls, twinkly lights). She transformed the cold and sterile environment of the hospital room into a cozy, safe space with her warm personality and all the right props! While I was fortunate to have  kind nurses, it was Laurie that helped support me emotionally and physically through the birth, as well as advocate for myself with medical staff (who questioned initially whether I was far enough along to be admitted and repeatedly suggested interventions to speed up labor). Laurie gave me confidence to trust my instincts and advocate for an unmedicated birth. When I went into transition and started to lose it mentally, Laurie was a strong and reassuring presence. After my son was born, Laurie was a huge comfort when I was feeling raw emotionally and physically, and helped me to return to a calm and relaxed state.

Laurie was instrumental to helping me achieve a positive birth experience. Even though I had an uncomplicated delivery, there were multiple points at which I needed her advocacy and expertise to feel confident in my ability in the highly medicalized environment of the hospital. A huge bonus was my postpartum visit with Laurie, during which we reflected on the birth and Laurie gave the most fantastic massage (one of the best I've ever received!)

Having Laurie by my side was truly a highlight of my birth and I will forever reflect fondly on my experience due to her incredible support and presence!

Austin Oh

12/27/2022

Laurie is the most amazing birth doula.  My wife and I were first time parents and Laurie provided clarity and assurance throughout our entire birthing experience.  From answering questions during our pregnancy, to helping us prepare for birth, and being there to navigate us through a birth that didn't go exactly as planned, Laurie is an incredible doula and we can't stress how much she helped us through the birth of our child.  Her knowledge of the ins and outs of Swedish First Hill was invaluable and made us feel confident with our choices during the entire process.

If you're looking for a birth doula in the Seattle area, you should select Laurie as soon as possible.  

Chenchen

12/2/2022

If you're looking for doulas, then look no further because Laurie is the world's best doula. We had Laurie for the birth of both of our kids, and she was the second person we reached out to upon finding out we were pregnant with #2 (after the doctors but before family, daycare waitlists) because we just HAD to have her there with us again. Laurie coached me through two unmedicated births and also was incredible support for my husband. She adds humor when it's needed and provides such helpful, factual information to help you make the most informed choice. Also, her post partum massages are literally the best massages I've ever received and I've been to a variety of places.

A few other things that make Laurie above and beyond:

(1) She's basically psychic. Laurie's done this so many times that things are ready before you even know you need it. First kid, 20 pillows appeared from nowhere immediate after birth and I didn't even have an opportunity to be uncomfortable with the one sad pillow that comes with your room. Second kid, milkshake and sandwich were ordered at the perfect time so that I was still with it enough to eat but late enough so that I wasn't going to be hungry mid delivery and that my milkshake wouldn't be entirely melted after (also before the cafeteria closed).

(2) She knows everyone. This is especially helpful after birth when you need to see specialists or know of a really good lactation consultant. When I mentioned Laurie sent me to them, I swear they moved mountains to accommodate me. Also, this is great to know where to start when you're exhausted and have no idea what you're doing.

(3) She's an incredible person. We loved hanging out with Laurie and felt so comfortable with her from the get go. It's enjoyable being around her and while we're done having kids, if we were to have a third, she'd beat out the doctor next time for our first call.

Megan Spencer

5/29/2022

I cannot imagine either of my birth experiences without Laurie (given that they were both during COVID, I was very lucky not to have had to!) With a typical long first birth and similarly typical lightning fast second birth, Laurie provided expert guidance, care, and advocacy to both me and my partner. I also felt her intimate familiarity with the Swedish hospital system + L&D nurses was an amazing benefit. Anyone would be lucky to experience giving birth with Laurie Levy at their side - she's seen it all!

Breana Davis

4/27/2022

I'm so grateful for Laurie! She has offered such a healing touch for me during my pregnancy. She came to my home and made space for me to really receive care as I prepare for baby. I highly recommend her for massage and doula support! 

Mollie

4/26/2022

I am so grateful that we found Laurie! My husband and I knew that we wanted a doula by our side to support the birth of our daughter and Laurie's straighforward and compassionate approach to her work made her the right choice for us. We had experienced a previous loss and I come with some medical related anxieties, so we knew that having someone in the room with us during this expereince to help maintain a calming enviroment and provide experienced insight would make our birth experience all the better. Laurie met and exeeded our expectations. She was understanding of where we were coming from, she was by our side the whole way, and helped to keep me in the moment during and after the birth. I could not imagine going through this experience without Lauire! 

Katie

4/15/2022

Laurie is a magical human being and an incredible doula. From the moment my wife and I met her, we felt comfortable and seen as a queer couple getting ready to welcome our first child into our family. She is warm and empathetic and willing to meet you where you are in terms of preparing for your birth process. She was a steady source of calm and expertise from late pregnancy through the first weeks of our little one's life. Also, it's no small bonus that she has incredible pre- and post-natal massage skills! I would highly recommend Laurie to any family looking for a compassionate and warm and extremely competent doula, and I would especially recommend her to any queer or lesbian couples. Thank you for everything Laurie!

Anne

4/14/2022

I cannot imagine my birthing experience without Laurie. I was very lucky and had a quick and smooth pregnancy and labor but it was still so amazing to have a doula. My husband and I had lost a baby in the second trimester previously and knew we needed someone to support us. Laurie came over to our house twice before our baby was born and we really got to know each other and what type of experience we wanted. Also, knowing she had attending so many births helped a lot.

It was invaluable for my husband to have someone who knew my wishes and knew what was normal during labor. I felt so confident knowing he felt comforable in what was going on so I could focus on myself. Laurie was comforting and supportive during everything and helped answer questions or make sure we had the best staff in our room. 

What was even more valuable to me was the postpartum visit which was 4 days after. My milk had come in and I couldn't get my baby to latch anymore. Laurie helped teach me some self massage techniques that helped so much. Then she gave me a massage!! My body was so sore from labor and she gave me the best massage I've ever had. All my pain from labor that I had in my arms, legs and back were gone after that. 

If you are able to get Laurie as your doula you will not regret it for a moment. She is a wonderful person and is clearly doing something she loves and is meant to do. 

Melissa Cunningham

4/14/2022

Laurie is amazing. We hired her for the birth of our second child at Swedish. Even though I had given birth at Swedish before, I was nervous about doing it during Covid times with a nursing shortage. She helped us prepare for and navigate all of that with aplomb. I also appreciated her research based approach. We had a planned induction that went quickly (other than a long wait for a hospital room) and Laurie was also just a fun person to hang out with while we waited to labor to get going. I can say that I spent a good portion of my labor laughing, in a large part thanks to her. She was also great at helping us through that first laugh. Also, the post partum massage and visit was just what I needed. 

Ariel

4/11/2022

Laurie has to be one of the most experienced doulas in the Seattle area. I couldn't find another doula with more attended births than her. I chose her partly because of her breadth of experience and familiarity with hospital births, which is what I chose to do. She has an excellent sense of humor and warmth that made me feel really comfortable.

I had a very low stress, drama-free pregnancy, and during my birth which was an unplanned and lengthy induction, she was there to support my husband and I. She's especially skilled in body work and labor positioning/exercises for whatever situation you're in. She's also incredibly skilled at calming and easing anxieties! Although my induction was unplanned, I feel really really good about how my birth went, and Laurie was there to assist in making sure I was heard and that my birth went the way I wanted it to  

Laurie is also an incredible postpartum resource and gives the best postpartum massage! I will say when I had no one else to call and was really struggling during a low point during the first couple weeks postpartum, Laurie was available for a phone call to help me  which made a huge difference  

Melanie

2/22/2022

Hiring Laurie was the best decision I made during my pregnancy. As a first-time mom (and just as a person in general), I have a lot of anxiety. During our prenatal visits (and over the course of multiple hour-long phone calls), she answered every single one of my questions with zero judgment and was able to offer research-backed insights as well as the encouragement and empathy I needed to feel empowered throughout the process.

I had a three-day induction that began with a trip to triage and Laurie was with us every step of the way. Her institutional knowledge of the people and process at Swedish was incredible — having someone who knew what was going on behind the scenes helped my husband and I feel confident about everything that was going on. Whether it was massaging me for hours or helping me think through decisions with my birth preferences in mind, Laurie’s presence during my birth was so comforting and empowering. We’re so grateful to have met her and would not have had such a positive birth experience without her!

Liz

2/19/2022

We interviewed three doulas and picked Laurie for the birth of our first child. I liked that she mentioned her sense of humor, and she had extensive experience with swedish first Hill where we were delivering. I can't say enough about how amazing her support was during the delivery. First of all, she stayed for the entire 36 hours of labor and delivery and slept in the room when we slept, which we did not expect. She was attentive and by my side, and had great ability to read my nonverbal cues. She also had our birth plan at ready and reminded me during crucial decision points what I wanted for the outcome of the experience so that we could make a good decision in the moment. One other thing that really stood out to me was when the nurses were suggesting I get pitocin, Laurie suggested that they leave the room and give us some time to make out, since that's a way of stimulating nature's pitocin :-) although we ended up getting pitocin, I appreciated that she remembered we wanted to avoid medications if possible and advocated/ reminded us in the moment of some options. Also, this might be a small thing but she had a BLT and chocolate milkshake ready for me right after delivery!! She knew the hospital up and down and made sure that she prompted my partner to eat when the kitchen was open and sleep when he could. Can't recommend her highly enough!

Sarmishta

12/21/2021

As a birthing person, hiring Laurie was the best decision I’ve made. She was an incredible support person during my labor and delivery. I had to go through a long labor most of which i went through unmedicated. And I couldn’t have done it without Laurie. She was quick on her feet and was always thinking and advocating for what’s best for us. She never tried to bias us with her opinions and would only let us know her thoughts in a neutral manner when asked.

She’s always alert and ready to go even during the middle of the night. As a first time mom, I really appreciated that she listened patiently and provided guidance and reassurance during the early stages of labor. And during active labor, she knew when i was having contractions and provided the right kind of support to ease the pain without having to ask- be it massaging my back, feet or applying pressure in the right areas to relieve pain.

She took time to find out our likes, dislikes, preferences before labor and applied a lot of those personal touches during my delivery experience. She advocated for the kind of support team we would like and in the end we were extremely pleased with the entire team.

Anna

12/8/2021

It was amazing having Laurie by our side as we prepared for and welcomed our first baby. As first-time anxious parents, we had a ton of questions leading up to the delivery -- everything from "how should we dress our baby on our way home from the hospital?" to "when do we know when it's time to go in?" -- and Laurie had answers to everything. We ended up having our baby a month early, and despite the unexpected timeframe, Laurie was there for us every step of the way. She met us in triage "just in case" and stayed with us once we were admitted and it was clear our baby boy was on his way. She also knew her way around Swedish First Hill like it was her second home. She ensured we got great nurses. She had a great rapport with the hospital staff. She helped us remember to make medical requests based on our birth plan. She helped me with breastfeeding after delivery. She even knew the best things to order off the hospital menu! She has a relaxed, kind and lighthearted demeanor that eased tension and made the day feel fun and happy. We will never forget the experience, and we will forever be grateful to her. Highly recommend!   

