“IT’S BEEN ALMOST 4 MONTHS SINCE BREA HELPED BRING OUT LITTLE ONE INTO THIS WORLD AND HER ENERGY, LOVE AND WISDOM STILL RESONATE WITHIN OUR HOUSE. I FEEL LIKE SHE BECAME A FAMILY MEMBER. SHE WAS SO INTUITIVE TO OUR CHANGING NEEDS. I COULDN”T IMAGINE THIS BIRTH WITHOUT HER. ”
“Brea is exactly who and what I was looking for in a postpartum doula. I am a midwife, and have worked as a postpartum and labor doula in the past, and when I needed a doula myself, I had some ideas of what I'd want. When I actually became a mother, though, my needs were varied and unexpected - and Brea was there for whatever I needed. She has a wonderful ability to meet people where they are, to be as emotionally attuned as you need, or to give space when she senses it's needed. She gave me the support to nap, take walks, eat her amazing food, get time to myself. She also supported my time with my baby when that was right, and tended to household things I couldn't get to. She always had good ideas for my self-care, and she'd remember and follow up on her suggestions, which was really helpful. I felt completely comfortable with Brea and I knew she could tell what I needed without me having to say anything - this is really, to me, the mark of a highly skilled doula. She's professional, organized and serious about her work, in addition to being deeply compassionate and intuitive. I can't recommend her services enough. She took my partner and I through the early days of postpartum fog to a place where we were confident and stable on our own. She's a uniquely wonderful doula.”
- - - Annie Z
“Brea was our birth doula and she was an incredibly important part of our birth experience.
This was my first pregnancy. I don’t have much family locally, so it was just me and my partner. I’ve also got a history of some anxiety, among other things. As the weeks ticked down closer to my due date, my worry and fear about the actual process of having a baby was ratcheting through the roof. I knew I didn’t want to be ‘alone’ in the delivery room with an ob/gyn I’d never met before and my partner, who is wonderful and lovely but totally inexperienced in childbirth.
I knew about doulas and I knew that they provided support for birthing moms, but I also had a stereotype in my mind of someone who would just be whispering woo-woo affirmations at me and telling me that science isn’t real. I was also nervous beforehand that I’d be throwing money at something that wasn’t really going to help me, my partner, or my baby.
I’m sure that stereotype doula exists somewhere (sorry!) but Brea isn’t it. And I didn’t waste a single cent.
Brea’s rates include multiple prenatal visits as well as a postpartum visit, plus the entire on-call time and delivery. For all the time that you get with her, it is well worth her quoted rates. I can’t afford to pay her double or triple what I did, but I would. Seriously.
Brea has a ton of information and skills at her disposal.
—She’s certified as a doula and she’s very professional and direct in how she delivers information about prenatal care, mental/emotional preparation, physical exercises, medical terminology, and the birth experience itself.
—She’ll walk you through the pros and cons of pretty much every decision about labor & delivery that you could possibly have to make, but ultimately, the decision for how to proceed is yours.
—She is educated in Spinning Babies techniques and rebozo work.
—She uses everything from guided meditations to aromatherapy to massage to TENS to get you relaxed (whatever that looks like for you).
—She has a contact in town for pretty much everything you could want as a pre- or post-natal person (prenatal massage therapist, chiropractors, acupuncture, baby-wearing guru, women’s health physical therapist, postpartum depression group support, mental health professionals, —etc.)
—She’s very responsive via email, phone call, and text even when she’s not officially ‘on call’ for your birth.
—She can read the room and tailor her knowledge to fit your needs. If your partner (like mine) is both very quiet and very unsure about what to do with their laboring wife, she will show and tell them how to support the laboring partner and then hold space for them to do so.
Most importantly, once you have had a conversation with her about how you envision your birth and the goals you’ve set, she will support you wholeheartedly in achieving that. She seems to have a positive relationship with several of the medical professionals that she’s worked with at Salem Health Hospital and while I was there, I felt like she was working seamlessly with them and with my partner to support me.
