I will SPARE you the novel, but Noleen is truly a Angel on Earth. I had the opportunity to meet Noleen when my original Doula Dianne was busy attending another birth. I had been a high risk pregnancy since conception and at 39 weeks, I was super over being pregnant - I had already left my employer for disability leave from not being able to sit through a whole shift any longer. This third pregnancy came riddled with tons of health complications: gestational diabetes, sciatic nerve pain, and physical therapy. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my daughter, it was just me (the host body) breaking down slowly. Noleen met me at triage when I started to go into labor, and accompanied me to rub my back and to help me breathe through contractions that seemed as if they were coming every couple of minutes. After being in triage for about three hours, I was having consistent contractions, but I was not dilating enough in order to be admitted. I burst out into inconsolable tears, begging the nurses to try other methods of helping me dilate, as I was in so much pain. Noleen was extremely understanding, and encouraged me the entire way, and promised to be back by my side when it was time for active labor. My co-worker took me back to stay with another friend that was watching my two oldest children. As soon as we pulled up, what I thought was my water breaking was actually me passing the placenta instead, and there I sat in a pool full of blood. Panicked, my coworker rushed back to the emergency room for me to be admitted, as I was bleeding profusely. My coworker was able to text Noleen once I got admitted to state that we were back at the hospital, and that I had lost a lot of blood. Noleen, pretty much close to home herself, rushed back to the hospital in no time; however, because I was losing a lot of blood - and we both know that the placenta SHOULD be is the last thing to come out - I was rushed into surgery for an emergency C-section. Unfortunately I was not able to have the Noleen's reassurance and comfort as the birthing staff was prepping me for surgery, but Noleen was definitely the first smiling face that I saw once I woke up and was able to hold my beautiful baby girl for the first time. Even through all of the pain, the shock, and the relief that both me and my little girl made it through surgery safely, Noleen still managed to capture very precious and tender moments afterwards with her camera. She wrote a tearjerking birth story paired with breathtaking photos that was delivered to me when she visited me at home about two weeks postpartum, and held Baby Zahra sitting on my living room floor. The amount of patience Noleen displayed during a very scary and sudden situation was extremely impressive and I can't thank her enough. Unfortunately, it is at the recommendation of my midwives that I do not bear any more children, but if some miracle happens, and I am blessed to bring one more child into this world, I will definitely have Noleen by my side every step of the way! read more

My husband and I were so thankful we chose Noleen to be our doula and birth photographer for our son. I researched and found out the many benefits of hiring a doula and was then convinced I wanted to go this route. Noleen was recommended to us and when we met with Noleen a few weeks later, we instantly loved her. Noleen would check in with me after my appointments to make sure everything went well. In the weeks leading up to our son's birth, my husband and I read the evidenced based birth research Noleen gave us and we created our birth preferences. I absolutely loved learning about the various labor and delivery topics like skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, comfort measures, Vitamin K, and more. Noleen truly empowered us to be our own birth advocates. The best part of reading all of the resources she gave us was that my fear about labor and delivery was melting away! When labor started, it started slow, days. Noleen gave suggestions for help get our baby more engaged and hopefully bring stronger and more regular contractions. I did the circuit right away and within a few hours later my contractions picked up and I was so encouraged. She came and labored with us in our home and helped me change positions frequently to help things progress. When we arrived at the hospital and I was already 7-8 cm and 90% effaced...thanks to Noleen's help! Noleen helped me relax so much and I had so much peace of mind during the labor and birth. Not only was Noleen supporting my husband and me the entire time, she was also capturing beautiful pictures of our entire labor, birth and golden hour. Her pictures are absolutely breathtaking and we will treasure them for a lifetime! I would HIGHLY recommend getting her Deluxe or Premium package so you can have these incredible pictures as well. We are so grateful that we hired Noleen as our doula and birth photographer! She helped us achieve our dream natural birth. And now, she is not only our doula but our friend for life. read more

