Everett

3/28/2021

Nicole gave me the mental and physical tools to support my wife during the birth of our daughter at our home. I couldn't be more thankful that she helped us prep and was present during the birth. She was a calm presence, always stepping in to support at the exact right moment. Her expert trust in normal physiological birth was incredibly helpful every step of the way. Thank you Nicole!

Zehra

3/28/2021

Nicole is the most incredible well-rounded doula. She has expert knowledge in such a wide range of areas including but not limited to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, baby led weaning, newborn prep, childbirth education, mood disorders, and counselling. She provides the perfect amount of hands on support during birth, as well as mental support in order to achieve empowerment and informed decision making. I felt so prepared for birth and postpartum, and I attribute so much of my positive birth story and recovery to Nicole. Anyone would be lucky to have her present at their birth.

Ashley

11/27/2020

Nicole was the doula for our first child's birth. Having been our first experience, we did not know what to expect. We met with our midwives before meeting Nicole and her team, and I always felt as if a certain level of empathy and emotional connection was missing from the midwives. Don't get me wrong, they do an amazing job, but their expertise seems to be more medically based. The first time we met with Nicole, I felt that my experience in pregnancy was finally being acknowledged. She asked all of the right questons to get a deep understanding of myself and my husband, to fully understand who we were and what we wished for in our birth story. 

When the pregnancy was coming to an end and the labour began, Nicole gave my husband and I her 100%. She was the single physical presence that gave me comfort and guided me throughout the entire labour. She reassured me and my husband that everything happening was normal and natural. When we got to the hospital, she explained everything I needed to know (for example, when an inexperienced nurse checked me and it left me in a ton of pain she stated that it should not feel that way and helped us get a more experienced nurse to do the job). Most of all, she never judged a decision we made and encouraged me when I felt like giving up. I would recommend her support to anyone I know, and plan to use her services for any future babies. 

Julia

9/18/2019

I am so grateful for Nicole's support before, during, and after the birth of my first baby! I felt overwhelmed before meeting with her for a consultation and two pre-labour appointments as I thought I did not know much about babies. Nicole provided informative and empowering services at our appointments in forming decisions for both myself and my partner.

When the big day came, Nicole was readily available and supportive for checking in during active labour and came to my home when I was needing her support as my labour progressed. She was knowledgeable in helping comfort both myself and partner by reminding me of my strength and to breath, comfortable positions and applying gentle pressure on my back (and showing my partner how to do this for me), use of TENS machine and robozo, and the relaxing water pool!

Nicole provided a home visit after which was supportive, and she was available through email for breastfeeding and other questions! I am happy I had Nicole to be part of my pregnancy/birthing journey, highly recommended.

Caara van Wyk

8/10/2019

Nicole is amazing! 

Thankful does not even begin to describe how grateful we were to have had Nicole as our doula. To all of the information and support prior to birth, during and postpartum. I don’t know how people do it without a doula. 

Nicole was there anytime we had a question or concern. She was there to relieve pain during contractions and guide us thru the craziest awesome experience of my life! She also did a home visit a few days after the birth which was fantastic. Her knowledge and expertise are priceless. 

As it was my first child, there are so many feelings, concerns, worries about birth that Would enter my head however Nicole put me at ease and truly looked after me the whole way! It made me less nervous/scared/anxious knowing she was there for with us every step of the way! Ridge Meadows Doulas are a must ! 

Jessica Marando

7/26/2019

I was so lucky to have been recommended Nicole and team for my second birth. My first baby was big and got stuck in my pelvis. I was disappointed having to end up in a caesarean and was adamant to do everything possible in attempt for a VBAC. Despite an OB telling me not to bother going into labour and that I had an inadequate pelvis - I successfully gave birth to a 9.1lb baby vaginally with no interventions.

I can’t say enough about the amazing-ness of having this doula team on your side. Nicole (and Tracey) was available to support me however I needed, she kept my husband informed and included through the whole process (and he was skeptical about doulas before!), had the perfect touch as needed to get through contractions and was the confident voice I needed when it came time to get coached through transition and pushing. I will be one client to Nicole but she has impacted my life more than she probably knows and I will be forever grateful to have had her a part of my birth team! ?????? I would hire her back now without question, and will be an advocate for anyone else birthing to hire them too!

