Testimonials
I love what I do - and so do my clients
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Brenda was such an asset to both our birth experience and in gaining confidence as new parents. |
The moment we met Brenda, we knew her calming spirit and depth of knowledge made her the perfect doula for us. Brenda is always responsive and genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of everyone in the family. She truly cares, and you can feel it every step of the way. We are honored that Brenda played such a key role in welcoming both of our girls into our lives, and we felt comfortable and confident having her be part of such a sacred and private experience. |
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During the process of interviewing doulas, I found it challenging to envision a stranger being present for one of life's most intimate and vulnerable moments.
However, from our very first interaction with Brenda, I knew she was the perfect fit. Brenda provided invaluable support throughout my first pregnancy, offering unbiased information and wisdom. I never felt judged or pressured to follow a specific path during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum.
While I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about any of the available birth location options, I ultimately chose a hospital birth for my first experience. I can confidently say that my birth experience would have been completely different and potentially traumatic without Brenda's presence. She possesses a remarkable ability to assess a situation, anticipate needs, uplift your partner, collaborate with hospital staff, advocate when necessary, create a safe space, and center you.
Brenda intuitively adapts based on the dynamics among everyone, thereby forming a birthing dream team.
As I recover from birth, I have no lingering doubts or regrets. I am immensely grateful that Brenda played an integral role in my pregnancy and birth story, forever becoming a cherished part of our family. Brenda, we adore you!
-Celina
Brenda provided guidance and support every step of the way during our baby’s birth. When exhaustion was setting in for me, Brenda was still on-point, encouraging me into different labor positions to keep things progressing. And postpartum, at our final home visit, Brenda explained baby sleep cycles in a clear way that has been so helpful; our five-week-old goes right down for a nap now, and gets better and longer sleep!
-Darby
I can’t imagine Brenda not being a part of our birth story. Her services really became invaluable to me in the final few weeks leading up to delivery. It was important to me to have a natural childbirth with as few interventions as possible. As my due date passed with no indication of progress, my doctor urged me to schedule an induction. Brenda helped me formulate an alternative plan the doctor was agreeable to, and I went into labor naturally at 40 weeks, 6 days.
Brenda joined us as I labored at home for several hours. Once at the hospital, she seemed to instinctively know what I needed without me asking for it – a cool rag for my neck, ice chips, covering me when I was cold and removing blankets when I was hot. With her support, my husband and I welcomed a healthy 10-pound, 13-ounce baby boy!
-Doka
I wasn’t quite sure what to think when my wife suggested we hire a doula to help with the birth of our first child. I agreed to give it a try, but I had some misgivings. We had strong feelings about how we wanted to do things, and I didn’t want someone who would try to boss us around or undercut what we wanted. Brenda put those fears to rest immediately. From day one, she was supportive, encouraging, and full of fantastic advice. She took time to understand what we were hoping for, and backed us up at every turn. |
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Brenda was an amazing part of our birth team! I had a ton of questions, and she was so patient, calm and direct with me about what to expect. When it came time for the big day, she was with us every step of the way. Our birth didn’t go as planned, and Brenda was extremely helpful as we navigated what was to be our new plan. She was flexible, and helped me feel empowered in my decisions. Once our birth shifted gears, she totally rolled with it, and seemed to know exactly what I needed.
-Jamie
The hospital was extremely busy the day I went into labor, and I ended up with a labor-and-delivery nurse who was forced to stay late, was in a bad mood about it, and felt free to let me know. Clearly, my desire for a natural birth was not important to this nurse. Brenda was an advocate for me and provided a calming presence in what was, truthfully, kind of a weird environment. I can’t recommend her highly enough.
