Tom Ott

8/29/2024

Natalie was an absolute godsend for the birth of our first child. My partner and I both lack family support, so having Natalie around when we got home from the hospital was a lifesaver. She ran point for bringing in other doulas when we needed additional assistance and helped us scale back when we had a sleeping baby. She taught us so much about infant care, from wrapping them, to changing them, to feeding them. She helped us sort through all of the hand me downs we'd recieved from various generous people and setup a pumping station, a cleaning station and arrange our childs dresser with clothes that fit. I'll never forget her telling me the outfit she found our child in was going to be retired because "she was hulking out of it a little bit". She helped with all the little things that everyone you know with kids forgets because they're sleep deprived. I dont know if it was Natalie's magic or our childs genes - but she was sleeping nights within 3 months and sleeping like a champ, huge wins.

Overall - we ended up looking forward to nights where we had Natalie. We knew our daugher would be safe in her hands and my wife and I enjoyed a brief chat with Natalie which normalized the whole infant experience - we were still people afterall! - while we updated Natalie on anything she needed to know about our daughter.

We plan, and hope, to work with Natalie in the future.

Serah

5/3/2024

Natalie was a lifesaver for us! I had a smooth delivery, but a tumultuous recovery and Natalie helped every step of the way. When an emergency came up and I had to go back to the hospital in the middle of the night, she packed up our son for us and reached out to me with well wishes throughout my stay. When I got out of the hospital and needed additional support, she found other doulas for me. When I just had questions about whether something was normal (this is my first child), she shared her experience and knowledge. She is such a warm person, it felt like being cared for by a family member when she was with us. Even our pets loved her! I couldn't recommend her more.

Tiffany G

1/23/2023

Natalie was an absolute godsend! Even being a birth professional, I was skeptical on what a postpartum doula could really do for me. Natalie intuitively knew what I needed before I had to ask. She organized my pump area, diaper area, bedtime snack bin, did light housework when able and sat by my side as I processed a scary postpartum sepsis incidence. It's been 3 years since I had my baby and I still think about her and the loving care she provided to my family and I. 

Ayesha Tellis

12/9/2022

Natalie is wonderful! She was an enormous support to my family and me, helping us navigate the early days of parenthood, postpartum for me, and looking after our son, helping us get the sleep we needed. Natalie is thoughtful and kind; her guidance has given us the tools to be more informed and better parents. As a new mom, I was lucky to have her by my side as I was recovering from my c-section, struggling with breastfeeding and chronic clogs. She made me feel seen and less alone, helping me with resources and kind gestures alike. We've been absolutely fortunate to have her as our doula. 

Amy Gonzalez

7/11/2022

A few months out from my due date I was looking at a twin support group post about finding a good post partum doula who worked nights. I looked in the comments and immediately Natalie's name came up. Nothing is better than a twin mom recommendation and she had at least 2-3. She's amazing. I didn't even really know what a doula was but the idea of having night support was an absolute priority for me. I can't tell you how immediately relieved I was when she got back to me and said she was available. 

Having a 1 year old and finding out I was having twins, I knew I would need help. Having gone through the fourth trimester with my oldest I knew that there would be long nights, the breastfeeding journey and rocking crying infants to sleep. I also worried that I would re-experience my post partum anxiety and the isolation that comes with maternity leave.

I think the best explanation is the first night. Natalie came over and must have been able to tell that we had a rough night. After asking me about how things were going and letting me download everything she picked up both babies and started grabbing one or two things, rustling about while telling me she had this and I should get some sleep. With my jaw on the floor I went off to bed.

I awoke to my living room perfectly set up. She had transformed it into a perfect twin feeding and sleeping area as well as organized the nursery and bottle station. The relief and confidence this gave me to do what I thought was an undoable task... I can't fully explain the feeling but I can tell you it continued for the next 3 months. 

She problem solved with me through one kiddo having a seemingly permanent stuffy nose, my breastfeeding journey given my adema and then an appendectomy (some are just lucky) and then the daily problems of juggling 3 kids under 2. She was an indespensible resource of knowledge, advice and friendship.

I can't recommend Natalie more highely. 