My brain went to a dark, dark place during the later stages of labor. Brea was there for the whole time helping me refocus and helping my partner help me cope. Because I had an advocate with me in the room, I was able to stick to my original birth plan and ended up with a pretty short labor for a first-timer and a very health, happy baby afterwards.
Hire her. You won’t regret it.”
“BREA WAS A WARM, INTUITIVE, EXTREMELY HELPFUL, RESOURCEFUL, AND CONSISTENTLY KIND AND GENTLE SUPPORT TO ME, TO OUR NEWBORN, AND TO OUR WHOLE FAMILY IN THE EARLY WEEKS OF OUR SECOND SON’S LIFE.
HER SUNNY SMILE, EASY WARMTH, GIVING NATURE, AND NATURAL KINDNESS WERE THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT SHE SPENT WITH US;
THESE QUALITIES NEVER WAIVERED IN HER, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE AND SO IMPORTANT TO A SLEEP-DEPRIVED MOTHER OF A NEWBORN, AND A SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMED FATHER! SHE WAS A SWEET COMPANION TO OUR OLDER SON, TOO.
SHE DID EVERYTHING WE ASKED HER TO DO, GRACIOUSLY AND KINDLY AND ATTENTIVELY; BUT MORE THAN THAT, SHE TOOK LOADS OF INITIATIVE TO FILL IN THE GAPS, NOT WAITING TO BE ASKED. SO, SO, SO HELPFUL!
BREA IS A NATURALLY CARING PERSON WHOSE INSTINCT IS TO HELP, BE HELPFUL, AND RESOND TO YOUR NEEDS - EVEN BEFORE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THEM.
THIS IS SUCH A GIFT IN A DOULA.
SHE WAS ALSO WILLING TO OFFER ME MASSAGES WHEN I WAS IN VARIOUS STATES OF RECOVERY.
SHE WAS GENEROUS WITH HER TIME AND ENERGY AND CARING THROUGHOUT.
SHE ALSO CARED BEAUTIFULLY, CAREFULLY, AND ATTENTIVELY FOR OUR LITTLE NEWBORN SON, WHO I BELIEVE FELT HELD AND NUTURED BY HER THROUGHOUT HIS TIME WITH HER.
BREA IS ENTIRELY FREE OF JUDGEMENT, WHICH IS A REAL GIFT.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BREA AS A DOULA AND AS A WOMAN. ”
“As soon as I met this woman I knew God had put her in my path for a very special reason. I knew I wanted her with me just after our first meeting. Brea was so attentive and gentle to everything I shared with her. It was an immediate trust+ bond that I felt with her. I didn’t think twice and had absolutely no need to meet any other doula. No doubt, Brea was the one.
She was always so organized, punctual, sweet, kind, respectful, attentive, supportive, selfless and I could just go on forever. (She is a sunshine) I was able to open up to her completely. I felt safe expressing to her that I am very religious - she was so respectful and encouraging. I’m so thankful for that.
All the information and support I received in such a short period of time made this terrible anxiety(going through labor+birth for the second time) just eased day by day.
When the big day finally came, Brea was with me in the hospital in no time. Everything we had gone over in my birth plan was 100% enforced by Brea, I didn’t have to say a word. In that moment she became my voice. While I was in another world she kept me safe at all times. She did everything in her power to comfort me and speak words of encouragement- she knows what motivates me. She met all of my needs.
I admire such an extraordinary+selfless woman. You can see and feel that she absolutely loves what she does and expects nothing in return. Brea continues to be here for me and offers all of her support, even willing to care for Thiago and Milan so I can nap. Wow!
I was blessed to have Brea as a doula, in the end she was much more. No words can explain how lucky I was to have Brea by my side during such a special and intimate moment.