Lexi and Owen

11/29/2021

Laurie was a huge part of my sanity and success in birthing my second baby. I had a complex and scary pregnancy, with a three-night stay in Antepartum and another two visits to Triage. We faced potentially losing the baby and later, the reality of a very fast delivery at 34 weeks, and having a 10 day NICU stay. Laurie offered to come to all of these "scares" and  we took her up on two of them.

She came to visit me in antepartum providing me with little massage, levity and counseling and she came in for one of our two other traige visits. She proactivity, with my permission, checked in with me after doctors appointments and as labor continued to burn slow and long for 6 weeks. We felt fully supported those weeks of labor and early on, sitting with the possibility of baby coming so soon as to be a pregnancy loss. She was like another member of the family. 

Without her talking to me, I would have delivered in the car and been really distressed. With her emotional and practical support, I was able to be in a place of confidence and strength despite immense pain. She helped remind my husband to call ahead to Traige.

She was also a big emotional support to me and my husband when our daughter had to go into the NICU and in our transition home. Having a professional to text and ask questions was invaluable. Because I delivered so quickly, and she arrived after the baby she put in extra effort to provide a SECOND massage in home that really helped me to relax after such a traumatic time for me. 

Throughout, she kept us laughing, was excellent company, was a great listener, and an advocate for us in the hospital and was a second mom around. She anticipated and offered to help us unprompted; which for me, is the best service of all. "Yes, I do want some water, thank you." "Yes, I would love you to come give me a massage."  She was absolutely invaluable in our birth experience. I recommend her to anyone. 

Eve K

11/24/2021

We can't speak highly enough of our experience working with Laurie. She's knowledgeable, fun, warm, and extremely professional. We debated whether or not to work with a doula for a long time - we liked the idea of it but found it hard to imagine developing enough of a bond with someone that we'd be able to feel fully vulnerable with them. In our first conversation with Laurie she was completely tuned in to our specific hopes/fears/quirks, which made us feel confident that she'd be able to offer us the right kind of support for us (even if we didn't yet know exactly what we would ultimately want/need). During labor and delivery she was a source of calm reassurance, and helped us understand our rights as patients. She was also just fantastic company. We're sorry we no longer have an excuse to hang out with her!

Alison

11/10/2021

We worked with Laurie for the birth of our first child and couldn't imagine having done it without her. I remember my partner coming away from our first pre-birth meeting with Laurie brimming with energy. She helped us think through all the decisions we may need to make and uncover our own personal preferences, while never pushing a particular opinion. She is straightforward, honest, and extremely knowledgeable. Laurie was a wonderful coach during labor and delivery, and I credit her with helping me to have a great birth experience that I can now carry with me. She's continued to provide support postpartum as we've dealt with stressful feeding issues as well. Our experience working with Laurie has been overwhelmingly positive and we highly recommend her to any parents-to-be!

Lauren

11/8/2021

Laurie is an amazing doula and is the reason that we were able to have such a wonderful experience meeting our second son. After a less than optimal labor experience with our first born, I knew I wanted to have a doula this time to help with navigating labor and all of its potential curve balls, and to have support for me and my husband throughout the process. Before labor, Laurie helped us to think through all of our birthing options and preferences so that we were prepared going into any situation. Laurie had so many great ideas and gave such helpful cues throughout my labor. When I wasn't progressing, she had several techniques which I am fairly certain played a huge role in getting things moving. She was a great cheerleader and emotional support when things got tough. Despite this labor being long and painful (including back labor), it still felt like such an amazing experience at the end, and I felt in control the entire time. I had exactly the experience I wanted when I held my baby in my arms for the first time and felt that overwhelming sensation of love. Also, the in home postpartum massage was amazing! 

Shelby

11/6/2021

Worlds Best Doula!
Laurie Levy was my grounding rock during my at-home birthing experience. She came when my spouse and I needed extra assistance during contractions, she massaged my neck (that's where I hold my tension), helped me find alternative positions to stay mobile and optimize baby's position, and gently reminded me to breath and use deep vocal tones during transition and the pushing phase. Thank you Laurie! Couldn't imagine anyone else with me during my birthing journey. 

Lily

11/2/2021

Laurie was essential in my pregnancy journey. She was incredibly supportive and readily available through a relatively tough pregnancy, during birth, and post-partum. She was a great coach for our family and I don't think any mom will regret inviting Laurie on this journey. 

Stella and Travis

8/16/2021

Laurie was an incredible presence throughout our whole birthing process, from prenatal to delivery. She helped to create an incredibly positive birth experience, and we really enjoyed having her as our doula.

As first time parents, we knew we wanted a calm and knowledgeable presence by our side to help us navigate the birth of our little boy. We appreciated the oppurtunity to meet with her for two prenatal sessions beforehand to explore and learn about all the different possibilities and outcomes of birth. They were a great tool in preparing for labor and helped us to develop a birth plan together. Although the delivery did not go according to plan (like most things in life!), Laurie helped us both to feel like we were still in control of the process.

I experienced podromal labor for almost 2 whole days before going into active labor. Laurie was able to advocate on our behalf to the hospital and got us admitted earlier than scheduled for induction. It made an enormous difference. At the hospital, she was there to help us interpret the medical lingo, remind us of preferences we discussed during prenatal meetings, make sure everyone was fed and rested, and coach me on breathing and pushing. Most importantly, she provided comfort, knowledge, and reassurance when we needed it the most.

We cannot imagine not having Laurie with us during our delivery - her presence really made all the difference!

Jess and Matt

8/16/2021

Laurie was absolutely amazing and I can't imagine what it would have been like without her. In our meetings leading up to the birth, Laurie helped us understand what all our choices might be and she helped us build a plan tailored to us. She helped us to feel empowered and as ready as one could be.

On the day, Laurie was essential. Not only did she make the atmosphere as calm and comforting as possible, but she knew the ins and outs of the hospital and made navigating the day a breeze. From knowing the best food to order (and making sure it was ordered in time!), to which nurses to request during the shift change, to making sure that our wishes that we had discussed in all the preparation meetings were carried out. Laurie was amazing and we highly recommend her!

Yana

7/12/2021

I am so grateful that Laurie was a big part of my pregnancy and birth experience. She is warm, real, funny, empathetic, and very skilled at reading what is needed at any given moment and offering it. I appreciated all the questions she asked my husband and me prior to our baby's birth since it prompted conversations between us that we (as first time parents) didn't realize would be vital to have. She was prompt and thorough with answering all my questions both pre- and post-partum. One of my most powerful memories of my birth experience was Laurie stroking my hair and speaking encouraging words during a particularly rough patch. I don't think that my family would be doing as well as we are now without Laurie's expertise and support.

Shawna Rasmussen

6/30/2021

During the time of Covid it was so nice to have someone who GETS IT. While my husband was loving and supportive, having an experts hand to hold while I delivered my twins was critical. I hadn't planned to deliver unmedicated. However the girls were coming fast and Laurie helped me through what would have been a potentially very scary time. Instead she made me feel empowered and supported. We appreciate her candor, humor and energy as well as the fact she made it through the 2021 snow storm to support us! Not to mention the post delivery massage was everything I needed Strongly reccomend Laurie!!

Allison & Jonathan

6/15/2021

Laurie assisted us in the birth of our second daughter a month ago. She was fabulous both before and during the delivery. Laurie worked very hard during our prenatal visits to get to know us and learn what forms of support we would find useful. She was also very helpful when we were trying to figure out if it was time to go to the hospital, even though that was happening at 2 AM! Overall, Laurie was funny, kind, knowledgeable, supportive, and responsive to our needs/requests. 

Mandy S

6/3/2021

I hit it off with Laurie from our 1st virtual meeting/interview through Zoom! So easy to talk to, knowledgeable, connected to the doula/midwife community & up to date with all the current recommendations & political atmosphere. Both my husband & I were so glad to have her as a resource throughout my pregnancy during a pandemic & INFINITELY glad to have her with us for the birth as well as postpartum. She was so validating & patient with all my worries. I believe she strikes the perfect balance for holistic health. I couldn't recommend her more as a guide & companion for birthing & beyond! Love her!

Lizzie & Adam

5/26/2021

Laurie is great! She has an amazing combination of a great sense of humor and wit, deep knowledge and experience with different types of birth plans and their contingencies, a calm and steady demeanor, positive reinforcement, and a 'you can do this’ attitude. She was helpful every step of the way - from helping us understand the details of our planned c-section to setting our expectations about life with our son to providing a calm presence in the OR to offering guidance through the first few days of breastfeeding. Laurie is a pleasure to work with and someone we'd be thrilled to work with again if we have another child. 

Laura

4/29/2021

Laurie gave me the birth experience I wish every mom could have. She kept me informed about my options every step of the way. She anticipated needs I didn't know I had but didn't push me in any direction. She gave me a framework for making decisions when I wasn't sure about what I wanted. She asked lots of questions and made sure I felt heard.

I would highly recommend her based on her balanced approach to care, but she's also deeply knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. I enjoyed our conversations and always felt like I was in great hands.

Alex

4/29/2021

Laurie was an incredible doula for our family. She was nothing but supportive and has an incredibly southing way of listening and communicating with her clients. My decisions were always supported and encouraged. When asking her opinion she presented pros and cons with no judgement. On one call with her, I almost closed with "I love you" just by reflex because I always felt so comforted by her voice.

We would hire her again no questions asked.

Carine

3/25/2021

I cannot say enough good things about working with Laurie to birth my second child.  Her personality is a delight and she is an expert in her field.  She knew the staff at my hospital and that was just another thing that made me feel like Inwas with someone that knew exactly how things worked where I was planning to birth.  

Because of the pandemic I only had Laurie with me during birthing.  My husband and oldest child were home staying safe and isolating.  Laurie was an amazing advocate during a tense time when the doctor was not available but very needed (at least in my opinion).  She never left my side and literally wiped away my tears.  She took photos of my newborn the way my husband would have and stayed next to her while she was getting her shots so she wouldn't be all alone during a painful experience.

I have already recommended her to others and would to anyone who needs an advocate and expert with them for their birthing.  I feel extremely lucky to have had the chance to benefit from her caring ways.

Erika Barnes

1/10/2021

Laurie made our birth experience so seemless even with complications we faced during labor. She prepared us well by asking questions to get us thinking about how we would handle decisions during labor. During labor, it was so reassuring to know that she was advocating for what we wanted based on our discussions. Since she is so experienced, she knows the ins and outs of the hospital as well as the nurses and doctors we worked with. I truly believe that we would have had a much different and less optimal birth without her. I can't say enough wonderful things about her. Oh and she is a lot of fun!! :)

Arielle

10/3/2020

We had a super positive experience with Laurie. She took the time to meet us before the birth, answer our questions and understand out perspective/preferences. It was very helpful to think of scenarios that were not our 'best case' before in order to think about possibilities and consider what we would want as alternatives. At the birth, Laurie was amazing - knew exactly when/where to touch, had all the equiptment to make it more comfortable, was able to navigate between us & the docs/nurses in a respectful but proactive way, and helped my husband find his place. Her experience was very evident as she manuevered so smoothly and naturally in that atmosphere - it really made the experience seamless. Postpartum Laurie was equally as amazing, coming to our house for massage, check-in, placenta, even did some dishes- really whatever we needed. She showed so much compassion during that difficult time. We are so grateful for her and would definitely recommend!!

