Testimonials

Both my husband and I agree that hiring Barbara was invaluable and one of the best decisions we made about the birth of our son. As others have noted, Barbara has medical knowledge from her years working as a midwife, and I was able to discuss my test results with her. It was important to me that my doula be completely respectful of whatever decisions I made during labor, as this was my first child and I didn't know what labor would be like. I felt like Barbara was truly supportive of me and whatever decisions I ended up making, and it was very helpful to work with her to create my birth preferences sheet. My labor started with contractions lasting one minute, coming every 4 minutes, and after an hour my husband and I would have gone straight to the hospital if we had not hired Barbara. Barbara was able to come to my house, check my dilation, and let me know it was ok to stay at home for several more hours. At the hospital, when my labor was more intense, I relied on Barbara's gentle encouragement and repetetive phrases to get me through hours of contractions. As I had meditated for years, I thought I would be able to repeat phrases to myself in my head to help me focus. I found, however, in the intensity of labor that it was all I could do to focus on my breath and Barbara's voice was my anchor. Barbara was also such a comfort to my husband, who was concerned to see me in so much pain, and helped him to stay a calm presence throughout the whole process. Barbara called after the birth to check in on us and helped us to navigate some early breastfeeding difficulty. About a week later, she came over to review the birth with us. We were so grateful to have her support throughout the process and would highly recommend Barbara to anyone considering hiring a doula!

We wanted to have a natural birth at Swedish First Hill, and Barbara really made that possible. When we met Barbara, both of us immediately clicked with her. She has such depth of expertise and experience along with a calm and nurturing personality. She is an expert in supporting natural childbirth but knows about and can help make decisions about medical interventions you might choose in advance or need as a result of unexpected events. Our OB practice recommended her by name. Clearly she has a strong reputation for working smoothly in the medical setting, and our experience with her was everything we could have hoped for. We prepared by taking the Lamaze Getaway Weekend Course with Rosalys Peel (highly recommended!), and developed a birth preferences plan with Barbara and our OB. I went into labor naturally at 39 weeks. Barbara provided calm, sustained coaching on how to breathe throughout the entire labor. She also massaged my back and kept me well hydrated. It never occurred to me to use any medication. When I wanted to push, the nurses were surprised and a bit skeptical, but Barbara could tell from the change in my breathing and vocalizations that I was ready. The nurse checked me and not only was I fully dilated but Barbara had me reach down to feel the head! Barbara coached me on how to breathe and push, and our beautiful son was born after less than two hours of active labor! The best thing we did to increase our chances of having the kind of birth we wanted was to hire Barbara, and we wholeheartedly recommend her. It took a lot of pressure off my husband – he didn’t have to be a coach or expert, instead he was able to interact with me naturally however I needed in the moment. I really enjoyed the pre- and post-partum visits with Barbara, the help with breastfeeding, and the written timeline of events she recorded and provided to us after the birth.

I can't imagine having gone through labor and delivery without Barbara. She was truly amazing. Having her as a guide throughout the process with her specialized background and experience was so incredibly valuable. Barbara helped me develop my birth plan by asking questions about preferences and helping address issues in advance. She was always available to answer questions by phone as well. She provided helpful suggestions once labor started, and she met us at the hospital once my water broke. At the hospital, she helped navigate the network of nurses and doctors, who all clearly respect her. She worked with a cooperative attitude, always as an advocate on my behalf. She is compassionate and has a calming presence that helped me relax even during stressful and difficult periods, and trusting her guidance gave me confidence. She helped me understand what was normal, what to expect, how to prepare, and where decisions needed to be made. She even rubbed my swollen feet and ankles! The doctors are there to deliver the baby, and the nurses change shifts and keep track of data and records, but Barbara was with me for the entire 15+ hours of active labor and focused on my well being and comfort. She could tell when I was getting anxious and took proactive steps to help calm me down. She provided incredible support, reassurance, practical solutions, and thoughtful encouragement that helped me endure the pain of contractions, insertion of an epidural, over 3 hours of pushing, and getting breastfeeding off to a good start. She helped make what was a completely overwhelming experience more manageable. It is a very personal decision to hire a doula during such an intimate experience, but hiring Barbara was one of the best decisions I made for having a positive birth experience. After the birth, she also came over to help with breastfeeding techniques and provide support. I highly recommend her as a terrific member of a labor and delivery team.

