Melissa Hubener

11/20/2024

Having a doula, and Julia in particular, turned out to be more important than we even realized it would be.  As first-time parents, when we went looking for a doula we hoped to find someone who could be a support person during labor.  We learned through working with Julia that a doula can be so much more than that.  Julia did certainly support us during labor - especially important when we neded up needing an induction - but she also supported us through months leading up to, and even following, our son's birth.  It's one thing to read a ton of books and articles online (and we did that too) but it's so helpful to talk to a real person who's been present for a ton of births, has studied this stuff, can point you to resources you wouldn't have found on your own, and can pose thoughtful questions to consider.  We could tell she was very careful not to steer us into one "right" decision, or a decision to match a particular agenda.  She listened, asked questions, and provided information for us to make our own decisions about what was right for us.

The staff at the hospital were all very nice, but like the midwives during our pregnancy, they cycled through in shifts and had a lot of people to take care of.  They just can't be by your side during all of the long and intense hours of labor, and it was so valuable to have her expertise and steady, calming presence.  It turns out during birth you may literally need someone to remind you to take sips of water!  And Julia was right there to hold the straw, suggest labor positions, and even help our baby latch right after birth.  Working with Julia as our doula was easily the best investment of time and money that we made in our pregnancy.

Christina S

10/22/2024

After a pretty traumatic first birth, I decided to get a Doula and did some research. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to have a C-section or a vaginal delivery, and I had a lot of fear going into it. I did not use a Doula during my first birth, and I regretted it. My experience with Julia was truly a healing and transformative experience. My husband was a skeptic as to how a doula could help him, and he now is a believer in having this support and knows how helpful it was. Julia is knowledgeable, caring and grounded. All of which you need leading up to and during delivery. She was always available and professional. We were so lucky to have found her! 

David Hepler

5/29/2024

Working with Julia was an absolute pleasure!

While working with us, she taught me how to have confidence in assisting my wife's birth to our firstborn child. Thanks to Julia, as both a doula and a Bradley Method coach, I was able to respond to my wife's needs during labor. Because of her knowledge and teaching expertise, I found myself actively engaged in my wife's labor and was confidently able to walk her through the experience, instead of finding myself on the sideline sitting on my hands!

Not only did Julia help me identify my wife's labor cues, but she also taught me how to negotiate with the hospital staff to ensure we had the un-medicated birth we desired. With all the uncertainty in the world of modern medicine, Julia's presence as a doula prevented discouragement and helped us focus on the task at hand during labor. After repeated attempts to apply unneeded medication, Julia's presence provided the reassurance we needed as first-time parents to continue our un-medicated birth as planned!

Ultimately, Julia is a subject matter expert. She was able to teach us so much in such a short timeline. Within 12 weeks of knowing her, we went laymen with little to no understanding of natural birth and the Bradley Method, to feeling comfortable with whatever life would throw at us during the uncertainties of unmedicated labor.

I give her my highest regard!

- David Hepler

Martha

5/25/2024

We hired Julia, our Bradley course teacher, as our doula. Especially since it was our first child, without her there at our side during labor, it is very likely that we would’ve chosen an epidural when a certain decision point presented itself during my labor relating to my induction. I had not reached active labor yet, but the rate at which I was approaching it, even when induced, was a whole day sooner than the doctors expected. If not for Julia, I would’ve likely requested an epidural to “hold me over until tomorrow” since that’s when the doctors initially expected the baby to come. But she encouraged us to let my body be the guide to drive our decisions- not an initial anticipated timeline given by the doctor before the induction started. With this, I was able to restructure my mindset and remain unmedicated, with the baby here not even 4 hours later.

The Bradley class was extremely helpful simply in how informative it was for the whole birth process. The resources and materials were extremely helpful and easy to have on hand during labor for reference. We loved how the Bradley course was a whole person approach, ranging from nutrition and exercise to labor and pushing positions, and even scenarios and ‘homework’ to practice. The small classes also made the learning more conversational personal.

Julia is extremely professional, flexible & able to adapt, and very patient. She has mastered the ability to present you with facts and resources to allow you to make the best, most fully informed decision for yourself. Her breadth of knowledge far exceeded my expectations, and I would hire her again without hesitation. 