Laura

8/31/2020

Laurie is AMAZING! She changed the outcomes of both of my births by advocating for me in ways I would not have been able to myself. For example, she recognized my postpartum mood disorder when I couldn't, and she lovingly and firmly supported me in getting the help I needed. She also advocated for me in a skilled and expert way during labor by steering the hospital care team toward my preferences. She has a wonderful mix of warmnth, directness, humor, and sheer competence that makes her an ideal doula for me. My husband and I continue to be grateful to Laurie. We think of her as family. 

Leonora D.

8/4/2020

We so appreciated having Laurie as our doula with our third baby. She was calm, collected, knowledgeable and reliable throughout - and completely non-judgemental around our decision making. Given COVID-19, we had two Zoom meetings with her prior to our daughter's delivery, and then a fast and furious labor at Swedish First Hill. She was completely central to my labor, suggesting comfort measures and next steps, helping to guide my husband, and always thinking two or three steps ahead. The postpartum massage one week later was heavenly. If we have another baby we would absolutely work with Laurie again and highly recommend her. 

Jamie

8/1/2020

Laurie was an essential part of our pregnancy, labor, and delivery. During the pregnancy portion, she curated resources tailored to our questions and needs; walked us through all the potential "game day" scenarios; helped us more effectively communicate with our OB; and relieved us of any pressure to come with a birth plan, as she knew all of our preferences ahead of time. When I went into labor, Laurie was the first person I called. She coached me on what to do from the start and provided a calming presence throughout. We loved that she knew Swedish First Hill inside and out. Not only did she help guide us, but she also provided direction for the nurses in our birthing suite when needed. Right after our daughter was born, Laurie calmed me as the NICU team ensured all of the fluid came out of our baby's lungs. An added bonus was the fantastic photos Laurie took with my phone. Further, Laurie helped me figure out what was going on with my headache days after delivery. Once that was taken care of, she gave me the most incredible--and much-needed--postpartum massage. We would not hesitate to work with Laurie again, should the opportunity present itself. Her expertise and personality made this whole process pretty damn great!

Adrianne

7/23/2020

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Laurie Levy as a doula! Laurie was the second doula we interviewed and we didn't look further - we knew she was a perfect fit. The value of her expertise was immediately evident. In the interview alone she provided helpful tips and suggested an important question for my OB/GYN. As our pregnancy progressed it became clear that COVID-19 restrictions would affect things. Laurie adapted her services so well, and we really appreciated her continuing commitment during such a tumultuous time. We had multiple Zoom meetings with her to prepare for birth. She helped us understand many scenarios that could play out, which proved incredibly helpful. For example, we had one potentially alarming moment during delivery that would have had me in a panic had Laurie not walked us through the scenario weeks earlier. She took copious notes on our preferences and personalities and applied her knowledge during labor, which helped us work through some unexpected decisions that day. Throughout delivery she helped ensure I was comfortable, helping with positions, massage, and making really helpful suggestions. All with kindness and a great sense of humor. We're so happy Laurie was a part of our daughter's birth! 

Jessica R.

6/2/2020

Working with Laurie was WONDERFUL! I was very nervous about my delivery but she made the experience so special and wonderful. I don't konw what we would have done without her - she is the best!! 

Kaitlyn Khatib

5/15/2020

After meeting with 3 other Doulas including Laurie my husband and I Instantly felt connected to Laurie and knew we wanted her to be apart of our journey. She has an amazing presence that makes you feel like you've known her for a long time and puts you at ease which I knew would be important when going through labor for the first time especially with a nervous husband who doesn't handle blood/fluids very well. Little did I know I would be having my baby in the middle of a pandemic and boy was Laurie an angel through out it. I had to be induced and Laurie was right by my side every step of the way! She provided so much comfort and confidence to me while my husband was not feeling well (ya very scary) if it wasn't for Laurie I know I would not have been able to labor as long as I did without any pain medication! Even after the birth of my son when I was struggling from instense postpartum anxiety and sleep deprivation she was there to comfort me and support me through healing and getting help! Laurie is absolutely amazing and anyone who chooses her as a Doula will be so thankful they did! Oh and the massages are just an added benefit :) we absolutely love Laurie and are so grateful we've met her!

Colette

5/10/2020

We can't reccomend Laurie highly enough! We had the pleasure of hiring her for our first son's birth in 2017 and she joined us again for our second son's birth in April 2020. Laurie is easygoing, has a great sense of humor, makes the process easy and enjoyable, but most importantly is very knowledgeable, experienced, and allowed us to feel more empowered during the birth process. She made me feel more confident and informed in my decisions, and lightened the mood having a baby during a global pandemic! :) 

Laurie is super easy to communicate with. She responds quickly to questions/concerns any time of the day or night and was a great resource for me during my pregnancy as a first time mom and second time mom. Sometimes we just need someone to express our worries to, ask a silly question to, or get peace of mind from. Laurie is that person! She's the best and we are so thankful we were able to have her there with us for the birth of our boys. 

Rotem Weinstein

4/30/2020

I can't recommend Laurie enogh! She helped me have the best delivery experience with my first son 3.5 years ago and did the exact same with my second boy 2 weeks ago. Laurie is full of energy, fun, insightful, and just a great person overall! I wanted both my labors to be natural with no interventions and was so so so scared of the upcoming pain. Laurie helped me with the pain management during the labor and encouraged me to stay strong when it felt overwhelming.

also, i love the fact that Laurie also provides massages post labor. I needed it badly!! And she helped relax my newborn so I can have it. With my first, she had him on her and for the second she helped poisition him on me during the massage which was so relaxing and lovely. 

if and when i have my third, i definitely plan to have Laurie by my side!! Highly highly recommend her to anyone, for every type of labor!!!

Amanda Bryan

1/9/2020

Laurie helped us bring our first child into the world and what an incredible ride it was. And Laurie was there through every step! I can't say enough good stuff about our experience with Laurie - but the essence is that she helped me have the birth experience I could only hope for. I was fearful of having a bad experience like my mother's early-80's birth with my brother and she took that into account as she helped me come up with my own birth plan. And at the hospital, she was a huge source of confidence/guidance for both me and my husband. 

Of course, all personalities are unique and Laurie's is no different. She is a fun, quirky, snarky person which we fully appreciated. She didn't sugar coat things but was always respectful of our preferences. And she's witty to boot! Sometimes humor is the best salve for a nervous first-tike mom. And after the birth, she has been great at staying in touch and supporting us through the huge life change of having a  newborn and all the strain that puts on us.

I would without a doubt use Laurie's service as a doula in the future and highly recommend her to others looking for that very real & spunky personality who will help usher in a new life to your world.

Jessica Masich

10/26/2019

Oh my gosh, where do we even start -- Laurie is just the best. My husband and I were wound pretty tight with anxiety about childbirth and how to take care of our baby once she arrived, and I feel like Laurie patiently unwound us. Before the birth, this meant talking us through -- casually! with good jokes! but still gently steering -- to help us figure out how we wanted to approach the birth. During the birth, this meant helping us to keep level heads and have a little fun with our relatively not-as-fun birth (I was induced due to surprise severe pre-eclampsia). After the birth, this meant swinging by in the middle of the night (!) to see how we were doing, and watching our five-day-old for a bit so we could get a little bit of sleep. I don't think I would have trusted anyone but Laurie with our baby at that point, and knowing that Laurie was in charge meant that I could relax and sleep for the first time since the birth. Laurie is the most open, fun, kind person, and she really gives you her all as a doula. In the end, the main thing about Laurie for me is that we trust her completely-- not just to be extraordinarily good with baby, birth, etc., but also to gently buoy us through this crazy time in our lives. Now that we're coming up for air a bit, I can really see how vulnerable we were during the birth and first few weeks post partum, and how important she was for carrying us through that time. I don't know what we would have done without her!

Emma Fuller

10/24/2019

I'm echoing all the sentiments already posted here in the testimonials: Laurie is warm, extremely knowledgeable, attentive and has a good sense of humor. We loved working with her. She helped tremendously with two pre-birth consultations to talk through our expectations. In the end our son arrived so fast we didn't call her in time to make the delivery! Despite that, she arrived promptly there after, and met with us in the days after birth (in addition to the postpartum massage) to help us with feeding in those stressful first few days. Highly recommended!

Mia & Chris

7/21/2019

Laurie did an excellent job from beginning to end. She was supportive, knowledgeable, and communicative throughout our preparation process. She gave me and my husband a generous amount of time and space to talk through our approach to the birth in advance, and she was present and helpful for both of us during labor. From recommending the best milkshake on the hospital menu to whispering moment-by-moment updates in my ear during the traumatic (but successful) end of delivery, Laurie was an essential partner for our family as we welcomed our daughter. Highly recommended.

Marie

6/14/2019

Laurie was a great resource for us throughout our birthing experience. Our meetings ahead of delivery helped my husband and I think about and align on the birthing experience we wanted to have. Her presence in the delivery room was helpful and reassuring. She worked well with our doctors and nurses and introduced some creative techniques to advance labor. She was unbelievably patient and supportive throughout a 40 hour induction/labor process and, ultimately, a C-section. I called on Laurie a few times post-deliver for advice and support and she was a big help. AND - her pre- and post-natal massages are terrific. Just want an achey mama needs. I recommend Laurie highly! 

Vanessa

3/23/2019

We loved working with Laurie!  We had a difficult labor with our first child and decided to hire a doula to help us have a better experience the second time around. Laurie came highly recommended by a friend and after meeting her we knew instantly she was the right fit for us. Everything you are reading in these reviews reflects our experience with Laurie. What I valued most was her ability to connect. She is personable, funny and incredibly kind and help both myself and my husband feel comfortable immediately. Not to mention she is extremely experienced. I couldn't be more thrilled to have had her help us welcome our second baby and would recommend her hands down without any reservations. Honestly, you'd be crazy not to hire her. 

Miranda

2/13/2019

My wife and I loved our experience with Laurie. She was a critical element during a challenging labor and wonderful cheerleader during a wonderful delivery. She fit right in with our jovial and fun loving family and was right in the thick of our joking and banter in the weeks leading up to our delivery, during labor, and in the delivery room. She also really helped me through my own mental hangups regarding interventions and the overall hospital environment. I was a reluctant hospital birther and really would have preferred to be in the privacy of my own home. Her experience with the hospital atmosphere and understanding of every intervention really helped me focus on my bottom line birthing goals. Thanks to her, I ended up with a experience that though it did not fit the ideal image I had in my head, ultimately ended up being beautiful and something I'll cherish always. Couldn't have done it without Laurie and would birth with her again in a second!

