I highly recommend Julia! She is very knowledgeable and helpful during labor. It made a world of difference having her with me compared to my previous birth experiences. My husband was very thankful to have her with us as well. She helped us make informed decisions, helped us know when to go to the hospital, and gave me lots of positions to get into to work through contractions.
-Rachel
Thankful is an understatement! My husband and I couldn’t have imagined going through the experience of our first child being born without the help of Julia. Knowing I would need as much support as possible and having never given birth before, I began my search for a doula. We met with Julia and felt so at ease instantly. She has a very calming demeanor that my husband and I loved. We met a few times before delivery; each meeting providing us with ways to talk out our concerns and have many questions answered. I ended up delivering two weeks late; during my “delivery window” Julia checked in often and was attentive. Contractions started for me a few days before I actually delivered; it was with her knowledge and advice I was able to avoid going into the hospital before it was necessary. When it was finally the “real thing” I labored at home for a few hours as Julia communicated with my husband on the phone checking on my progress. It was finally time to head to the hospital (middle of the night) so Julia met us there. I ended up laboring for almost 9 hours at the hospital. Julia instructed my husband on ways to support me; as she applied counter pressure the ENTIRE time. She also was there to suggest when I should try changing positions to keep labor progressing. My husband reminds me often how thankful he was to have her there; without her the experience would have been beyond overwhelming for him. Her presence allowed him to provide me the calming comfort that was needed to get through labor. Julia was also a great advocate when it came to communicating my birth wishes with the hospital staff. Looking back, I was extremely blessed to not have any complications during pregnancy and delivery, but it was with Julia’s support and knowledge that I was able to have the birth experience I had truly hoped for! Our son Rhett will definitely hear of Julia in the moments we talk about how he made his debut.
-Melissa A.
My husband and I are so thankful for Julia’s support during our first pregnancy and labor & delivery of our little boy. We had a low risk pregnancy, worked with a group of midwives and delivered in the hospital. I knew I wanted a doula to support us and am so glad we found Julia! Julia met with us a few times before our due date to get to know us, help us think through a birth plan, and answer questions that we had. She is very knowledgeable and we appreciated her gentle demeanor. She is easy to talk to and really cared about checking in on us and supporting our birth plan- laboring naturally as long as we felt possible to do so and open to an epidural, with one of our main goals to avoid a C-section. It was really helpful to have her available to talk or text the couple weeks leading up to our due date and reassuring me and offering advice all the way up until the 41 weeks and 5 days before I had to have my water broken. Julia met us at the hospital and stayed with us the entire time, encouraging through each contraction, knowing just what to say and do as labor progressed, reminding me that I was strong. I felt so comfortable and empowered with my husband and Julia at my side. She was affirming to my husband as he was wonderfully supporting me and advocated strongly for us at the hospital. Julia is just an overall loving and kind person and we highly recommend her!
-Jennifer P.
There are so many unexpected things that can happen with birth, no matter how prepared you believe you are. Without question, the best choice we made in preparing for the birth of our daughter was hiring Julia as our doula. Most of our pregnancy was spent abroad, but we were able to "meet" Julia via Skype and fit in both of our prenatal visits when we got to Minnesota. Julia was incredibly supportive and a great resource in the weeks leading up to birth with e-mail and text message check-ins, but she was absolutely invaluable during labor. My labor was 38 hours and she was there through it all, supporting my husband and I without ever being intrusive, without tiring, and without waivering in her encouragement. After we were sent home from the birth center to labor for the day, she was a great advocate for me, making sure I knew all of my options, and applied counter pressure for most of the labor. She also encouraged me to try new positions to help me progress, none of which I would have had the courage, strength, or knowledge to try without her there. While it was a difficult labor, my husband and I never had to be fearful and were reassured that everything was normal, which is huge for first time parents. She seemed to know what we each needed even when we didn't, and my husband was so grateful for her guidance on how to best support me. After 28 hours, we ended up with a hospital transfer, and having a familiar face there made it less scary. If we could do it all again, we would hire Julia in a heartbeat - we're so lucky to have her as a part of our daughter's birth story.
-Megan N.
