We used Nicole Jolley and had an amazing birth experience with her. She is incredibly warm,…read morestrong, competent, knowledgeable, non-flaky, and funny in an irreverent sort of way (which my husband and I appreciate). She is certified as both a doula and a midwife -- this was important in several ways: 1. It was reassuring to know that she could deliver our child at home if things progressed rapidly. (My confidence in her abilities allowed me to labor from the comfort of my home. It wasn't until I was ready to push that I arrived at the hospital. Of course, she will adjust this based on your own individual birth plan). 2. Her midwife certification also allows her to perform many duties as someone who is only a doula cannot. For example, when she came over to my house, she measured my cervix and made recommendations on exercises to perform during labor based on which part of my uterus was thick. 3. The fact that she is also a midwife is also important for our insurance Fepblue -- which only processes claims for midwives and not doulas. Yes, we used the GW midwife practice -- and BCBS were only concerned about Nicole's certification and did not consider her redundant to the process). Other things that we loved about Nicole: She was recommended by the GW midwives (if you are delivering with them - it is nice that they are very familiar with and like each other). She lives on the Hill ~ so it was reassuring that she is close by. We also loved that were very comfortable with her alternate, Alex, who we didn't have to use but liked and trusted equally. (Make sure that you like both your doula and her/his alternate). She used warm cloth compresses (so no tearing or at least reduces the chances of it). She give really strong back rubs -- this was important for my friend who had terrible back pains during delivery. She has a strong, no-nonsense yet warm and caring presence. I felt completely comfortable in her capable hands. All my friends who have used her would also sing her praises. One friend had an incredibly long labor (over 24 hours) -- and Nicole stayed with her and her husband the entire time. We all have had different births (with varying levels of difficulties) -- but all were able to deliver naturally. I am confident that Nicole had a big part in this success. I would, without any reservation, recommend Nicole Jolley.

I have three children and delivered twice with Nicole. I am incredibly grateful for her and know…read morethat I had great deliveries both times because of her. My first delivery (without Nicole or any doula) was incredibly traumatizing, included an emergency c-section as the kid and I were dying, and resulted in major PTSD. When I got pregnant with #2, I wanted a different experience. I interviewed seven different doulas before deciding to hire Nicole. There were a few factors that stood out with her: 1) I liked that she is very matter-of-fact in how she explains labor and delivery. I like all the information, and am not someone who likes the more woo-y side of natural birth. 2) I liked that she is also a certified midwife, which meant that she could do things like cervical exams if necessary. 3) I liked her sassy sense of humor. If you know you're going to be in a (likely) stressful situation with someone like this for a solid chunk of time, you need to like that person as a person, not just as a professional! Over the course of that second pregnancy, I was extra appreciative of the fact that I could text Nicole with questions or concerns, and that she would get back to me in a timely fashion. I have a great OB (who was super on board with me having a doula, especially given the PTSD), and with Nicole there, I felt like I had an excellent support system. When I was in active labor, Nicole was helping another mom deliver and sent an alternate to be with me for a few hours. She came immediately afterwards. She moved me into different positions, in and out of baths and showers, and worked with my husband to encourage me when I was ready to give up. (This is a great point too - Nicole was as helpful to my husband as she was to me, obviously in different ways. He felt like the situation was significantly easier to manage and approach because of her support.) I labored at home until I felt like I needed to push, then she drove my husband and me to the hospital. (She was with me for about 14 hours at this point.) At the hospital, Nicole worked really well with my OB to keep the hot compresses and oil going to protect my perineum as I was pushing. When I wasn't understanding how to push, she would rephrase so that I better understood. I successfully delivered after 90 minutes of pushing, with no tears. And she took the best spontaneous pictures and videos right after my kid was born! It was 180 degrees from the trauma of my first birth. My third birth was its own experience. I was two weeks overdue and despite all of our best efforts, could not get labor to actively stick. I had to be induced at the hospital. Nicole and I talked through everything prior to my getting to the hospital, so I felt prepared for what was to come. She was at the hospital for parts of the labor (again, coming right after helping another woman deliver that morning), trying to help me dilate. After finishing the first round of pitocin, the OBs decided to break my water, and I was fully unprepared for the level of pain that my contractions would ramp up to after that and demanded an epidural. Nicole made sure this was what I actually wanted given my plan, etc., but when I made it clear it was, Nicole was 100% behind me. I loved that she would help translate what I meant when I was having a hard time being coherent to the medical staff. When it was time to push and my legs were obviously not functional, Nicole was incredibly helpful to get me to successfully get the kid out (again, no tears!). After the delivery, she applauded me for standing up for myself and allowing the plans to change. I am grateful to never have felt judged or wrong with Nicole; she was my ally and cheerleader. So two different labors and deliveries: one unmedicated and mostly at home, the other at a hospital with all kinds of interventions, but both with one external constant: Nicole. Labor is not easy, but if you can deliver safely and be able to feel immense joy once that kid is out and in your arms, that is a success. I owe that to Nicole. TL;DR: Nicole Jolly is a fabulous doula, and I cannot recommend her enough.