Plamena Milusheva

12/3/2018

Working with Laurie was absolutely the right decision for us. We had a wonderful birth experience and felt fully supported by Laurie from the start all the way to the post delivery pizza run she graciously did for us. That pizza was the most amazing thing after the delivery and the fact that Laurie completely understood the importance of it was why we were such a great match. She took the time to get to know us, our quirks, and the things that mattered the most to us. After meeting with her initially we felt she was perfect for the kind of support we wanted for our first child's birth. We wanted to work with someone highly experienced but down to earth and approachable. Our pre=natal meetings with her served as crucial preparation for us in getting ready for our birth. She took time to ask us questions that we had never considered and in the process of talking through the answers with her we were able to get a much better understanding of what we wanted, what our options were, as well as how to mentally prepare for the fact that many things might go differently than our ideal scenario. Working with Laurie we felt much more comfortable with the unknows of our upcoming birth and that helped us go into the experience feeling positive and ready to takle any challenges. She was a strong advocate for my needs with the hospital staff and made sure I had everything I wanted or needed in my labor suite. Most importantly, she played an important role for my spouse in helping him support me in the best way possible that felt authentic to both of us. We would highly recommend Laurie as a doula whether this is your first birth or your fifth. Her bredth of knoweldge and experience can support the full range of labor experiences. 

Maggie Wilkie

10/30/2018

Laurie was such an integral part of our planning and birthing experience - as first time parents, my partner and I 'didn't know what we didn't know' in a lot of ways, and Laurie helped give us better perspective early on about our options, details we should be considering, conversations we should be having, and decisions we should be making as partners and parents.  Our discussions with her gave me a lot of food for thought during pregnancy, which made me feel informed and empowered.

When I ended up going into labor unexpectedly almost four weeks before my due date, we were both so grateful to have Laurie on our team! Both my partner and I were initially in panic and shock, but Laurie quickly swooped in like the expert she is and helped us get as grounded, calm, and comfortable as possible.  She offered helpful suggestions to me for pain management and suggestions to keep my partner feeling actively involved through the whole process - all with her calming demeanor, healing touch, and great sense of humor! We ended up feeling more confident and positive about the experience than I thought was possible. I can't speak highly enough about the postnatal massage and check-in, either - during a time when all of the focus was on my daughter, it meant a lot to have a little focus on me and my healing.

We 100% want to have Laurie on our team again if life lands us back in the delivery room!

Maureen Nothum

6/28/2018

Laurie is the best!  We interviewed a couple of doulas who were very good, but we clicked with Laurie right away and were very excited to partner with her for the birth of our first child.  Laurie met with us twice before the birth to go over questions and our thoughts on how we wanted everything to go.  When I found our I was going to be induced, I thought I might not need her assistance as much - I was completely wrong!  She was the greatest support, especially during the last 4 hours of hard labor. 

I ended up having complications during the actual birth and I am so glad that Laurie was by my side. The room was chaotic with lots of nurses and doctors and having someone I knew and trusted next to me was a life saver.  She kept me calm and focused, and made a scary situation much less so. I'm so thankful we found Laurie and hired her as our doula - I highly recommend her!  

serena Pagli

5/20/2018

We loved our experience with Laurie. She was a tremendous help from pregnancy to postpartum. She helped us define and have the most perfect birth for our second son. She is amazing, we warmly recommend her.

Melinda Gleghorn

2/24/2018

We were so happy with our choice to partner with Laurie for our birthing experience. I wanted to have very few people in the room for my birth, just my mother and husband and my doula (along with whatever medical staff was necessary). I knew a doula would be helpful for me, but I especially wanted my doula to be a support for my husband and my mother during the birth. Laurie was fantastic and provided exactly the support for myself as well as for my family that I was hoping for. She was even ok with having us give her phone number to the other family members who wouldn’t be in the room. The prenatal sessions with her were helpful in clarifying what I and my husband wanted for the birth, and when I ended up with a high risk diagnosis for my pregnancy she provide emotional support and resources. I felt like Laurie really listened and heard what our desires were and when the big day came, she was there every step of the way, supporting our decisions, providing helpful suggestions, and being an emotional sounding board for my mom and husband. She even strung up pretty lights to make the atmosphere in our jacuzzi room soft and calming! With her support I was able to have the unmedicated birth I wanted, despite having to have a Pitocin assisted induction, and she helped make sure that our wishes outlined in the birth plan were followed. After the birth she made sure we were good and taken care of, and checked in on us a few days later - the post-natal massage was awesome!! I also SO appreciated the birth notes that she provided afterwards. Laurie was such a beautiful part of our birth experience that I would recommend her to anyone!

Erin Alkire

2/15/2018

My husband and I cannot say enough great things about Laurie! In our pre-birth meetings she helped us key in on what we wanted from our birth experience and feel prepared.  My induction was a long process and she was with us throughout making me feel comfortable, relieving my husband, and helping us prepare for next steps.  She was reassuring and soothing both physically and mentally.  We are so thankful that Laurie was apart of the birth of our son.  And the after birth massage was FANTASTIC!  

Alex Nankervis

1/6/2018

Laurie was such an awesome support for us during pregnancy, birth, and especially after having our son. She was very familiar with Swedish First Hill, knew their staff, and knew what to expect during our hospital birth, which was reassuring. We had numerous problems establishing breastfeeding, and Laurie was there to provide emotional support, recommendations on where to get more help, and even watched our son for us to give us a break when we needed it. Her massage services are also highly appreciated!

Karen Lew

12/29/2017

I loved working with Laurie! She visited us in our home 3 times prior to the birth for a pre-hire interview and 2 pre-birth consultations. She helped us put together a birth plan and made us feel much more comfortable about and prepared for the birth process. We also took a birth class that was helpful, but the amount of information to remember was very overwhelming. We felt like we could relax because Laurie would be there to help us remember what we'd learned.

And I had a very fast but mild labor, so without Laurie's help we probably wouldn't have made it to the hospital in time because I never reached the recommended contraction length and pain level to contact our midwife.

She also visited us twice postpartum to check in and make sure we were adjusting ok. This was so helpful, because it was overwhelming to think about leaving the house in the early days. Even though my husband and I didn't have any symptoms of postpartum depression, it was wonderful to have an unbiased person to talk to and ask questions of. 

And I would have hired Laurie if the only thing she offered was the postpartum massage. It was amazing!

Danah A

12/6/2017

You had me at massage! :) Laurie provided a wonderful and relaxing post partum massage in the comfort of my home in the days following my delivery. It helped my body relax and heal. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable to my husband and I. This was our first child so neither of us knew what to expect. Yes, we had taken all the classes and read up on child birth but really, we were fish out of water. I'm a type A person who struggles with anxiety so not knowing and or being able to control situations makes me feel stressed. Laurie did an amazing job of supporting me in exactly the ways I needed even when I didn't know what I needed. She also turned my husband into an equally helpful assistant, knowing exactly the right moments to fetch us some food, get more ice chips, rub my hands and stay by my side. All these things came out of our early requests for him to stay involved in the process. Laurie did a great job of understanding the kind of relationship we have and the kind of support we each needed during this experience: before - during - and after the birth. I warmly recommend her to any family looking for added support and knowledge during their birth. Best wishes:) 

Elisabeth Beaber

10/28/2017

Laurie was a great fit for us! I appreciated her evidence-based approach that was balanced with respecting personal preferences. I did not have time to research all of our options, and I did not need to thanks to Laurie. She presented all of our options to us, answered our questions, and helped us make the best birth-related decisions for our family. 

Lilli Barnum

10/13/2017

Laurie is the BEST! My pregnancy was a little rocky due to hormonal issues and gestational diabetes and Laurie was there with us every step of the way! And when it came time for my induction and everything went in the opposite fashion than was expected, Laurie was there to reassure and support my husband and I through the process. Laurie is the perfect mixture of maternal nurture, competent advocacy, and comic relief. We felt comfortable and at home with her from the moment we met and we knew we could trust her with our journey to parenthood. Laurie's knowledge, care, humor, and support were some of the most important and rewarding aspects of our process through pregnancy and the birth of our son. We are so grateful that we had her by our side when we welcomed him into the world and we truly cannot recommend her highly enough.  

Abigail Gelhaus

9/3/2017

I would highly recommend Laurie to any family looking for a doula. She is incredibly warm while also providing a professional, fact based perspective, which was very important to us. Laurie also served as an incredibly calming influence during labor and provided a balanced and easy to understand perspective throughout all our interactions from helping me craft my birth plan to making decisions in the hospital about medications to providing advice on breastfeeding. Her ability to partner with the Labor & Delivery nurse and create a cohesive support team was truly incredible and her presence and support was a critical component in helping make my son’s birth experience a very beautiful and positive one. And as other reviewers have mentioned, the postpartum visit and massage went a long way in helping me feel like myself again!

Bri Davey

6/21/2017

Having Laurie on our birth team was invaluable. After a long road to having our first child (a stillbirth at 20 weeks due to a rare chromasomal abnormality and a miscarriage at 12 weeks) my husband and I were very nervous going into this pregnancy. We were also nervous about delivering in a hospital, but knew we wanted to go this route, based on our history. Laurie helped eased our worries the moment we met her. Her kind, caring, knowledgable, thoughtful, funny and loving personality is exactly who we wanted with us in the delivery room. She is personable and takes time to really learn about you, your preferences and history. She was very familiar with Swedish First Hill where we delivered, which helped take the pressure off of us when we arrived in the middle of the night. Even though we had done a hospital tour, it felt so much easier having Laurie with us, talking us through things every step of the way. Once we were admitted, we relied heavily on her for everything from helping with the tub, position changes, heating up my heating packs (so many times) to emotional support and a few laughs to. We had to make some tough decisions after about 20 hours of labor and Laurie helped us discuss the pros and cons, and gave us time and space to make our own decision. Laurie was a champ for all 30 hours of our labor - never missing a beat. I know our birth experience was greatly enhanced by having Laurie by our side. She allowed my husband to be able to just focus on me, and Laurie worried about other things, which was amazing. She supported him just as much as me. Laurie's before and after delivery visits were amazing as well - especially the massage and placenta encapsulation, which we greatly appreciated. We would absolutely reccommend Laurie and will be making sure she is in the delivery room with us for any future children. 

made for these times

6/18/2017

Laurie was an exceptional addition to our team. I had been nervous about labor, and laurie helped reassure and prepare me and my partner. When the time came to give birth I was confident that Laurie would be able to help guide me. In the end I had a great, positive delivery experience, and a beautiful baby.

I spent the last few months of my pregnancy on bed rest, and Laurie was especially supportive and helpful in answering questions, referring us to additional resources, and just being a friend to talk to.

I love her sensitivity and ability to adapt her support based on my needs and personality. I also love that Laurie brings her sense of humor and laughter to everything she does. As a bonus, she gives a fantastic massage! I was so happy to have Laurie as a doula and I highly recommend her!

