Doula +
Kind words
Thank you to my wonderful clients! It has truly been my honor to work with you all.
Michelle is a compassionate, enthusiastic, patient, attentive and knowledgeable birth doula. We spent quality time with her during labor and she was a necessary part of the team. There was someone in the elevator saying “a doula usually doesn’t stay so late with the parents” when we were transferring from l&d to postpartum at the hospital and she surely did stay with us until we really settled down and felt comfortable with ourselves only. not much else to ask for a third person to support when in labor. highly recommended.
Having Michelle as a doula was like having a security blanket during birth. She anticipated needs, translated medical terms, and politely asked questions and spoke up on my behalf when I didn’t have the presence of mind to do it for myself. She single-handedly changed the course of my care to allow for a slightly calmer labor experience that followed the pace my body was setting rather than what hospital protocol dictated. She is a delightful person and a joy to be around. I can’t recommend her enough.
The amount of gratitude I feel towards Michelle truly knows no bounds. I was nervous about giving birth- nervous about the unknowns, what could happen, and how I would feel physically and emotionally. I also had a fear that a well meaning but ill informed nurse or doctor might make a decision that went against my wishes for the birth. So through a friend, we found Michelle to be our birth doula. She is the only person we reached out to for this role as I immediately knew she was a perfect fit. After our initial meeting, she made me feel educated, prepared, supported, calm, confident and dare I say even excited! Most importantly, I felt very confident that Michelle would be a strong advocate-- Michelle is smart, thoughtful, and a strong communicator. She would not let someone I don't know make a decision against our wishes! She answered my texts and helped me troubleshoot all my options as my due date came and went. When I was finally induced 13 days after my due date, she helped us through the whole process. She held my hair back while I was sick during the induction and showed me different positions and techniques- she even rubbed my feet during labor! After the birth, she stayed by my side while my husband and baby were in the NICU and I needed to stay in the labor room until my epidural wore off. We now have a healthy 9 month old, and I often think how wonderful my birth was. Before getting pregnant, I thought of birth as a super scary life event 'just to get through'. I now consider it one of the most amazing things I've ever done. None of my worst fears were realized, and it ended up being cooler and more beautiful than I possibly could have imagined. A huge part of that is due to Michelle. She has a real gift, and we are forever grateful to have her be a part of our story. <3 With love, Erin, Patrick, and Maxine
[my husband] was initially dubious about the role a doula would play in our baby’s birth, and as we were debriefing in the postpartum wing, he commented how glad he was that we had you with us! (and I of course shared his sentiments – having your support and presence made things so much less scary and confusing). I felt so much more comfortable asking you all the questions I was afraid to ask the drs and nurses (or they just weren’t around to be asked).
It was so great to have Michelle in the room as the father of an expecting baby. You take the birth classes but nothing prepares you for live action. Michelle was so helpful in being an advocate for my partner birthing and a partner / coach for me so that I could play a valuable role. Not feeling the pressure of being the only independent support pillar outside of the medical practitioners, but also being supported by an expert. I couldn’t imagine Michelle not being there for the experience.
Michelle was an exceptional professional to work with. There were a number of difficult choices that had to be made during this birth and into postpartum care (e.g. C-Section and breastfeeding). I value Michelle’s wisdom in helping me navigate what was very fraught at the time. Michelle also went WAY above and beyond in sending resources, in following up, and in understanding when I couldn’t be accommodating in our meetings during to family circumstances. Michelle helped me make the best decisions for myself and my family despite these being difficult choices and decisions. I would recommend Michelle to anybody searching for a caring and knowledgeable professional. If I ever have another birth, I hope that Michelle will again be on my team.