Sarah was an absolute asset to my birth experience. This pregnancy was as a surrogate, which…read morerequired me to give birth in a hospital, so I knew I needed a coach and an advocate. My first and only other birth of my daughter, was attended by 2 midwives at home and was the best day of my life. So, I hired Sarah and Charli for their doula services and was comfortable with either attending, just happy I knew them and they understood me and my birth plan. Sarah showed up at our house right when the contractions kicked in. She guided me through them and made the call when it was time to walk to Providence Hospital. Along with my husband riding our cargo bucket bike and 9-year old daughter walking with me, we walked the 1/2 mile to the hospital, stopping every minute or two for me to lean against her and have a contraction. She provided me with shelter and guidance. When we got to the hospital, I was taken up to the birth center and learned I was 5 cm dilated and felt a sense of accomplishment. The final 5 occurred over 3 hours between the tub and the yoga ball in the bathroom. Sarah was my crutch during the hardest ones. My family doctor, who knew my birth plan well, showed up and they, along with the nurses, worked together to let me know it was time to get on the bed and push. I squatted in reverse on the bed, holding tight to the railings. With every push, I could feel baby Penelope make her way through the birth canal, with intense pressure. I asked Sarah to guide me through the ring of fire so I wouldn't tear. We took it slow, allowing the head to crown, stop, head halfway out and back in, stop, head out, stop, shoulder out, stop, arm out, stop and then her body fell gracefully to the bed between my legs. I scooped her up, the nurses helped me untangle from the cord so I could turn around and sit with her. They toweled Penelope off, I scooted over and her new mama came over crying and sat next to me and I got to hand over the most beautiful thing in the world to the person who had wanted her most. I looked up at the room and everyone was smiling and taking in the moment, including Sarah. This was the most magical day of my life. I can't recommend her and Charli enough. Having a doula or midwife is a serious luxury in giving birth and I also attribute my fast recovery (casually walking and biking within a week) to them. I needed no epidural, emergency treatments or stitches.

I've worked alongside Hearth & Home midwifery as a birth photographer, so I've gotten to witness…read moretheir approach to client care from a different perspective and it's hard to put into words the attention and tenderness they give to a laboring woman (so you should definitely look at these pictures!) I had the honor of documenting their work as midwives, their gentle touch, their commitment to asking for consent every time they have to check the heartbeat, their quick thinking in moments of uncertainty, their competency and their overall gentle nature and amazing personalities. It's important to consider all of these things when inviting somebody into your birth space and especially when choosing a provider to help you bring your baby earthside. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anybody considering a homebirth. And I can't wait to work with them again!

We are beyond satisfied, grateful, and fortunate to have had Heather by our side during our first…read morechild's birth. She played a key role in us having an uncomplicated pregnancy and labor that allowed both a healthy mom and child. Heather provided plenty of information backed by research, technical material, tools, experience, emotional support, and physical support to me and my husband during my pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and baby care. She guided us along the way with a comprehensive and organized curriculum, plus additional resources that we could follow up on ourselves if we wanted additional support or to further research a topic. She made us aware of the possible options during the decision-making process and allowed us to make our own decisions. Heather is a warm, kind, organized, and professional doula that definitely made us more prepared for this new chapter in our lives. We would highly recommend her if you want to feel more supported, empowered, informed, and calm for a smoother newborn experience.

Heather is a gem who I found here on Yelp. She was the first doula I interviewed when I was about 5…read moremonths pregnant and once I met with her I immediately knew I didn't need to interview anyone else. Heather is very knowledgable, genuine, and kind. She helped my husband and I ease our worries about what to expect during the whole journey and most of all helped us feel empowered and informed to make the best decisions that were right for us. She has solid resources that really helped us learn so much more about the process of pregnancy and preparing for labor. I also really appreciated her guidance on what to expect when communicating with doctors and how to navigate certain topics in order to make better decisions. I ended up going all the way to 42 weeks and Heather was amazing at helping me take it moment by moment, evaluating as we went along to still make the best decisions that felt right to us. When labor finally got going, she was wonderful at helping me feel more grounded and confident as well as being a valuable teammate with my husband. When I had moments of feeling like I wasn't sure if I could keep going, she knew exactly what I needed to help me find strength again. I was able to deliver my baby naturally the way I had wished for and can't thank her enough for her support. I also can't thank her enough for helping me to avoid an episiotomy from the delivering doctor, she's a rockstar of a doula! I highly recommend Heather, she is definitely the person you want advocating for you and on your team through pregnancy, labor and delivery.