Anne Seon

6/6/2017

The moment my husband and I met Laurie, we knew we found our doula. She was confident, funny, personable and knowledeable - a great combination for my information seeking, excited but anxious, new mommy-to-be personality. She helped us define our birth plan, get to the root of why I wanted an unmedicated birth, and develop potential coping mechanisms for alternate scenarios.

When we finally went into labor, all those great plans went out the window. :) My baby's delivery was anything but typical - and definitely not what I envisioned. I started having labor contractions on Saturday and didn't deliver until an unplanned cesarean on Tuesday afternoon. I was in unmedicated early and active labor for about 60 hours before an epidural, pitocin, water breaking, a c-section, medicinal allergic reaction, NICU visits, and infection. Throughout the entire experience, Laurie was my sounding board, partner and advocate. Her awareness, conversation, and support enabled my husband and me to try different laboring techniques as well as think and feel through each difficult decision as it arose (when it's pretty much impossible to do either coherently). 72 hours of labor later, we welcomed a healthy baby boy. Thanks to Laurie, I came out of the adventure feeling good about the decisions I'd made, regardless of how much they deviated from my plan. Post-delivery, Laurie has been a wonderful resource and friend as we've transitioned to parenthood.

Having Laurie by my side was a godsend, and I plan to work with her for baby number 2 (whenever that happens)! :)

Dana Robinson

4/24/2017

We were lucky to have two wonderful birth experiences with Laurie as our doula!  She is down-to-earth, a wealth of knowledge, funny, thoughtful, and able to communicate beautifully with nurses, doctors, and clients alike.  Laurie was originally recommended to us by friends and we interviewed her along with two other doulas.  When we met Laurie, we knew we had found our doula - she balances being wonderfully kind and caring with great professionalism.  We felt heard: this was so important!  She met with us and helped us discover what was most important to us about our birth experience.  Then, she echoed back to us what she had heard at different times in the process.  She did not have her own agenda or make us feel pressured to do things a particular way.  For our first birth, what was most important to me was that I feel I could make each decision in a calm way.  Laurie supported that 100%.  Our first birth experience included a long pre-labor, long labor, pushing, and then an urgent c-section.  Throughout every step, I felt I made each decision with clear thinking and support.  We were hoping for a VBAC for our second.  We had learned so much from her the first time, we initially felt we did not need a doula.  Then, we decided, near the end of pregnancy, to contact Laurie again: she was amazing.  Met with us and got up to speed with what we wanted and needed from her.  Then, at the last minute, we had a planned C-Section.  Laurie came and supported us throughout the procedure, which was SUCH a positive experience.  Laurie kept me informed of what was going on throughout and helped make sure my baby was on my chest as soon as possible after delivery (within 4 minutes).  Both of our birth experiences were special in their own way and having Laurie there with us was priceless.

Julie Turley

4/17/2017

I didn’t start out my pregnancy thinking I wanted a doula, but hiring Laurie, through Swedish, was the best decision of my pregnancy. I have a physical disability, and Laurie was the only Swediish doula who had relevant experience. My husband and I liked her immediately—she was relatable, easy to talk to, and inspired trust. When my doctor sprang the word induction, Laurie was a wealth of information. She took time to get to know us and because of her I walked into induction nervous but confident that I understood what could happen. I agreed to many things I hoped to avoid: Pitocin, narcotics, and an epidural. My induction could have been a lot harder, but my disability profoundly affected labor. But even before sh*t hit the fan, Laurie knew how to keep me comfortable. In what otherwise would have felt like a situation spiraling out of control, Laurie was a constant support. My daughter had some complications and Laurie told me what was happening while my husband stayed with our baby. She helped me breastfeed right away.  I was happy to see her again and reintroduce her to our baby when she came to our house for my (lovely) massage.  From beginning to end I could not have been happier to have Laurie in my corner.

On February 8, 2017, at 12:46 p.m., Madeline made her arrival. We ar overjoyed to welcome her home!

Marie Langhout

2/28/2017

We found Laurie after a relatively long search for the right doula - and boy, are we glad we did. I had high aspirations for a delivery with minimal intervention, but knowing how much would be out of my control it was paramount to me to work with a doula who was educated and principled in their approach yet flexible, compassionate and empathetic. I also wanted to work with someone who was smart and funny (humor is hard to find in a delivery room). Laurie was all of those things, and more. She went the extra mile to be sure my experience was personal, interjecting her educated opinion where I asked for it or where she saw that I didn't have all of the information. In addition to classes we took from the hospital, we got a lot of value out of our home visits with Laurie, where we discussed plan B, C and even D. This was incredibly comforting to me, because I knew that no matter what happened during my labor, she thoroughly knew and supported my intentions. 

Perhaps the most helpful way that Laurie participated in our birth was simply her calming presence over the course of my three day delivery. She selflessly slept on the floor of my room, checking in on me (my mind, my heart, my stamina and general disposition) and my husband as well. She knew just how to respond, whether it was with counsel, a joke or a gentle touch. I'm not sure how she does it, but I'm confident my birth story would have been very different without her in it. She most certainly has a gift. Five stars! 

Dana and John Bettinger-Jacobs

2/10/2017

We loved Laurie's humor and calm, experienced vibe from the very beginning, and felt strongly that she would be a really positive presence during our labor and delivery at Swedish Ballard. (Note: We did not realize she was part of their program when we contacted or hired her.) I wasn't opposed to delivering in the hospital, but really wanted to aim for a low-intervention experience. HAH! We plan, and the Universe laughs at us, right? After seven pretty easy, uneventful months of pregnancy, we suddenly ended up with preeclampsia and an unplanned induction three full weeks early. Laurie was a big factor in allowing me to feel like I could still handle it -- despite the fact that when I was admitted to the hospital, we hadn't yet confirmed or written up a birth plan, hadn't packed a "go bag," and didn't even have a dog sitter lined up! During the nearly four days of labor and delivery (because inducing at 37 weeks is a sloooow process) she was our touchstone, normalizing the craziness of the experience and helping us avoid all sense of negative judgment when we made choices and agreed to things that were wholly different from what we initially thought we wanted or needed. With the exception of my waters breaking spontaneously and having a successful vaginal delivery, I ended up with literally Every. Single. Thing. that I'd initially said I wanted to avoid, and I still came out of the experience feeling entirely fine with that. I won't say that we wouldn't have gotten through our birth experience with Laurie's help, because we received excellent care at Swedish, but I truly don't think that I would have come out of it feeling so at peace with all of the decisions we made.

Kimberly Wingert

1/30/2017

I'd highly recommend Laurie to anyone looking for an amazing doula. Laurie was incredibly supportive and inspired my husband to take the primary support role (which was what he wanted to do). Having both my husband and Laurie present was essential for me in the first 24 hours of unmedicated labor and Laurie had some great ideas that really helped with pain management. When I decided to get an epidural after 24 hours, Laurie was supportive. And when I got an emergency c-section 12 hours after that, she was supportive again. 

I originally thought having a doula in a c-section situation would be useless. Why would you need an extra person for a c-section? However, Laurie was critical in the OR when things went sideways and my daughter was not breathing. It's so scary being on a table when no one will tell you what is going on. My husband was with our baby and Laurie was right by my side keeping me as calm as possible.

Laurie was there by our side through 36 hours of labor and delivery, and when our daughter was admitted to the NICU 34 hours after birth (on a Saturday night) Laurie came back and brought us a care package. 

I cannot say enough good things about Laurie! She is supportive and dedicated to making sure you get what you want. I'm going to need a c-section the next time around and will absolutely have her join us again <3

Kate Lowry

1/27/2017

When I went into labor, it was a toss up on who was more relieved to see Laurie, me or my husband.  Being in labor for 55 hours and taking 4 separate trips to the hospital was stressful to say the least - having Laurie's guidance and soothing presence kept our panic level to a minimum!  Her presence and expertise soothed not only my fear and pain but my husband's and mother's as well. I remember waking up in the hospital in the middle of the night and seeing my husband sleeping on the cot and Laurie sleeping in the chair.  My husband told me later that she was the one that attended me overnight, so he could get some much needed sleep.  She had even hung a string of Christmas lights to keep the bright overhead lights off. Combine that level of care with her knowledge and experience (that we took full advantage of!) and she is definitely the person I want by my side should we decide to do this again!!

Stacey Wedlake

12/30/2016

Our family had a wonderful experience with Laurie, and we're so happy we chose her as our doula. The prenatal meetings were really helpful for us thinking through different birth scenarios. Laurie was very supportive of all birth preferences including my desire for an epidural. When I went into labor, I progressed very quickly, and Laurie got to Swedish Ballard fast (and this at the absurd hour of 4am).  When I went into active labor, we were so glad to have guidence, cheerleading, and support. For example, she identified that labor would slow down once I got my epidural and made sure my husband and Mom, who were there to support me as well, ate something so that they had the calories they needed to keep supporting me as labor progressed. This may sound obvious, but I don't think either would have thought to eat something nor to have known when was a good time to do so without Laurie's guidance.

It was also a major relief just to know that she would be there even before labor started - there was just something very comforting about having someoone there, to advocate for your interest, who took the time to get to know your needs ahead of time and who has been to this insane rodeo many many times in the past.

After our son was born, Laurie followed up with us via email, text, and in-person and did so consistently until we got our sea legs under us, so to speak. This was invaluable as the first few days, while wonderful, were also rough with my milk coming in late and the standard but always challenging experience of exhaustion. And really, that post-natal massage is just what every postpartum mother needs - it really helped me relax and settle back into my body after the experience of birth.

Emily Tajuddin (Zachar)

12/16/2016

Laurie was a godsend!  I ended up having an unplanned c-section,  but even though I did not labor,  we are so glad we had Laurie as a resource and support. She visited us in the hospital and I enjoyed several postpartum massages - amazing!  As my husband said, we always felt better after seeing Laurie.  We'd highly recommend her to any couple looking for personalized support and help discerning the type of birth you want and planning for all contingencies. 

Rachel Saimons

11/6/2016

Laurie was wonderful from the pre-birth meetings to the post-partum massage! She is extremely personable and her wealth of experience shines through. Knowing she was available as a resource was very comforting before the actual birth, and then during the birthing process she was very helpful--from offering counterpressure during contractions, to drawing a bath, to answering questions and acting as an advocate. I have no hesitation in recommending Laurie if you are considering a doula. 

Mandy Nelson

8/31/2016

Laurie was a kind, helpful and calming presence at my labor.  She had an informed voice that supported me to make the right decisions for myself and my baby.  If I needed something Laurie would spring into action, often having something I didn't know I needed right in her Mary Poppins bag of tricks.  

Laurie will be forthright with you, engage well with hospital staff and take care of your partner when they need a break too (keeping my husband fresh and focused during my labor was worth the service alone).  

Post-partum Laurie was kind and helpful, giving me a lovely massage and a break from the 24/7 of new motherhood. 

She is a gem of a person and I consider myself very lucky to have had her at my son's birth.