Noleen attended the birth of our third child, she came highly recommended by a friend. This was our third homebirth, and I knew I would love to have some pictures to remember welcoming our newest member to the family, the photos from our previous births I also treasure. Noleen exceeded my expectations on all fronts, she came with a Mary Poppins bag of doula magic, the perfect neck towel to keep me cool when I felt hot (which happened a few times), essential oils, bendy straws, and most of all she shared with us her full presence. She was able to support my husband and I (while our two children slept) and at the same time managed to take a beautiful collection of photographs - moving seamlessly between doula and photographer, a pro at both! She was so attentive and supportive from the time I hired her until after the baby was born. Labor didn't progress as I had experienced the first few times, and Noleen was there offering support and ideas on how to move things along as well as much needed encouragement and care. When my children finally were awake to see their new brother being born and in the time after the birth, Noleen was thoughtful and kind, also in a way being a doula to them through this transition. Following the birth she deliviered more photos than we had expected, and they are fantastic, one friend commented that every pixel was like magic. Her birth story was also so special, she remembered small moments that might have been forgotten and included them, it was truly touching to hear the birth through her experience and to have in writing details that might otherwise be lost. Although more babies are not in the plan for our family, if that plan changed I would call Noleen right away and invite her to be part of it; similarly, I highly recommend her to others. My husband very simply describes Noleen as "a real pro" and she is. If you are looking for a doula, birth photogrpaher, or both, call Noleen! read more

If you are on the fence about hiring a doula for your birth, I can tell you that Noleen will help you feel confident in your choices as a mama and is an incredible support during pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum. She is the perfect balance of professional, compassionate and organized. She is an amazing listener who considered all of my concerns thoughtfully and helped guide me through some of the big decisions and emotional hurdles during pregnancy. She is a wealth of knowledge and had given me some very valuable resources to assist me with my decision making and to give support for my postpartum experience with breastfeeding. We had an online meeting to get to know one another then close to our due date, Noleen visited in person. She made me and my husband feel very prepared on our expectations for birth. I especially liked that she offers a TENS unit rental to help cope with labor pain as well as the Motherboard birth plan maker, which allowed us to plan what birth accommodations were desired in a number of different circumstances if you choose to use it in that way. It was easy to communicate the plan to everyone involved in our birth using Motherboard. During labor, we were in contact during early stages and she was there for physical and emotional support during the later stages. We also had our birth photos done with Noleen. She took many beautiful, candid photos as she moved about the birth space quietly- I was so glad to have had the memories of the birth photographed and also have a recorded birth story by her. During our postpartum visit, she shared the beautiful photo memories with me and presented them in a keepsake box along with my birth story and an adorable onesie. We loved working with Noleen and absolutely recommend her for your low stress birth! read more

SUMMARY: Noleen was absolutely invaluable throughout my pregnancy and birth. I wanted to have an unmedicated birth in a hospital context. I ended up having a very long labor with many unexpected turns. I credit Noleen with the fact that I can look back on my birth as a positive experience. I cannot recommend Noleen more highly. My best friend has decided that when she gets pregnant she will be using Noleen as her doula and I plan to hire her for the rest of my pregnancies.  PREGNANCY: I am a first time mom, and I had a lot of questions. Each time I reached out to Noleen via text she responded quickly with her perspective and a resource that I could reference to make my own decision. She never made me feel like a burden. Having her as a resource calmed my anxiety many times.  BIRTH: I texted Noleen in the middle of the night to tell her I was in labor. She advised me on what to do in that moment and came to my home when I needed her. She helped me to labor at home before recommending we head to the hospital. My labor ended up spanning over the course of three calendar days--36 hours. Noleen stood by my side for all of it and gave me the confidence to continue laboring unmedicated in difficult moments.  POSTPARTUM: The postpartum visit that Noleen made to my house was SO sweet. She shared our birth story, which she typed up and gave to us. There were many details of the story that my husband and I had forgotten. The birth story she wrote up for us is something we will always treasure. SIDE NOTE: I will also add that it was very important to my husband and I that our doula shared our Christian faith. Noleen shares our faith and was able to incorporate that into the way she supported me. read more

I am horrible at writing reviews but I feel like I need to write this review. Late is better than never right? (baby born in late 2019) Noleen was absolutely amazing from the moment I met her. I conceived via IVF so I knew very early I was pregnant and wanted to try for natural/ unmedicated birth so I started interviewing doulas. Noleen had amazing resources and information for me to review and help me decide on birth plan options. I was in labor for 60 hours! Yes, 60! In the beginning she supported me over the phone/text. She did ask if I needed her support but I felt ok laboring at home for the first 2 days. About 18 hours prior to birth, we discussed and thought it would be best for her to drive to me and stay at my house until it was time to go to the hospital. From there she supported me, we both tried to get some rest since I was still progressing slowly. I woke her about 3am because I thought my water may have started leaking. From about 6am to noon is kind of a blur but what I remember is she was with me the whole way being an amazing support and resource for birth. She helped with both physical and emotionally supporting me through my birth. I will be forever grateful for her support and PHENOMENAL photos! I was hesitant to add birth photos but now that I have them I am very happy I did. Not only is she a great Doula but also a great photographer. If I were every to have another baby, I would certainly reach out to Noleen to book her services. read more

