Clare VanderWeele Birth Doula in Wheaton, IL

Working with Clare as our doula was one of the most positive parts about pregnancy and labor! We knew we wanted a natural birth, in a hospital setting, and know sometimes things don’t go to “plan” and can escalate. My husband and I started thinking about working with a doula and I’m SO happy that we chose Clare with Gathered Nest. From the moment we met her our minds were at peace knowing we were in the best hands. From our prenatal home visit , labor, and then the postpartum home visit, Clare brought such a peaceful presence, amazing advice, knowledgeable tips and perspectives, and overall was such a joy to have around! I knew she would be taking photos of labor, but what I didn’t expect was the beautifully written birth story we received about a week after delivery. What a true GIFT it was to be able to relive every detail - moments that would’ve been forgotten, now written and available for us to revisit whenever we’d like (and to tell our daughter some day!). Do yourselves a favor and hire her!!! With all that can come with pregnancy and birth, it’s crucial to have support you can trust, and someone who brings comfort and Clare is all of that and more.

— Lauren DiLeonardi

It's hard to summarize the gift that Clare was as our doula! Clare went above and beyond in every way, from the initial visit conversations to encouraging texts as we waited for baby and even showing up early in the morning at our unexpected induction to just make sure I had what I needed to feel safe and comfortable. Clare is a presence of peace and calm wisdom. There were many parts of my birth that had things happening out of my control, but Clare consistently reminded me what was within my control and kept me centered in a place of peace. Clare speaks with a quiet confidence that allowed me to have a beautiful birth. She even took time to do special little things like jot down notes of the birth for me to read later and capture a few images that I now cherish. I cannot imagine my birth without Clare there!

— Rachel Hoskins

Clare was beyond what we could have imagined to have in a doula. Being a first time mom, I couldn't imagine not having her support through the entire pregnancy, labor and delivery and even post partum! She was super supportive and positive about every part of this experience. There was no judgement on any decisions we made and she made us feel very comfortable during such an intimate time in life. Clare provided direct support, communication via however needed and also provided reading material and literature to read up on. She also took pictures and documented the labor experience for us to reminisce on. I recommend her for anyone that is in need of doula services. I will surely be hiring Clare for our future pregnancies!

— Jaricka Altman Dencheva