Working with Justine, Ale, and Rachel was definitely the best decision my spouse and I made in our…read morebirth experience! From providing evidence-based responses to our questions to helping us advocate with providers to simply cheering us on, we were so supported by this team! Justine joined us at the hospital for labor and was absolutely essential to making us both feel comfortable and safe as mine and baby's medical situation got more complicated. We truly could not have imagined doing this without her!!

If you're on the fence about hiring a doula like we were, don't be--especially if you're…read moreconsidering Justine and her team. We hired Justine for our second pregnancy because I was high-risk, on Lovenox, and managing gestational diabetes, and an unmedicated birth felt right for us. With my first pregnancy, I had no complications and chose an epidural, so my husband was very skeptical about needing a doula this time, especially since our first delivery went so smoothly. What ultimately made us move forward was knowing that my husband, being a very logical person, wouldn't be able to give me the emotional support I'd need during labor. After meeting Justine on a video call, everything instantly felt right. She was warm, supportive, and confident from the start, and she was the only doula who genuinely believed I could have an unmedicated birth--especially considering how quickly my first labor progressed with an epidural. She also reassured my husband that her support was just as much for him as it was for me. Throughout the pregnancy, Justine and her team answered every question and helped me navigate every curveball. No matter what came up, she was there with guidance, resources, and a listening ear. On delivery day, I delivered our baby girl in under an hour--completely unmedicated, just as we hoped. Even though there were moments when I wanted to give up, Justine's calm presence and steady, encouraging voice helped me push through. It ended up being the most magical birth experience I've ever had, and I still can't believe I did it. Hiring her was truly one of the best decisions we made. TL;DR: We were unsure about hiring a doula, but Justine completely changed our minds. Despite a high-risk pregnancy, she supported us from day one, reassured my skeptical husband, and helped me have a fast, completely unmedicated birth. Her calm, steady presence made it the most magical delivery experience--we're so glad we chose her.

When I found out my husband and I were expecting again just after our second turned six months old…read moreI immediately told him I wanted to hire a post partum doula. I interviewed three companies, and chose Better Beginnings because I had heard such glowing reviews from a friend. Joy went above and beyond: providing our family with much needed support and care as well as delicious meals that I still (over one year later!) think about. We felt so well cared for and held during a vulnerable and overwhelming time.

After the birth of our second child, we used night doula support through Better Beginnings. Saideh…read moreand Eileen were our doulas and they were fantastic-- proactive in finding ways to support our family and offering gentle encouraging support as we transitioned to being parents of two. All of the communications, from the first introductory call with the owner to our pre-natal consultation to our first meetings in person with the doulas were all so professional. We don't plan on having more children, but if we did we would absolutely use Better Beginnings again!!

Having JoLynda as our doula was by far the hidden miracle of our birth experience. JoLynda is…read moreextremely accepting of every woman, no matter their birth plan. She believes every woman should have access to an empowering birth experience. This was my husband and my first birth experience and there is no other person we would want by our side for our labor journey in the future. With her guidance and support, both my husband and I felt at ease and empowered to make the right decisions for our birth. JoLynda is able to use her knowledge to work with each couple to provide a unique value to their experience. Her knowledge, expertise, and amazing attitude helped us have a wonderful birth experience!

Choosing Ellee as our doula was one of the best decisions we made during the whole pregnancy. She…read moreput us at ease right away. We asked her tons of questions and she was knowledgeable, respectful, funny and very personable right from the very beginning to the end. During my labor she gave me tips and positions to try and when she joined us at our home, her encouragement is what kept me there longer - resting and waiting before going to the birth center. When I was exhausted she was kind and complimenting - it was exactly what I needed to hear. She helped me center and relax, and gently pushed me to try things I would not have done on my own. I was sad when our last visit was over. She's the kind of gal that you wish was your friend or an auntie. Thanks Ellee!!

Where do I begin? As a first time mom, I am soooo grateful we hired Amy as our doula. She educated…read moreus so much about the birth process and how to advocate for ourselves to achieve the best possible outcomes for our family. During labor, we would have been absolutely lost without her guidance. I was pretty terrified by the quick onset of my contractions and their intensity. When she arrived at the birth center, we were relieved by her calming presence. And finally, maybe most importantly for me, she helped me process our birth. It was not how I expected it to be and was pretty bewildered. I wasn't sure I could give birth ever again given the intensity of it all. But 2 days postpartum, Amy came over, crawled into bed with me and just let me talk it out. She reassured mr I did amazing and she was proud of me and my birth. We went through all 160 photos she took and pointed out my strength and how my husband was at my side comforting me every second. That time with Amy was incredibly healing for me and I don't know where I'd be today emotionally (now 5 weeks post part I'm) without her support.

I was ecstatic to have an extra set of hands and a fresh face to emotionally support me through my…read moresecond labor. I only wish Amy was a doula earlier so she could have been there when I had my first son. I love that she cares for the many facets of the mothers well being during this momentous event in their lives. She is well educated, wonderfully joyful and optimistic, and just a doula with a compassionate heart who wants to give these babies the most harmonious entrance into the world that she can.