My husband and I had a wonderful birthing experience in large part because we felt cared for by our providers and we had a trusted advocate in our doula, Barbara. Her knowledge and experience is extensive and her ability to handle any situation with ease, confidence, and care make her the ideal doula!

My L&D was greatly improved by having Barbara as part of the process. From our first pre-delivery meetings, thru a 24 hour delivery to our post-pregnancy time together, she brought experienced calming, wisdom and comfort to me, my husband and our newborn. We cannot recommend her highly enough. Any family would be lucky to have her involved in any part of childbirth or post-partum care.

We had a really great experience with Barbara. We have said numerous times that we could not have done the labor nearly as easily without her. Her experience showed with the many suggestions and tricks to help things go smoothly. One of the biggest things we found instrumental to our successful birth was that she was very respectful while working with the nurses, but also understood the right autonomy of what to ask for and how to ask for it. We were drawn to Barbara because we resonated with her active lifestyle. She understood our priorities in wanting to retain an appropriate level of fitness throughout pregnancy. Her advice was much more helpful than the status quo answers we received from other healthcare providers. If we decide to have a second child we will have no hesitations in hiring Barbara again. We also have no reservations in giving her high recommendations, particularly if you also share an appreciation of a healthly, active lifestyle during pregnancy.

Barbara supported us during the birth of our second child. Our first child was born in a small town hospital and I was very concerned that my desire to have a drug-free birth at Swedish would not be possible without an educated advocate. For us, things were not going exactly to plan during labor. Barbara to the rescue! She was incredible - calm, assertive, kind and reassuring. I can, without a doubt, attribute our successful drug-free birth to Barbara's knowledge of the hospital, the process, a woman's body, and our strength as a couple. The birth of our son was an incredibly empowering and intense bonding time for me and my husband. Barbara facilitated this experience and our heart felt gratitude goes out to her!

I attribute my positive labor experience to Barbara! She was critical throughout - and we can't thank (or recommend) her enough. All women who want / need additional support for labor and delivery should have a doula - wow!

Barbara was extremely helpful. We had a relatively quick birth, and this being our first time, we didn't know what to expect. Barbara's experience played a pivotal role in the success and our satisfaction with our birth experience.

Excellent! Was proactive for the patient in talking to MD, appropriate with questions and role.

Barbara was an excellent doula; great interpersonal skills, very helpful suggestions, very calming effect.

Barbara is the reason I am not traumatized by my failed VBAC. She's not "just" a doula -- she has medical knowledge as a former midwife. She held my hand from the moment I was pregnant with my second child, she helped analyze my first birth medical records & understand why I had an emergency c-section. When I went into labor, she came over numerous times (I had a few false starts, and she never made me feel bad that I'd just "wasted" her time). She pushed on my back and helped me breathe, throughout the night, and when it was time to go to the hospital, she just knew it. We went in at the perfect time and I even drove there with her rather than with my husband -- that's how comfortable I was with her. During the 22 hour labor and 2 hours of pushing (which sadly ended in another c-section because of my small pelvis and baby's head not able to get through), she was the voice I turned to for advice. She politely questioned the nurses and doctors when they wanted to do yet another intervention (and they did LOTS), and BARBARA is the one who helped me realize when it was TIME for the c-section even though the doc gave me a 30 percent chance of still having a successful VBAC. Barbara piped in and said "It's more like 10 percent" which was a huge step for her to take, considering she is going to go to this hospital over and over. But the doctor on call was not my regular doctor, and didn't know my case, & didnt see history repeating itself. My baby ended up having a double nuchal cord and the c-section saved her from serious trauma. Barbara sat and calmed my stressed out mom during the c-section. I was really shaken after the birth; Barbara came to visit me afterward & showed me the DETAILED notes she'd taken throughout the birth & helped me understand what happened -- something the doc would never had done. Hiring Barbara was the BEST choice I have made in my life and I already miss her dearly!