So incredibly thankful! Our experience with Julia was amazing. My husband was weary about having a doula, and my decision to try for a natural water birth. Julia was there with us from the beginning. I contacted her soon after I became pregnant to ensure I had support throughout my pregnancy after previous miscarriages. Julia was sweet, calm and very knowledgeable. During our planning meetings we got to know each other. Her warm soul made her so easy to connect with. She also helped us create a birth plan and eased husbands fears about how a doula helps with the birth supporting both partners. She kept in contact in the months and weeks leading up to my due date. She was available to answer questions and help calm my anxiety. Our birth was a complete surprise. We were totally unprepared for an emergency induction at 36 weeks. Julia jumped into action, as she was our first call from the hospital, not sure if we would be admitted or not. She was on standby and came when we felt we needed her. She was incredibly helpful in distracting me with conversation. Calmed me with her presence and knowledge of what was happening. She assisted my husband in pain relieving massages and words of encouragement for both of us. She was a voice of reason in my head and in the room. She voiced what I was scared to ask of my nursing staff. Our birth plan was almost completely out the window, and she helped us to restrategize and still create a calm and warm birth space for our daughter. She also supported when I needed more pain management and requested an epidural. She ensured me my body had not failed and I was making the right choice for my body. She was so helpful during every stage of labor and spent the entire day with us. We loved the follow up we received from Julia. She contacted and visited us in the days following to help us process the unexpected early birth and having a baby in the nicu. She was the best choice!
-Ali and Nick G.
Having Julia as our doula for the birth of our first child was hands down one of the best decisions we could have made. Though we planned to use a birth center, there was a complication with my pregnancy around 37 weeks that required us to ultimately induce labor at the hospital. Julia was there for us the whole time through text, phone call and in person. She answered our questions, discussed our options, and supported our decisions as we faced this sudden change in plans. Her support during labor and birth was outstanding. She met my needs quickly and calmly, and knew what to do at just the right time. Whether it was handing me scented sticks to ease my nausea, letting me crush her hands for hours, or helping me find different positions to move labor along, she truly came ready to help in any way possible. Even after giving birth, when I faced doubts and fears about breastfeeding, she was a phone call away. I look back at the birth of our son with so much pride and absolutely no regrets, and I know that one instrumental reason for this is the support we had from Julia. We cannot recommend her enough!
- Kelsey and Tom V.
It was my first time being pregnant and I wasn't sure what to expect for birthing my baby. Julia helped answer my many questions before the birth and even gave me a helpful book recommendation. At the end of my pregnancy, I went into labor at 36 weeks. The birth center I attended was able to stall the labor but it was still quite painful. Julia came to my house and helped me though this beginning portion of labor. She offered encouragement and support throughout the three weeks I was experiencing early labor, checking in periodically to see how I was doing. When my water finally broke and I began active labor, Julia promptly came to my house with helpful suggestions and encouragement. When we arrived at the birth center, she remembered the requests I had told her months ago such as having cold rags on my head while in the water-birthing tub. She replaced the rags between each contraction so that they stayed cold. Julia kept me hydrated the whole time and gave me helpful positions to try. I can still remember her and my husband cheering as I was pushing and getting closer to the birth. Julia is wise and perceptive. She individualizes her assistance to best serve her clients. I'm hoping I will be able to continue to have her as my doula for my future children as well. -Julia and Cam C.
My husband and I set up several interviews with doulas in preparation for our birth. Julia was the third person we met with. After meeting with her, we booked her right away and cancelled our remaining appointments. As someone who works as a wedding photographer, I understand how important it is that you resonate well with people that you hire for such intimate work. I knew right away that Julia was a great fit for us. I knew that I would be able to trust her with this incredibly personal work. We were not disappointed! Julia guided me perfectly through my early labor giving exactly the advice and guidance that I needed. When labor picked up (after 15 ours) She joined us at our home and helped us through active labor. She knew exactly the right time to bring us in to the birth center. When we got to the birth center, she continued to be the perfect support-not only for me, but also for my husband and my mother. I could not recommend Julia enough as a doula. She is kind, caring, and I would hire her again in a heartbeat!
-Kate M.
