Where do I even begin? From the moment we met Lacey we felt so comfortable with her. She really took her time to explain what a doula does, which was especially helpful for my husband who had never heard of doulas! Lacey went above and beyond throughout my entire pregnancy. She gave me detailed information so I could make the best possible choices for my pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. Lacey is not the type of doula to pressure you into ANYTHING. I thought all doulas would try to convince me to do a natural, unmedicated home birth. Thankfully Lacey was fully supportive of my decision to do a hospital birth with an epidural. She never made me feel like it was a wrong or "less-than" decision. Lacey and I became so close during the 7 months we had her as our doula that I now consider her a friend! What more could you want for such a personal experience? Lacey has a 6th sense for childbirth. She knew just how much to "be there" and when to step back and let my husband and I have our moments. I've referred her to a few of my friends and all of them have ended up hiring her! All you need is one meeting with Lacey and you'll know if she's the right doula for you. Spoiler alert: you will most likely love her and hire her :) read more

I just had my first breastfeeding class with Lacey and all I can say is, Wow! She uses tangible items to properly understand latching and includes handouts, moral support and more! I can only imagine how amazing she would be as a doula! read more

Choosing the right doula for your birth is a little like dating. It's important that you connect with that person and feel comfortable with little effort. Luckily for my husband and I, we found "the one" with Lacey. Upon meeting her, we immediately felt at ease and cared for. I had my ideal labor and birth planned in my head but wasn't sure if it was attainable. With Lacey's knowledge and support, I labored how I wanted and got my natural birth in a hospital without pain medication. I had the most positive birth experience.. beyond what I could have ever imagined! Lacey empowered me throughout my pregnancy by reminding me that I had the ability to make "different" choices, to change doctors, to stand up for myself and what I wanted. After building such a great relationship throughout my pregnancy, Lacey knew how to support me during labor too. In that last stage of pushing when I thought I couldn't give anymore, she knew how to motivate me and get me through it. As the first of my friends to give birth, I'm often asked what my doula did for me. My answer? Lacey was that great friend that I could ask any question and I would get honest answers. She's that super knowledgeable person that sends you evidence based facts when you're trying to make decisions. She gave me her unwavering support at all times. She's the voice in your ear, comforting you when you feel the most vulnerable. SUMMARY: Lacey is an amazing doula, person, and friend. You can't ask for anyone better to be with you during your pregnancy and birth. read more

My Husband, Brett, and I found Lacey quite by accident and it was the greatest gift fate could have sent us. Brett wanted to be very involved and was doing his homework to prepare for an active role in the birth. We decided we probably wouldn't need a Doula and could use the money for all the other expenses involved in bringing a child into this world. Over time, due to heavy work commitments, Brett started to feel worried that he wouldn't be 100% focused and felt he was falling behind in the prep he needed to do to be confident in his role. We chose a home birth so I needed to have a strong support system in place. When we met Lacey, we were immediately drawn to her very calming and sensitive demeanor. She had a deep knowledge base and exuded a strong self confident understanding through her own experience as a mother. It meant a lot to us that she had gone through labor, and not an easy one mind you. We felt that having someone there for us that knows what it's like when things don't always go the easy way, gave us a sense of security. Brett and I quickly agreed that she was going to be a good fit for us. Lacey was an amazing asset within our support system. She was like a sister to us throughout the process from pregnancy through postpartum. We were so thankful for how generous she was with her time. We had an initial visit with her where she spent time getting to know us and every wish and desire we had for our perfect birth. She vowed to help us achieve this and when the time came she was faithful to that commitment in every regard. Throughout the rest of the pregnancy she would check in on us. It's nice to have someone knowledgeable there that really wants to know how you're holding up and can help you through anything that you're going through. When my water broke, we called Lacey to let her know and she said she would be ready to go when we needed her. Then, I started having frequent contractions, we texted Lacey, she told us to call the midwife and she was heading over. She got there within the hour (which was pretty amazing since she lives in the Valley and we live in Culver City). Lacey has great bedside manner. She was calm and attentive to both our needs. She massaged me when I needed, offered suggestions to help me stay as comfortable as possible and worked in harmony with my husband, the midwife, and her assistants to give everyone the space to do their job. When things started getting down to the wire she went from a calming peaceful caregiver to a strong active member of our birth team. As we got closer to the birth, the baby's heart dropped for a moment, enough to scare the midwife into calling paramedics as a back up. We were working hard to get me into different positions to help move the baby through the birth canal. She was there for me and my husband giving us both positive reinforcement as things progressed. The baby was just about to crown when the paramedics arrived. Lacey leapt into action and kept them outside the house so I was able to push without a bunch of big burly men walking in during this most sacred time and was back inside in time to still be apart of the birth. Even through all the crazy requests and responsibilities asked of her, she had the forethought to snap some pictures throughout which we will cherish forever. In retrospect, we were crazy to think we didn't need a doula. Throughout the labor pains all I wanted from my husband was for him to never leave my side and help give me love and support. Lacey was by my side when my husband needed a rest and was up and ready to fulfill any request. During postpartum, Lacey has been just as important, providing lactation advice, general newborn childcare advice, emotional support and sisterly love. She is a person that has seen me in my darkest and brightest lights and we share a very special bond. I am so honored that she is the one I share that with and would recommend her highly to anyone looking for a doula. She brought so much more to the table than what I expected from a doula, and still continues that today. We could not have and would not have wanted, to do this without her. We love Lacey with all our hearts. Love, Brooke & Brett read more

