
BEHOLDING BIRTH

Client
Testimonials
Please read these testimonials from some sweet moms who I had the privilege of working with!
Birth Testimonials
Olivia
​We have used Holly for both our pregnancies so far and I cannot sing her praises enough! Holly is deeply caring and diligent to care for both mom and baby in all ways. I have felt incredibly informed, supported, and empowered by Holly and her knowledge of labor and childbirth. She's constantly looking for ways to support, encourage, and educate, which is exactly what I need in these days leading up to the arrival of our second child. It's also valuable to note that she has always come prepared with thoughtful questions, movements, relaxation techniques, etc. that have really shaped the way I plan to birth and view birth.
Holly supported my first birth and was an incredible advocate and coach in the hospital room. Not only did she use techniques that helped me manage the waves of contractions, but she also showed my husband what to do and allowed him to take over, which empowered him and comforted me. She also took the time to snap some photos that we will cherish forever.
I appreciate that I have felt like a whole human and not just a client. I would highly recommend Holly as a doula to anyone!
Renee
Holly supported my husband and me through the birth of first baby! During our initial meeting, she asked lots of questions to help us both understand my expectations and desires for birth. When I called to let her know that I was being sent to the hospital, she arrived quickly and stayed by my side throughout the entire labor, and aftwards supported us with our first breastfeeding.
I really appreciated her balance of warmth, encouragement, and direct communication. She was great at talking to the nurses about what I wanted/needed, and knew several techniques to help relieve pain and encourage the baby to move down. She also gave my husband tips on how to be involved during labor.
I didn't know that I would want pictures of our birth, but at the crucial moment, she grabbed my phone camera and documented the emotions on our faces and provided us with our first photos of our daughter. These raw captures are now some of my favorite photos. She also came to our home after the birth to provide post partum support. I definitely reccomend her as a doula who can both encourage and advocate for you!
Emily
After meeting Holly I knew that she was who I wanted to be at our son's birth. I had to be induced, which I was pretty bummed about, but when she showed up she brought the energy and positivity that we needed!
Although I was being induced, she worked with me and put me in a ton of different positions to try to avoid having my water broken and it worked! I felt that without that crucial event, I would have likely had to have a cesarean section. After our son was born she stayed until we had finished our first nursing session providing tips and pointers. She provided such a sense of warmth and love in all that she did. After having him she provided consistent check ins and was so helpful in our follow up postpartum appointments!
Tiffany
I was 39 weeks pregnant. I woke up feeling achy especially in my hips.I started to feel irregular contractions all day. I texted Holly to let her know what was happening and she told me she was going to sleep early just in case.
Around 9:00pm, I was pretty certain it was going to happen that night. I was still timing the contractions, so I texted Holly and my midwives. I tried to rest in bed but I was so uncomfortable. Holly wanted to come (for a home birth!) fairly quickly and she showed up around 10:30. She was immediately a comfort, a presence of calm I needed. She made me laugh, she went silent (into doula beast mode) when I started to feel the contractions. She pushed on my lower back, reminded me to drop my shoulders, held my hands, whatever felt right in the moment. And it continued throughout my labor. The midwives arrived around 11:45pm when my contractions were even closer and took my vitals. I loved how my midwives and Holly worked together to help me in every capacity. Holly coached, soothed, read me my birth affirmations, and stayed by my side the whole 14 hours of labor.
After many trips back and forth from the birth tub, the bathroom, my bed, the floor, I eventually ended up in my bed. I pushed for 3 or 4 hours (later we found out that H had his arm up by his head which prolonged delivery). I pushed against Holly and I think I bruised her shoulders! H was finally born that next afternoon, screaming on his way out.
My husband didn’t want to cut the umbilical cord (squeamish much?) so Holly did!! She was truly amazing. She stayed for several more hours to make we were ok. Holly held H and it felt so good to have her there as my doula. His birth story wouldn’t be the same without her.
Alex
Holly assisted me and my husband welcoming in our first baby. She was so helpful leading up to birth in providing resources as well as encouragement when I was anxious about something. She was very knowledgeable and made my husband feel like a valuable part of the team as well. When I went into labor I felt scared and panicked, but Holly showed up to our house prepared and reminding me of my strength. When we got to the hospital she had great rapport with the nurses and my doctor which made me feel at ease Labor took a while but Holly kept affirming that my body knew what to do. She helped me labor my daughter down even with an epidural and was very hands on. We had a great delivery and I felt very fortunate to have her expertise present!
Stephany
I was so nervous to give birth but Holly took a ton of time preparing me and my partner for labor. I had previously had 2 miscarriages and Holly was very sensitive to this fact and encouraged me to do some healing of my own before giving birth. I am so glad she suggested this because it gave me the freedom to enjoy this pregnancy and understand the difference between this time and the other pregnancies. During labor Holly was a great advocate for me in the hospital, while also giving my partner and I the space to decide things on our own.
She was great at putting me in positions that would leverage gravity to bring my baby down, We were waiting to know the sex of the baby until birth, and it was special for my partner to be able to announce that we had a daughter. Holly did a great job of including and encouraging my partner, while also giving them time to get away and sneak a nap in here and there so they would be ready to take care of the baby with me after she was born.
I also loved the postpartum appointments with Holly, she really just knew exactly what we needed when she came to see us. I would highly recommend Holly for all your doula needs!
Liz
Holly was vital in our baby's birth. I don't know what we would have done without her! She helped us create a thorough birth plan with multiple alternative plans to make us feel in control if something changed during labor.
During labor she moved me around and kept me from getting stuck for too long in one position! She encouraged me and read birth affirmations which really helped me keep my headspace clear of any self doubt!
After my baby was born she stayed to make sure her latch was fixed and encouraged me to seek out the help of a lactation consultant that made all the difference! I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to reach out if I had been on my own.
For my healing she brought over some great sitz baths and postpartum goodies. I am so thankful we had her for our first birthing experience!
Postpartum Testimonials
Priscilla
Holly has truly been a blessing to my family.
She has been supporting us with overnight care since my son, Enzo, was one week old. She was able to come into our home during an icredibly hectic (and sleep deprived) time and immediately brought a sense of calm, compassion and control. I literally breathe a sigh of relief watching her walk through the door.
I am exclusively pumping, so she feeds, burps, changes, swaddles and tends to him whenever he wakes up throughout the night. In addition, we are first time parents, so she has been hugely helpful teaching us her tips/tricks to help him sleep better the nights she is not here. She has also given us guidance on other non-night time related things like setting up a routine for him, spacing out his feedings, when to adjust from swaddle to sleep sack, tips for pumping etc. Given that Holly could be with him throughout the night in his nursery, we were able to get him used to that sleep setting and fully transitioned into his nursery at three weeks old, which brought a sense of normalcy to our bedroom at night...amazing!
Finally, my son was extremely colicky for the first seven weeks of his life. Holly demonstrated nothing but comfort and love to Enzo during that difficult time, while also providing invaluable emotional support to me as a first time mother.
We are forever thankful for her and the support, love and guidance she provided our family. We wish everyone could have a Holly!
FTM
During the first couple weeks after we had our daughter, Holly came over for a few postpartum appointments and helped us with breastfeeding assistance, cooking, some housework, and just general guidance during that stressful period. We are first time parents and felt very unsure of ourselves so it was really nice to have someone come in and offer some wisdom and encouragement.