Ashley

3/7/2022

Natalie quickly became a part of the family! She helped us overnights with our twins starting the day that we got home from the hospital. She has a ton of experience and was able to answer all of our questions and help give me peace through the craziness of the newborn phase. Her help was invaluable while I recovered from an emergency c-section. Natalie thought of things to do that helped us beyond what we could have asked for. She even travelled with us so that my husband and I could go to our friends' wedding and not leave babies. 

Lucy B

11/10/2021

Natalie helped our family 3/4 nights a week with our newborn for about three months. 

Natalie provided a lot of insight and suggestions based on her prior experience as both a doula and a mother. She was comforting, thoughtful and very easy to be around. Natalie helped us get our daughter on a nightime schedule, which was amazingly welcome. 

We were so sad to see her go! It was such a treat to get a decent nights sleep knowing our tiny baby was in such capable hands. 

Becca Meredith

7/24/2021

Having Natalie as our night Doula for the first two months after we got home was a huge support. She was there with us the first night we got home from the hospital and came to to three nights for 8 weeks. She had so much knowledge about taking care of a newborn and taking care of my body after birth. Highly skilled, super caring, and someone I really enjoyed chatting with at 3 AM while I was feeding. Highly recommend!

Annie

1/11/2021

Natalie was our post partum doula for the first 5 weeks after welcoming our second daughter. 

We had a different post partum doula with our first who came during the day a few times - it was helpful, but also informative for what we wanted our second time around. As the birthing parent, I knew I needed a calm grounding presence to help me through those first crazy weeks of adjustment and I knew we needed overnight support to capitalize on the time our three year old was asleep. After interviewing several other doulas, I was drawn to Natalie's breadth of experience as a doula and a mother, her professionalism, her sense of humor and her genuine expression of understanding for the vast array of decisions parents are faced with around feeding, sleeping and everything in between.

Natalie made herself available to me via phone before our first scheduled overnight. When I reached out 4 days post partum about something, she could sense the need for support as I was suffering from insomnia, loss of appetite and physical symptoms from my milk coming in. She immediately came over to get acquainted with my family and offered small helpful gestures of support for hours until there was some semblance of peace (ex: tidying, rocking baby, talking, making gentle recommendations, chatting with my preschooler, ensuring we all ate dinner together). The way she so quickly integrated and legitimately helped without any direction in what felt to me like utter chaos was very special. 

Every "Natalie night" helped us inch our way towards feeling normal. She was a natural with the baby and the routine - always responsive to whatever system I wanted to try that evening - and even sweetly calmed our other daughter down during an overnight crying fit so she wouldn't wake us up. Our late night conversations while feeding and pumping always helped me tackle whatever was at hand that day and feel more confident. We feel so lucky that we found Natalie!

Joanna W.

3/8/2020

Natalie was my postpartum doula from Dec 2019 through January 2020. As a single new mom, I needed the extra help as I healed. Natalie was terrific with my son, Greyson. She was caring, friendly, and very knowledgeable. She answered or took the time to find the answers to my questions. Natalie provided me contacts with some different services I was seeking and gave some excellent recommendations. Greyson seemed to like her and had no issues having her take care of him. She bathed him, rocked him to sleep, trimmed his nails, fed him, changed him, and had him do tummy time. Natalie put him to bed on the days she was here. I would recommend her doula services to any new mom who may need extra help. I couldn’t imagine getting through the first two months with her.

Courtney

12/23/2019

We loved having Natalie help us out during our baby's first six weeks! She came twice a week at night and taught us so much about baby care during that time, not to mention giving us an opportunity to catch up on sleep. I would have undoubtedly been at the pediatrician much more often had Natalie not been there to calm our [unfounded] worries. Natalie shared her experience as a mother and a doula and we were able to learn not only about parenting but about our own baby through her insight. We also only realized just how important those couple nights of rest were after she left us! She has a warm and caring presence, and is very genuine and open, which we really appreciated. Our baby always seemed happy and rested in her presence. We would definitely recommed her!

