“I’m celebrating my daugther Esther’s first birthday by finally writing a testimonial for Susannah, who helped her come into the world a year ago today! When I think of the experience of Esther’s birth, as I’ve been doing a lot over the past few week, Susannah is such an integral part of the story that I can hardly imagine it without her. My birth did not go as planned (do they ever?) — I had hoped to deliver in a hospital birthing center without epidural, but the baby took her time and as 42 weeks approached, I was looking at an induction. I was very anxious about it and Susannah was such a source of help to me in the days leading up to it, talking to me as much as I needed, offering resources of all kinds: she was reassuring yet also totally understanding of my fears. When I was finally in labor, Susannah spent the entire day and night at the hospital with us, giving essential support and guidance to both me and my partner. As everyone else came and went throughout the long hours of labor, Susannah was always there, a calm and knowledgeable and endlessly generous presence: giving me whatever help and comfort I needed, letting my partner get much-needed rest, communicating with the nurses and midwife when we were exhausted or confused. She helped me feel ok about my eventual decision to get an epidural, and rubbed my feet and legs for hours afterwards when I was numb and uncomfortable. She brought lovely oils — people who came into the room commented on how nice it smelled! Hard as it all was, Susannah actually made the whole thing fun — chatting with us, laughing with us, listening to music. Earlier in my pregnancy, I was a bit of a doula skeptic: I had a fantastic midwife and a capable partner, and I wondered whether it would be overkill to have someone else there. Well, having gone through it, I would now say that a doula is indispendable, and that Susannah is the best there is. I will always be grateful that I found her! ”

“Susannah was the reason that for the arrival of my second-born, my daughter, I had the birth I wanted.

My first was a pitocin induction, with epidural, forceps and episiotomy.

For my second, I wanted desperately to let nature do her thing. To trust my body and my baby, and to try a natural birth center attached to a hospital.

Susannah was kept on her toes from 37 weeks, when I went to hospital to have early labor bleeding checked out and was told I was 3cm dilated. I really appreciated her helping to set my expectations for what the next few weeks could look like. That it could still be a long wait, which it was. Over the following three weeks, Susannah checked in on my physical and emotional well-being, and offered suggestions such as the spinning babies exercises, the miles circuit, reference material on natural induction methods and lots of connections to vetted professionals.

When the time finally came, she stayed with my husband and I at home and helped us progress labor with a few hours’ walking around the block. Over this time she coached my husband and I on methods to get through those early contractions. By the time I was in full active labour at the hospital, she had the three of us in a rhythm that eventually allowed me to birth a 9lbs3oz baby with no interventions or pain relief, other than her counterpressure, amazing intuitive massage and her words, which helped me surrender to nature.

Unfortunately, half an hour later, my placenta did not come out on its own and had to be manually removed. Susannah remained a beacon of calm by my side as this happeed. I then experienced a severe postpartum hemorrhage landing me in ICU. She stayed with my husband and our baby for hours, as they waited for answers on my status. We can’t ever thank her enough for that. She is the most wonderful human being, and it truly feels like doula work is her calling. We cannot recommend Susannah highly enough.”

“Pregnancy was a scary time for me. I was unsure of what was to come, what to expect and the whole process of labor. i didn’t have a labor plan or guidance from anywhere. My husband Michael and I began looking for a doula, someone who would know all these steps. When I met Susannah, I knew from the moment we finished speaking that I’d want her in the labor room with us. Her warm demeanor, kind smile, and genuine desire to help compelled me embark in the process with her and we never looked back. Susannah was there for us every step of the way. I had a random question about why my leg was cramping at 2am in the morning, I would ask her and hear back from her right away. If I needed more resources or support on a particular topic, she found it for us. She helped us locate additional resources like pregnancy massages in the city, placenta encapsulation, and prenatal yoga exercises. She wouldn’t just give us one place to go to, she’d provide us with options. What I also loved about Susannah was her way of checking in with us, even though I was busy with balancing two jobs while pregnant, she would work around our schedule. Everything was about making our journey as comfortable as it could be. When the labor came, I truly 100% believe and you can ask my husband as well that if it weren’t for her we wouldn’t have been able to have a vaginal birth. I knew this was the part of my labor plan I wanted to achieve and she was there, holding my hand, massaging my back, grabbing me as we bounced on the ball and did the yoga stretches. It was a support I could not imagine coming from anyone. She stayed with us during those long hours that became days, an active participant during the laboring and the final push. I’m forever grateful and will definitely be using Susannah as our future doula. We recommend her to any pregnant woman looking for genuine support! ”

