BIRTH SUPPORT

"Speaking as a husband who wasn’t sure we needed a doula, I can say with all my heart that I’m so glad we had Taylor on our team.
Taylor’s work to help us prepare beforehand, provide support during labor and delivery, and follow up to ensure Mom and Baby were doing well after was all incredible.
She showed up at midnight during labor and stayed for 16 straight hours until our baby girl was delivered safely.
She gave my wife the support and coaching she needed, gave me the ability to rest and helped me understand how to be valuable in the situation, and acted as a translator when messages were getting lost between the hospital staff and us.
First, I highly recommend utilizing a doula.  Second, I cannot more highly recommend that doula be Taylor.
Thank you for your support and helping us deliver Olive safely!"
- John   Rochester, MI

"Working with Shelby and Taylor was one of the best decisions my husband and I made throughout our pregnancy and labor journey. They are both incredibly attentive, really careful listeners, and so committed to hearing what you want out of your birth experience. The support they provide via text even before the in-person sessions is very caring. Nothing was too small a topic to cover: from dietary questions to concerns about snoring to mentioning changes in my heart rate, they took everything seriously and provided support, information, and recommendations. They checked in regularly so that I always felt like they had my back. Their responses always were backed by evidence-based information, which only made their timely responses more helpful. The two prenatal sessions helped us get a sense for what to expect in the following weeks, and the post-natal session was the perfect way to wrap up our birth experience. We wanted to go an unmedicated and intervention-free route during birth. Having Taylor with us from beginning to end was, in our mind, the only way we were able to achieve a birth that aligned with our preferences. Her know-how, experience, gentleness, physical support, and determination to ensure we had the experience we wanted made all the difference. If we have another child we will definitely be calling The Birth Babes to be our doulas."
​- Marimar  Ann Arbor, MI

"I had such a positive experience with my doula Taylor. My birth did not go as I expected, and I don’t know how I would have navigated the difficulties without her. I felt like she gave me important/relevant information every step of the way, with absolutely no bias or pressure. The hospital made it very clear what they recommended, and it felt very refreshing to know the data and bigger picture on every recommendation. Taylor helped keep me positive and calm me down when the birth felt overwhelming. My labor was almost 25 hours and Taylor was on call whenever I needed and was present for over 12 hours! She made me feel very well supported and confident in my decisions for optimizing the wellness of my baby and safety of delivery. Thank you Taylor ❤️"
​- Lauren     Franklin, MI

Are you a supportive partner wondering how your family could benefit from doula support?
A fellow parent offers his perspective on what that support meant for him and his family.

A Letter to Partners