Karla Escaffi

5/23/2024

Julia, our exceptional doula and talented photographer, deserves every accolade for her unwavering support and dedication. As a first-time mom, Julia provided invaluable insights and reassurance that helped me confidently navigate the challenges of childbirth.

In addition to her Bradley class, Julia's guidance during delivery played a pivotal role in achieving my goal of a vaginal delivery without an epidural, even with a two-day back labor. Her expertise and encouragement guided me through each moment, turning what could have been a daunting experience into one of empowerment and positivity. I must note that Julia was instrumental in helping design my birth plan to align with my dreams, ensuring its successful execution.

My husband, reflecting on his experience as a first-time dad, emphasized Julia's invaluable role in guiding him on how to care for me and how to provide the emotional support I needed. He appreciated how Julia ensured we had everything necessary to make our birth experience truly remarkable.

Last but not least, Julia speaks Spanish, which was very convenient for me because my mom just speaks Spanish. Julia make my mom feel included and as part of the team all the time; something I profoundly appreciated. 

Julia's ability to seamlessly juggle her roles as a doula and photographer while offering unwavering support showcases her professionalism and dedication to curating a memorable experience for us. The breathtaking birth photos she captured have become treasured mementos, beautifully encapsulating our journey in ways that words cannot fully express. Looking back, I now wish we had also recorded a video of the experience, and I hope Julia might offer this service for our future deliveries.

Thank you, Julia for illuminating our path as we welcomed our little one into this world. I wish you nothing but the best!

Daryl

1/25/2024

As a dad, working with Julia not only supported my partner’s labor experience but helped me feel calm and confident in my support during the labor as well. She has a calm and reassuring presence that was invaluable and even though she had just met us (Julia stepped in for our labor last minute when our doula was at another labor), she picked up on our needs quickly and provided just the kind of support we were hoping for. She connected with my partner and helped her navigate through the contractions but also made a point to connect with me throughout it the labor which turned any of my anxious energy into something more productive. She helped us ask questions of the midwife to ensure we knew what to expect and worked seamlessly with the nurse and midwife throughout the labor which meant I could just focus on my partner. Thanks Julia!

Jenna

1/25/2024

Julia stepped in for us last minute when our doula was at another labor and we couldn’t be more grateful for her support for my labor with baby #2. Julia took time to understand my goals and was extremely thoughtful in her support to help keep my mindset in the present moment and focused on baby. Not only was I appreciative of the physical support she provided through my contractions her words and encouragement truly were such a big part of what help me keep my mind and body relaxed. We can’t say enough good things about our experience with Julia!

Susan Brucker

3/19/2022

We were delighted to work with Julia as a doula for the birth of our son. As a birth assistant, Julia was a pleasure to work with both before and during our birth. She was very attentive while I was in labor, offering suggestions for comfort measures and how help things progress that were specific to my situation and preferences. I was also grateful to have someone with us who was familiar with the Bradley method. When it came time to push, I was struggling to figure out how to do it until Julia stepped in and helped me find a way to breath and push that worked for me. I don’t think we would have made it through without her!

As we also had a doula and a student midwife on hand to help with our birth, Julia was also able to provide us with birth photography to capture the arrival of our son. We didn’t have a photographer on hand when my first son was born (just our own cell phone cameras!). I hadn’t wanted to invest the money when I wasn’t sure what the experience would be like or how I would look in the pictures. I also wasn’t sure about having a camera around when I knew I wouldn’t be fully dressed! But after our first son was born, I missed not having something to help us remember those moments when he arrived or better photos of when he was really truly “freshly” arrived. 

I’m so grateful that Julia was able to capture those precious first moments with the birth of our second son. I’ve enjoyed looking back on the pictures over the weeks since our birth to remember what it was like to hold him for the first time, and the experience of working together with my husband to finally bring our son into the world. My concerns about how I would look in the photos have also totally evaporated. The pictures Julia captured are truly beautiful, and I can’t wait to share the photos and our birth story with our family–and with our son, once he’s older. Thank you!

