Read what former clients and students have to say about doula services and classes.
Carrie & Zack 8/19
"Lauren gave us confidence that we were making the right decisions every step of the way."
"As a first time mom who chose to do an all natural birth having the support of our doula (Lauren) was just priceless. Not only did she provide amazing knowledge of the birthing process but her caring and supportive approach was astonishing. I was grateful to be able to have her support before, during and after our delivery and why I will be sure to reach out for her support me when we decide to have another baby."
Lynda 9/17
"My wife and I took the 3-Week Birthing class "SUPPORTED BIRTH," led by Lauren Ryan. Each class is 3 hours long, and Lauren goes IN DEPTH about every stage of labor and the full
scope of the birthing experience. At the same time, she is wonderfully personable, knowledgeable and engaging. What I appreciated most was the way she seamlessly incorporated
fathers and partners into her class. It has become standard operating procedure to either ignore or passively insult the men in the room as having no further use, but Lauren
didn't do that. She brought us into the experience - one that is quite foreign and unknown to us - and clearly explained all the ways we can help the women in our lives. How to
support them, anticipate needs, take care of lots of household things, and assist in laboring at home.
My wife is going to give birth to our first baby in 2 months, and the whole process of laboring and getting to the hospital and whether or not to use drugs, etc - it all used to
feel like a big fat QUESTION MARK. But after 3 excellent sessions, which promoted tons of great conversations between us, and dozens of questions during the sessions, we feel much
more equipped and ready to take on this challenge. That QUESTION MARK isn't nearly as daunting as it used to be. I would HIGHLY recommend this course to any/all first time
parents. We got so much out of it."
Jason 8/17
"Thank you Lauren! I have to admit I was not that enthused about taking a "lamaze" class. My friends told me I'd be fine just watching a video but David really wanted to take one to learn & meet people, etc. Walking up to the first class I even thought, "What on earth are we going to talk about for 3 hours?" Was I ever wrong! You were so informative & taught me so much. I feel so much more knowledgeable & able to speak up at the hospital for my needs. Thank you for empowering us with knowledge. Your classes were engaging & your humor was much appreciated."
Tracey (& David) 7/17
"Thank you for all your help during the most memorable day of our lives. Jeff and I can't thank you enough for your special support."
Audrey (& Jeff) 1/17
"Thank you again for your amazing support and for quite literally helping keep my sanity and helping me make it through the the other side!! "
Benson (& Megan) 12/16
"You are such a blessing. Hiring you as our doula was the best investment ever."
Bianca (& Ken) 9/16
"You made a huge impact."
Christina & Joe 10/16
"You were awesome...Could not have done that without you! You crushed it."
Mat (& Maiko) 4/16
"Thank you so much for all your help. I don't know what we would have done without you."
Kumari (& Louis) 3/16
"So glad we went natural and appreciate all the info we got from your class."
Caitlin (& Marshall) 1/16
"We really enjoyed your class and both felt much more confident and capable going into the birth. For me, what really assured me was that we both had the same information and were on the same page with "the plan" (used loosely) so going in, I felt like we would be moving united, rather than stressing out about what to do every step of the way."
Lauren (& Zach) 1/16
"I'm very thankful for the discussion you had with us about when an epidural might be the right thing to do. I think without that knowledge I would not have felt that it was OK, and that it could be a good thing for me, but it so clearly was. When it was time to push and during recovery I had the strength I needed, and I would not have, had I kept going and not had any rest. Thank you."
Annika (& Julio) 12/15
"Thanks again for the class - it definitely played a role in giving us the birth experiences we wanted!"
Rachel (& Damon) 11/15
"It helped me to know as much as I could about the labor and delivery process. I loved the classes we took with Lauren and felt much better and confident going into labor after the class."