I am so grateful for Julia! My husband and I decided to have her as our doula for a few reasons. The birth center was transitioning and having a lot of new midwives start right around the time of our due date. I didn't feel totally comfortable with all the new staff and wanted some extra support. I also had a surprise home birth with my second baby and thought we could prevent that with the help of a doula for our third baby. My friend recommended Julia to me and spoke so highly of her experience with her. She was very helpful through the onset of my labor via text. Once we got to the birth center with her she helped me the whole time in helping progress my labor. She walked with me (A LOT), she massaged my back during contractions, she helped encourage me and give me hope when I felt like I couldn't do it any longer! She always made sure my water bottle was full and I was drinking and eating well.
She was such a blessing to my husband and I and we are so grateful we decided to have her as our doula!!! We would recommend her to anyone! -Joanna and Sam C.
When my husband Jordan and I became pregnant with our first child, we knew very little about the options we had for support before, during, and after giving birth. When we learned more about the role of a doula, and meeting many at a few of the classes offered at The Childbirth Collective, we realized how valuable a birth coach would be, and decided to hire a doula for our upcoming birth. After meeting with Julia, it felt even more like we had made the right decision.
We immediately felt a connection in our first "interview" with Julia and connected on a number of shared experiences. It felt like we had known her a lot longer than just one hour! Julia provided us with a wealth of information, as well as asking us many good questions that we would not have asked ourselves before birth. We were encouraged by the fact that Julia has given birth before, and has experienced various ways of doing so. She was encouraging of my goal to have a water birth in a hospital, but was equally as encouraging when I chose to have an epidural during my labor.
I will never forget the way she knew exactly what I needed to hear when I was laboring, and gave not only me, but also my husband the right amount of support. When we were told that our son needed some help with the vacuum-assist and the room filled up with doctors and nurses, she kept both my husband and I calm, and worked seamlessly with the care team. When our son Cooper was being cleaned up right after the delivery with his Dad watching on and taking video, Julia held my hand and kept me present as I processed all of the emotions that come with just giving birth - which is a rollarcoaster!
Cooper, Jordan, and I are all very lucky to have met and worked with such a wonderful woman! Julia was one of the puzzle pieces that fit perfectly into our birth plan, and our son's exciting and loving journey into life :) -Sarah and Jordan Wein
We were very happy and lucky that we had Julia as our doula for our first time birth experience. My husband and I moved to Minnesota from Japan when I was 6 months pregnant, so we were nervous about giving birth at a unfamiliar place for the first time. When we first met Julia, we loved that she was very organized, well prepared, and had calm aura. So our concerns and nervousness went away once we met her and talked. While I was in labor, she encouraged me with calm voice and that helped me focus better while I was having contractions. Also she coached me to do many different positions so that my baby would turn and come down. We think that it would've been much tougher experience for us without her help. We needed someone who could help us focus and stay calm as much as possible, and help my husband do some heavy duty physical stuff since he has a back problem. She is strong!! We could rely on her 100% with no doubt! We are sure that we would love to have her as our doula again if I would give birth again in the future.
-Yuriko and Kai K.
My husband and I initially chose to have a doula for the birth of our daughter because I was planning on having natural labor in a birth center. Though I ended up having a C-section before labor even started, both my husband and I were immensely grateful that Julia was there through the whole process. In the days leading up to my daughter's birth, Julia was so helpful in contacting us to see if we had any questions and helping to calm our nerves. At the hospital, it was so nice to have someone to talk to, both about what was going on and just pleasant conversation to distract me! During and after the C-section, she stayed with me so my husband could be with our daughter. We appreciated Julia's calm and positive demeanor and felt comfortable with her from the first time we met her.
-Megan and Josh H
I honestly don't know where to begin when describing the impact Julia had on myself and my family. Being pregnant for the first time, my husband and I had no idea what we were doing. Julia quickly put us at ease. She helped answer all our questions pre, during and post birth and even educated us on things we never knew we didn't know :) My husband and I immediately felt a connection the first time we met with Julia. She was very interested in our "story" and I consistently felt like she was living it with us. Though we "hired" her, my husband and I both felt like she was more of a friend by the end of the process. She gave us words of encouragement, helped me with techniques to move my labor along faster when needed, and coached me on various pain coping techniques I didn't know existed. I labored for 12 hours before calling her to come to our home, and I wish I would have called sooner because she likely would have sped things along!