Initially, I was slightly unconvinced that having a doula for the birth of our first child would be worth it. It wasn't entirely clear what added value a doula would offer, but because a number of friends highly recommended Noleen, my husband and I decided to also give her a try. I can now confidently say, it was a complete game-changer to have Noleen present and I would highly recommend her. She started off by being available throughout the pregnancy, and then met in person as we were closer to our due date. My son was born 9 days early and it was a surprise to everyone, but Noleen showed up at my house and helped me labor in my own home for hours. She coached me through the rushes, offered me significant tools along the way, including pressing on my back during contractions, sat with me while I rested, and directed my husband and I on when we should go to the hospital. At the hospital, it was so helpful to have Noleen present, both to coach me during the birth, but also to help advocate for our wishes with the hospital staff. She was encouraging and strong. Finally, a few weeks after the birth, Noleen met at our house to follow up and check in on how everyone was doing. I highly recommend Noleen's services! read more

Noleen is a reassuring, calming, and supportive presence throughout pregnancy, birth, and post-partum. She was present at the birth of my third son, and I have worked with three different doulas. Noleen balanced respect for our prior experience with new ideas and unexpected turns. I was impressed with her knowledge, experience and demeanor. As others have written, she has a calming influence that was appreciated by both me and my partner. She is also easy to communicate with and readily available, even when things go on over days or weeks. She was proactive in checking in with me, offering the right amount of support without being asked. Most importantly to me, she is supportive without being overbearing. She is always willing to offer when asked or even gently suggest things we didn't think of, but neither I nor my partner ever felt that she was driving things or pushing anything. We were in charge, and she was available to support us as needed. The result was a beautiful birth with unexpected twists in which all players had essential roles. If we have a fourth son in AZ, we will definitely call Noleen again. read more

Our experience with Noleen was nothing short of extraordinary. Although induced, I was able to still deliver without an epidural as I had hoped to, thanks to the support provided by Noleen. We had another Doula that unfortunately had a long standing surgery the same day that our baby girl decided it was time to come out. Noleen was our Doula's backup for that day. Although we had not been in communication with Noleen throughout the pregnancy, she treated us like we had been her client all along. Noleen offered support before coming to labor with us. From my husband's perspective, having Noleen there helped facilitate such a special an intimate experience because she provided invaluable guidance, emotional support, and was a calm and steady force throughout the labor. If we had to describe the experience with Noleen in one word it would be PRESENT. She was present to each and every moment and contraction for us. She was our advocate to the hospital team, making sure that all needs were taken care of, allowing us to focus on the experience. read more

This review is way past due but I couldn't be more thrilled to write this.  On March 15th, 2020 at 10:52am we welcomed our baby girl into this world.  My wife and I couldn't of been anymore happier.  As a father and husband experiencing this all for the very first time in my life I'll admit I was terrified like most men would be.  The question I kept asking myself was, how do I comfort my wife during one of the most challenging tasks of her life? That's where Noleen came in.  Not only was Noleen there for my wife every step of the way but she was there in ways that I never knew she could be.  Noleen is one of the most caring, loving and supportive individuals we could have ever hired to be our Dolua and if we had an opportunity to do it differently we wouldn't.  So, If you're reading this review right now wondering if Noleen is the person you should hire to be your Dolua, please let me save you the trouble and tell you just do it.  She is the best person for the job and I promise you will not regret having her by your side. read more

Where to begin? We LOVED working with Noleen. If you're reading these reviews wondering if you should have Noleen as your doula, you should. She went above and beyond our expectations. I had a fairly long labor and she stuck with my husband and I through it all. She was a source of peace, comfort, encouragement and guidance through the birth of our baby, and I really can't imagine having another baby without her there. She provided guidance on birth positions and ways to progress my labor. She helped me make informed decisions before and during the birth. A few weeks after the birth, she came to our home for a postpartum visit where she read us our birth story. It was beautiful and healing. Aside from being a wonderful doula, she's also a very skilled photographer. I will always cherish the photos she captured the day of and the newborn photos a few weeks later. They are artistic and beautiful. We couldn't be happier with our choice to have Noleen with us on this journey! read more

I cannot recommend Noleen and her doula services enough! Noleen helped deliver my 3rd baby at the hospital. She was communicative and helpful over the phone throughout the day I was in labor. When labor kept stalling, she provided invaluable information that helped me make decisions about how to get labor going. Once at the hospital, and in active labor, Noleen provided emotional support and encouragement, pain management techniques, suggestions for labor, and took photos. How she manages to do this all at the same time is a mystery to me. The package we chose included birth photos and a newborn photo shoot. I highly recommend this option. Noleen's photos are beautiful and something you will treasure over the years. She captured the birth so beautifully and wrote up a birth story with all the important details that get lost in the rush of labor. If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, let me help you out - DO IT. And choose Noleen. She's amazing. You won't regret it. read more