Megan and Rich Cheng

8/22/2019

We were really fortunate to have Julia Chemotti as our Birth Assistant for our baby's birth in early 2018.  Julia met with us before the birth to get to know her and help ease any anxieties.  At the birth, she was always present and ready to give us encouragement, measurements (she took meticulous notes!), and honey sticks to help us keep going.  She was a seamless part of our birth team and exceedingly conscientious when checking the baby's heart rate - she kept us informed of what she was doing and always asked permission before proceeding.  It was a long labor and she was very encouraging. 

After the birth, she came to our home to make sure we're in good shape with latching, diaper changing, and post partum self-care.  We cannot be more grateful for having an experienced birth assistant in Julia, and we highly recommend her for anyone looking for an awesome birth experience.  We hope she can be a part of the birth of our second birth, too!

A C

1/24/2019

Julia was amazing as our birth assistant for a home birth last year, and we had a wonderful experience with her. She was supportive before, during, and after my first labor, and she helped us achieve the natural birth we were working for.

My husband and I value Julia’s direct communication style, and calm and capable work. She asked tough questions about our birth plan and helped walk us through the process and what we expected beforehand so we were better prepared. She knew how to work with and pace both of us for the long labor process.

Julia was a constant comforting and competent birth assistant, and her presence and coaching were emotionally supportive to me during my long labor.

Even after our postpartum visit, Julia followed up regularly to check on us, which we both appreciated. I highly recommend Julia, and plan to use her again for subsequent deliveries!

Kyle Navis

1/21/2019

From my wife: Julia was our birth assistant when I gave birth at a birth center this past year. Throughout a long labor, Julia was a solid presence in the room that we appreciated immensely. My husband and I really value clear communication, and she is an excellent listener and asks follow-up questions as needed in order to provide timely suggestions and feedback. Her direct approach was exactly what we needed (e.g. when my husband needed to be told to go take a nap).

I felt like I was in very competent hands the entire time, and her home visits before and after the birth were so reassuring and helpful for us as new parents. She is very kind and sweet, and I was so happy that she was there for my during this process!

Allison Davey

3/15/2014

In my desire to have a successful VBAC I decided to hire a doula for optimum support in reaching this goal. Julia was crucial in helping me keep my focus throughour labor; calmly talking me through each contraction. She worked as a great team with my husband, was strong and had a lot of stamina as she massaged my back through labor. Julia proved to be absolutely indispensable as my labor progressed into a challenging posterior birth. My midwife told me only about 5% of posterior births are vaginal, and even fewer are VBAC's. Julia's true colors shone through as I experienced unanticipated severe cramping immediately postpartum. She continued to compassionately care for me as long as I needed her while my husband tended to our new baby. I felt very supported through it all in Julia's capable hands. Julia was pivital in helping my husband and me have an extremely positive VBAC birth experience. We couldn't have been more happy with how everything turned out. She exceeded our expectations in every way!

Grace Culley

1/18/2014

My husband and I were thrilled Julia was part of our birth experience. She has a wealth of knowledge in this area and extensive experience working with couples in a variety of birthing settings. She is professional, respectful, no-nonsense and kind. She helped us prepare for labor, referred us to helpful resources and also gave us a list of useful questions to ask my medical providers. She always was accessible via phone, email and text. In the days before I went into labor (at 38 weeks), I was admitted to the hospital for gestational hypertension. Our plans for a natural childbirth seemed thwarted as the doctors became adamant about pursuing aggressive interventions. My husband and I were devastated and scared for the health of our son. Julia was available around the clock to help us navigate this unexpected situation; she listened, comforted, and helped us with questions to ask so that we could make a fully informed decision. In the end, we were able to experience the natural childbirth we had always wanted. When my contractions started, Julia stayed in close contact with my husband and arrived to support us at the perfect time during my labor (in the middle of the night!). My husband became a much better birth coach and supporter once she arrived. She gave him more confidence, and he also was able to take breaks because of her presence. They were a great team. Julia was calm, comforting, and loving. She made me feel safe, respected, and supported. She’s also physically strong and could handle bearing almost all of my weight as I leaned on her during my contractions. Once my son crowned, Julia began taking pictures. We are so happy to have these phenomenal shots of our first moments with our son. A few days after I delivered, Julia came by the house to support me regarding latching, baby carrying, and co-sleeping issues. Again, we could not have been happier with Julia before, during, and after the birth of our son!