We are incredibly grateful to have had Katie as our doula. She is professional, deeply experienced,…read morecompassionate, and exceptionally skilled at working with medical providers while always advocating for her clients. As someone of advanced maternal age with a pregnancy complicated by hypertension, I felt supported and informed every step of the way. Katie was a steady, reassuring presence throughout pregnancy, induction, and birth. She helped us navigate complex medical decisions with clarity and confidence, and her calm advocacy made a meaningful difference in our experience. We felt heard, respected, and empowered throughout the entire process. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Katie is exceptional at her job, and an amazing human being. My wife and I were both very anxious…read moreeven before we were expecting for the first time. My wife needed someone who could instill calmness, provide information, and accommodate her preferences for labor. I needed someone who could help me be the involved partner i wanted to be through the childbirth process and after. That is why once we found out we were expecting we were looking for a doula to help us sort through the tons of information on preparing for childbirth, childbirth itself and the medical, personal, and other choices associated with it. Katie is an expert's expert, but is able to talk through different topics in a way that helped put us at ease. She's friendly and funny, which helps when she is walking through medical decisions, how to talk to doctors, how to talk to family, considerations and questions we have as first-time parents. She also makes herself available by phone and text when we have questions at random hours with baby. On top of all that, after our baby girl was born, she was able to follow up with us and help teach us a few tricks here and there as well as answer questions we had as things came up.

We cannot say enough wonderful things about DCBD. This was my/our first pregnancy, and we truly…read morefelt supported every step of the way by their team. Especially in those last 1-2 months, we leaned so heavily on the birth doulas and they responded to all of our questions and concerns immediately. We learned the most about how to care for our daughter and what was happening in my body from DCBD. I went into labor and the birth experience feeling ready and excited, and that's because of the experience, information, and kindness that were shared with us ahead of time. The birth - nearly 4 months later, and we are still talking about Camille! We are going to remember her forever - she was such a wonderful presence during my entire labor and after, and we don't know what we would have done without her. She made sure my husband and I knew what was happening, she advocated for us, she ensured I was comfortable (well, as comfortable as you can be in labor), and she really rooted for us the whole time. I felt safe because she was with us. And Ella - we were shocked that someone who didn't *have* to be there, stayed for the entire labor, participated, and stayed after when we were transferred to the postpartum room! She will be (or already is) a phenomenal birth doula. We felt so lucky to have Camille and Ella. Post birth - Lolonyo came to our house the very first night we were back from the hospital, and what a gift she is. She taught us how to soothe a baby, how to change a diaper (I'm sure they showed us in the hospital... but I could not remember haha). We had her for several nights during those first 2 months and we were so, so grateful to wake up the next morning refreshed, rested, and with the knowledge that our daughter had been held in loving arms all night long. She was never judgmental and was always supportive as we navigated breastfeeding, safe cosleeping, and everything else. We also had Joanna for several daytime visits. She always made sure to check in on my mental and physical health, which was so appreciated, and she was so helpful. We always felt like we were able to reset a bit after her visits, because she'd leave behind clean bottles and pump parts and a rested (and sometimes still sleeping) baby, and we would have had time to ourselves to shower and get a little more organized. She made our chaotic lives feel lighter, and we loved her for that. As a DCBD member you'll also have the opportunity to be part of a postpartum circle of other parents going through what you did. Shaleen and Elizabeth gave us space to talk through birth and everything that comes after, while feeling supported and safe. I'm still friends with some of the parents from my circle. In closing - DCBD is worth every single penny. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