We had such a wonderful experience with Rebecca. I have a medical background so having a doula…read morethat was well versed in evidence based birthing practices was essential. For every decision that we were going to face in the birth process, Rebecca presented us with all options and research to back them up, letting us decide what was in our best interest. My favorite part of our pre-birth doula visits with Rebecca was the emotional support that she provided. Most often, the visits ended up being a somewhat therapy session around our excitement, anxiety and fears about childbirth. We always left feeling informed and confident. As sometimes happens, our birth plan went in the complete opposite direction as we had expected and having Rebecca guide us through the process kept our (or my) anxiety at ease. She then helped me process my birth experience, something I didn't really realize that I would need. I also had Rebecca process and encapsulate my placenta which I'd highly recommend! I had no idea there were so many ways that placenta capsules could be beneficial in my postpartum journey. One last bonus - Rebecca took some of the most beautiful pictures of our birth day. I hadn't originally wanted any pictures but I'm so happy that I have them now.

Rebecca was absolutely incredible during my birth. It's hard to even put into words the support she…read moreprovided my family and I. I had a very rough birth and she was like a rock in the storm. It took a bit to convince my husband that we should get a doula. Now he believes in their magic. She was there for me during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Worth every penny!

We took the Childbirth Education class with BABI and it was so much more than we expected. Dakota…read moreis a wealth of knowledge and the class provided so much intel from experience, information we could not have gotten through books alone (I've read a few in prep for childbirth and I learned things that were just completely obsolete in them). Dakota also has knowledge of what to expect at St Charles Birthing Center, so it will support you whether you're home birthing or birthing at the hospital. The class gave us both - birthing mom + partner - practical things to do before, during, and after childbirth, and the class was worth every penny. I loved the mix of Hanai/in person and Zoom, and being able to meet other couples in a similar stage. I'd absolutely recommend any class with BABI to those going through their first pregnancy, and even subsequent births. We feel empowered knowing we have the tools and knowledge to make smart decisions for us and the baby.

I cannot stress how incredible helpful Bend BABI has been in educating us on labor, delivery,…read morebreastfeeding, newborn care and pretty much everything else we had questions on as we enter this brand new chapter in life! Dakota is AMAZING and extremely knowledgeable. She put our minds at ease over all the uncertainties that come with going through labor for the first time and being a first-time parent. If you are having your first child, I HIGHLY recommend this incredible course! 6 classes for a very fair price. Every single topic that you could think of was covered. I feel so much more excited and prepared going into labor and parenthood. Thank you SO much Dakota!!!

Lynette was an incredibly positive force in our birth story. We met her through her Bradley Method…read morecourse, where we spent 12 weeks together. She taught such an empowering curriculum that made me feel so confident in the choices I had made for my birth plan. I truly feel the education she gave us allowed me to advocate for the birth I wanted. She went above and beyond to provide information as different issues came up in my pregnancy, allowing me to make truly informed decisions that I was totally comfortable with. At a week past my due date, the hospital forced me to schedule an induction and Lynette was the first person I contacted (after a good cry). She helped me to consider all my options and at the end of the day, helped me transfer care to a birth center that would honor my choice to wait as long as was medically safe for baby to come. She attended my birth as a student midwife, and was a strong steady presence through the transition and pushing phases of my labor. She is calm and encouraging during birth and I felt safe and powerful as I brought my son into the world. I tell people giving birth is the most empowering thing I've ever done, and Lynette was a big part of making that my reality. I'm so thankful for her.

