respectful doula throughout my birth journey. Her professionalism and informative approach were invaluable, providing guidance from prenatal to postpartum. Even though she lived in Columbia and I lived in Charleston, her excellent communication and timeliness ensured a smooth and empowered experience. Lindsay also provided lactation guidance postpartum that was integral to our successful breastfeeding journey. She even provided placental encapsulation and the overall process was seemless. Lindsay is extremely knowledgable in so many areas of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. I highly recommend Lindsay to anyone seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable doula. read more

After listening to other's stories and as a first time mother to be induced with midwives, my husband and I sought the support of a doula. We were looking for "someone in our corner" to help prepare us for and guide us through what could be a very long and difficult induction. In the end, Lindsay failed to meet those basic expectations, and we had to ask her to leave our birth after only 2 hours of her being present. Lindsay was disorganized and stretched thin in our prenatal meetings. The childbirth class she offered was primarily a Q&A session, which was somewhat helpful. However, the last 45 minutes were spent with Lindsay giving an anti-vaccine lecture. When she arrived at our birth, Lindsay was on her phone with another client. She then had to run back to her car for something before she ever checked in on me. She was very hands-off and said little to nothing the entire time. We finally asked her to leave when I noticed she was in the corner reading a book after I received an epidural. Before hiring Lindsay to support your birth, you should know that she will site inaccurate, unscientific information about vaccines for both you and your child, she will provide information encouraging against circumcision and vitamin K shots, and she may also arrive late and unprepared to your birth. read more

Thankful for Lindsay. She motivated me to stick to my birthing plan and I had a great birth experience this time around! If I do have another baby, I'll be working with her again. read more

After experiencing a difficult and traumatic first birth, I knew I wanted a different experience with my second baby and delivery. After doing some research and meeting Lindsay, I felt a connection and knew she would be a good match and advocate for me throughout pregnancy. She was readily available and very informative in helping develop the best plan for myself as my due date neared. Going through a natural, unmedicated birth for the first time, she was able to coach me through the process and keep me calm and focused on my end goals. My second birth ended up being everything I could have hoped for and I do believe part of that is because Lindsay was on my team. I am incredibly grateful to have crossed paths and would recommend her to anyone looking for birth support. read more

Lindsay was an amazing asset to our birth team and I am so thankful we booked her services! As a first time mom who was unsure about a hospital birth, but not quite confident enough to do a home birth, Lindsay helped me figure out the elements of each that I was looking for to have the perfect birth for me. She is so knowledgeable about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, so having access to her throughout my pregnancy was wonderful! When I went into what I did not realize at the time was active labor, she was there for my husband and I to help decipher what was happening and made sure we got to the hospital on time. Labor can be scary when you've never gone through it before, so texting with Lindsay about everything I was experiencing and having her say it was normal was so comforting! She met us at the hospital around 9:30pm and stuck with us through an unmedicated labor until I gave birth at 2:50am. She continued to check in on us for several days and continued to answer all our questions! She is truly someone you want on your team to help guide you and fight for you amid the chaos that is often found in a hospital birth. Highly recommend booking her! read more

Lindsay was fantastic! She gave great advice and helped me achieve a natural VBAC for my second birth. So thankful for her knowledge and help through pregnancy and then labor and delivery! Would highly recommend her services, especially if you are seeking a natural birth. read more

To assure mom and baby have a safe and healthy delivery, most people hire a midwife or doctor. To assure mom is respected, seen as an individual, and empowered, most people need a doula. A doula like Lindsay. I was lucky enough to be connected with her last minute and I truly couldn't have dreamed up a better person to assist with my ridiculous anxiety and roller coaster of a pregnancy towards the end. When my birth plan took a hard left turn, Lindsay was a huge help in assisting me to navigate what would be the safest plan for my birth going forward, physically and mentally. She was extremely thorough and never left any stone unturned, taking her time to explain benefits and risks neutrally. She is VERY well versed in her practice. I was able to navigate my own birth plan when paired with her reassurance and encouragement. She has a reference or contact for every single medical need you'd consider which was extremely helpful being new to the area. She's professional yet super personable, I felt comfortable with her instantly. What blew me away was her confidence. When you're having a baby the last thing you need to be doing is arguing with medical staff and trying to make informed decisions. Lindsay did not let anything fly by and was my voice when I felt I had nothing more to give. Shes the absolute textbook definition of advocate. If you're looking for the BEST doula in the Columbia area I honestly couldn't recommend anyone else and have it be in good faith. I will never run out of good things to say... I am so, so grateful to have had Lindsay as my doula. read more

I feel so lucky to have worked with Lindsay Bryan as my doula. I didn't really know much about what a doula does during birth, this being my first, but several friends encouraged me to find a good one. After a few initial visits which helped me craft my birth plan, Lindsay provided guidance and recommendations for help with "natural induction" strategies at home after my pregnancy went past my "due date". Once medical induction was deemed necessary, she again provided guidance on how to advocate for myself, and arrived at the hospital promptly when I went into active labor. From here, she really worked her magic. I was having pretty regular contractions that were building strongly even with a small amount of pitocin, and she helped me move into a sequence of various positions that would help my body structurally and in other ways move into a more ready place for birth. It was hard work! The positions were not easy, but I trusted that they were helping me stay focused and use the intense energy to expand my cervix and pelvic bones. After several hours of her and my partner helping me through these positions, reading birth affirmations to me which I had brought, reminding me to relax and breath, keeping me sane, and helping to keep me from pushing before it was time, I was able to feel the full sensory experience of my daughter's entrance into this world, "ring of fire" and slippery baby body and all. She stayed after to make sure things were settling and even took my placenta home for me to get from her later since I couldn't keep it at the hospital for my recovery. She knows her stuff and stays solid and grounded throughout. I am forever grateful for her amazing work which enabled me to have such a special experience. read more

Lindsay assisted my midwife in the homebirth of our 4th child. I have had a doula/midwife assistant at all of my births and can not overstate how necessary they are to the flow of labor. Everything just goes so smoothly with that extra set of experienced hands. She came in during early labor and checked on the supplies, talked to my husband and me, and recorded notes as the midwife checked mine and baby's vitals. Labored stalled for a day, but when active labor started again at 1am, Lindsay arrived quickly and fully prepared. Talked with both me and my husband again and was just able to give us the extra care I needed (comforting presence, suggested changing positions, perineal oil, etc) without taking his place as my primary support person. We are so thankful for her, we love a simple birth and Lindsay was present exactly when she needed to be and quickly filled in any gap/need that appeared. read more