Kristin

12/2/2019

Natalie worked with our twin babies from the time they came home until they were almost 6 months old.  We started off having her watch the girls three nights a week and decreased down to one night a week by the end of our time with her.  Things I loved about Natalie - 1) She was so simple to integrate into our household.  She was flexible, quiet and helpful.  Sometimes she came earlier, sometimes later depending on our schedule.  2) She went above and beyond to help.  She would text and call me during the day if I needed to talk about the plan to get the girls to sleep longer or for me to get better quality of sleep.  One night she even layed next to my 3-year-old who was having a bad dream so that I could get some much needed sleep!!!  3) She gave advice when needed, but wasn't pushy.  She gently encouraged me to get some four hour chunks of sleep that first month of recovery and I needed that nudge.  4) She adapted to our sleep preferences.  Natalie and our family had different preferences around infant sleep - should they side sleep, should they go incline, etc. We talked these through with Natalie and she made adjustments to keep things they way we wanted them.  I highly recommend doing this up front with her and she will be excellent at sticking to your desires as parents!!!  

Pallavi

6/29/2019

Natalie helped our family with postpartum overnight care during the first 6 weeks after the birth of our second child. She was fantastic from the very first night and left us really missing her once our contract was over. She not only took great care of our baby so that we could get some stress-free rest, she also proactively offered to help with things like freezing mother’s milk as I wasn’t being able to get to it. I would often go into these phases of being loquacious and break into late night postpartum rambling! But she would listen to me so calmly and patiently, making me invariably feel so much better after our chat. I wish I could have her care for our baby forever!:) I will definitely hire her again, without any need for deliberation.

Ying Yu

2/26/2019

After interviewing quite a few doulas, I chose to hire Natalie as our overnight postpartum doula, because she felt the most grounded and calm. I also liked that she took care of herself and didn't overbook her schedule, as she only worked for one family at a time, so that she could be completely focused and devoted to their needs.

Natalie was with us 3 nights a week from the day my daughter came home from the hospital and for 5 weeks thereafter. I don't know what we would've done without her! She supported me/us through so much in those early weeks, from breastfeeding issues (e.g. engorgement, tongue tie, vasospasms) to all of us getting RSV and my daughter spending the night in the hospital. She handled it all with such confidence, competence, and warmth. There were nights when my daughter was so congested and miserable that Natalie had to actively sooth her all night long without a break, and somehow she got her to not cry so my husband and I could get some sleep. I always felt relief as soon as Natalie walked through the door, because I knew my daughter was in such good hands, and that she always felt comforted being in Natalie's arms. 

We are done having children, but if we were to have another, I would for sure hire Natalie again!

Ying Yu

2/26/2019

After interviewing quite a few doulas, I chose to hire Natalie as our overnight postpartum doula, because she felt the most grounded and calm. I also liked that she took care of herself and didn't overbook her schedule, as she only worked for one family at a time, so that she could be completely focused and devoted to their needs.

Natalie was with us 3 nights a week from the day my daughter came home from the hospital and for 5 weeks thereafter. I don't know what we would've done without her! She supported me/us through so much in those early weeks, from breastfeeding issues (e.g. engorgement, tongue tie, vasospasms) to all of us getting RSV and my daughter spending the night in the hospital. She handled it all with such confidence, competence, and warmth. There were nights when my daughter was so congested and miserable that Natalie had to actively sooth her all night long without a break, and somehow she got her to not cry so my husband and I could get some sleep. I always felt relief as soon as Natalie walked through the door, because I knew my daughter was in such good hands, and that she always felt comforted being in Natalie's arms. 

We are done having children, but if we were to have another, I would for sure hire Natalie again!

Sarah Manchanda

12/4/2018

Natalie was a lifesaver for us. She helped us from the first night we came home from the hospital with our twins. We were sleep deprived and needed a lot of support in the beginning. With Natalie’s help we became more confident as first time parents in caring for two newborn babies. We felt completely comfortable leaving our girls in her care while we got some much needed sleep in those first weeks of our babies’ lives.

Zach A

8/1/2018

Natalie wsa invaluable. We had twins that were 4 weeks premature and Natalie did a great job with them. That's not all, though - she gave my wife and I an incredible amount of useful advice that we continue to use long after she moved on. We worked with several doulas to get full coverage for two months, but Natalie was by far the most reassuring, the most consistent, and had the most helpful advice. I wouldn't hesistate to hire her again

Alicia Keefe

7/23/2018

Natalie was instrumental in helping us get off on the right foot. After an unexpected cesarean and mandatory bedrest, my husband, who had never held a baby before, became the primary caregiver for myself and our newborn. Natalie stepped up to help him organize the nursery and she quickly taught him how to change diapers, swaddle, cut finger nails, etc. Natalie helped me figure out nursing, pumping, and some latching issues. She taught us pro tips like using a red night light to avoid disrupting sleep cycles and using a hair dryer during diaper changes to avoid diaper rash. Her overnight stayshelped us get some much-needed sleep during those first few weeks. We really appreciated Natalie's connections in the postpartum world--she connected us with postpartum therapists and lactation consultants. We wish we could hire her full time!