Kristin Laughlin

8/24/2016

We are so glad that we had Laurie as our doula! This was my first pregnancy and nto having any family locally, we knew we wanted extra support, especially with my husband having some health issues (and being unsure as a first time dad). Laurie spent a ton of time with us getting to know us and our situation, and I really felt like she helped us prepare and identify the things that were important to us. The day of, she a huge help - from big things like explaining what happened when our baby's heart deceled, to little things like getting cold cloths/juice to make me more comfortable.  She made my husband feel super involved and useful too (when I think he felt like a fish out of water), which was awesome.  Lastly, she was kind, engaged, nonjudgemental, supportive...and pretty darn funny too...every step of the way. We totally recommend her and hope to have her at any future births! 

PS, she also gives a killer post-natal massage!

Rotem Remi

8/12/2016

Laurie is amazing! i can't thank her enough for what she have done for us! i decided to have a natural birth and was very scared about it. i didn't do a course about it and only read a few books on the subject. Her preparation meetings were extremely helpful and we learned a lot about our options and came very prepared to the birth. my birth progressed very fast for a first birth! and had the baby in 2.5 hours from the moment we got to the hospital. Laurie was on top of everything from the second we got there. I felt she knew what i needed without saying a word. she also helped my husband understand what he can do to help me. i couldn't have the birth naturally without her. she was my rock!! i can't thank her enough!! she also saw i was about to get pitocin altough i told the nurse i didn't want it for my placenta. she went to the nurse and reminded her i said no. i'm so happy she caught her on time cause i wouldn't have noticed. in addition, i did 5 prenatal massages while being pregnant but i think Laurie's massage was so much better!! i highly recommand her! every baby i have from now on will be with her!!

Christina Heartquist

4/21/2016

Laurie is the only reason I was able to have a natural birth. Her prep sessions were amazing but no one could have prepared me for a prodromal labor. I labored for 4 days at home. When I finally got to the hospital, exhausted, Laurie's support kept me focused and determined. After 12 hours of active labor and 1 hour of pushing, my first was born. I can't express the important role she played in easing our minds through the last months, and last days of the pregnancy. I highly recommend her services!

Audrey Benipayo

4/2/2016

I am so glad we had Laurie's help during the birth of my second son. My first experience was a bit traumatic so I knew I wanted to hire a doula for my next pregnancy - and I am so glad we did! I wanted to hire her based on her website alone - postpartum massage, sign me up! She was a fantastic addition to Team Audrey, and her professionalism, knowledge and quirkiness was a breath of fresh air. She was very responsive when I would send her texts or emails, she offered resources on topics I was concerned about and even asked questions that I didn’t think of (nor did my OB/GYN). Having her presence at the hospital alone caused a dramatic shift in attitude from the staff and I highly recommend her. Thanks Laurie!

Heather Immoor

1/30/2016

Laurie was an invaluable part of my pregnancy and hospital birth experience, not to mention a rock of good cheer and excellent advice after we brought our daughter home. The birth was long and hard and involved a few curve balls, and there's nobody I would rather have had helping us through it all than Laurie. Thanks Laurie!

Jocelyn Seltenrich

11/23/2015

Laurie was the perfect match for our family and we knew it right away. She brings a high level of professionalism, knowledge, and experience combined with a fun, warm, and genuine personality. I'd recommend Laurie to parents that are looking for a doula that takes the time to get to know you and your birth plan/aspirations, but also helps you prepare for Plans B or C. She was patient and open during a week or so of false labor contractions and even a midnight phone call to check in. During labor, she was present and focused even after coming from another 24-hour labor right before. After an ideal natural birth experience, Laurie arranged for an in-home postpardum massage where she held my newborn and made my body feel mine again! From the very beginning, Laurie has been a supportive doula and I'd highly recommend her! 

Rebekah Hogan

9/7/2015

I don't even know where to start! Laurie was/is a godsend. I found Laurie on this site looking for a good doula. I had interviewed a few doulas and was feeling like I'd never find "The One" then I met withLaurie. She was so nice, easy to talk to, funny, professional and experienced. I knew we had finally found our doula! She was such a great support for us before, during and after our sons birth. When we met with her during pregnancy, she really helped us think about our hopes for labor and birth and having a plan if x,y and z happened. During the last few weeks of pregnancy we made an unexpected change in our provider. This was such a scary and stressful time for me. Laurie was a HUGE support and spent endless hours talking me through what was going on. She was so incredibly good to us. When I went into labor, it was just my husband and I for a number of hours. He was so great but when Laurie came over I instantly felt more at ease and safe. I had a very long labor that went well into the next morning and she was there by my side the whole time. We had some unexpected unfortunate situations come up during labor and she really helped us in making decisions and knowing our options. I can't imagine what it would've been like without her. We are forever grateful! AND let's not forget the amazing postpartum massage. Best ever. I really could go on and on about how great this woman is and would recommend her to anyone!

Ariel DeAguiar

9/6/2015

Laurie was amazing. As a first time mom with a skeptical group of friends and family, I knew I was already on shaky ground choosing to give birth at a birth center. Even with the support of my midwives, I know something would have been missing in a big way without Laurie's support. She was great with pre-birth questions and support, and her questionnaire really helped me figure out what I actually wanted from the birth and from her as my doula, even though I only found her a few days before I went into labor. During labor she never left my side, and intuitively knew what I wanted and needed the whole time. Whenever I felt tired, frustrated, or discouraged, she had the right words and touch to get me refocused and excited again. She also answered my partner's questions in a quiet and reassuring way. When our little guy needed a little help in the first few minutes, she talked us through what the midwives were doing so they could focus on him. She stayed until we were all doing very well, and even snapped some sweet pictures on her phone. Lastly, the postpartum massage was AWESOME. It was just what I needed! And my LO slept peacefully in a wrap on Laurie the whole time. I was lucky enough to get a couple more massages before we moved, and they were probably the best thing I did for my body during my whole pregnancy and postpartum period! I could not recommend Laurie highly enough, and will definitely use her again if I can! 

Stacey M

7/8/2015

I count myself very fortunate to have had Laurie as my doula.  This was my 4th pregnancy and my second time as a gestational surrogate.  Laurie did a wonderful job of getting to know me and our unique situation.  On the big day she was wonderful, not only helping me with some late in the game curveballs  (rushed to the OR for a c-section after it was discoverd that the baby had turned breech only to have her come so quickly that I delivered non-medicated footling breech in the OR just moments later), but she was also a huge help to the baby's parents.  She was "my" doula, but she looked out for them as well and they were grateful.  I highly recommend her!

Melissa Lander

2/11/2015

I knew that I needed a doula. I was pregnant and wanted to have a natural birth but I didn't know anyone in this area that knew a doula. I searched the internet and made some phone calls but didn't feel comfortable with the super spiritual voices of the few women I spoke with. Then I stumbled upon doulamatch.com and was able to read some testimonials. Laurie sounded like a match to me, some mentioned she was down to earth and funny. I booked a massage to secretly interview her and see if I felt comfortable. After our first meeting I knew she was right for me. Laurie has a wealth of information and we hit it off. I felt like we were old friends and laughter came easy. When she met with me and my husband she answered all our questions and brought up a lot things we were not aware of. She made herself very available and i knew I could ask/talk to her about anything and everything. On the day of my labor and delivery she was amazing. We could not imagine that day without her. I loved her presence, she made me feel supported and comfortable on a day when really nothing is very comfortable. I had an incredible unmedicated birth experience, thank you so much Laurie! I highly recommend Laurie Levy as a doula and massage therapist. She does not charge enough money for services she provides. I am so grateful to have met her.

Lindsey Roark Yee

1/22/2015

Working with Laurie for the birth of our first baby was instrumental in having the delivery experience we were hoping for.  Meeting with Laurie ahead of the birth to discuss what we hoped for, what was important to us, and how we communicated helped my husband and I deepen our connection and readiness for having a child.  I don't think I would have had as successful of an unmedicated birth experience if is wasn't for Lauire's steadfast support and guidance throughout delivery.  She is warm and friendly, funny, and down-to-earth and helped both myself and my husband stay present and in the moment. I highly recommend Laurie to anyone looking for a doula! 

Hannah Kawamoto

11/7/2014

Right off the bat we recognized how qualified Laurie was with years of training and experience. Laurie is a fantastic, caring doula and all about helping women through the scary process before, during and after labor and delivery. Being a doula is not a hobby for Laurie, it is her passion and she does it with such love and care. 

During our first meeting with Laurie, she wanted to find out more about us to help make my birth experience the best possible. We never had our second meeting because... surprise! I had to be induced and our baby girl came 2.5 weeks early! I was in such shock when I found out I had to be induced. I was in tears and I called Laurie right away. She met me at the hospital even though I wasn't even in labor yet. She helped assess the situation, calmed my fears, and reassured me that everything was going to be ok. Laurie stayed with me through my early labor pains and provided wonderful relief through various tools. My labor and delivery was quick after they broke my water, and it was a scary, and traumatic experience for me. But Laurie was by my side the whole time, and I remember Laurie's voice, reassuring and calm, encouraging me, guiding me on what to do, how to breathe, etc. 

After I gave birth, Laurie continued to check up on us. She came and met us at our house about 5 days after we got out the hospital. Laurie identifed that our baby girl looked a little jaundice, so we went to see the pediatrician that afternoon. Sure enough, our baby girl was severly dehydrated and jaundiced and had to be admitted to the NICU for 4 days. When asked by the hospital staff how we knew to bring our baby girl in, we told them our doula, Laurie, had gently pushed us to come in. I believe that had we waited another day, our baby girl would have been in a much worse situation. We are so thankful for Laurie's keen eye and care for our baby daughter! She is truly an awesome doula!

Julia Vining

9/11/2014

We couldn't have been happier about the decision to hire Laurie as our doula. Meeting with her several times pre-labor was very helpful in preparing for the birth of our daughter. My husband was the other support person at the hospital and we absolutely couldn't have done it the way we wanted to without Laurie. She was there every step of the way: calm, knowledgeable, reassuring and comforting. Her easy going personality and great sense of humor was a perfect match for us. We will most likely hire her again in the future.

Jacqueline Master

8/26/2014

I just gave birth to my 2nd son a few weeks ago and can't recommend Laurie enough. We didn't hire a doula with our first son and my birth experience could have gone much better. Knowing this was our last child, we wanted a different experience and we are so grateful we found Laurie through the Petaluma Mother's Club online forum. Laurie is extremely professional and knowledgeable and always puts you at ease. You can tell she has a passion for what she does and loves her job. I couldnt have given birth naturally without any pain meds without her experience, perseverance, support, enthusiasm, etc. every step of the way. What's even more amazing is that she left her family vacation early to be with us, now that's dedication! She meets with you 2 times prior to the birth and really takes he time to listen to your needs, wishes, plans etc. to ensure she is fully prepared. She asks you lots of great questions that you probably haven't thought of or discussed. She also meets with you 2 times after the birth including giving you an unbelievable post delivery massage too. We can't recommend her enough, we didn't know exactly what to expect going into this but after experiencing the most amazing birth ever she far surpassed any of our expectations. It was worth every penny, everyone should hire a doula. Thank you Laurie! 