Jasmine

7/26/2019

We are thankful to have had Nicole from Ridge Meadows Doula part of the birth of our second son.  Both her and Tracey helped empower us to stand up for the birth choices that we wanted. They helped with resources and encouragement throughout pregnancy so we could make educated decisions that were right for our baby and not just go along with the standard recommendations.  We are so thankful we were able to avoid an induction and allow him to be birthed as a spontaneous and natural vbac. Throughout the labor Nicole was a very calming presence. She was reassuring me the whole time that I am capable of doing this.  She is so experienced, which also gave me peace of mind that if she's there she will know what is normal, when to go to the hospital, how to work through contractions etc.  I highly recommend her as a birth doula.

Tanya Atley

5/7/2018

We would like to thank all of the ladies at RMDS for their amazing care and support. Nicole attended the birth of our baby girl. When I found out that I was going to need a scheduled c-section I questioned if we needed a doula any longer. I am so glad that Nicole was with us at the hospital. She helped me feel calm and stayed with my husband and our baby girl for three hours while I was in recovery making it a really supportive and positive experience. I cannot thank them enough for the continued level of postpartum support and answering all of my questions. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Nora E. Maldonado

4/29/2018

We are so thankful for having Nicole at the birth of our second child. She was absolutely instrumental in helping us have a positive birth experience. Her support and knowledge really made a difference to my husband and I. We felt supported throughout the pregnancy and birth process. Nicole's kindness and warmth, I believe, also went a long way in putting me at ease and giving me strength to get through a difficult labour. Nicole and her team are truly passionate about what they do, very well-informed, and, above all, kind and warm - I can't recommend them enough.

Alanna S

2/1/2018

So happy we hired RMDS! We didn't go with a doula the first time around and regretted it. We didn't want to spend the money but it's worth every single penny! Birth can be tricky and you don't know what to expect, especially the first time around, so extra support is important. We hired them the second time around and it helped ease my worries about labour again and it was nice to have them to talk to during the pregnancy, about fears and some anxiety I was having. They were always checking in and very attentive. They are extremely knowledgable! When I went into labour Nicole was there as soon as my husband called and she was the calm I needed. Knew exactly what to say and i felt relieved when I saw her. She could tell the change in my tone and voice. The contractions were strong and changing quickly and she got my husband organized with the car and child care and all of us off to hospital just in the nick of time! If not for her we probably would have had our son at home or in the car. She helped me breathe properly in the car since I felt like pushing. Julie met us there and helped so much as well! With the car and food, took some pictures and rubbed my back. It was so amazing to have extra support! It really made the whole experience a pleasure and I look back fondly now. I feel very lucky to have had this team of strong women in my life. I would hire them again in a heart beat!

Mary Shearman

10/23/2017

My partner and I knew that we wanted to hire Nicole/Ridge Meadows Doula Services pretty soon after discovering I was pregnant- even before we were settled on midwives.  We knew we wanted a home birth and wanted the support of someone/s who would advocate for us during the birth itself and provide us with a lot of information to help us make informed decisions on the road to the big day.  We knew it was a done deal when we walked into the consultation, Nicole and Ridge Meadows Doula Services were recomended so highly to us for everything from pre-natal classes to who to rent a birth pool from.  In the 'early days' (i.e. prior to 37 or so weeks) Nicole checked in pretty regularly via e-mail- we had a fairly consistent back and forth happening where I was asking for information based on decisions I had to make with the midwives (whether or not to get a vitamin K shot for example) and she would send me (almost instantaneously) information from varying perspectives.  Around the 37 week march we also did a private session with Nicole where she explained what to expect (as best as one can...) when going into labour.  At 39 weeks, Nicole and I started texting- and would you believe she checked in hours before I went into labour because she her "spidey senses" were tingling.  As my partner and I really wanted a home birth we decided not to call anyone until we were completely positive I was in acive labour, and in between contractions this sounded like a great idea- while the contractions were happening though, I really needed someone who had seen this a million (or at least over 200...) times before- so we called Nicole.  Nicole arrived in my bedroom shortly thereafter to help "normalize" the process of labour and birth.  She had really practical suggestions about what would make me comfortable- and/or help accelerate the process.  She also was a boss hip squeezer.  Follow-up was/is great too!