Sorry for typos. I'm typing in my cell while my baby is sleeping on me :).

Tenney Kerr

6/10/2018

Natalie was a wonderful resource for helping us get our little mans sleep dialed in.  She had some great tips and tricks especially for his early wakings and has been amazibg support since then, which all of us first time moms need if only to let us know we are still sane and on the right track.

Laura Crystal

2/18/2018

Natalie was an incredible help to our family after the birth of our 2nd baby. We learned the hard way after our first child was born how difficult those first weeks postpartum can be, and we resolved to make it easier on ourselves the 2nd time around by hiring a pospartum doula. And lucky us, we found a great one. Natalie is a pro - she brought peace and calm to our entire family and especially our baby. My husband called her the baby whisperer because I don't think we ever heard our son cry when she was caring for him.

In addition to general postpartum support, Natalie helped us when our 3 week old contracted RSV. She had lots of tips and help when I had nursing difficulties. She helped us with the emotional period after my son's circumcision. Natalie cared for all of us through some stressful times and I am so thankful that she did. I recommend her highly!

Olivia Joy Kimble

9/12/2017

Natalie was an unspeakably helpful, important, and caring addition to our family. She was the person we turned to when ANY question arose about how to care for our tiny little baby. Along with our midwife, we trusted Natalie above all else. She was compassionate, knowledgable, and grounded. She knew exactly how much to help and when to step back and let our new parental intuition guide us. I couldn't imagine begining parenthood without her.

More concretely Natalie helped us with:

-washing baby's hair

- nightime and daytime sleeping, adjusting sleep so everyone got MORE, BETTER sleep

- emotional adjustments to family strain and returning to work

- emotional and physical adjustments with postpartum recovery (she also had the BEST solutions for after-birth consitpation)

- establishing the baby as an individual

- household chores like laundry, cleaning, dishes, cooking

Overall, Natalie helped us with things we didn't even realize we needed help with. If you have a budget for a postpartum doula, HIRE THIS DOULA!!

HIRE NATALIE! HIRE NATALIE! HIRE NATALIE!

Kascha S

8/14/2015

Wow, you're going to have Natalie at your house? Luck you. Everything's going to be okay. I met Natalie at the hospital when I couldn't yet figure out how to get into my wheelchair, and her presence immediately brought reassurance. She is calm, directive when necessary, funny and cheerful. When I was unable to get out of bed by myself or carry the baby, she made the first five days home from the hospital possible for me, my energetic three year old and tired husband. She brought a great deal of knowledge about lactation and other post-partum issues; for anything she didn't know she quickly made use of a network of resources for all sorts of issues. She cared for the baby and me and even had energy left for our older son. I am so grateful for her help.

Ashwini Balakrishnan

5/17/2015

Natalie was an excellent resource for our family and a total lifesaver. She helped us transition gently into parenthood and taught us how to calm and sooth our baby. She helped me get vital rest and also gave me a lot of tips on how to make life easier. Our daugher loved Natalie and you could clearly see she was compassionate with children. Natalie was an awesome postpartum doula. I would recommend her services highly to any new mom. Thanks so much Natalie!

Tricia Jester

2/5/2015

Natalie was exactly what my husband and I needed to get thru the trying times after the birth of my first child.  I had an exceptionally difficult post partum: difficulty with my son latching due to thrush, I had PUP's (horrible all body rash), severe baby blues and a whole host of other things. Natalie was the calm in the storm.  She would come in to my home and my blood pressure would immediately drop.  She effortlessly took care of my son, assisted with household chores and let me get some much needed sleep (my husband as well).  Once awake, she would just listen to me and offer advice as needed to things that I was worried about or had never experienced.  She had such helpful advice that I still use today (excercises for my stomach, bottle washing techniques, calming methods etc).  She is just the right combination of laid back but detail oriented and has a fantastic sense of humor (which you definately need with a screaming child).  I would recommend her to anyone looking for a post partum doula, I would not have been able to do it without her.

