What clients have said…

“Hiring Rachael was easily the best decision I made during my pregnancy. She is an exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced professional, well-versed in the many intricacies of pregnancy, birth, and the post-partum period. She arrived for our prenatal visits prepared with an impressive Mary Poppins-esque type bag full of supplies for possible use during labor, which we went through together to become familiar with but also as an opportunity to bond. Her abilities extend well beyond her useful bag of goodies as she is skilled in massage and counter-pressure positions that helped me a great deal in my final stages of an unmedicated labor.

Rachael is extremely responsive and reliable. Her responses to my questions were always thoughtful and just the right amount of in-depth, providing me with the evidence-based details or resources I needed to alleviate a recent anxiety or help me make a decision regarding my delivery. With her as my doula, I felt better able to advocate for myself and more confident in my decisions for labor and delivery. When I was post-partum, I felt incredibly overwhelmed and isolated, struggling to figure out being a new mom during covid while my husband returned to work. Rachael continued to be there giving me support, confidence, and advice (most often pertaining to breast feeding and effective healing and recovery immediately postpartum). My struggle was significantly less because I had her as my doula throughout my fourth trimester.

What I appreciated most about Rachael is that she is a genuine person who listens respectfully and honestly to the women she works with and is always able to have a non-judgmental conversation full of kindness and understanding. Being present for women and their partners as they bring new life into the world and transition into parents seems to be a deep part of who Rachael is, something much more than a job. It is clearly something she loves, and she gives her whole self to the process.”

- Christine S., August 2021

“ When searching for a doula, I knew I was choosing someone to join me and my husband during one of the most vulnerable, precious moments of our life. I could not be happier that we chose Rachael Lovely to accompany us on that journey. Rachael was there to support us during pregnancy, birth and after. She was always accessible (even at 2:00AM when I went into labor) and struck the perfect balance of sharing resources while not being overbearing or overwhelming us with information. She was empathetic, non judgmental and our biggest advocate when it came to working with the hospital staff. Birth was a very scary journey for me as I'm not someone who handles medical situations with grace. Rachael made the entire experience much less stressful by helping us create a birth plan we felt comfortable with and also helping us stay flexible when facing circumstances out of our control. During the birth, Rachael orchestrated labor positions & pain relief techniques (head rubs during contractions are amazing!) and was a constant support person even as the nurses & midwives went through shift changes. She was with us every second, even as our labor spanned 2 days and fell on her son's birthday - talk about dedication. Rachael genuinely loves what she does and it shows.”

- Santina F., May 2021

“ With my first pregnancy going generally well, I wasn’t sure if I needed a doula. I assumed my midwife and husband would be enough support. Now I am not sure if I would have been able to vaginally deliver my baby without Rachael. Rachael met with us before birth to get to know us and practice multiple pain management strategies. We immediately connected with her positive, calming energy. She listened to all of our thoughts and hopes for birth and offered guidance in the most sensitive and respectful way. Rachael answered all of our questions about birth and beyond and followed up with additional researched information after we met. She helped me with my birth intentions plan and made sure she knew what I wanted so that she could advocate for me during my birth. The breathing techniques, counter pressure, and massage Rachael offered proved to be absolutely critical during my challenging labor, which included “back labor” and an infection causing flu symptoms. Rachael never left my side while midwives and nurses came and went as they tended to other patients. We were so grateful to have a follow up visit from Rachael where we got to debrief and reflect on the birth. She provided additional postpartum emotional support and breastfeeding education. Rachael’s love for her work radiates in all that she does and I know she absolutely will be part of any future pregnancies I experience.”

– Allison H., November 2020

“As a first time dad, I was unsure about the need to hire a Doula. I felt as though our birth course and reading we had done would be enough to get us through the challenge of childbirth. After talking through it, we thankfully made the decision to hire Rachael to help us through our first child’s birth. We really can’t stress enough how helpful Rachael was to us during our first birth experience. Rachael made me feel comfortable to ask any question. She was very knowledgeable and eager to help educate and prepare new parents for their upcoming birth. When the time came to go to the hospital, Rachael went above and beyond- even parking our car so we could get into the delivery room as soon as possible. Rachael was a calming presence at all times, and her massages and other techniques helped my wife get through a long and arduous labor. She kept our spirits up in the low times, and stepped back when the times were right. She reminded me of how I could best physically support my wife in the moments that I didn’t know how to help. We are so happy she joined us in our birth experience, and can’t express enough how thankful we are to have had her help the whole 22 hours. Thank you Rachael!!”

– Steve P., November 2020

“ We decided to work with a doula about 2-3 weeks before my due date and couldn't be more pleased to have had Rachael along for our adventure. She was amazing at jumping in last minute to make sure we were well prepared and comfortable with her and to educate us on what we might expect from the birth. We were able to meet several times before I delivered. We found Rachael not only to be super knowledgeable about the birth process, and in an assortment of coping techniques, but also a wonderfully sweet person. We appreciated that she demonstrated the techniques on me in our home (before labor), and then guided my partner in how to do them as well. You never know what your birth journey will look like, so it was reassuring to have a number of coping tools we felt we could confidently use if needed. We found Rachael to be a calm and steady voice by our sides. Her presence both before, during, and after the birth was comforting and helped to put both me and my husband's nerves at ease. I appreciated how she listened to my intentions and hopes for the birth without judgement and with complete support. I felt she was a great advocate for my wants. During my labor, she blended in well with my birth team. I felt her presence yet she was not overbearing. She guided me through some intense pain and was also there to support my husband. We can't imagine our birth without her. A few days after my delivery, she stopped by our home with some healing soup and lactation tea as well as a few other goodies. Rachael was there to help do dishes, hold the baby, or whatever else we might need at that time, and together we reflected on the birth. She also took some pictures during my birth that we are so lucky to have. Rachael is both an amazing doula and a wonderful person! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone who is looking for a supportive, warm, and compassionate doula to help guide them on their birth journey.”

– Anne P., January 2019

“When you meet Rachael, you just "know." You just know that she is meant to welcome babies into this world, and help their mothers safely bring them here. Rachael was one of the first people I told I was pregnant. Over the next few months we discussed almost everything about the pregnancy. Rachael and I went over a detailed birth plan together and I completed questionnaires she provided to me so she was completely familiar with how I envisioned this experience. Since this was my first baby I did not even know all of the questions to ask or really what to expect. Rachael made sure that no detail was missed. Everything that she brought with her to assist with my labor (essential oil scents, heating pads, cooling pads, labor balls, etc.) were hand-picked and approved by me before-hand. She ensured that this experience was truly personalized to my specific labor.I was admitted at 6 centimeters dilated. I was given a pitocin drip to start active labor, and it hit me like a freight train. The pain was unreal. Rachael took control with a calming assertiveness that kept me from panicking, refocused me, and gave me strength. I still remember looking directly into her eyes during a moment of panic, and feeling a wave of security and strength wash over me. Her ability to communicate with compassion and empathy, but also strength and assertiveness was so vital to keeping me on track and focused.  I felt strongly about having a natural birth and Rachael knew it. I am 100% convinced that she is a major reason why I was able to endure a non-medicated birth. She gave me the confidence and support I needed to be successful. Do not pass up the opportunity to have Rachael as your doula, she is truly one of a kind and my family cannot thank her enough!!”

– Robin S., June 2018