The birth of my first daughter was a long and painful process. I didn't think I needed a doula because I planned on having an epidural, so what was the point? Well, after a 30-hour labor with a posterior (or, sunny-side-up as they say) baby who rendered the epidural basically useless by causing excruciating back labor pain, I thought, wow, I really could have used someone to help me through that! So when I got pregnant the second time, I knew I needed to hire a doula. I interviewed several doulas and Lacey was the only one I really connected with. She was so non-judgmental from the start. Sometimes when you tell a doula that your drug philosophy is "early and often," they don't get too excited. But Lacey supported whatever decisions I had already made, and helped me navigate the ones I had yet to make. Like all of those tests and things they do on your newborn right away - she explained all that to me ahead of time so I'd know what to expect. Very helpful. Each labor is different, for sure, but a lot of mine was the same. I had a high tear in my water bag. I was put on pitocin. My baby was posterior. Lacey was there through all of it. When I totally lost my composure when they put the IV in my hand, she made me feel better and talked me through it. She explained to me what was happening at each point and that is so helpful. She's very nurturing and comforting, and when you're about to push a human out of your own body, those are qualities you want, trust me. At one point in my labor, I was really just sick of the whole process. It was a lot of waiting around (we were waiting for my baby to come down, which for me was frustrating). I told Lacey to bust out her hippie aromatherapy spray and take me through a guided visualization - something to focus me again. She was so reassuring and really helped me get back into the game. She gave me massages when I needed them and generally helped to keep me calm. My husband and I are so grateful to Lacey for keeping our delivery room a calm and focused place. My first delivery felt so hectic and scattered, and Lacey made sure that wasn't the case this time. If you're a first time mom wondering if you need a doula...yeah, you do. And you need her to be Lacey Mackey. read more

You're already incredibly lucky to be reading this because it means that in some capacity, Lacey is on your radar. My baby is currently 5 months old and I still find myself often thinking about how grateful I am to have had her by my side during childbirth and throughout pregnancy. During our initial meet-and-greet, Lacey encouraged us to also meet with other doulas in order to feel we truly had a perfect match. But when my husband and I left the meeting we both laughed that idea off because we knew there couldn't possibly be anyone more perfect. Fun fact: my husband actually said "I feel like not going with Lacey would be like not having you as the mother of my child. It just wouldn't feel right." And no, we did not know her before this meeting! Throughout pregnancy, Lacey was always there for me; emailing about updates, asking how I was feeling and constantly offering incredible advice. I was absolutely terrified of childbirth. I didn't go into pregnancy thinking I was going to have a natural childbirth (and she was incredibly supportive of that!) I decided to go in with an open mind; that if I somehow was able to get through labor without medication it would be awesome but if I couldn't handle it, I wouldn't beat myself up. When labor started, I was shocked at how calm I was (I'm normally a very anxious person). Having Lacey with us in early labor made everything feel like it was going to be a breeze. I think having that feeling was what helped keep things progressing so quickly. To spare the details of my birth story, I was shocked when the nurse checked me and I was 8cm. I had made it so far! Before I knew it, my sweet baby girl was born. Yes, there was definitely pain. But there's a difference between being scared and being in pain and being in pain and feeling safe. I felt SO safe throughout labor because of Lacey. I trusted her. Her calming demeanor coupled with her incredible pain coping techniques were just the recipe I needed to stay grounded and focused. Because of this, our baby latched on immediately, nursing was a breeze, and she was incredibly alert from the start. I truly believe all of this was due to having a natural birth (which probably would NOT have happened if Lacey wasn't there!!) I don't have a high pain tolerance (AT ALL) but having her there gave me the confidence I needed to feel stronger than I thought I was. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is amazing and truly has a gift for being a doula. Even 5 months later, I still talk to Lacey as she's become a good friend! Every single pregnant woman should have a doula and you would be incredibly lucky if Lacey is yours. read more