“I was skeptical about getting a doula for almost my entire pregnancy. I understood doulas to be “advocates” for mom and dad against overbearing and unhelpful hospital staff and I didn’t think I needed an advocate—my partner and I are both good at asking for what we need and I also really liked my OB and her midwives and didn’t anticipate a tug of war with them over my care. The only reason I ended up hiring a doula was after the umpteenth friend said “you really should find a doula” and I couldn’t ignore that many already-moms, and women I admired and trusted, all kept telling me the same thing. So I found Susannah, at a reasonable rate and I am so, so glad I did. Doulas are so much more than advocates for you—they are there for you when things start going sideways, they are an extra set of hands when your partner needs a break, they are a knowledge bank for when you need to try something else. Susannah was there for us every step of the way—suggesting new positions, massages, aromatherapy, you name it. She got up in the middle of the night when I needed adjusting or water or whatever so my partner didn’t have to. She fed me ice cubes after I got out of my emergency c-section. She helped position me to get a good latch the first time I nursed She came over a few days after I got home with lactation cookies and kind words. She was there to help us when we were both too exhausted to help ourselves and I am forever grateful for her, and to all my friends that were relentless in telling me I needed a doula. ”

“Susannah was our doula for the home birth for our first baby and we cannot recommend her highly enough! She was absolutely amazing—everything you could possible want in a doula and more. Her prenatal appointments were thoughtful and fun, and she provided tons of information on any topic we had questions about. For the birth, we called her after my wife was already in active labor (although she would have happily come earlier if we had wanted). She quickly assessed our dynamic, and jumped right in to help in a way that was so unobtrusive but so incredibly supportive that it is hard to describe properly… I think that is a good description of her doula style in general—very watchful and thoughtful (but not in a passive way), such that she complements the existing dynamic and supports the birth without making it at all about her. My wife says she doesn’t even remember what Susannah was doing at each stage because she didn’t make a big deal about the fact that she was constantly massaging or doing counter pressure or getting us something while I was able to be in front of my wife holding her arms and helping her maintain a calm focus. I think Susannah probably did 3 or 4 hours of continuous counter pressure during contractions, which if you have ever tried, you’ll realize can be completely exhausting! Having her there really enabled us to focus on each other and the birth itself without distractions of getting up for juice or water or without me having to try to be in several places at once regarding massage and pain relief. She just has such a calm and friendly presence that it was a real pleasure to share this absolutely mind-blowing experience with her. She also makes really delicious lactation cookies for the postpartum visit! ”

“We had an incredible experience with Susannah. She was highly recommended by another doula, which in my book says a lot. Even though we found her last minute, it felt like we had known each other for ever. She’s knowledgeable, caring, gentle but firm, and calm (which helped me so much!). She was incredibly supportive and a true champion for our wishes. She helped me during crazy intense contractions and didn’t leave our side until our girl was born and all the procedures were done. She was there by my partner, voicing all of our wishes and asking questions and making sure our baby was safe. I can’t imagine giving birth with out Susannah. If I have a second child, I really hope she’s there with us... PS- She makes the most delicious lactation cookies!!!”

“Susannah was an amazing, calming presence throughout our pregnancy and delivery. She provided invaluable guidance and information to prepare for our birth. We discussed and made our birth plan with her - and thank goodness we did, because our daugher arrived 2 weeks early, before we had a chance to write it down! My partner and I were so glad we had discussed our preferences for our birth in advance with her.

As I went into the early stages of labor, it was helpful to have Susannah to guide me through it. She joined my partner and I at home as we were ending the active labor phase and moving into transition. She helped us get out the door to the hospital. Her calming presence helped me focus through each contraction as we made our way to the hospital and triage. She coached me through each transaction and helped ease the pain.

