Testimonial for Noleen Thurman CD(DONA) & Birth Photographer
Noleen is an absolute gift! After having a decent hospital birth experience with a doula's assistance for our first child, I knew I wanted to have a doula again for our second. Noleen was recommended by another doula whose schedule was booked up and boy am I glad it ended up that way!
I was planning on birthing at the hospital once again, but Covid and the uncertainty of whether we would be able to have a doula in the room made me anxious. After expressing my concerns, Noleen reminded me that I had options, including a home birth or a birthing center. These were options I hadn't considered. She gave me outstanding recommendations and information as my husband and I weighed the pros and cons of each option. We ultimately settled on a birthing center.
The birth center experience paired with Noleen's gentle, thoughtful guidance provided me with the most peaceful and joyful birth experience. Noleen consistently made me feel listened to and supported. She let me guide the birth process, but encouraged and informed me along the way. She was great with my husband as well. One of our main complaints about our first child's birth was that my husband wasn't included as we had hoped. Noleen made sure he was seen, heard, and involved in the room, just as we had hoped he would be.
On a practical level, Noleen is everything you want a doula to be -- professional, communicative, wise, knowledgeable, friendly, and definitely not pushy. She has a unique ability to help her clients unfold what they really desire for the birthing process. She helped give us a more beautiful experience than we had hoped for!
If you're considering hiring her for photographs, I highly encourage you to do so. We hadn't originally planned on having her photograph our son's birth, but I am SO glad she did. The images are something we will treasure for years to come. They're beautiful and perfectly capture the raw emotion of that day.
-Jenna Ryan
December 23, 2020
Noleen Thurman CD(DONA) & Birth Photographer
Doula Noleen
Birth Fee: $1600 to $2700