My husband and I recently had a baby born at the Bridge Birth Center via a surrogate and we have to…read moresay the team of midwives at the Bridge were terrific. They are highly skilled and knowledgeable, caring and compassionate. Shout out to Lynette and her team of midwives. It was a pleasure working with everyone. The facility itself is very sanitary and tidy, calming and peaceful - just what you would want during labor and when you're cuddling with your newborn after delivery. We would highly recommend the Bridge Birth Center!

Wildwood was on a list of recommended doulas from my OB and it was really important to me in…read moreselecting someone to work with that they had worked with our practice and in our delivery hospital before. We interviewed two doulas and I was honestly very torn because I really liked them both for different reasons. Heidi had such a calming presence even through zoom and I knew deep down that would be exactly what I needed. Little did I know at the time my seemingly low risk pregnancy would take some interesting turns. I don't know what I would have done without her constant reassurance. I ended up in the midst of a multiple day induction that picked up incredibly quickly when they broke my water. We had been in communication with Heidi throughout the weeks leading up to my induction and she got to the hospital very quickly when we let her know they had broken my water. Just as i suspected she was the calm in the storm, not just for myself but my husband as well. She took some photos for us of those initial moments together and made sure I got my lusted for post delivery meal before leaving us to get some rest. She stayed in close contact over the next few days while we dealt with a 72 hour hospital stay, a readmittance scare, and struggles with feedings. We had a lovely postpartum visit at our home when things calmed down and it warmed my heart so much to see her hold our son. She advocated for me during labor when I wasn't in the mindset to do so myself and made me feel so supported and safe. I've recommended Heidi and wildwood to everyone I know who has gotten pregnant since my delivery. They are truly such an amazing and supportive group.

We had the privilege to have three different Wildwood Birth doulas: Kim, Zoe, and Kelsey and took…read moreWildwood's birth education course. Kim was our birth doula she supported me in pregnancy, labor, and birth. The birth experience is a very personal thing and we felt incredibly comfortable with her throughout the entire process. I only ever felt supported by Kim and that she had my best interest at heart. My husband had concerns that having a doula would be distracting for him, however looking back he said that that couldn't have been less true he was thankful for Kim and the support he provided for him too. Zoe was our day time postpartum and we were so thankful to have her there in those essential first weeks. Zoe not only took excellent care of our baby, but she checked in on our physical and mental health. She really was making sure everyone was doing well. I felt comfortable asking her all sorts of questions and she showed us how to give our baby their first bath! Kelsey was our night time postpartum doula, it's a strange feeling leaving your baby with someone overnight and you going to sleep, but from the moment I met Kelsey I knew she would look out for my baby and do what's best for him. As a mom who had a journey with breastfeeding, pumping, formula Kelsey was always coming up with a plan for how I could do what I needed to and get the most sleep. My husband and I would always say "Kelsey night!" the day she was coming because we got to sleep and we knew our baby would be taken care of - which is a rare combo in the days of a newborn. As a whole Wildwood Birth Collective was a dream to work with. The birthing course was thorough and informative and communication for all the staff was excellent. I feel that when we joined Wildwood we got not only really great doula support but gained an awesome community. Thank you Wildwood, Kim, Zoe, and Kelsey!

So coronavirus is real and messing up my breastfeeding support journey. Or so I thought. My little…read moreone has a tongue tie procedure earlier this week and I know I needed help exercising his new little mouth. I admit I was skeptical about a video chat. But it was So Helpful! Bryna was super helpful and knowledgeable. She hooked it up with resources to help with after care. She gave me pointers on positioning that no one else had told me. If you're looking for help, these people are great!

I found Doula My Soul by searching for a lactation consultant that was on this side of the river. I…read morelive in Camas and didn't want to have to make a long trek to an appointment with a new baby. Lo and behold they do house appointments! I'm new to this whole baby thing, and I guess this is a pretty normal service, but I was even more happy to find that out. Jessi came to visit me soon after birth to diagnose tongue tie and helped me get an emergency appointment with Dr Ghaheri for surgery to correct it and got us on the path to breastfeeding. I was nervous about the whole process, but Jessi kept in contact with me throughout the following weeks and helped me through the process. Right how we are 4 days post surgery and already breastfeeding with a nipple shield, and I feel confident that we will be fully breastfeeding soon. I couldn't be happier with Doula My Soul, they are a great support for our family. I plan on trying belly binding as well.

