We interviewed a number of doulas but chose Ashley because although she did not have the most…read morereal-world experience of those we interviewed, she was the warmest and seemed most passionate about her job. Throughout my pregnancy, Ashley was quick to respond to my questions and requests, and I never once felt as though I was bothering her. She was quick to admit when she didn't know something and do the research needed to educate herself. She has a great sense of humor, a soothing demeanor, and escorted us through a very complicated birth process that saw us from birth center to hospital to emergency C-section. She remained alert, supportive, and calm from 1am until 10pm. When I chose my doula, I wanted not another "medical professional," but rather someone who felt like a friend who happened to be well-educated in labor and childbirth. Ashley was a perfect fit. I would recommend Ashley as a doula to anyone.

We had such a wonderful experience with Ashley. She was attuned to Mom's needs right from the…read morestart, listening closely to her concerns and asking the smartest questions to learn more about us. When she didn't have an answer to one of our questions she knew just where to find it. She was so warm, comfortable and respectful, we felt like she was part of our family. She told us we could call her any moment of the day or night, and she really meant it. When the time came for us to rush to the hospital, we called her at 2:00 am and she was awake and alert as if she had been waiting for our call, and she stayed that way through the entire birth process. Afterward she called and visited, and became a friend. Our daughter is now a cute and healthy 6 month old, and the whole family is adjusting well, which is the highest recommendation I can offer.

I'm so deeply grateful that I was able to have Mary there to guide me before, through, and after…read moregiving birth. She was sensitive to me, kind, stood up for me, and helped me know I could get through it. I do not hesitate to recommend her as a doula for any reason.

Hiring Mary as our Doula was one of the best decisions we made, and I truly believe she played a…read morehuge role in helping me achieve my successful VBAC. Her support started long before labor. She met with us several times to help us prepare mentally and physically, walked us through our birth plan, and made sure we understood what to expect. She also helped us prepare our home for postpartum in ways I never would have thought about; helping me set up nursing and changing stations around the house, sharing practical meal ideas, and even helping us put together a special "fun box" to help keep our toddler entertained during the transition. Those little details made such a big difference once we got home. During labor, she was incredible. She stayed with us for over 20 hours, offering constant encouragement, comfort techniques, and reassurance. She helped me stay focused when things got hard and reminded me I was capable when I needed it most. Her calm presence made such a difference for both me and my partner. She doesn't just show up for the birth, she truly invests in the whole family and the whole experience. Because of her, I felt prepared, supported, and empowered every step of the way. If you are hoping for a VBAC or just want someone truly dedicated to supporting you through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, I cannot recommend her enough. We are so grateful she was part of our birth story. We will definitely hire her for our next birth!

Christi performed placenta encapsulation for us after our baby girl was born and I highly recommend…read moreher for this service. The process took two days, and she spent about two hours in our home each day. She explained the whole process and took time to make sure I understood the instructions before she left. During "down time" she gave me some pointers on breastfeeding and some guidance on cluster feeding. She left our kitchen cleaner than it was before. :)

Christi Nixon at Emerald City Doula's was by far the very best person I was lucky to work with…read more Week 32 of my first pregnancy I was to suddenly change care from midwives to a specialty care. I was so stressed out, I decided to get myself a doula to help self advocate and boy was that the best choice! Wonderful Paula, who mans the office, got back to me immediately and helped reassure me that she was on the case and would help me quickly. I got a call that day and I was paired with Christi (who I was referred to). It's so strange having to choose a complete stranger to pay to be a close companion in little to no time. It turned out to be a perfect fit. After a long and troublesome induction I called Chrisi to Northwest and the nurses attitudes completely changed. Chrisi had a wonderful working relationship with the staff and I wish I'd called her sooner even if it meant going beyond the contracted time. In the end, with such a complicated and troublesome delivery, Christi was right there with me postpartum and helped me get through the most challenging parts of adjusting to parenthood. Her non judgement, compassion and empathy were life savers and what's best about having a postpartum doula is that they're there to help you specifically, so there is very little to no drama like you'd inevitably get with family. I also appreciated how available she was via text. She even helped coach me through my child's tongue tie and helped me find a wonderful lactation specialist who came to my home. Together we worked out breastfeeding and pumping and the very best gift of a postpartum doula was giving me one blissful full nights rest while she stayed up with my child. Having a doula is a wonderful gift to give yourself, having a postpartum doula in addition is a blessing and having Christi or anyone from Emerald City Doulas is a must! I recommend these wonderful folks hands down every chance I get.

