*Trigger Warning* Infant loss

My husband and I are forever grateful for the amazing support we received from the entire KOP Doulas team. We were introduced to Lacey and her team through our OB office thanks to a flyer for their childbirth classes. Within a week of seeing that flyer, we were signed up for the childbirth classes and had hired a birth support doula. We had an instant connection with our doulas Lacey and Jackie and appreciated their no-nonsense approach to answering all of our questions. We learned and laughed together about all the odd things that happen during pregnancy and birth and developed a solid foundation of trust that they would be able to support us no matter what.

The childbirth and lactation classes were extremely informative (kudos to Kristin and Lacey!). We were able to peel back the layers of fear and preconceived notions and build our confidence by reviewing every possible angle of birth and breastfeeding – anatomy, stages of labor and what changes to expect as labor progresses, what to expect at the hospital and objective information about the various procedures/interventions they may suggest, laboring positions, techniques to relieve pain, hunger cues, how to get a good latch, positions for breastfeeding, and so much more. (The purple line is real!) And when we considered switching to a home birth, we were able to chat with Kristi to get another perspective and talk through our concerns.

When we first learned about KOP Doulas, one of the selling factors was the variety of services they provide. I took comfort in knowing that I would have support no matter what the circumstances throughout my pregnancy and postpartum period; little did I know at the time which of services I would need. At my 39-week OB appointment, there was no heartbeat. We had lost our baby. The support we received that day from Lacey and Jackie was incredible. Lacey’s calm, steady voice helped me drive home to my husband who couldn’t attend the appointment due to COVID. Meanwhile Jackie reached out my husband to make sure he was okay. We stayed in touch with both of them throughout the morning and afternoon as we made our way to the hospital, received confirmation we had lost our boy, and I was induced. Although Lacey could not be with us in the hospital due to COVID restrictions, she was on speaker phone with us for several hours while I labored and coached me through every contraction once they were too much to handle on my own. Because of her, I was able to find my inner strength and push through without an epidural. In the days and weeks after our son was delivered, Lacey and Jackie connected with us to make sure we were okay, help us process everything that happened, and ensure we were getting all of the help and support we needed.

We are forever grateful for everything KOP Doulas has done for us. It was by far the best decision we made during the pregnancy and we would highly recommend them to anyone. They are a fantastic team of women and will be one of our first calls when we are expecting again!

I had an incredible experience with KOP doulas, from start to finish. My first conversation with Lacey sealed the deal that having a postpartum doula was the right decision for my family. We were expecting our first baby and as clueless first-time parents I knew we’d need the support! Truthfully my husband was skeptical at first, but Mallary made him a believer!

Lacey was so wonderful with helping us find the right doula to fit our family. Mallary was nothing short of a blessing for the first few months. I honestly don’t know how we would’ve done it without her. She was so incredibly sweet, patient, knowledgeable, and non-judgmental. I immediately felt at ease with her. We had a running joke where we’d count down the hours till Mallary came; that’s how much we looked forward to her time with us!

During our time with Mallary, there were a few days where we needed help and she wasn’t available, so we also worked with Melissa. She was just as fabulous as Mallary and we loved her too! In fact, one of the days Melissa was here was the first day that I left the house in WEEKS for a Target run. It may seem silly, but that hour of freedom was amazing and such a gift. I implicitly trusted Melissa and Mallary with our baby.

We worked with Mallary for as long as we could, but eventually had to say goodbye. I’ll never forget everything she did to help us get on our feet after having our daughter, Quinn.

If you’re questioning whether a postpartum doula is necessary, I can say without hesitation you will 100% not regret it. I will recommend KOP doulas to all my friends and family for their labor and postpartum doula needs!

My husband and I planned to have a hospital birth with a doula to help us bring our first child into the world and embrace the natural birth experience as couple.

Due to the corona virus, we found out shortly before our birth that our doula would not be allowed to come to the hospital with us. Naturally, the whole situation leading up to labor was a bit stressful.

When my water broke, our Doula, Melissa, was available right away by phone to advise us. Once we got to the hospital we were able to FaceTime with her when my anxiety was peaked, which played a huge role in keeping me calm. She helped my husband, Sean, support me through my labor by sending ideas for different positions and how to apply hip and back pressure to help with pain. When we had to make difficult decisions about accepting medication, she helped guide us to make the best choice in the moment.

Our son, Griffin, was born on March 26th. We had a vaginal birth after 22 hours of labor and receiving Pitocin and an epidural. I feel that because we were supported, we were able to progress naturally for as long as we did and have a beautiful pushing experience in the end.

Everyone is now home and healthy! We continue to receive Melissa’s support for breastfeeding and we can’t wait until a home visit is possible so that doula and baby can meet!

Although our birth experience was not what we had planned for, Melissa’s dedication to being there for us virtually and emotionally was something we will never forget.

My husband and I cannot speak highly enough about our experience with KOP Doulas, specifically our doula, Melissa. From my first call with Melissa, we struck up an instant rapport. I felt like she was a long time friend, but was also confident in her knowledge about pregnancy and birth. I felt comfortable asking her questions that I would typically be embarrassed about leading up to the birth. She encouraged me to contact her for anything at any time and always responded to me asap.

My delivery went very differently than I expected. My water broke with no signs of contractions beforehand, and my labor progressed very rapidly. Melissa dropped everything and met us at the hospital asap. She managed to make the hospital room seem as cozy and like home as possible by providing relaxing scents in a diffuser. She provided us with emotional support and acted as an advocate for what we wanted and needed. Even though my delivery was very different from what I had researched and expected, it will forever be one of my most beautiful memories. Melissa’s presence made my husband and I more confident and supported the entire time. It’s hard to imagine the experience without her.

After the birth, Melissa stayed to help for the first time my son latched. She is so knowledgeable about breastfeeding, and I think having her expertise helped us establish what has become our successful breastfeeding routine. Even after we got home, Melissa checked in to see how we are doing.

Overall, the best thing about Melissa is that she really loves what she does, is good at what she does and genuinely cares about the parents she supports. Of we ever have another child, we hope to be lucky enough to have her help again.

Whenever I leave class, I feel more and more confident AND excited to labor and see just what my body is capable of. So I can only assume that the others feel the same way too. We are now armed with a useful and realistic education. And that is really up-lifting.