We were so fortunate to work with Terra during the birth of our second baby. We reached out to…read moreTerra on the recommendation of my OB. We suffered a devastating loss during our first pregnancy, and my OB suggested we look in to a Doula to provide emotional and physical support during the birth of our second baby. I will forever be grateful at my OB's suggestion, and extremely thankful that we found Terra. Terra has the most beautiful calm presence. She made us feel totally at ease and when she could sense we were getting nervouse or scared, she calmly reassured us that everything was normal and everything was going fine. We cannot imagine going through a birth without her by our side. My husband was originally concerned that he wouldn't be as needed with a Doula present, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Not only did Terra support me by anticipating my needs and being by my side for the entire labor, but she also kept a close eye on my husband and reassured and encouraged him when he needed it. She didn't take over his role, she made it easier for him to fill his role in the delivery room by keeping a close eye on him, reassuring him and showing him ways to help me.  We also were fortunate enough to have Terra for some post-partum doula hours. She was amazingly helpful and always made me feel better and more confident, which is half the battle as a new mother! I have also given post-partum doula hours to a friend as a gift and she was so thankful for the support Terra provided.  I cannot recommend Terra enough. She is wonderful and made our second birth experience joyful when it could have been filled with fear and anxiety. We still talk about Terra regularly (even 18 months later!) and will always be thankful that she was there to help us when we really needed it.

Terra attended the births of both of my boys, and I will always be endlessly grateful for her calm…read morepresence, positivity, and warmth. She showed my husband how to help me through labor, and he is now a huge advocate for doulas as well! It's hard for me to explain what an immensely positive impact she had in my life, and I will never forget her!

Erin is a great doula and educator. She helped me through my 36+ hour labor with a mixture of…read morekindness, humor, and tough love. She was there every step of the way. Her child birth prep class was also great. Definitely planning on hiring her for any future pregnancies and would highly recommend her to anyone!

From the owner: Flutterby provides HypnoBirthing classes and Doula Services for families in the Twin Cities.read more

Amy was our Doula for both of our kiddos. I'm absolutely positive that my first experience was…read moregreat mostly because of her presence. Her support leading up to our birth helped me get my mind and body ready. During labor I was able to really relax because I knew between her and my partner everything was taken care of. I felt supported, safe, and calm. My second birth I needed more help with comfort measures and somehow she always knew exactly what to try to get me through the contractions. I would recommend her as a Doula without hesitation.

From the owner: Holistic birth doula support for families during the childbearing time.read more

My husband and I recently enlisted in the services of Birth Made Beautiful for the birth of our…read moresecond child. We worked with Cassanda and Kara Jo and both women made us feel safe, valued, respected, and cared for. Despite having a wonderful, uncomplicated and unmedicated birth with my first child, during my pregnancy with our second, fear and doubt began to set in. I really began to believe that all of the positives associated with my first delivery and birth were a fluke and that I either would not be able to get through a second unmedicated birth or some sort of medical emergency would arise. Kara Jo met me initially and spent a long time with me unpacking what was leading to these fears. Based on our conversation, she suggested that Hypnobirthing might be a good fit for me. Had Kara Jo not suggested Hypnobirthing, I never would have sought it out. Our initial meeting with Kara Jo's careful listening, experience, and intuitive sense for what needs to be done set the stage for the rest of our time with Birth Made Beautiful. She brought all of those same qualities to my birth. We primarily worked with Kara Jo but did do a prenatal visit with Cassandra. She felt like hanging out with an old friend who has a lot of knowledge surrounding birth. She was quite helpful in refreshing us in the Three Sisters of Balance positioning and showed my husband how to do certain types of support touches to be used during labor. (We did end up using everything she showed us so thank you very much Cassandra!) It was somewhat amusing actually as the Hypnobirthing techniques were working so well, I didn't recognize that I was as far along into labor as I was. When I thought I might need to contact the doulas for a heads up via text, Cassandra called us within minutes at about 3:00 AM. It had been decided between the two of them that Kara Jo would attend my delivery so I think Cassandra also reached out to Kara Jo. We spoke on the phone and despite my insistence that I didn't think I was in anything past early labor, Kara Jo could tell this wasn't the case. We credit her to me not having our baby on the road or in the parking lot. Thank you Kara Jo! Once at the hospital, Kara Jo took charge in terms of making sure my birth plan was executed. It was so nice to not have to bring up my preferences to the nurses or ask if certain things could be done. She was just on top of it. She was so calming, uplifting and caring. Both my husband and myself were impressed and appreciative of Birth Made Beautiful's services. Additionally, Kara Jo took a series of high-quality birth photos. She'd asked us if this was something we wanted prior to the birth. I was excited about the prospect and said "yes please" but gave some preferences in terms of what would/wouldn't be shown. While photography obviously isn't the doulas main role, I absolutely cherish these pictures showing the first moments our child entered the world. They are so sweet. Also, we were provided with a detailed timeline after the birth which we appreciate. Things are such a blur in the moment, it is really special to be able to look back at what happened and when. We would hire both doulas back in a heartbeat. They were an important part of why our second child's birth was as positive, empowering and lovely as it was. From our entire family, thank you.

Kara Jo was our Doula for our 3rd baby (a successful VBAC at 41w 6d, 10lbs 11 oz) - we had doulas…read morefor our first two as well. If we have a 4th we will definitely be asking Kara Jo to be our Doula again! What made her so different was the amazing support she provided before (processing my second birth which didn't go well, spinning babies, natural labor induction tools and pros/cons, etc) and after the birth (breastfeeding support, pt and postpartum recommendations)- although she was amazing during labor and delivery as well (hip squeezes through every contraction, coaching through different positions to progress labor, helping my care team follow our birth plan, etc)! After birth she provided us the beautiful photos she took and a write up of the birth and timeline. I am so thankful that our doctor recommended Kara Jo!!

I'd like to say thank you. Treasured Births was perfect for me. I felt calm, but excited I would…read morefinally meet my child. I would do this again next time and here.

Kelly is the most caring and knowledgeable midwife. I can't even or into words what she did for my…read moredaughter during the birth of my granddaughter.