My husband and I were beyond grateful to have Noleen as our doula and friend during pregnancy and birth. She was a confidant and great advocate during a number of difficult situations while I was pregnant. She suggested a new OBGYN to us and we ended up switching at around 35 weeks! I didn't even know it was possible to switch OBs that late, but she encouraged us to do what made us comfortable and not feel like we were trapped with a specific doctor or hospital. She is a wealth of information and is great at offering her perspective and advice, but leaving the decision up to the parents-to-be. When I was beyond exhausted during my long labor, Noleen kept me going and ultimately helped me progress to an unmedicated vaginal birth, which was what I was hoping for. She also supported my husband in the labor process, which was so important to both of us. Noleen was worth every penny and more! So thankful to have had her by our side to welcome our first child. read more

We recently had the pleasure of working with Noleen as our doula for the birth of our daughter, Daphne. From the very beginning, Noleen's guidance and support was invaluable to our family. Our initial plan was to deliver naturally at a birth center, but due to unforeseen complications, we had to transfer to a hospital and ultimately needed a c-section. Noleen was with us every step of the way, making the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible. Throughout our entire pregnancy and birthing journey, Noleen went above and beyond to ensure that we felt supported and informed about our options, which allowed us to make the best decisions for our family. We are so grateful for everything she has done for us and feel truly blessed to have had her by our side. We wholeheartedly recommend Noleen to any expectant parents in need of a skilled and compassionate doula. - Meredith and David McCullough read more

So I'm writing this as a husband / birth partner. We've had Noleen as the Doula for all three of our kids births. After this last one, I was thinking back on how I felt on the first baby and each one since and I can't say enough for both having a Doula to support as well as Noleen as an amazing help. If you are a modern husband who is involved and wants to be a part of the birth experience with your wife, having a Doula is a huge help. I remember being a little nervous the first time about whether Noleen would be too "in charge" but that was not the case. More than that, when I was exhausted she was there to help, and her expertise made me feel so much more confident to be with my wife in whatever way was needed. I'm very grateful we had Noleen as a doula and if we have more kids we will be using her again. read more

I feel so deeply grateful that we were able to find Noleen for our second pregnancy. I didn't have a doula for my first, and having her there this time made such a big difference. From the moment we met, she was easy to talk to, encouraging, accessible, and filled with great resources and tips throughout the pregnancy. During labor, her presence with the providers, me and my husband was invaluable. She was able to read when my contractions started and to use the TENS unit exactly at the right time even without me asking. After the birth, she helped my baby latch and gave me good recommendations on how to support my recovery for the next days. I saw her two weeks after the birth when she shared the beautiful birth story she wrote for us. It was so special. Truly, Noleen is a gift, and I recommend her 1000%. read more

Working with Noleen was such a blessing, she has a beautiful grounding energy about her that was so extremely helpful during labor. She helped me not only during labor but was a true support during the whole process of pregnancy and beyond. I couldn't have asked for a better team to walk on this journey with. Noleen was able to capture some beautiful pictures for my family, some memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives and she wrote us a birth story from her persepctive which I can't even begin to explain how cool that is to have. I am beyond grateful for everything Noleen has done for us and if I have any more children I will definitely be calling her again. Thank you again, Noleen for doing what you do, you are amazing!! read more

There's really no word short of godsend to describe Noleen. When my wife first mentioned wanting a doula, I was a bit apprehensive, concerned about bringing someone into the hospital with us who wasn't hospital staff and who might clash with nurses and doctors. Nothing could've been further than the truth. The hospital staff was GLAD we had a doula. From the moment we hired her, Noleen brought a calm, incredibly experienced hand to the whole process for us. Aside from the countless resources and endless advice leading up to the big day, Noleen created a bridge for us to the hospital staff. I never felt confused or lost, because she was there to guide us the whole time. I'd hire Noleen again every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. read more

Noleen is an amazing doula! We asked her to join us on our journey for our first pregnancy and she provided so much guidance and support throughout not just the birth process but the entire pregnancy. She was always available to answer questions and provide information to help us make informed decisions. No matter what decision was made she supported us. During the actual birth of our son, she helped us navigate decision making with hospital personnel and her encouragement and experience helped me feel safe and supported while I brought our son into this world. Even after the birth she provided postpartum support and checked in several times. I truly believe my birth experience was made better by her presence. read more