I cannot say enough good things about Cheryl. She is incredible and I hope she'll be my doula for…read moreall my future births. BACKGROUND on me/us. We decided when the pandemic hit that we wouldn't let it stop us from starting a family. I got pregnant in April of 2020, and in September, we moved from San Francisco to Seattle. Since this was my first, I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I visited Swedish First Hill thinking I might want a hospital birth, and interviewed three midwives and several (six, to be exact) doulas. When I met Cheryl, I knew I had found "the one." She was also the only person I spoke w/ that made me genuinely feel EXCITED about giving birth. PRE. Not only did Cheryl offer to meet me throughout my third trimester to do the stairs or go for walks, but she also hosts weekly prenatal yoga classes (over Zoom), which I'll be honest, were the *only* times I did yoga during my pregnancy. BIRTH. On the birth day, Cheryl was phenomenal. She comforted me not only w/ her words, but also her hands when I was laboring. She rubbed my back or my leg, which I later found out is not the standard for birth doulas, and suggested different positions for me as things progressed. She was so good about feeding me and making sure I was staying hydrated, too. (As an endurance athlete, I know for a fact I would have bonked had she not force fed me a banana, honey, and electrolytes.) She made me feel strong and safe throughout my entire labor. POST. After baby was born, Cheryl took such good care of my partner and me. She fed us, taught us how to swaddle baby, helped me through mastitis, and became someone we consider to be family. She encapsulated my placenta after making placenta art, too. Her intuition about what we needed was so spot on, it truly is a gift. I birthed a 9lb1oz baby w/o drugs or stitches at home, and I thank Cheryl (and my midwives) for that. We adore Cheryl and anyone would be lucky to have her.

As a first time mom, I was clueless about the labor and delivery process. As I was exposed to…read morevarious kinds of births, I came across the idea of having a birth doula to help both my husband and I through the process. Cheryl was everything we had hoped for and more. We connected with her immediately. I would reach out to her regularly during my pregnancy with questions and concerns, and she was very quick to respond and ease my nerves. We took a few prenatal classes with her which helped us understand labor and delivery better. I wanted to make sure my husband and I were also well versed with the possible interventions that could take place at a hospital birth. Cheryl did a great job of teaching us what the alternative options were in case things didn't go as planned. On the day of, Cheryl helped me labor at home and the hospital, which is exactly what I had hoped for. I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital, and I felt very secure knowing that Cheryl would know when is the best time. The majority of my labor was pretty intense back labor and Cheryl knew exactly what to do to help me get through the contractions. Our experience with the labor and delivery would never have been the same without Cheryl. I had an amazing experience thanks to her faith and support. After the birth, Cheryl came to our home a few times to check on us and help me breastfeed as well. Being with Cheryl on this journey felt like being with our family! It's been almost a year and a half since our daughters birth and we still keep in touch with her and enjoy speaking to her about parenthood! Cheryl was a Godsend, and we could not have imagined our daughters birth without her!

Investing in Davinah's support as our postpartum doula was such an important decision for our…read morefamily. The first three months of motherhood were so much more difficult for me than I could have anticipated (even though I did as much preparing for the difficulty as I could have...the sleep deprivation and endless infant screaming still humbled us in a major way)! Having Davinah's presence to look forward to got me through. On multiple evenings when I reached what felt like the end of my capacity to mother, I would remind myself, "Only two more sleeps until Davinah comes.", that thought gave me the hope and energy to keep going. Her presence in our home gave us so much! Never before have I felt hosted in my own space. She was warm and attentive, and did everything from wiping down my kitchen counters to holding my fussy baby to giving me reassuring hugs while I wept on the couch. I felt like I could truly invite her into the mess of my home and emotional state. The postpartum months are uniquely vulnerable, and she was able to listen and respond to our families needs with so much thoughtfulness and depth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From my husband : as a new Dad, I didn't expect to need or want support from a postpartum doula but I can't imagine the transition into parenthood without Davinah. She works fluidly, flexibly, and tirelessly. I was so impressed by her ability to intuit our needs and remind us to take good care of ourselves. The mornings of sleeping in while Davinah fed or soothed the baby were magical. When we woke up breakfast was ready! It was such a blessing to have her support.