Kim Johnson

4/2/2017

My wife was expecting her first child and I wanted to make sure she had all the help and support she needed during her pregnancy, especially at her birth. I was not worried I couldn’t do the job. I just knew in the craziness of labour it was good to have some extra help and support. Someone not invested in it as much as myself or my wife. We found the Ridge Meadows Doulas and met with Nicole and Allison. We felt comfortable with the ladies right away as the conversation flowed easily. They were a team of 3, their other partner was away at that time.

As our pregnancy progressed we met the same ladies on a couple of occasions and also signed up for some of their free seminars and a prenatal class. When my wife got diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, Allison met us at the hospital to talk to us, to help us understand and to ask questions to help prepare us for what was to come. I kept the doulas informed with everything that was happening due to my wife’s condition and they always responded quickly. Always with some advice or just support.

When my wife went in to active labour I called our Doula team expecting Nicole or Allison to show up but was surprised to see Jessica, who we only met briefly once. At first we were disappointed because we felt like Jessica was a stranger. I am sure she was aware of this by our facial expressions when she arrived at the delivery room.Turned out Jessica was really great. As things got going, she rolled up her sleeves and got right in. My wife preferred Jessica rather than me :-). When our little girl was born Jessica took some pictures since my wife did not want me to leave her side. While our baby was being examined I went to her and Jessica stayed by my wife’s side. While Jessica was not who we wanted or were expecting, we were definitely grateful for her in the end and very pleased and thankful for all the help and support she gave us!

Breanne McGuire

3/28/2017

My husband and I are so happy we decided to hire the RMDS team for our second birth.  We had a doula with our first, but she was no longer active in the birth community.   Nicole had done my placenta encapsulation with my first, so they were our number one choice to work with this time.

The whole team is an amazing wealth of birth knowledge.  In our meetings it was wonderful to talk about all the options we may face, and ensuring my husband and I both knew what we really wanted and where we could be flexible with our birth plan.

Its invaluable to have doulas supporting you through pregnancy and delivery. Those last weeks and days of pregnancy can feel very long and hard, especially when faced with weeks of false labour. Nicole was very helpful, reminding me that my body was doing important work in getting ready for delivery.  She continued to check in on us as the days went by.

When the day finally arrived, Allison met us at the hospital, only to find out we were not moving along well and after chatting with her about what may happen next, we were happy to head home and try and get some rest.  She was very helpful in suggesting some options to help get my body further along in the process.  Although in the moment it seemed like nothing was making my body have stronger waves, it definitly was helping.   Later that evening we were back at the hospital with Jessica for a short intense labour.  Although much of the events are a bit fuzzy for me, my husband was grateful to have an additional support person with us.  The hip squeezes and tens machine helped me get through and before I knew it our baby was in my arms.

We would not hesitate to hire the RMDS team again, should our family continue to grow.

Katie Walsh

3/26/2017

Nicole and her team were a fantastic resource throughout my whole pregnancy, birth and beyond! When my birthing time came I knew I would be completely supported by any of the doulas at Ridge Meadows Doula Services. I was excited to have such an awesome team by my side. They helped ensure I had all the information i needed to make informed choices and make me feel confident in all my decisions and stood by my side in all of those! I had a successful homebirth after ceserean (HBAC) and my birth was wonderful... I fully beliece that the support of nicole and her team was a large part of that.

Keloran Poor

3/20/2017

I had an excellent experience with the Ridge Meadows Doula group. Each of the Doulas has their own unique strengths and personality and they all share a serious passion for what they do. They are goddesses of the birth world! Every time I had a question or concern, I knew an answer was only a quick text message away.

This was my first birth and at first I was a little hesitant to use a Doula Collective, as opposed to one who works on her own. These fears were quickly put to rest at the initial meeting. Their model really is effective, as one of them will just about always be available to you, even if another client ends up in labour at the same time. I found that my husband and I got to know Nicole, Allison and Jessica equally well through the home visits and online communication, and I remember when we were talking about it in the week before my due date, we couldn't pick which Doula we would prefer to be at the birth. All of them are great!