Rebecca from DC Birth Doulas was absolutely incredible. From the moment we first connected, I…read moreimmediately felt comfortable with her and the entire team. She has such a warm, genuine presence that made it easy to ask questions and talk through everything honestly. She was always responsive and gave thoughtful, real answers that helped me feel informed and confident throughout the process. I was hoping for a VBAC, and with Rebecca's support we were able to have a successful one. She provided amazing support not only for me, but also for my husband. During labor she was calm, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable, helping us both feel grounded and supported every step of the way. Having Rebecca there made such a difference in our birth experience. I'm so grateful for her care and for the support of the entire DC Birth Doulas team. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable, and truly supportive doula

I had a wonderful experience with my daytime doula Iyonna and evening doula Stephenie. Both were…read morevery helpful and knowledgeable which is so important for expectant mothers who need extra help cause newborns require so much and new moms need the time off to relax or just do... anything else. It feels endless and overwhelming at times. And it was wonderful to have the extra pair of hands so that I could sleep at night and take care of errands, get out of the house, grab food, and visit my older daughter in daycare during the day.

We had a great experience! Very early in my pregnancy, I reached out to Nathalie for a doula and…read moregot a response right away. She was very informative and provided my husband and I with answers to all our questions. We were initially connected with a couple different doulas that would be available during my due date and had interviews with them -- we ended up hiring Hannah Wright. From the get-go, Hannah was amazing. She was exactly what we needed. She provided great advice throughout my pregnancy and she especially gave my husband a lot of confidence in being my support person by having her there during the actual labor and birth. She provided excellent support and kept me grounded during the entire process and immediately stepped in and started providing all the tips and tricks in her wheelhouse to help me cope during my fast and intense epidural-free birth. I would certainly recommend her to anyone else. As for the more administrative end of things, we also have no complaints. Communication was excellent, the contract process with was very clear and straightforward, and we found the doula rates very reasonable.

Hiring Ashley, Michelle and Jackie was the best decision we made in planning for the birth of our…read morefirst baby. We had a lot of questions and issues toward the end of my pregnancy and having them available to us was truly invaluable. The team was constantly on hand to talk through whatever came up and to help us navigate challenging situations. Having Jackie at the hospital with us was amazing - she worked seamlessly with all the doctors and nurses at GW and lifted our spirits after several challenges during labor and delivery. We can't imagine going through this process without her. The services provided are well worth the price. The classes and workshops were extremely helpful and informative. They also helped to eliminate some of the fear of the unknown for first-time parents. I can't recommend Jackie, Ashley and Michelle enough - you will not regret working with them.

Words truly cannot do justice regarding how amazing Michele is and how much my husband and I would…read morerecommend her and Ashley's services. Run, don't walk, and hire her! :) Not only is Michele knowledgeable and talented regarding anything and everything prenatal, labor/delivery, and postpartum, but she brings the added layer of being approachable, honest, hilarious, and unbelievably encouraging. She is there to support the type of birth that *you* want - whatever that might be. She made me feel empowered, strong, and prepared. We found the three classes that they taught to be very helpful - giving us the right amount of information, as well as the right type of information. It also connected us to others in the community in similar stages of life. I always looked forward to attending. Additionally, during the labor and delivery, it seemed as if Michele almost served as a family member, doula, nurse, midwife, *and* doctor - she wore so many hats - all while making me feel extremely comfortable and supported. At every step along the way, and every decision point, I looked to her first for her insight and opinions. I also heard firsthand from both a nurse and midwife how much they appreciated having her as support to them as well. Choosing Michele was single-handedly the best decision I made during this journey and I cannot recommend her (and Ashley) enough. I will definitely use them again if/when we have another child.