Davinah - she just breeds joy and empathy with a side of fierceness! I can hear her now saying…read more"that's real" and I learned so much from her about how to be a better listener. Davinah was a voice of reason during our prenatal stages. She helped us prepare for the unknown that was to come as new parents by giving us concrete tasks to plan for and questions to answer for ourselves. I think it really saved us during those first few weeks and months. I ended up having a scheduled c-section so we did not get to experience Davinah's full services in labor, birthing, but she was there with us all along the way as we navigated the hospital, OBs, etc. and showed up for us as a postpartum doula to help with the much needed basic care after friends and family had returned home and husband was back to work. If she does not know the answer to something, she's honest about it and directs you to a wealth of resources in the community. We wholeheartedly recommend Davinah for any expecting parents, whether it's your first time or not! You will feel heard, supported, advocated for, seen, and celebrated.

I gave birth at 40 weeks and 3 days. Two days before delivery, I called to inform you that I was…read moresick. Instead of providing a prescription covered by my insurance, I was only given a list of medications to buy. Because I was very sick, I had to go to Walgreens and spend over $100 on medications that I could have received for free with a prescription. Later, I tested positive for COVID-19 and informed your team. The only response I received was "I'm sorry you have COVID, stay in quarantine for 5 days." At no point was I informed that COVID could lead to early labor. The day before delivery, when I entered active labor, I called again. My information was sent to Providence Everett, but I received no encouragement or support from any of the midwives. Ultimately, I had to undergo an emergency C-section because my baby's heart rate was unstable, and my newborn was transferred to Seattle Children's Hospital due to meconium aspiration. I did not hear from Sprouts until four days after my baby's birth, and the call was simply to say, "I'm sorry you went through that, let us know when you want to schedule your postpartum appointment." When I scheduled and came to my appointment, I felt dismissed and disrespected. At the front desk, I was asked "where's the baby" in an ironic tone, followed by "oh, I forgot, she's at the NICU." In my visit with Deborah, my concerns about missed communication and risks associated with my prolonged pregnancy were rejected instead of acknowledged with empathy. Despite my disappointment, I continued with follow-up appointments for postpartum care and birth control because I had no other provider at that time. However, I have consistently felt unsupported. Most recently, when I asked for an all-purpose nipple ointment (as recommended by the lactation team and nurses at Seattle Children's Hospital), I received a dismissive and questioning response instead of the prescription I needed. At this point, I believe the care I received from Sprouts Birth Center has fallen short of the support, compassion, and professionalism that should have been provided. For these reasons, I respectfully do not recommend this birth center at all.

Loved Mayya and Deborah (plus assistants and midwive students) for my midwifery care! This is my…read morethird birth (all water births); second out of hospital birth. I will always recommend out of hospital/midwife care, especially Sprout Birthing Center. Prenatal care: On point all around. All the traditional tests were offered to me to ensure there weren't any apparent complications that would make my pregnancy or birth high-risk. Birth: At the center. Arrived a little after 9pm to help move the pregnancy along (11 days overdue!). After hours birth meant my immediate family was able roam the center without interfering with day-to-day operations. My son was born at 11:01pm. Mayya and Brittni didn't rush me and didn't argue me when I said it was time to push. They let me control the birth. Their roles were simply to make sure we were healthy. After having a hospital birth with my second son, I can't rave enough about how much its truly means to drive your own birth. I was free to leave around 2 or 2:30am. 5 hours at the center and in home in bed to rest and heal! Can't complain about that! Postpartum Care: Thorough. Never once did I feel I wasn't being listened to. Billing: No issues as of yet ‍. I'll update if needed.

I can't recommend Milla and Melinda enough! My husband was skeptical about hiring a doula, but…read moreafter the birth he was the first to say how grateful he was they were there for us and that the investment was so worth it. Their package is outstanding compared to others. Milla was with us for delivery and she was such a calming, supportive presence. She reminded me of my birth plan when I needed it, worked beautifully with the hospital staff, held me through contractions, cheered me on when I felt like giving up, and set boundaries with family when I asked. She just knew what I needed and I felt safe with her. Melinda was equally fantastic. I felt deeply seen by her. She helped me with my anxiety before labor and in postpartum, gave me practical tools (the ice exercise was a game changer), and walked through our house helping us set up baby stations + shared so many helpful tips. Some additional highlights: - Their website has the best list of questions to ask when interviewing doulas. - The prep class with Milla was both super helpful and honestly fun. I truly believe the exercises she taught me made a huge difference in my labor. - Melinda dropping everything to come help us on day 3 postpartum when we texted her in frenzy. Hiring them was hands-down the best decision we made. I'm so happy with how my labor went, and I honestly credit that to this amazing doula team. Overall, the biggest impact they made on me was that they believed in me, and that gave me so much strength. For a first-time mom with higher levels of anxiety, that kind of support was priceless. I honestly wish they could be my team of support forever in motherhood--that's how much I loved them and how much I trust them. And even now, I still bug them from time to time and they always quickly help me out with resources. I am so fortunate to have found them. I am sure you will feel the same way if they become your choice of doulas.

