We highly recommend NYC Birth Village - and Karla Pippa in particular - as a postpartum doula. We had twins in Feb 2017, and we honestly don't know if we could have made it through the first few months without Karla.
At the beginning we weren't sure exactly what we wanted from a doula, but Karla has the experience and wisdom to know the best uses of her and our time. As new parents without much family around, we most needed and wanted help with the vast amount of responsibility dropped in our lap on day one: breastfeeding, sleep habits, bathing, using slings and carriers, soothing techniques, etc. Karla was a fantastic resource for all these things, but even more importantly has a quiet calmness and confidence that made it easy to turn to her for help. Karla is also a fantastic cook and squeezed in grocery shopping and meal preparation in addition to the other help we asked for.
We interviewed several doulas before the twins arrived, and choosing Karla came down to two things: her expertise (including past experience with twins) and her personality. It's hard to describe precisely, but both my husband and I felt immediately comfortable with Karla: she came across as warm and nurturing, and more than anyone else, listened to us and shaped her assistance to fit our needs even when we didn't quite know what they were.
Being new parents, it was extremely hard for us to leave the twins alone with someone else; Karla's expertise and our trust in her allowed us to find little moments of respite, whether just sleeping in the other room or going for a walk outside. Though she had other clients, we never felt less than 100% support from Karla, and she was genuinely respectful of our time and the time of her other clients. She was also available via email and text message, and often checked in via text to make sure things were going ok between visits.
-Maggie Louie
April 15, 2017
NYC Birth Village Doulas
Birth Fee: $900 to $3500
Postpartum Rate: $50 to $70