We began our search for a doula with recommendations from a labor and delivery nurse who used to…read morework in DC. As I started checking websites and making calls, Cara immediately stood out from the rest and I knew that she was who we wanted to work with. After an initial video call, Cara came to our home to answer all (& we had a million!) of our questions about labor and delivery, she went over what we could expect from her and helped us put together a birth plan. We had been told to expect a larger baby and I really wanted to avoid a c-section and medication so we discussed with Cara my wishes and we spoke in length about how important the baby's positioning would be for safe delivery. Cara also showed me exercises on a fitness ball, gave me tips on how to increase my chances of spontaneous labor and brought a fabulous tea blend for me! Cara provided us with her 'labor line' number and I alerted her when I was transitioning from pre-labor/early labor into Stage 1 (she provides a very helpful chart!). I then progressed through the stages quicker than I realized (or anticipated) and didn't alert her again until the urge to push was involuntary and my contractions were very intense and very close together. We called her and she very calmly talked me through what was happening and said she'd meet us at the hospital. Within 30 minutes of our call, we were all at the hospital and 30 minutes after that our daughter was born. Cara was incredible at keeping us calm in a very chaotic situation. It was great to have her helping us communicate with the hospital staff because all of their questions (while necessary) were very overwhelming at that point in the labor process. She even does a home visit after the birth, she was able to ease our new parent fears and answer questions we had about caring for our newborn and breast feeding. We very highly recommend Cara for your birth journey!

I am so grateful that I found Cara as my birth doula. She was immediately someone who I felt open…read morewith and after talking through my birth plan, I knew she would guide me in the ways I needed during labor. Cara was a true sense of calm, bringing experience, intuition, and all the tools I needed to feel ready when labor started. With all thanks to Cara and our preparation together, I had the most positive, amazing, completely natural birth and I was confident I could do it!

We were struggling to get sleep through the night and found Linda through a friend. Hiring Linda…read morewas the single best decision I ever made. She has helped us to sleep train our newborn son, while giving us 8-10 hours of desperately needed sleep every night. We were overwhelmed with our first child and Linda made our lives exceedingly better. I highly recommend Linda and her team as they are covid vaccinated, and are great around pets. Best money ever spent!!!

Linda is a terrific person to welcome into your home for the arrival of your new one. She gives…read moregreat advice, helps make the transition home easier, guides you as you navigate all the baby's development and growth and gives parents a sense of confidence as they learn their baby. She is such a wonderful warm person to have in your home.

Truly amazing! I had an amazing labor and delivery thanks to Brenda Finn. She was so helpful from…read morestart to finish. Highly recommend her service :)

When we found out we were pregnant with our third and final kiddo, we knew we still wanted the…read moresupport of a doula. Even though you'd think we had the birthing process down by now, there are so many variables! The doulas we'd hired previously had moved out of state or were no longer practicing, so we checked in with our midwife and birth assistant for recommendations. That's how we found Nurturing Birth Doulas. We met virtually and knew right away they'd be a good fit. Working together as a team, Brenda and Whitney both demonstrate a clear passion for childbirth and being an advocate for the birthing mother, and a teammate and coach for the expecting father/partner. They provided numerous resources, asked us great questions, and helped us talk through some of the scenarios we might need to prepare for. They were very easy to communicate with and especially helped when I started having increased back pain late in the third trimester (see picture). When the time for birth came, Brenda met us promptly at the Birth Center. When my labor stalled, she talked me gently through my frustration. As soon as we all decided to take a rest for awhile, my labor ramped back up and off we went. Brenda was there stepping in to provide support for both my husband and me when needed. After the birth, she stayed until we were settled, well past midnight. She then visited a few days later to check on how we were doing and graciously navigated our older kids' meltdown. Although our birth and pregnancy ended up relatively uncomplicated and quick, and was not in a hospital, we really appreciated the peace of mind Brenda and Whitney provided us. They made themselves available to us in just the right way - not pushy about anything, very supportive, and providing evidence-based feedback on decisions we needed to make. We are grateful we found them and they were there to help us bring our son into the world! We definitely recommend this team to anyone looking for doula support.