-Jane
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“Brenda was the amazing doula for our babies. Just the reassurance of her knowledge in the last few weeks of pregnancy was invaluable. Brenda has a very calming presence, which is critical to a hormonal pregnant woman, a woman in labor, and a husband watching his wife go through it all. Brenda was also crucial for my husband – reassuring him, letting him have guilt-free breaks, and taking great care of both of us. Even with our third and final baby – when I should have known how everything goes – she was so helpful at the end of my pregnancy and during a labor that went very differently than planned.” |
Convincing my husband that a doula was necessary proved challenging. He didn’t really understand the purpose of having a doula present at the birth, but was supportive of my wishes. When we interviewed Brenda, we were impressed with her expansive knowledge and the fact she had experienced many different birthing scenarios. She emphasized having a plan, but being open to change due to the unpredictable nature of childbirth. My first impressions of Brenda were that she was calm and kind, and that is exactly what I was searching for.
My labor lasted 34 hours, and Brenda was with me almost the whole time. I labored at home for the first 12 hours; Brenda arrived at my house in the early hours as my contractions grew closer together, and she gave me different labor positions to help with the discomfort. My husband soon realized Brenda was a great source of knowledge and encouragement.
At the hospital, my contractions were incredibly intense, but I wasn’t progressing. I didn’t want an epidural, so Brenda respected my wish of drug-free birth and worked to comfort me in other ways. Brenda was a huge support for my husband, who was having difficulty watching the pain I was in. After 26 hours and some discussion, I got an epidural. Once I was finally able to start pushing, Brenda was right next to me, and helped us welcome our daughter into the world.
Now, my husband tells everyone to get a doula – he’s a believer! He has said many times that Brenda was worth every penny and many more. We’re so thankful for her encouragement, support, and wisdom. I couldn’t have done it without her.
-Jill
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Too bad I can’t give a million stars because I would. My wife & I were privileged enough to work with Brenda for the birth of our first kid a few weeks ago. |
Our birth didn’t go as planned, but Brenda was the calming rock we desperately needed. She is serene and intuitive, and she knows just what to do to make you feel better; I think she kept a cold washcloth on my forehead for over ten hours! Her presence made all the difference – without her, we would have been completely lost. My only regret is not hiring her for postpartum care!
-Karen
After a very negative doula experience with our firstborn, my husband and I had decided not to hire a doula for the birth of our second child. Late in my pregnancy, we took a childbirth class at our OB’s office. The woman teaching the class was a doula, and I remember sitting there, feeling completely overwhelmed because she was offering so many tips, tricks, and strategies to manage during labor. I knew my husband and I couldn’t do it on our own. |
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We had Brenda as a postpartum doula for our second child, having struggled with colic and sleep issues with our first. I cannot put into words how wonderful she was. Brenda was a saving grace to me, helping me rest so I could be more present with our older child while still bonding with my infant son. I cried after our last visit, as she had become like family. We are hoping to have one more child, and Brenda will be my first phone call when we get pregnant again.
-Molly
Brenda was not my birthing doula, but I wish she had been! I know her calming, supportive, and non-judgmental presence would have been a boon during labor, because it sure was when we used her postpartum assistance. Brenda would care for the baby and prepare meals at the same time [I still can’t do that!], so that I could get a few hours of much-needed sleep. She would do a load of laundry or tidy up the house. Sometimes, at my request, she would answer questions I had or talk with me about how I was feeling. She provided instruction, emotional support, and gentle encouragement – with no pressure – when there were breastfeeding issues.
I didn’t know anything about doulas or feel that I was the kind of person who would want or need one. But now, I cannot recommend Brenda enough. The sort of support Brenda provides is wonderfully freeing and stress-relieving.
-Paula
Brenda was so committed to making sure our wishes for a birth plan were respected and kept a priority. Having her as a source of knowledge, as well as a third party helping navigate patient-caregiver relationships, was so important. She was the perfect advocate during our labor at the hospital and made sure we fully understood everything that was happening. Our birth didn’t go as exactly as planned, but Brenda helped us stay positive, focused, and calm. Her presence was just what we needed to make the whole experience the best day of our lives.
-Regina