I've been supported through 3 pregnancies and deliveries (2 with midwives at a birth center, 1…read morec-section in hospital) by Melinda Ferguson, and cannot recommend her highly enough for her extensive experience from attending hundreds of births, empathy, responsiveness, and ability to connect me with others in the perinatal community for specific things like birth prep classes, lactation, sleep, etc. As a first-time parent, I especially found Melinda's guidance and presence helpful to calm my anxieties around the process of giving birth, as well as caring for a newborn. So the second time, I wanted to have the same support and was so glad to have her with us even though we'd been through this before once. And although I had expected the third time to be even easier, some complications came up and it was so helpful to be able to consult with Melinda and work through some difficult decisions. She also helped me with processing and accepting the surgical delivery that I had really hoped to avoid.

Autumn is an awesome doula!!! We had a great experience with Seattle Doula Partners and would…read moreabsolutely hire them again. We interviewed 3-4 doulas and the team at Seattle Doula Partners stood out the best to us. They were not pushy and their experience and calmness in communicating to us through facts and information really appealed to us. The initial conversations before the birth were very helpful. I was very apprehensive about the birth and talking with them to help uncover my and my husband's anxieties about the birth and it really helped prepare us emotionally. In many ways I felt like it was a therapy session! When I was hospitalized at 32 weeks, Autumn checked in on me consistently to make sure we were doing okay which felt very reassuring. Finally when the day came, we let Autumn know we were on the way to the hospital at about 11pm and she arrived just after I settled down in the L&D room which was super speedy! She immediately attended to both mine and my husband's needs, answering any questions we had. One of the most valuable things that Autumn did was that before anything that happened, e.g. getting my epidural or pushing, Autumn talked through in detail what to expect and this helped prepare us well emotionally and in many ways, made me less fearful. She was always right by our sides coaching us on what to do in a gentle and reassuring way. She wasn't intrusive and allowed me and my husband to have our own time. Through the pattern of my contractions, the nurse hypothesized that my baby was face up. Autumn had a ton of suggestions on how to resolve this and coached the nurse to getting me in the right positions. By then, my lower half was pretty weak from the epidural and every time the nurse had to shift me, Autumn was always there to lend a helping hand. At about 2am, all of us went to rest and my husband was exhausted. The IV machine kept beeping and Autumn always promptly stood up and turned it off so that we could all rest. She was close by and helped me with every small little thing I needed so my husband could rest. Autumn coached me through the entire 2 hours of pushing and holding my legs up. She was very encouraging and her calming and reassuring words gave me a ton of confidence. Once the baby was out, she stepped back, got one of our phones and took a bunch of pictures that I really treasure today! Post birth, I had a lot of difficult breastfeeding and Autumn shifted her schedule so she could come and visit me soon after that. She helped me with the latch and gave me a bunch of ideas to help increase my supply. 3 months on and I still think about how lucky we were to have Autumn by our side! Thank you so much for your hard work, Autumn!!

Autumn is a fantastic Doula! I am so thankful that I was able to have Autumn during my labor. She…read morewas extremely helpful with pain management and came with a bag full of goodies to aid in my comfort. She was very helpful in coaching my husband and provided an extra set of hands so he could shower and make sure we had everything we needed before leaving our place. She arrived at our apartment at nearly 2am and stayed with us for at least 24 hours! We had planned an out of hospital birth, but after a very long labor at home and at the birth center, my midwives transferred me to UW. Postpartum home visits are just as helpful, providing breastfeeding and pumping advice, she will even show you how to baby wrap and answer any questions you have. Before I decided to hire a Doula for my birth, I was unsure if I would "need one." My midwife had initially recommended that I have one, especially for first time births. I then spoke to a few people who had used a Doula, and only heard positives! No one ever says "I wish I didn't have my Doula!" Now I tell everyone "you need a Doula!"