Anyone would be lucky to have Melissa by their side throughout the perinatal journey! I don't know if I could have had such an empowering, healing VBAC experience without her. We were blown away by her expertise, compassion, and judgement-free respect for our priorities and wishes. My husband and I learned so much from her birth education and benefitted immensely from her emotional support before, during, and after labor. I was especially impressed with her intuition - even in the early stages of my induction she could sense when I was struggling and knew just what to say to me and my birth team to help me feel encouraged and heard. She's also thoughtful, resourceful, and funny; I always looked forward to talking with her. I cannot say enough nice things about Melissa. May she always have green lights, the cool side of the pillow, and all the blessings in life... She's simply wonderful! You will not regret working with her!!
— Nicole
We love Melissa and would recommend her to anyone looking for support during and after labor! My husband and I couldn’t have welcomed our baby boy with the same intentions without her! She is an amazing resource of information, and as a first time mom, I gained a lot from the information she shared pre birth and postpartum. Melissa really listened to what I valued and helped me feel empowered with my birth story - no matter the outcome. We had a long journey before we got to welcome our baby boy, and Melissa was with us every step of the way! I would want her there for all my future babies!
— Kearstyn Keller
Melissa was such a blessing to the birth of our first son Eliot
When we began preparing for our birth experience, we had planned for a completely natural birth, and then we're diagnosed with some scary complications in the last month of pregnancy. Melissa was an absolute angel during an incredibly tough time for my husband and I, truly empathizing with the fear and uncertainty while holding space for the beauty and power of my pregnancy and birth.
Melissa checked in on us after each appointment, and helped us come up with a few birth plans that truly felt empowering and beautiful. We ended up having a miraculously natural birth, despite the complications in my pregnancy, and I truly think that had so much to do with the support from Melissa.
From guiding me into tons of positions to help position the baby, to guided visualizations, bodywork, yoga, and in general, unwavering support, we absolutely cannot recommend Melissa enough. I will always remember her as an Angel to our birth experience with our first son Eliot. Thank you, Melissa!
— Grace Johnson
I found Melissa the night before the 37 week ECV for our first baby. We had been thinking about asking a doula to help us at the birth but hadn’t started researching because the task felt overwhelming to me. A good friend of mine had her baby early and very highly recommended Melissa's services. That made the first step easy. From my first panicky pre-ECV phone call, Melissa was an understanding, encouraging and reassuring guide. She instantly helped relieve some of my many anxieties around birth, which can be so unpredictable and often include scary possibilities. So many times in the ensuing weeks, she clearly explained and re-explained data and doula wisdom that helped me have the resolve to make decisions for myself and for my baby even when our medical team was recommending actions that were not medically necessary and sometimes contrary to my goals for the birth. My husband and I thought Melissa did this in a professional way that didn’t undermine our medical team’s expertise but provided context from her perspective as a non-clinical provider. She shared, from her experience, how to prepare for a natural birth, what to expect if induction became necessary, caught that my water broke and I didn’t know it! and followed through with her confident guidance throughout our birthing journey that indeed took unexpected twists. Personally, I never thought I could be happy with a cesarean birth, but Melissa coached me through the emotional roller coaster in the month before Avi was born, so by the time the decision needed to be made for a last minute planned cesarean (after a stalled induction and "fetal intolerance to labor"), I was completely at peace and could enjoy the miraculous process of our baby breathing his first breaths and coming to us safely. Melissa exceeded our expectations for a doula, and I don’t even want to think about what our experience would have been without her in our corner.
— Gabriela Wilson
After switching OBs midway through pregnancy we decided to find a doula for some consistency and comfort in the delivery room. What we got from Melissa was so much more. She supported us through unexpected changes, prepared us for possibilities we didn't know existed, and walked us through our options to help us make informed decisions when we felt lost.
I honestly don't know that I could've made it through labor without her. She made it possible for us to be calm and mentally present for what otherwise would've been the most stressful and chaotic 14 hours of our lives.
On the rare occasion she doesn't have the tools to help you, she has a connection who does.
I reached out to her in tears with breastfeeding complications my first day home from the hospital and she had me on the phone with a lactation specialist in her network within an hour.
When our last visit with her ended, we cried that it was over. Hiring Melissa was the best decision we've made, maybe ever.
— Jennifer O'Neill
Melissa is an incredible doula with a lot of knowedge and resources. She is helpful preparing for birth, during birth and after birth. She is very supportive in whatever type of birth you want and helping support that. My wife is planning to get pregnant next and we will definitely be using Melissa again.
— Natalie Bailey
Melissa is absolutely incredible. From the very beginning, she made us feel supported, informed, and calm. She guided us in ways we didn’t even know we needed and made the entire experience feel manageable and empowering. Her presence during such an important time in our lives was priceless. Even postpartum, she continues to check in, offer support, and make sure we’re managing and feeling okay. That ongoing care has meant so much to us. We truly don’t think we could’ve done it without her and would recommend her to anyone without hesitation.
— Viki
Melissa is phenomenal! From the initial prep meetings to the final postpartum visit she exceeded our expectations. Melissa coached myself and my husband through labor and facilitated an experience that was smooth, all things considered. Her support and encouragement made us stronger.
Thank you Melissa for seeing us through the birthing journey emotionally and physically to welcome our baby into the world!
— Alicia Bell
I found Melissa just one week before my induction and she immediately made me feel supported and at ease. She is incredibly knowledgeable, calm, and accommodating. From the start she made me feel like a true priority. While I wish I had found her earlier in my pregnancy, she made me feel completely comfortable right away and fully confident going into my induction. Her support during labor was invaluable, and having her by my side made such a meaningful difference in my birth experience. I am so grateful for her and would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a compassionate and dedicated doula.
— Klarissa Mink
We had an AMAZING experience with Melissa and I would whole heartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. Not only did she provide amazing support that helped my labor progress, but she also provided so many wonderful extras like snacks during labor and photos. We will forever be thankful for her support and guidance.
— Addison
My pregnancy was complicated and included a life-limiting diagnosis for the baby I was carrying. Melissa was the first person, outside of my close family members, whom I confided in that my baby was likely not going to survive long, if at all, after birth. Though I hardly knew Melissa at the time, I felt an immediate and immense level of trust and connection, and I knew she was a safe person to open up to. We sat together as I shared my story with her, and without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around me, cried with me, held me, and offered her quiet understanding and compassion. In that moment, and in every interaction since, she carried a piece of the grief and sadness with me while offering steady, empathetic support as I moved through the various phases of pregnancy and thereafter. I will forever be thankful for the way she met me in my deepest pain and continued to walk alongside me with tenderness and love.
— Laura Bushek
