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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!
Melissa
When I think about why I'm glad I had a doula I think of 2 parts of my birth experience the most. The first was in the triage room when we got to the hospital. I was in so much pain and so far into labor that I had difficulty keeping my eyes open. Holly told me everything that was happening, and I could hear her talking to the nurses but wasn't always aware of what they were saying but I didn't worry because I knew she was advocating for me and would take care of me. The other moment is when I was so close to giving in and I thought I was seriously going to rip in half. I was so tired and scared, but Holly encouraged me to get back on my knees, push through the pain, and moments later I was holding my baby. It was amazing. I don't think I would have gotten through that birth without Holly and I especially don't think I would have gotten to deliver naturally if I'd tried pushing the "normal" way.
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.
Alexis
Holly arrived at my birth at the worst/best time. It was right as it got really difficult for me, so I (and Jason) were so thankful to have you join us and help support me. We say ALL the time how we would not have made it out of that experience as happy with it as we had if you had not been there!
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!
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!
Johanna
My baby arrived through an emergency c-section; despite this being very different from the birth we had planned for, the support that Holly provided was invaluable. She came to the hospital to support me through my first few hours of recovery while my husband was caring for our baby in the NICU. She also provided postpartum support that eased the transtion to home for baby and me. Holly was knowledgeable, encouraging, and kind as I navigated new motherhood and I am so grateful for her support.
Paige
My birth did not go to plan. In fact, it was almost the exact opposite of what I had planned. Holy helped me to feel safe and seen and advocated for on the hardest day of my life. She was encouraging when I felt like me and my body had failed. Outside of my unplanned cesarean, Holly's calm presence and her encouragement to be flexible will always stand out to me.
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!
Heather
I think for me what stands out is a theme of feeling supported and having consistency. It was really nice having consistent support- someone who was on time, and present to meet my needs while also caring for the baby. To have that felt really safe, secure and amazing, especially when family and other supports were so low and struggled to be consistent when I needed it the most.
Annie
I don’t even know where to begin!
When I became pregnant my life was quite hectic,
I knew I wanted to give birth naturally and I had wanted a doula. Someone recommended Holly and I knew her from several years prior. We had not seen each other in probably 10 years.
I hired her and we immediately hit it off. I learned a lot from her and I know I would not have been as successful with my natural delivery if I’d not had her assistance and guidance.
After my baby was born she was still with me for postpartum help for a few months. She was a lifesaver and she will forever hold a special place in my heart for everything she did, not only that just being there and being a support for me and my life during that time.
If you are (or someone you know is) considering natural birth or help postpartum please get with Holly. You’ll be so grateful you did!
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.
Ashley
Memorable, or perhaps unexpected, was just how long labor was. You know going in that each labor is different, it's unpredictable, but I'm not sure I fully understood how true that is! My labor and delivery didn't go as I may have hoped it would, but I'll always be grateful that Holly was beside me each step of the way with a calm confidence. She also help me process it afterwards for postpartum care. I still think about little things Holly said me like, how attached she thought my baby was to me. As a new mom, unsure of pretty much everything, that gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel so good.