Having Laura as our doula was an amazing process. During our first pre-natal visit, we talked through how the first birth went and all the factors that went into ending up with a c-section the first time around. My wife expressed her desire for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarian). Laura really took the time to get to know us, our desires, and our limits. She has an uncanny ability to explain things from both a scientific perspective as well as a more spiritual/new age perspective. After the meeting, she shared a Google doc with us of helpful resources, which was a wonderful way for us to all be aligned in our thinking and expectations for birth partners.

Labor ended up starting about two weeks early and it was helpful to be able to call Laura periodically as her labor progressed at home. The contractions started far apart and got closer together but we had no idea if they were intense enough to be considered active labor. We spoke to Laura on the phone to check in and get some reassurance about when to go to the hospital.

Once we got to the hospital is when we were super glad that we had Laura there with us. A lot of time spent even in active labor is spent alone so Laura’s presence when a contraction was happening every few minutes was critical. As intense contractions were happening, she was having my wife focus on me while Laura was giving massages or hip squeezes. In between contractions, she was suggesting different positions to try.

My wife didn’t think she could labor for as long as she did before taking the epidural and there’s no way that I alone would have been able to get her to the point at which the natural delivery would have been successful. Most people think that after a c-section, you must always have c-sections and a lot of times that is true. There is no guarantee that a VBAC will be successful but ours was and I believe that having Laura as our doula was a big factor in the successful delivery!

Posted 5/16/2018

Laura did an amazing job as my doula! She brought a lot of positive energy to my birth experience and helped keep me positive as well when I was in pain and having contractions. She wasn’t pushy at all and very respectful of my decision to take the epidural so that I could get some rest after having contractions for a day and a half. While I was in labor, she helped me breath through it and pressed down on my lower back which helped a lot with pain management. She also gave me a back massage and brought her own scented oils which helped me relax and remain calm through labor. After the birth, Laura came over with breakfast, made a broth for me to help with my recovery and also showed me some stretches that I could do at home. She also gave me a post-partum massage which was also great! And, gifted me a mom related poetry book that she contributed to. Having Laura’s support during labor had a huge positive impact on my birth experience. Laura did a lot more as my doula than I had expected and comes with a wealth of knowledge on pregnancy and birth so I would definitely recommend her as a Doula to others!

Posted 5/1/2018

As soon as my husband and I had our first meeting with Laura, I felt immediately at ease...  she had just the right blend of humor, groundedness, and mindfulness, and I knew right away that I wanted to have her in the room as our birth doula.  As first time parents, her presence was just as important for my husband as it was for me -- we knew nothing about the birth process, and it was amazing to have someone have our backs.  As parents of twins, it was particularly amazing that Laura is also a mother of twins, and has extensive post-partum doula experience...  I feel like we got the best of both worlds, as we were able to talk about both the birth and post-partum issues at the same time, which for twin moms is key!!    I cannot say enough good things about Laura -- her presence simply made everything better.

Posted 3/15/2018

Laura was gentle, present and wise in her support of my transition into motherhood. With lightness and humor she helped change the energy in our house when lack of sleep and the fear of how to care for a newborn seemed overwhelming to me and my partner.
Her knowledge in providing physical comfort for my healing body was key in helping me process my birth so I could relax and get much needed sleep. Education and support with breastfeeding and baby wearing were tangible skills that were literal game changers.
I can't even begin to touch on my gratitude for the emotional care she provided. Becoming a mother can feel isolating and lonely. Through Laura's help I was able to find space to feel more like myself and laugh and smile through this journey.

Posted 4/11/2017

Community Blessingway Testimonal

When Laura invited me to the community blessing way I wasn't sure what to expect. This ended up being one of the most memorable days of pregnancy. Holding sacred space with other women who were already mothers or about to be mothers helped me feel secure in my future role. Expressing my doubts was freeing and your thoughts and advice gave me confidence. To this day, I look at the beads we strung together as a reminder to let go of expectations. The only thing that made this day even better was having my own mother sitting next to me experiencing this beautiful ritual."

From my mom, "The blessingway was a very emotional experience that I shared with my daughter and the other moms to be. I got to see how strong and brave my daughter was and how much pregnancy is truly a blessing and powerful experience for all women."

Posted 3/6/2017

Simply put, Laura was amazing. Within the first few minutes of coming to our home, Laura seemed to know exactly what to do to make our lives easier and get the family through a very difficult time. She immediately helped my wife with loving support, was an incredible resource for us to better care for our baby and a wonderful calming presence in our home. Before we hired Laura i didnt even know what a post partum doula was. Now, I tell everyone how essential a doula can be. I'm so grateful that we met her and had the great fortune of getting her help and support. I recommend her strongly to anyone with a new baby. 

Posted 2/28/2017

I just wanted you to know that you were the MOST Important part of my postpartum recovery and healing and I can never thank you enough for being my biggest cheerleader. I will never, ever forget that. Your babies are so lucky to have you as their mama. I learned so much from you about parenting and womanhood and salad dressings and LIFE. For as long as I live I will never ever forget your kindness. You are truly one of the most special souls I have ever met! 

Posted 2/23/2017

When Laura arrived at my house after we brought our son home from the hospital, I felt saved, like a rescue worker had arrived.

There was food, there was cleaning, there was practical help, there was nurture, there was an amazing backrub that I am still deeply grateful for. All of this was necessary because I was breastfeeding around the clock, quite sleepless, recovering, unable to fix myself a snack, incapable of anything except holding my tiny son against my skin and feeding him. Laura enabled me to give my son the primal attention he needed during those early days. I was, for a time, freed from mundane tasks like prepping snacks and giant challenges like figuring it all out.

While I might, in other circumstances, feel self-conscious about accepting help, accepting backrubs, accepting someone in my kitchen, I felt, simply, good. Laura is generous of spirit, has more than her share of wisdom, she is empathetic and understanding and I luxuriated in these traits when I needed them most.

Becoming a mother is all-consuming those first few weeks. I will always be grateful to Laura for being a source of help and joy as I went through that physical, emotional, and spiritual transition.

Posted 9/26/2014

I feel like everyone should have a post partum doula. My first 3 months was such a struggle as a first time parent and a baby who didn't stop crying for 3 months. I don't know how I could have gotten through that tough time without Laura. From brining me nutritous snacks and drinks when she visited, to a sane ear to really providing the knowledge and information we needed to get through an amazingly tough time. Highly reccomended. Thank you Laura

Posted 9/23/2014