I was in the unique situation of having a midwife and getting pre-natal care at a birth center, but planned a hospital delivery. Julia followed us there and was my complete advocate every step of the way. My husband and I joke that it was almost like the nurses would tell us something and then after they left the room, we just wanted to hear Julia decipher it for us which she always did excellently. She empowered me to make my own decisions, something I was afraid of being taken away from me given the hospital setting. She also made sure that my husband was my #1 support system and took care of his well-being just as much as mine. She often gave him more detail than me, because there are just some things I want to hear at the time! :) Julia was simply irreplaceable and made our entire birth experience phenomenal. If I have another baby in the future, you can bet she'll be the doula by my side!
-Kelly and Ryan L.
Julia was absolutely amazing! It was our first birth and it was a very long birth (over 50 hours), and without Julia we would have been lost and likely not met our birth goals to have a natural birth. She was the grounded positive presence that we needed through the long birth process that we had. She helped my husband tremendously as well by helping direct him on what to do, and by helping us know our options at each step along the way in a very supportive way without pressuring me at any point. She also never got in the way between my husband and my relationship but very much enhanced it and added the support I needed to reach our birth goals. We were also very comfortable with her as she made this easy. She was gentle but also steady when I needed her to be. I wasn't sure at first whether I should have a doula or not but I am so glad we did (and that goes for my husband too)! My husband as a first time dad wanted to be there as my main support the whole way so he also wasn't sure beforehand about having a doula but now often says how glad he was that she was there with us and that he also ended up really needing her there. We highly recommend her to anyone!
-Rebecca B.
We ended up working with Julia by "accident". She was the backup for our actual doula, Laura Griffis, so when I went into labor and Laura was busy attending another client's birth, Julia stepped in to fill her shoes. I was nervous at first since we hadn't met Julia, but when she showed up at our house, it felt like we'd known her all along. She immediately slid into the position and person we needed her to be, she has a way of reading the room very well. I felt very comfortable with her and the suggestions she had for labor positions were very helpful. She was encouraging but not pushy and very knowledgeable. She accompanied us to the birth center and then to the hospital when we transferred (it was a long, painful labor) -- having that continuity was wonderful. I'm very thankful we got to work with Julia, I particularly liked how she uplifted my partner and I during the whole experience and helped us work as a team. If you're looking for a doula, you can't go wrong with Julia. :)
- Megan C
"We are so grateful that Julia was our doula for our daughter's birth. As a fourth time mom and doula myself, I knew the kind of support I was looking for. Julia's genuine, calm, compassionate presence and her intuition of just what I needed and when, helped me through my short but intense labor. Despite the fast labor, Julia somehow beat us to the birth center and was ready to support us the moment we walked in the door. My husband appreciated the tools he learned by watching Julia and it added to his confidence in supporting me during labor, as well. We would highly recommend Julia and would definitely have her as our doula again."
- Linda Marie
"First and foremost, Julia was an incredibly supportive, knowledgeable, and loving doula. For most of our pregnancy, we were indecisive about whether we wanted a doula for the birth of our first child. We decided to interview a few doulas about one month before our due date. When we met Julia, our decision was made. Her calming demeanor, confidence, and passion for supporting families throughout the birth process sold us immediately.
Meeting with her prior to labor, she provided us with the resources and skills we were going to need throughout our multiple days of labor. During labor she provided constant support, balancing the need for strong direction and quiet encouragement.
Looking back, we made the correct choice hiring a doula. Luckily for us, Julia was a perfect fit for our family and we’re sure she will be perfect for yours too." -David and Chelss
"My husband I were interested in seeking out a birth doula for extra support for our first baby. Upon meeting Julia, we instantly felt at ease and knew she was a great fit for us. I wanted a natural birth, but my baby had other plans. She ended up being breech and Julia was there through my version holding my hand and being a calming, supportive presence. I ended up having a c section and Julia was there by my side in the operating room at our request. After our daughter’s birth, she came back to the hospital to visit and also stopped by our home a few days later. She is a kind, gentle person and we are so glad she was with us to share our daughter’s birth. I was also so thankful that she was willing to take pictures for us!"