After our delivery, Susannah was there with snacks, massage and care to help me recover. She gave us helpful tips to get started on breast feeding. Our baby was in the critical care nursery so I had to express milk from day 2 to feed her. Susannah’s tips helped me start expressing milk right away which has led to a successful breastfeeding experience. In addition, having the post partum visit and support has helped ease the transition into becoming a parent.

One thing we really appreciated about Susannah was her accepting nature. No matter what we wanted for our birth - drugs or no drugs - she was there to help guide us! ”

“Susannah was sensitive, caring, and easygoing. She is an excellent listener, and was really supportive of both me and my husband. We had an especially fast and furious labor and delivery, and she remained calm throughout, being a truly assuring presence. We both really appreciated how she was immediately hands on during the labor process as well. We don’t know how we would have made it through without her! Additionally, she responded to all my inquiries and questions/requests for referrals and further information, it was great.”

“Susannah was our doula for the birth of our son Lucas. As first time parents, we did not know what to expect and what we did expect turned out to be very different than our actual labor experience. Susannah did a great job at giving us an extensive amount of information during our prenatal visits and was very attentive to our birth plan and wants/needs during labor. In the weeks leading up to our due date, she checked in and sent additional information as needed which was very helpful and comforting. When labor began, Susannah was very easy to get a hold off and offered us great support over the phone before we asked her to come and join us for extra in person support. Once she arrived, she offered a calming presence to the two of us and immediately stepped in with comforting assistance. Her experience was very apparent as she seemed to know just what to do at the right time to make a stressful situation go as smoothly as possible. Although we were not very calm, she was able to stay very even keeled which allowed us to feel very assured. Once we went to the hospital, Susannah was very open in the change of birth plan. She reminded me of what I had originally aimed for in a non-judgmental way and checked in with me to make sure that this new direction was okay with me every step of the way. We had a very long labor and Susannah camped out in our hospital room with us and did not leave our side until our beautiful son was brought safely into the world. During our post partum visit she brought us a batch of lactation cookies which were some of the best cookies I ever ate and offered to be of assistance to us for the undetermined future if anything ever arises. I can confidently say that our birth experience would have been one of great difficulty if it were not for Susannah and her expertise, kindness and support! We highly recommend her services!!”

“Susannah was an invaluable source of support throughout my pregnancy and birth experience. She was always available for questions and very generous with her time and research of all of my questions leading up to the birth. It is also worth noting that she was very unbiased and open and I never felt any pressure when it came to different birth approaches, pain management and other various birth preferences as any woman or family should feel comfortable exploring what feels right for them. Originally very nervous about the actual birth, my mind was more at ease after our two sessions knowing that we had gone through all of the nitty gritty questions that might come up during the birth and I felt that Susannah would be a helpful advocate and Dr translator in the hospital if questions and tough decisions came up. Throughout labor, Susannah was so helpful in offering support, making sure I was hydrated, as comfortable as possible, and offering guidance about position adjustments. Her aromatherapy massages were so nice and relaxing and helped counteract the pain of contractions. After facing some labor complications I ended up needing an unplanned C Section so unfortunately Susannah was unable to be in the room during the actual delivery, but having her there leading up to that helped me feel prepared and as calm and ready as I could feel in that moment. I highly recommend hiring Susannah as your doula if you are looking to feel supported and cared for during your birth experience! Thank you so much Susannah!”

“We met Susannah after my partner and I were referred to NYC Doula Collective by our midwife. Upon meeting Susannah we were immediately drawn to her outgoing and positive personality and extensive knowledge and passion for birthing and postpartum care. During our pre-labor visits she guided us through the birthing and doula process, yet the discussions were very client-directed as we often had many questions for her. Initially we were not very knowledgeable about the birthing process; Susannah answered all our questions, always provided follow up, and we never felt judged by her for our lack of knowledge. She was a constant source of resources and support throughout the pregnancy. Susannah always went above and beyond in providing us with assistance and guidance throughout this process. We are so thankful we met her and that she was part of our birthing journey. During our postpartum visit Susannah provided the same warmth and support by bringing us freshly baked cookies, postpartum and breastfeeding resources, and hugs. I am very thankful that she was a part of my birthing experience as she added positivity, support, and guidance at a time when it was needed the most. I cannot imagine what the birth of my first child would have been like without her in our lives.”