The home visits were very helpful in determining what was most important to us and what interventions could come up so we'd be prepared to make informed choices during the birth. The Doulas also went over Optimal Fetal Positioning and various methods of dealing with pain in labour. I always felt 10x more confident at the end of the visit.

When the time came, Jessica was at the hospital with us ASAP and was a very calm and comforting presence. She helped immensely when I started to panic a little.

When I first looked into hiring a Doula, I knew they attended births. I did not know how valuable they are Postpartum. Allison was a huge help in hospital, teaching my husband how to change a diaper and assisting me with the baby's latch. She even made a few house calls afterwards when I was getting the hang of breastfeeding, and held the baby while we ate dinner one night.

Overall, I would highly recommend Ridge Meadows Doula Group and would use them again without hesitation.

Amy Letkeman

2/21/2017

I hired Nicole for the birth of my second child. After not having a doula the first time, I can say without hesitation it was the best decision we made.

During my pregnancy Nicole was a wealth of knowledge. She encouraged us to make informed decisions and was able to guide me to all the information necessary to allow me to make the best choices for myself and my baby. She created comfortable and illuminating prenatal classes that left my partner and I learning more about each other and feeling confident about our upcoming birth.

During the beginning stages of my labour Nicole was available to answer every single question and concern I had. When our home birth plans became challenged she again helped to quickly gather information for us so we knew every option we had and were able to make the best decisions for our family. I felt supported and uplifted through every decision we made, and Nicole ensured our whole team knew of our choices and encouraged us to continue to advocate for what we wanted.

Talented in so many ways, Nicole had endless ways to keep the day positive and fun. She had pain management techniques for me, for my partner to do for me, and for us to do together. She showed me how to keep our baby in optimal positioning. She had inspiring words to keep me motivated & my mood light. She even helped my partner to install baby's car seat!

Once I was in active labour Nicole was at my side the entire time. She was loving & comforting. From a sip of water, to a ball for my back, to a confident "you're doing amazing", she somehow knew exactly what I needed and when. Nicole held my hand & cheered me on while I birthed my baby, it was an empowering and wonderful experience.

I will hire Nicole for any more births we have, and I will strongly recommend her to anyone considering a doula. She was a key part of our wonderful birth story, and I am beyond grateful for her incredible support.

Ariana Bissky

7/15/2016

Nicole and her fellow doulas at Ridge Meadows Doula Services went above and beyond in their care for us leading up to, during, and following the birth of our daughter. They were easily accessible beforehand via email, text, and phone for all my questions and much needed pep talks. Prenatal visits were thorough and helpful. I had a really long period of pre-labour with intense Braxton Hicks, during which Nicole & co. remained in touch with me and occasionally popped by to check on me. Then, when real labour hit, it was long. Very long. The ladies spent nearly two full days and a night at our home, trading off as needed, and were exactly what we needed to achieve our goal of a safe home birth. I'm certain I wouldn't have been able to do it without their help! I'm so glad we hired them, and I especially appreciate that they are a collective, meaning we got fresh help and they were able to go rest for a while before coming back refreshed and ready to dive in again. Their information sharing is impeccable (I never had one doula asking me a question that I'd already answered for another one — they seem to share a brain), and we will absolutely be hiring RMDS for any future births! We are huge fans.

Twila Manson

9/25/2015

We hired Nicole from Ridge Meadows Doula Services when I was 8 weeks pregnant.  I had a good feeling about her from the beginning.   Throughout my pregnancy she was never more than a text message away with a few questions I had.  Then late into my pregnancy I started having complications.  Turned out 5 days before my due date I ended up consenting to a induction.  I was admitted to the hospital.  I called Nicole in tears.  She was by my side not an hour later.  I wasnt even in labour yet. I was just upset over the situation.  She brought over her tens machine which was a big help with the contractions I was having.  The OB wanted to go straight to a c section the next day, bypassing more cervadil or a pitocin induced labour.  I felt bullied by the OB, I wanted to at least try labour but I felt like my opinion was invalid.  Thanks to Nicole, Allison and Erin (we got the benefit of all 3 of Nicoles Doulas at one time!) who with their help the doctor agreed to let me try pitocin the next day.