Tara Beiden

6/17/2014

We met with Laurie and knew immediately that she was the right doula for us; no need to look any further even though we had other doulas we intended to interview.  She made it clear that she would support my husband and I in any capacity that we wanted during the birth of our son and made us both very comfortable.  We really liked how passionate and knowlegeable she was while being laid back and easy going at the same time.  She came to our home twice before the birth to get to know us better and learn exactly what we were looking for in our birth experience.  She gave us lots of time to ask questions and as someone who tends to be very reserved, I found myself instantly comfortable opening up to her.  The morning I went into labor, Laurie met us at our house and my husband and I both felt much more at-ease just with her presence.  She then followed us to the birth center and served as support for my husband and support for me when he needed a break.  She always seemed to know just what I needed, whether it be encouraging words or just a hand to hold.  To top it off, she will come to your house and give you a massage a few days after you give birth...amazing!  I would highly recommend Laurie to anyone looking for a doula, you really can't go wrong.

Elena Khan

5/7/2014

My husband and I found Laurie on Doulamatch and feel so lucky that we did! We both felt a connection with Laurie right away and were very impressed by her confidence, knowledge and experience; at the same time we felt completely at ease with Laurie, felt that we could easily laugh with her - very important! - and felt we would never be judged or pressured on any decision we might make. With Laurie’s help, my husband and I were able to have a wonderful, natural birth experience, which was incredibly important to me. Throughout my labor and delivery Laurie was fully present and supportive, and she was able to guide me with tips and suggestions, drawing from her broad experience. At a few points throughout my labor I needed help to keep things progressing, and Laurie’s ideas were invaluable. I would not hesitate to recommend Laurie to friends and family who are expecting and if my husband and I decide to have another baby in a few years, we will definitely be calling Laurie.

Lindsay Lerro

2/13/2014

Having Laurie Levy as our Doula was one of the best decisions we made. Throughout my pregnancy I had envisioned the "perfect birth" and we naïvely thought we were hiring Laurie just to make sure things went right. Unfortunately things did not go as planned. We were given 2 hours notice that I had to be educed at 37 weeks. Laurie was there by our side right when we found out. The induction took a while and after 35 hours of a very tough labor we ended up having to have an emergency C-section. After going through this ordeal I know we could not have done it with out Laurie.

What I appreciated about Laurie was that she took a lot of time to get to know us before our labor and delivery. She knew what our hopes and expectations were of our labor experience yet coached us through the importance of having a back up plan (which we ended up needing). Laurie respected our desires and did not push a personal agenda of how she thought our labor should go.

Our labor was very long and at times extremely tough. During the tough times Laurie had so many tips and solutions for our needs. She was encouraging yet realistic and guided us through the "doctor talk" that was going on in the background. Her extensive experience was very apparent as we progressed through the labor experience. When news came that we had to have an emergency C-section, Laurie switched modes and became the most incredible support person. I was devastated, as I had always wanted a natural delivery but Laurie's support and guidance made us all more comfortable throughout the process.

Not only was Laurie a great support during our labor and delivery, she has been an amazing support through our postpartum journey as well. We are so glad that we selected Laurie as our Doula. She is a fun positive person who we enjoyed getting to know. She has a great personality and was incredibly easy to have around and as a member of our birth team. We could not have done it with out her!!!

Libby Gerber

8/20/2013

My husband & I both agree that hiring Laurie was the best thing we did to help make our birth experience what we wanted it to be. We took 2 childbirth classes, read many books, & chose our midwife carefully, but having Laurie on our team was far & above the key to feeling prepared, confident and in control of the birth.

Laurie's really the full package: her presence puts you at ease, she's very smart & experienced, and she's got great people skills. The biggest reason we hired Laurie is that I immediately felt like I could be myself around her, which is vital in the birthing process. She's easygoing, calm and delightful to be around. From our first meeting, to the messiness that is childbirth, to the post-partum visits, Laurie was someone who I always looked forward to seeing and felt like she was really on my side and truly wanted what was best for me, my husband and our baby.

We also loved that Laurie comes with so much experience. In particular her combination of experience as a doula and childbirth educator make her someone who has both theoretical as well as hands-on knowledge of the birth process. Additionally, she's really up-to-date on all things birth-related as she is someone who "reads a lot", as she says. I can't emphasize how important this became during the labor & birth. As things developed throughout my labor, it was so reassuring to have someone who was so knowledgeable to ask questions about what was happening and what our medical team was recommending.

Laurie's people skills in the hospital were amazing. Your doula really is reflection of you in the eyes of your medical team and Laurie has a great rapport with the medical staff. She has a way of helping out and offering suggestions that left everyone (us & the hospital staff) feel like she was really making things go more smoothly for everyone.

Bottom line- you'll love Laurie for all the amazing qualities she has.

Annie Sharrett

8/16/2013

I am so grateful to have had Laurie Levy as my doula during the recent birth of my first child. I wasn't initially sure about hiring a doula at all, my partner and I were taking a pretty extensive childbirth class and I had very supportive midwives, so it seemed that we were prepared, but we had heard such good things from others about having a doula during labor that we went for it anyway. Laurie is really easy to be around and has a great sense of humor so after an initial interview, she became the obvious choice. When I went into labor I stayed at home with just my partner for a while, when things started to pick up we called Laurie and she came over and immediately seemed to know exactly what to do to help me manage my contractions. It was such a relief to have her there and I think really helpful for my partner too to get her direction on helping me manage the pain. I ended up having a very long labor and don't know how my partner and I would have managed without Laurie. I had planned an out of hospital birth but ended up deciding to transfer to the hospital when my labor wasn't progressing and having someone there who I trusted and who was experienced with labor and birth really helped me to feel empowered in an environment that otherwise would have been very difficult. It made a world of difference to my childbirth experience to have a supportive and knowledgable person on my side the entire time, especially when things didn't go according to plan. I would highly recommend Laurie to any expectant parents.

Dana Robinson

6/10/2013

We had a wonderful experience working with Laurie.  She is down-to-earth, thoughtful, funny, and knows oh-so-much about the childbirthing process.  We decided on hiring a doula because my husband does not deal well with bodily fluids, we wanted to feel good about our decisions during childbirth, and we wanted someone neutral (i.e., not family) who had lots of experience of childbirth to help coach us through.  We felt at ease with Laurie right away.  She provided great information, asked us good questions that really got us talking as a couple, and helped us talk through our hopes and fears around childbirth.  The pre-birth meetings were very helpful for us to get to know each other.  She eased us through conversations about the process that were enlightening and very helpful when it came time for our big event.  During our childbirth, she was so very helpful, present, calm, and kept her sense of humor - which we really enjoyed.  I highly recommend working with Laurie! 

Sarah Baker

3/18/2013

We are very pleased to be a reference for Laurie and highly recommend her. Our birth experience with Laurie was excellent. We would use a doula, and Laurie specifically, again without question. We had wanted to hire a doula to have another advocate on our side/looking out for us during the birth so we could make it the experience we wanted it to be, rather than something that just happened to us.  Laurie's wealth of experience attending births really benefited us both in preparing for, and during, the birth. Also, it is very apparent that she really loves what she does, which makes all the difference! Laurie's prep with us before the birth was very thorough. She met with us two times (aside from the initial interview) for several hours at a time. She got us to think about things to prepare/consider for the birth we wouldn't have, had she not brought them up. We liked the card exercise she went through with us, where you eliminate cards to identify the most important things you would like to have happen/not happen at the birth. She was very supportive of me during the birth, and was a major reason it was such a great experience.  For example, I had wanted to do it without pain meds, and during a particularly difficult part of the birth she kept me grounded/reminded me of why I wanted to do it without medication, which really helped enable me to so do.  I felt very cared for during the birth with Laurie and my husband by my side. It was nice to have her there by my side when my husband needed to take a break, eat, go for a water, etc. during the birth. From my husband's perspective, she was very inclusive of him throughout the process, which he really appreciated.  She was very supportive to my husband, too, who had come down with a bad cold the day before our child was born.  Laurie was very aware of what was going on for each of us throughout the birthing process.

Annie

2/26/2013

Laurie has been a life saver in my preganancy. We had no prior experience in hiring a doula and always thought it was an unnecessary waste of money to get help for few hours. But late in my pregnancy, we realized that we needed someone who can give us undivided attention throughout the labor. My husband and I started the search, interviewed quite a few doulas but Laurie stood out. She has a perfect balance - very engergetic, very bubbly, very hands on. picks up cues easily, responds to calls and emails almost immediately. I didn't have a good nurse when i walked in Evergreen during labor. If it was not for Laurie, I would have passed out by the initial treatment. She handled everything quite nicely. My water broke, she cleaned me up. I puked, she cleaned me up. And all this was in the hospital where the nurse in charge was supposed to do ! I had a very long labor around 36 hours and she made sure that I was in a state as calm and positive as i could be. I ended up having a vaginal birth at the end, recovered very quickly after delivery and all this was because of her and of course my husband. She stepped in where ever and when ever necessary. She massaged even without me asking for it, brought ice chips to keep my throat from drying, cleaned me when there was no one to assit. The list goes on! I absolutely loved her service and would recommend to anyone who is considering a doula. Have a happy pregnancy!

Kelly Davidson

2/4/2013

 Laurie was wonderful to work with.  She was very easy to talk to and very open to learning about who we were and what we wanted our birth to be like.  I felt super confident that Laurie would be an excellent support for me as well as for my husband and mother.  In the end, we had to have a scheduled c-section due to complications with the pregnancy.  Laurie was with us every step of the way.  She helped us with the surgery prep and really calmed my fears.  She was with us in the operating room supporting my husband and telling me what was going on as it was happening.  She gave us the best hour of breast feeding in our 3 day hospital stay in the hour after our little one was born.  And she's been super flexible in providing postpartum support since she didn't spend hours and hours in labor with us.  We can't recommend her highly enough!

Sharyn Chen

11/15/2012

My fiance and I had initially contacted another doula but decided against her in the end because she was taking so long to get back with us and to meet with us.  After my fiance and I met with Laurie in our first interview with her, we both knew she was the right one for us.  Laurie spent more than an hour with us answering all of our questions- about her, the birth process, her doula experience and all of our roles.   We were impressed by her knowledge and breadth of experience, both professionally and personally. At our first prenatal visit, Laurie really tried to get to know us as people and what our likes and dislikes were and I felt she was very attentive to our needs.  Much to my surprise, my water broke the night after our first prenatal visit and I went into labor the next morning.  Laurie was there to answer my call at 3AM and met us at the hospital later that morning.  Her TENS unit was invaluable during early labor and she was on hand to give different coping suggestions, like walking or going in the tub.  Her coaching during active labor was invaluable and I don't think my fiance and I could have done it without her (well we would have but it wouldn't have been pretty ;))!  The fact that she is a licensed massage therapist was a bonus (and God-send)  and the postpartum massage I got a week after the birth was amazing!  She even brought her massage table to my house so I didn't have to leave the house! Laurie has been on hand to answer my calls and was there to check on me several times after the birth and even came over to see me (along with her adorable little boy) when I was having a breast feeding emergency.  I highly recommend Laurie as a birth doula- I love her energy and spirit and sense of humor!