I recently took Lacey's Breastfeeding class for Doulas and Birth Professionals. It was very informative and covered a lot of topics that my fabulous birth doula training didn't have time to cover. Lacey's notes are very organized and easy to follow. Overall, it was a great class and I know that I can reach out to her in the future if I have any questions or concerns for my clients! read more

I landed on Lacey's website one day when I was in pain from what I thought was a blocked milk duct from breastfeeding and i was desperately searching for answers. Her site was so informative, and after seeing that she actually answered peoples comments I decided to post one as well, asking for advice. Not only did she answer my comment on her site, she emailed me directly since my symptoms sounded like something more serious. She was right. It turned out to be a breast abscess. I had made an appointment first thing the next morning with my own doctor, but in the meantime, Lacey stayed in contact with me over email to make sure I was okay physically and mentally. She even went as far as to correspond with a lactation consultant on my behalf. She supported me without ever having met me in person through something so painful, and continued to get me more information as the night went on. It was such a relief to feel supported and informed! -Christina read more

As part of my DONA doula certification I needed to take a Breastfeeding class for Doulas and Birth Professionals and was recommended to Lacey by several people. The workshop was very well researched, organized and presented and left me with information that help point my clients in the right direction when they have issues with breastfeeding. I have sent patients to Lacey for additional support and they rave about her support. read more

After meeting several doulas we finally found Lacey and she was everything we were looking for! My son is now 4 wks old and looking back on his birth, we couldn't have done it without her support and knowledge. I had a pretty long labor and the whole time she was very calm and supportive. If the nurses ever requested to do something or intervene, she was there to provide information and help us make the best decision for our situation. A week after his birth she came by and helped answer any questions I had about his behaviors or breastfeeding. It felt so nice to know she was there for me if I ever needed her. Lacey truly cares about her clients and making each birth the best possible experience for both the parents and the baby. I would highly recommend her and will definitely be using her again for any future births I have. read more

A few months ago I took a private breastfeeding class with two of my fellow pregnant girlfriends at Lacey's home and we had so much fun! She's a cool, down to earth mama who knows her stuff. Fast forward to now: I just got home from my two week check up Drs appt with my newborn where his pediatrician was so pleased with his weight gain. I thought about how I have Lacey to thank for such a successful breastfeeding experience so far and decided to finally write a review. I've never had a strong urge to breastfeed but now that he's here and I have the proper education and tools I feel like we are going to make it to the 1 year mark and beyond! Thanks Lacey! read more

I took Lacey's lactation class when I was pregnant with twins. It was an invaluable experience. She provided lactation education in extremely information and nurturing way. She also has the most beautiful blog on motherhood that I have ever seen (Naturealmom.com). There are so few people whose opinions I value. Lacey is one of the few whose recommendations I really respect. She has exquisite taste, does an amazing amount of research, and is just a beautiful person inside and out. Do not hesitate to call her you won't regret it. read more

Without one doubt in my mind, I know that if I didn't have Lacey's help, I wouldn't have made it to almost one year breastfeeding my son (and I'm still going!). Everything that could possibly happen while breastfeeding a baby, happened to me (two bouts of mastitis, thrush, oversupply, clog ducts almost every other day, a galictocyle (which later had to be aspirated), vasospasm, a class 4 upper lip tie on my babe and more). Fortunately, I came across Lacey's beautiful, insightful and very invaluable blog and I learned our first year experiences were almost identical; after we connected, she became a real confidant to me. Having been through everything I had been through, she was always full of ideas, resources and always gave so much of her time. She put me in touch with a plethora of people that could help me and my son (ex. a pediatric dentist for my son's frenectomy, Osteopaths, etc), she did research for me, she checked in on me if she hadn't heard from me in a while and she provided all the encouragement and praise a new mama could ever need during those dark days. Though we never met due to distance, I valued and trusted her opinion more than anyone I knew at the time, and she became a real friend to me. I only hope we'll be able to meet one day so I can thank her and give her the biggest hug for everything she did for me so I could help my son (who has some health issues) have the healthiest first year possible. read more