During labour she realized that I needed moral support from my husband, who would have been cowering in a corner without Nicoles direction to help make me comfortable.  She quietly nudged him to be the emotionally available husband he has never really been.  I didnt think he had it in him.  I am forever grateful to her for that.  Pitocin induced labour was a beast that could not be tamed, but she tried.  I had bruises on my low back from where they were trying to give me counter pressure... which still wasnt enough.

After a c section Nicole came to recovery to see me, with another member of her team up with my terrified husband and our new son.  After the birth I had breastfeeding questions which shewas always available to answer.

Thank you Nicole for everything.  The coaching, the support, the knowledge and the forever positive energy!

Nichole Olsen

3/24/2015

We are so pleased with the experience we had with Nicole and Allison. Leading up to delivery Nicole provided us with lots of information and answered questions I didn't even know I had. During delivery Nicole and Allison were supportive, provided encouragement and advocacy. I am so happy we worked with them, though much of our birth plan had to change as things progressed we still look back on labour and delivery as a positive experience.

Erin Bethany

3/3/2015

Nicole has such an incredibly calm and experienced presence, no matter what the situation.

I hired her as the doula for my twin birth in the summer of 2014. I hired her because of her kind and passionate personality, the values she has for birth as an experience, as well as her openness to support my birth plan.

My birth did not turn out according to plan, and I was rushed for an emergency cesarean when I wasn't quite 38 weeks yet (twins are full term at 37weeks). Nicole helped me over the next few days to help me grasp my situation and comforted me through my birth trauma. She gave me resources- books, connections and phone referrals, to help me figure out where I needed to go from there. Her calming and compassionate personality that I hired her for exactly what I needed in those days following. I am forever grateful for the help she provided to me, even though nothing really went according to plan.

I would hire her again in a heartbeat.

Angela Fennelow

1/19/2015

When I called Nicole I was early on in my second pregnancy, but I knew I wanted to work with a Doula because of my desire to have a VBAC with my third baby. My twin sons were born by emergency C-section.  I felt that my husband and I would need all the support we could get through my labour and delivery, to best our chances of having a VBAC. When Nicole first visited us, she was very warm and friendly. She told us about herself, and the details of the services that she offers to expecting and labouring parents. She also shared many resources with us about VBACs which was helpful. The next two visits before labour we spent a lot of time sharing with Nicole our ideals and feelings about what we wished for and expected for the labour and delivery of our daughter. Nicole encouraged me to write down my pain management plan, so that I was clear on what I wanted and so she and my husband could refer to it during my labour.

My labour started at about 4:30am, and after being in the bath for about 15 minutes, we decided to go to hospital, and asked Nicole to meet us there. Contractions were long, and coming fast and furious already.From the moment we met in the parking lot until after Alisyn was born, Nicole was there for us. She helped my hubby help me, she did massage to help ease the pain of contractions, made sure I drank water, helped me find positions, asked questions of the doctor and nurses to clarify any comments made, took great photos for us, and explained clearly what was going on in the room, and who everyone was. When things were not going exactly as planned, she came right to me, looked me right in the eyes, and said what I needed to hear to calm myself down, and stop freaking out.

As I reflect on the experience now, I know that having Nicole there for us made all the difference in having a safe, happy and healthy VBAC delivery of our baby girl. We are very grateful we had Nicole on our side.

Chandra Walters

5/23/2014

Nicole was an easy choice because of her background in counseling and her calm holistic approach to the process. I have a history of anxiety and I knew that I needed someone who would be strong and uplifting in those exhausting moments when you just feel like giving up. During our prenatal meeting Nicole was excellent at answering any of the questions me or my husband had and helped us finalize a birth plan that felt right for us.

Nicole helped me remain sane when i went over my due dateand reminded me that 40 weeks wasn’t an expiry date. The day of my delivery I had been sent to the hospital to do a checkup to make sure everything was ok with baby.. After several hours at the hospital we knew that everything was not looking good for our little one and we most likely would not be leaving. Nicole kept in constant contact with me the whole day and let me know that at any time she could be there. When the word “cesarean” started being tossed about my eyes welled with tears and my heart sunk. Literally the first thing we did was call Nicole and she was there within a half hour. The whole reason we had chosen Nicole was for her sincerity, compassion, and understanding and at that moment it was exactly what I needed.