Myla Rugge

10/29/2012

Sundari & Elijah Driscol

10/6/2012

We loved working with Laurie and were so happy to have found her!  Originally, we were not going to have a doula, but decided to consider it on the advice of some friends who had recently had a baby.  We looked at a few websites to get a feel for various personalities, services, etc... and felt that Laurie really stood out as a match for us.  At our first informational meeting, it was clear that she was the right one for us.

We met several times before the birth so that she could get familiar with our birth plans and priorities.  This also helped us clarify what we wanted from the birth experience and consider how we might make difficult choices if the circumstances warranted.  When it came time for the birth, Laurie's constant smiling presence made us more comfortable with all the changes happening.  We did have some tough choices to make, and it was easy to lean on her experiences for perspective.

Also, we are from the East coast and do not have any family in the area to help out.  Having Laurie with us to support both mom & dad through the birth made everything so much easier!  We would highly recommend interviewing with her to see if she is a good fit for your family.

Sarah Lawrence

9/29/2012

 My husband, Dave, and I had an amazing experience with Laurie Levy. She was an integral part of the birth of our daughter and I can't picture having the birth that we had without her support (beautiful, post-dates water birth at home).

My daughter was two and a half weeks late and Laurie went well above and beyond the call of duty during that time, fielding phone calls about the ever changing “plan” of the moment, and checking in with the same questions “Do you feel supported?,” “Do you need anything?”.

During the birth, she was our rock. Taking care of both of us and helping with position changes, encouragement, humor, and insight.

As a doula myself I can say that Laurie is very talented at what she does and the minute you meet with her you sense her passion for her work. She's straightforward, professional, and just a lovely person to get to know. We would hugely recommend her!

Stuart and Britt Heath

7/4/2012

Julie Akhter

6/11/2012

Laurie Levy was a *fantastic* doula and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone!  In fact, I hope she'll be able to assist me with any future children I may have :-) 

Before my daughter was born, Laurie really helped both my husband and I get a clear picture on what we wanted from our birth experience and what we wanted if things didn't go as planned (which they didn't). She also addressed my biggest concerns about birth #1 (feeling as though I wasn't be heard) and gave both my husband and I pointers to ensure that didn't happen again (and it didn't :-)).

The day before I went into active labor, I started having regular contractions -- I didn't think I was in active labor, but I called her to give her a heads up.  We discussed it and she came to my house to hang out in case it was early labor.  After a handful of hours, the contractions stopped and she went home.  At no point did she make me feel guilty for having her over when not in "real" labor and was incredibly supportive through the whole thing.

During my actual labor, she met us at the hospital (I didn't labor at home for long enough for her to get here) and was a huge help. My husband was a little bit shell shocked and she was really proactive in helping me be comfortable. She helped us know when to speak up to the nurses & doctors about various options.  I always planned to get an epidural, so I hadn't spent much time practicing pain management techniques.  She was great in providing immediate assistance whenever I mentioned anything bothering me.  Her pro-active aid helped me to get through labor and feel satisfied and happy about my experience.

A few days after my daughter was born, she came to my house and gave me a post-partum massage. Laurie also happens to be a licensed massage therapist, which was a great added perk!

Elizabeth James

2/2/2012

Our experience with Laurie was truly a life-giving experience for our first child, for whom we had waited many years through various circumstances. My engineer husband, 40, and I a pharmacist, 35, are eager to hire her for our next baby.

Knowledgeable, experienced, well-educated, & professional: Laurie teaches courses & keeps skills & knowledge fresh & current. Her vast knowledge-base & professional demeanor attest to her commitment. She struck a perfect balance between friendly camaraderie &  professional manner, even during labor. She helped me get into labor positions to successfully turn my posterior-positioned baby. She gave solid answers to post partum & newborn care questions & advised me when appropriate to call my clinic. She had great suggestions for new parents; e.g., a comfortable way to first bathe our tiny baby!

Accommodating, thorough & perceptive: Sensitive to individual needs & desires, Laurie solicited our needs & preferences during prenatal visits & adeptly used all bits of information to keep me comfortable during my 21-hour labor. What surprised me most was: although Laurie is a very energetic extrovert, she adapted to my introverted tendency, speaking calmly & quietly, perceiving just when I needed quiet vs when I needed to hear from her during painful labor.

Energetic, determined & tireless: Laurie drove 4 eager grandparents 30 mi to delivery hosp during 2012 snow, despite a tire chain that broke. She never gave up, appeared frustrated or took her focus away from my husband & me in 21 hours. Once I was pushing & didn't need her minute-by-minute guidance she took 100+ fabulous photos & detailed notes of labor & delivery; so I have the entire birth story.

Lynn Chenoweth

1/25/2012

Laurie was recommended to us by a friend & we were very happy that she was a part of our birth experience.  I had a long & difficult labor... I don't know how we would've gotten through it without Laurie's help & support.  She was involved the perfect amount & helped things go as smoothly as possible.  Her kind spirit & loving heart make her a wonderful doula... and the photos she was able to take during the birth process are priceless (especially since most of it was a blur for me).  I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a support person to guide them through this magical process.

Laura Geoghegan

9/24/2011

Laurie was our doula for a homebirth that turned into a hospital birth unexpectedly. We interviewed about 6 doulas and I'm so glad we chose Laurie. She had the perfect mix of perceptiveness, support and stamina. I loved the pre-birth meetings we had and the mental preparation she had us go through. She really cared about getting to know our particular view on birth and was incredibly supportive of my husband's hands-on participation. A golden memory for me is when midway through birth Laurie intuitively knew what I needed to help my natural labor go more smoothly: "It seems like you've lost touch with your husband, let's take a minute to re-connect". It was one of many smart and perceptive actions she took during our unexpected birth story. Thank you Laurie!

Deborah Bartley

8/31/2011

Laurie provided tireless support during the very long (26-hour) and exhausting birth of my daughter. She was focused and kind throughout, provided excellent guidance for coping with the challenges, and made every effort to keep me and my husband focused and on track. She had great rapport with the midwives and the rest of the team at Group Health, and has clearly earned their respect as an experienced team member over her years of working successfully with them.

Heather Darval

8/29/2011

We absolutely loved Laurie, she was a fantastic doula. We learned more during our prenatal meetings with Laurie than we did in our birth classes. Not only did she help us focus our birth plan and figure out what really mattered to us, she encouraged us to push for those things when necessary.

When we learned that our baby was breech, Laurie guided us through our options and met us with us to help us work through our emotions about this big change to our "plan." She came with us to an External Cephalic Version and really helped me to stay relaxed and focused throughout the procedure. She made sure we knew about all the options out there for flipping a breech baby and her positive attitude and thoughtfulness really helped us.

It soon became apparent that our daughter wasn't going to turn and we'd have to go through with the cesarean. I was very concerned about surgery and the possible challenges in recovery and Laurie responded by giving us lots of information, ideas and support. On the day of the surgery Laurie met us at the hospital to help us prepare and relax.

Since she wasn't able to help us through a labor, Laurie decided to give us an amazing gift. On our first night home from the hospital she came over and took the baby for two 3-4 hour stretches only bringing her in the room to breastfeed (which Laurie helped me with). While she had the baby she did laundry, dishes, and straightened up the house. But for two parents who maybe got two hours of sleep during 48 hours at the hospital, the eight hours we got that night were amazing! We woke up feeling like real people again.

If that weren't enough, Laurie came by for two postpartum visits and one of them was a massage for me.

She's informed, intelligent, thoughtful, positive, and easy to talk to, supportive and has a great sense of humor. Oh and for dog lovers out there, she was fantastic with our dog (aka our first baby) and he adored her.

Lisa Shire

7/16/2011

Janice Laursen

7/5/2011

Daniel and Rachael Crosby

7/2/2011

We had a wonderful VBAC with Laurie in May 2011.  She was amazingly helpful, knowledgable, not to mention personable to work with.  She helped us to think through some things regarding our desires for this birth that ended up being crucial to a satisfying birth experience later on.  She stayed up until the final hour through our birth even through her (pre-planned) vacation was about to start and she had to catch a flight within the next hour!  I can't express enough what positive encouraging energy Laurie brought to our birth even though baby was late and things didn't look like they were going to happen the way we wanted.  In the end, it all worked out, but Laurie would have helped us to have a great experience no matter what the outcome. 

Cherie Percaccio

6/8/2011

Laurie was our childbirth educator at Great Starts. Although we do not have experience with her as a doula (we did not have a doula at all), our labor experience was excellent in part because of everything she taught us. I was literally quoting her throughout: "Laurie said to make low sounds, etc. Laurie said that the most important thing is that you feel good about the choices you make"...My husband's confidence in his ability to coach was also increased by attending Laurie's classes. Even the midwife complimented my husband on being an awesome coach-she said we were a great team! We are so grateful to Laurie, Great Starts, and UW for giving us the tools to have an awesome labor and birth!

Katie McNichols

4/24/2011

Michelle Wahl

10/28/2010

My doctor, husband, and I were extremely impressed with both times we used Laurie as our Doula. Her experience and knowledge of the birthing process and in the medical field are impressive. She did a great job implementing our birth plan and maintained a calm and motivating atmosphere during labor, delivery, and post partum. She kept me focused during labor and explained particular procedures when there were complications afterwards. I highly recommend Laurie for anyone preparing for the birthing experience.

Christina and O'Hara Jimenez

10/21/2010

I cannot say enough about our extremely positive and outstanding experience with Laurie Levy. She was a  key component to making our birth experience such a magical one and we are incredibly grateful for meeting her and having her at our birth. Prior to the birth, Laurie was gifted in her ability to help us trust her, as well as identify our needs, fears and desires for the birth of our baby girl. She approached our relationship with careful thought, a sense of humor and a strong ability to support us in the variety of ways we needed, such as helping us to understand the birth process better, as well as reflect on our own fears about the process. She shared with us her extensive knowledge and experience with the labor and delivery process and helped us think of questions and circumstances that we had not considered. In general, she allowed us to feel prepared for what was to come. During the start of laboring process, we were able to call Laurie and troubleshoot with her a bit and as soon as we wanted her at the hospital, she came. I cannot explain more extensively what an asset she was in this process- helping us to ask the questions we needed to feel comfortable, developing relationships with the key support staff in the room, including nurses and midwives, and helping my partner labor in a variety of ways to best support her at any given time. As the partner, she was able to easily teach me how to best support my wife, which was tremendously empowering for me.  She encouraged us to eat, take breaks and also, when we could, truly enjoy the process. We were hesitant at first to have a doula at the birth, feeling odd that we would have a "stranger" present at such a pivitol part of our lives together but we are ever so grateful for changing our minds and meeting Laurie Levy. You would be most lucky to have Laurie at the birth of your child!