Julia (& David) 10/15
"All in all, I had such an amazing experience. It was truly the best day of my life and I even said to my husband about 15 minutes after he was born that I was ready for baby #2 haha! Thanks so much for the wonderful birth class. Roger and I learned a lot and I'm so happy I was able to have the drug-free birth that I wanted."
Colleen (& Roger) 9/15
"Holy moly, giving birth is no joke."
Michelle (& Barrett) 8/15
"Thank you for helping me have this be such a positive experience - I felt such inner strength and confidence."
Jenny (& Jeff) 7/15
"It was a great experience and very emotional."
Catriona (& Mark-Paul) 6/15
"...the class was a huge part of the reason why we were able to have the natural childbirth we wanted. In addition to being informative and reassuring us that everything we were experiencing was healthy and normal, it had also given us the tools to have the preparatory conversations and so the planning we needed to do as a couple in order to share the experience so fully. The labor and birth process was the most intense, self-affirming, difficult and rewarding experience I've ever had. And to feel as locked in with my partner as I did with Damon was beyond description and expectations."
Rachel (& Damon) 5/15
"Thank you, Lauren! We enjoyed the class and felt prepared. Will definitely be recommending you to our friends! Thanks for your time and helping prepare us!"
Crystal & Luke 2/15
"Thank you for all you did for Michael and me in our childbirth education class. My body really did know how to give birth!"
Kate 12/14
"I am convinced that my birth story would not have been as ideal as it was without you as my doula. From discussions during my pregnancy to post-partum follow-up, you provided fantastic support. You even had chapstick for me during labor! You will always hold a very deep-seated place in my heart. Thank you so very much for you assisting me in the most moving experience of my life."
Katie 11/14
" We really did love your class and we are very happy that we took it."
Patricia & Adam 10/14
"I am still on high with gratitude for the invaluable part you played in my birthing process. I know without a doubt I could not have made it over without you, my earth angel!!!"
Bianca (& Ken) 10/14
"I'm glad my husband and I prepared as much as we did by taking your class and having a doula. It gave us a picture of what to expect and we felt prepared and ready when the time came."
Teresa (& Brandon) 9/14
"It helped me by being open and flexible from the start and not having my heart set on one thing for labor and birth."
Laura 8/14
"Thank you for the classes."
Mel & Spencer 6/14
"The cesarean was way better than I thought it would be."
Melissa (& Jonathan) 2/14
"We wanted to thank you again for all your guidance. We felt incredibly prepared when our son arrived... We waited until 411 and utilized everything we learned in the class and felt very knowledgeable before and once we got to the hospital."
Jessica & Chris 1/14
"It definitely was not what I planned, but at the end of the day I'm proud to say I went through the labor before the caesarean. I feel so empowered to know I can handle intense pain and still be alright. (I wouldn't wish back labor on anyone though) To be able to make it through what I did before Talin was born makes me realize how resilient the human body is."
Devon (& Daniel) 11/13
"I did try to use some techniques from your class, DEFINITELY focused on breathing, visualized myself on my perfect beach when I couldn't stop my body from shaking, and focused on each really strong contraction massaging my baby, getting him ready to take his first breaths. Tried to allow my body to relax into the contraction and massage the baby, versus trying to fight it."
Shawna (& Tom) 10/13
"Great experience! While I originally was hoping for no meds, my situation required some and the walking epidural was an excellent option."
Sheneza (& Jaime) 9/13
"Thanks again Lauren! And thank you for the pep talk on my delivery day. Things got a little nutty but our girl is here and we are very thankful."
Kelly & Daniel 8/13
"When I was checked by the on call doctor at 1am, I was 5cm dilated. She was very surprised that I was 5cm because she said I didn't seem in pain (thanks to your awesome coping mechanisms!)...we very much enjoyed the Supported Birth class you led...thank you again!"
Melissa & Kyle 6/13
"We're happy Ben's healthy and that there weren't any complications. Mike and I felt prepared -- and asked a lot of questions -- because of the Supported Birth class."
Michelle (& Micheal) 5/13