”
“I absolutely love Brea’s placenta work. She made me feel so comfortable and supported since the beginning and during the whole process. Her approach towards birth and placenta is beautiful and real, transmitting it into medicine that heals. As a new mama it was what I needed. She has a unique and loving way to help during these sensitive times and plus she makes the best lactation cookies ! Thank you Brea! ”
“We had a wonderful experience with Brea. She was such a life saver when it came to taking care of our new baby overnight. We trusted her 100% to look after our little one and she did not disappoint. She was always on time and provided us with in depth reports the following morning so we knew exactly what went on while she was at our home. She also did an amazing job encapsulating our placenta. I would not hesitate to recommend her services to anyone else. If we could afford it we would totally hire her to move in and help take care of Madison 24/7 she’s that good!”
“I contacted Brea when I was about 8 months pregnant. She was quick in responding to my inquiry. My husband and I met her two days later and as soon as we met her we felt comfortable. Brea is kind, intelligent, and friendly! She listened to our needs and our journey up to that point. Our goal in having a birth doula was to find someone who would support us both during the birthing process. Brea was exactly the right fit. We could talk comfortably about anything. It felt like we were talking to a friend.
With our short timeline Brea wanted to make sure we met before my due date so we felt comfortable and confident about the birth. She is knowledgeable about the entire birthing process and was great at finding resources for us. We focused mainly on comfort techniques by request. My husband felt confident in being able to support me during labor with Brea's help!
I texted Brea when early labor signs showed and she was quick to respond. (Did I mention that she is great at communicating?! Did I also mention that this was my first pregnancy? She was great at easing my mind about everything!) My contractions started quickly and escalated fast. She stayed in contact with me as I made my way to the hospital. When she arrived, she was by my side offering support immediately! I had an unplanned c-section. She was helpful in making sure we had the information we needed to make our decision. She remembered that my husband and I are believers in Christ. Before I was taken to the OR she suggested that my husband pray for the situation. She supported us in our faith and that was perfect. When we got back to our room she had set it up the way we wanted it to welcome our baby boy. It was cozy and comfortable. She stayed with us for a while afterwards to offer additional help we may have needed. During c-section she comforted my family and communicated necessary information about my condition, without compromising my privacy. We really appreciated that!”
- - Mollie S
“During my pregnancy my primary doula had mentioned to me that she would be going out of town for a week and that should I go into labor during that time, Brea would be my doula. All three of us scheduled a time to meet and Brea took the time to get to know not only me, but my son as well. She was playful and energetic and so loving towards my extremely excitable 3 year old and her warm and nurturing personality was everything and more than I could have hoped for. Working so closely with my primary doula for so long, Brea had very big shoes to fill in her absence and she did so seemingly effortlessly.
Although my labor did not start during the time that my primary doula was away, Brea took the reigns and checked in on me multiple times during that week. She gave me advice and was such a supportive presence. Which is exactly what I needed.
After delivering my daughter some weeks later, Brea encapsulated my placenta. I was expecting to have to wait a lengthy period of time to receive my capsules back but much to my surprise only days later they were in my hands. Her promptness leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. Her packaging is beautiful and she makes sure that you are well informed on how to use your placenta pills.
Brea is absolutely amazing and I am extremely lucky that she was a part of my pregnancy and postpartum journey.”
“BREA ENCAPSULATED MY PLACENTA FOR MY SECOND BIRTH AND SHE WAS FANTASTIC.
SHE GAVE US TONS OF INFORMATION ON THE ENCAPSULATION PROCESS AND BENEFITS AND HELPED ME DECIDE WHICH TYPE TO GO WITH. SHE ALSO TOOK CARE OF ALL SCHEDULING AND TRANSPORTATION LOGISTICS, WHICH WE NEEDED DESPERATELY IN THE POSTPARTUM HAZE!
I ALSO CAN SAY THAT TAKING THESE PILLS HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY IN TERMS OF REGULATING MY MOOD SWINGS AND FEELING BACK TO NORMAL AFTER LABOR.”
“We initially had envisioned Brea as our birth doula, however as most things in life we had a slight detour with a stubborn breach baby. Brea allowed us to convert to postpartum services. Brea was super flexible and knowledgeable in both the prenatal and postpartum visits. We would highly recommend her services as a calming and knowledge partner in the crazy experience of becoming parents.”