Stephanie Camp

10/18/2014

I simply don't know what we would have done without Natalie's help and guidance in the weeks after the birth of our first child.  In the weeks before I delivered, she helped me set up the nursery and showed me how to use all the new baby devices (termometer, breast pump, etc.) when my brain was still fully functioning.  Natalie met us at the house an hour after we got home from the hospital and made the transition seamless and stress-free.  She helped us with breastfeeding, and taught me how to read my daughter's cues and respond to her with love and support.

Most importantly, Natalie did an amazing job of taking care of me when I needed it most.  She's also a fun person to be around and helped me see the humor in unfamiliar situations, especially when I would get stressed out that I wasn't doing something right.  Her non-judgemental, open attitude is exactly what a new mom needs.  I'm so grateful we found Natalie and highly recommend her as a post-partum doula.

Stephanie Robinett

4/14/2014

Natalie is a ninja.  Somehow, she can get a million things done quicker than humanly possible.  And everything is always fantastically done.  She was such a great resource to have after having baby, I never wanted her to leave.  She had tons of knowledge about breastfeeding, sleep training, and baby care in general.  She was super easy to talk to and her personality is so laid back, she takes all the stress out of the situation.

meagan minus

4/2/2014

Natalie is simply amazing!  When she started with our family I knew we needed the help but had a hard time narrowing down my priorities and exactly what needed to be done.  Natalie jumped right in with that knowing confidence of how to keep a house tidy and a baby happy.  After our initial meeting, with basically zero direction from me in my sleep deprived state, Natalie had the house picked up and our daughter comforted, all while I took a much needed nap!  From then on she continued to prove her expertise, cooking many yummy dishes for us, helping out with some housework, and playing with our baby.  Our daughter loved her as well and went to her right away.

In addition Natalie was a much needed sounding board and resource for my questions and concerns as a new parent.  We worked longer with Natalie than we actually "needed" to because she was such a great resource and help.  I'd like to have kept Natalie forever but that would be selfish to other families who were where we were: in need trusted, reliable help to assist through those early days of being a new parent.  I highly recommend her to the next family who is lucky enough to work with her!

Sara Howard

9/30/2013

Natalie helped us after our son was born. This is our first child, so we were nervous and uncertain parents with lots of questions! Natalie was knowledageble and helpful, seeking out additional information and resources anytime I had questions. She was a calm, supportive, and caring presence to have around during a chaotic and sometimes overwhelming time. She always listened to my needs and was very responsive. Her calm demeanor, flexibility, and willingness to support in whatever way was needed at the time provided us great comfort. I have no doubt she could provide the same comfort and assistance to any family in need. I would highly recommend her services as a post partum doula.

Gina Merchan

9/30/2013

Having Natalie work with me these last few weeks after giving birth have been incredible. I was feeling totally overwhelmed and isolated, and Natalie has been wonderful in supporting me and my baby in every single way. I can't even imagine going through all this without her help! She helps me keep up with my home, cooks delicious meals, and is a great friend and ear when I need that too. I cannot recommend her enough to any new mother!

Brandy Curtis Richards

7/11/2013

When our twin boys were born into our family that included a spirited nineteen month old and strong willed four year old, my husband and I were not sure how we were going to make it through the process. Then, to make matters more stressful, we found out my husband was going to be called back to work less than two weeks after the twins arrived. Thankfully, we found Natalie. Her nurturing personality, incredible expertise (with not only the new babies but also the "older" two children), and sense of calm that she brought into our very chaotic home was such a blessing!

Natalie listened to all my anxious questioning about the new twins and was an incredible resource provided guidance on everything from breastfeeding to babywearing to what vegetarian meals would be the best in my crock pot or freezer. If there was a question she was unsure about, she brought back the answer the next time she saw the family. It brought me comfort that she responded to my older children and made them feel included and important in the process of bringing the babies home.

Natalie obviously loves what she does and is committed to seeing mothers through (what I call) "survival mode" and into "thriving mode" where we are confident care takers of our children. I would absolutely recommend her services to every new mother. She is an incredible person and I am so happy she is a part of my family's world!