Nicole stayed with me right up until I went in for surgery and helped to keep me calm. As soon as the birth was over Nicole met us in the recovery room and helped me with latching our little girl for the first time. In the days and early weeks to follow she checked in on how we were doing and was even up for answering those late night texts when I had no idea what to do. . Nicole’s support throughout my pregnancy was incredibly valuable. I’m so glad we did our research and chose to bring a doula on board. Even though our birthing plan did not go as expected, Nicole was exactly what we needed during our cesarean. She was empathetic, compassionate and has a true passion for what she does.

genevieve elliott

5/22/2014

My time with ridge meadows doula services, was a good experience. Nicole Chambers was informative and helpful in providing myself, the new father to be a calm service to my wife during her birthing process. I am glad that they could help and share this experience of the birth of our new son Jaxon.

Scott Walters

5/22/2014

My wife and I hired a midwife (which was a great experience) to oversee our birthing process and I didn’t think we needed a doula, but this was largely because I didn’t realize what their role was. However our birth plan was thrown out the window after a conversation with the doctor and our midwife during a checkup after our overdue baby girl was being induced. Now our doula, Nicole, brought tons of wonderful resources to our pre/postnatal meetings, but for me this was the most important involvement in our birth. As my wife looked at me for answers that I couldn’t provide her with, Nicole stood in the hospital with us and was there every step of the way. She provided a calm, patient and empathetic third party perspective. And we had created such a trust with her that I knew she had my wife’s best interest at hand. She was a rock that grounded me during the most amazing, traumatic and chaotic day or my entire life. As I was getting prepped for the cesarean, I didn’t have any regrets, because I knew between the 3 of us we had tried everything to avoid it. I was calm because Nicole stayed with my wife as our Midwife was reading charts and talking with doctors and overseeing all of the many tasks that go on leading to birth. You can imagine how busy a midwife or doctor would be while they are deciding and/or preparing for a major surgery. While this was happening Nicole explained to us what was happening; she reassured us that everything possible was being done. And during this moment having her with us was valuable beyond money. I highly recommend people research what a doula is and why their role in the birthing process is so important. We will certainly use her again in the future and I believe it would be the best money spent for anyone going through birth for the first time.

genevieve elliott

5/20/2014

My doula (Nicole Chambers), upon arrival began the process of guiding me through increasingly difficult contractions. With my fiancée and Nicole by my side, I had my own team of guidance, calm and assistance.

Nicole took charge and made sure I was always busy with finding new positions and new ways to move around to work through contractions. She also kept my fiancée busy with things to fetch and ways to help so he was included. She helped me walk and breathe and held me up while I had walking contractions in the hallway. I was able to make it to this point without any drugs and I owe this to Nicole.

Nicole was an invaluable asset to getting me thorough one of the most difficult times of my life. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a great support system from pregnancy to postpartum.

genevieve elliott

5/20/2014

I had placenta encapsulation done by Nicole Chambers.  I highly recommend this especially for women who have any sort of hormone imbalance, or thyroid issue. I was very emotional right after the birth of my son, however the placenta pills helped in reducing random crying, helped the healing process and sped up overall recovery.  It made me feel a bit more human, faster.  Nicole also does tinctures which last forever, another thing I highly recommend.  They can be used postpartum or during menopause or any time of hormonal imbalance.  Nicole was prompt in getting the pills to me asap so I could recover sooner.

Carla McColeman

11/20/2013

I contacted Nicole after learning that my second birth would be a planned c-section due in part to some surgery I needed at the same time. As I was told that I would be an additional four hours separated from my newborn baby, I was obviously very worried about missing out on that initial bonding time (skin to skin, suckling and all that). I really wanted someone to support my husband and give him pointers to fill the void in my absence. Thankfully all went will with my surgeries and when I arrived at my room, Nicole was there with my family. My daughter had been skin-to-skin with my husband for most of the time I was in recovery and had been suckling on his finger as she waited for mommy.

Nicole was a great help with breastfeeding. She came to my home a number of times, helped me with positions and gave me great tips to help increase my milk supply. I wasn't able to nurse my first child and feel that my success nursing my daughter is largely in part to simply knowing that Nicole was routing for me. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Nicole to friends and family. She's awesome!