Callai is an absolutely wonderful doula. I wasn't sure if I really needed a doula for my second…read morebirth, as I knew I wanted to get an epidural this time. But I'd had a very traumatic birth with my first child, so I figured we could use all the extra support we could get. In the end, my husband and I were both so grateful that Callai was there. It was comforting just to know that we could talk to her about any decisions that came up, with her wealth of expertise on everything labor and delivery. Callai met us at the hospital and helped through the early contractions, and even after I got the epidural it was still so helpful to have her there. It was the middle of the night so my husband was able to get some rest, while she checked in on me and helped me change positions. The delivery went great, but I had some complications after. Having Callai there was so perfect, because my husband was able to have skin to skin time with our baby and Callai was at my side holding my hand until I was stable again. She had just the calm and reassuring presence that we both needed after coming into this experience with some PTSD from our first child's birth. If we ever have another baby, we will definitely choose Callai as a doula again.

There isn't much to say except that Callai is an amazing doula…read more My husband and I worked with her for our first child. My goal was to go for a natural birth while still giving birth in a hospital. After finding that all the midwives were unavailable or booked for my due date I ended up going with an ob/gyn. I was nervous about what seemed like a less than ideal situation for a natural birth. On the suggestion of an out of state friend I looked for a doula and found Callai. Working with her was the best decision my husband and I made. When you're going through labor it is so important to have a supportive team, and I am so glad that she was there with us. It was my first experience with labor, and frankly I was nervous, anxious, and a little scared However, with Callai's help, I achieved the birth I had hoped for. Labor is truly one of most transformative but toughest moments in life, and I will never forget how she got me through it. When I didn't think I could keep going she knew I could and so I did. She expertly engaged with the hospital staff to get me the birth I wanted. She was a true advocate, and I will be forever grateful. Thank you Callai for everything. If you are reading this because you are looking for a doula, stop your search and go with Callai!

Robyn was our Hypnobabies instructor. We took her class before giving birth to our first child. I…read morestrongly believe it helped me reach my goal of having an unmedicated birth. The childbirth education part of the class was also really beneficial. Since having our daughter, I feel like I've met so many people who don't understand the birthing process. We felt prepared after taking Robyn's class. The Hypnobabies exercises also helped my husband and I connect before having her. Robyn also met with me for a prenatal lactation appointment. I was nervous never having breastfed before. She helped me feel more confident entering a breastfeeding journey that I truly love and value more than I ever thought possible! Furthermore, Robyn has been available to us since giving birth whenever we have questions. You're missing out if you don't use Robyn's services!

My husband and I just finished our Hypnobabies class with Robin, and I was honestly sad to see her…read moredrive away on the evening of the last class! We had such a great time with her (SO many laughs, which is really great for this anxious, first time mama) and she made the class fun and easily digestible. I would highly recommend the course to all expectant parents!

I first went in 13 years as go when I wanted to start quilting. The shop was owned by someone…read moredifferent than now and they were anything but welcoming so I decided maybe quilting wasn't for me. I finally decided I wanted to make a quilt no matter how rude they were so I put on my big girl panties and tried again. Imagine my surprise when I walked in the door to find a new owner with a kind heart and a ton of patients. I've done a few quilts now and see no sign of stopping. Beautiful fabrics, amazing patterns, great Halloween selection, and the kindest people. I couldn't ask for better!

I finished today the Shop Hop and was looking forward to picking out my free one yard of fabric, I…read morehave never done this Shop Hop before. Well found out in 30 seconds no choice. So made a suggestion that someone print on the passport that fabric is prepicked. The person helping said if you don't like it give it to someone else this is the way it has always been done she even repeated this as I was going out the door. Rude communication to a new customer. I had found about $60.00 of fabric on her website and was hoping to have the free one yard complement the fabric I would have bought from her. Will never purchase from her, took the wind out of my sail!