Kind Words

“My heart overflows with gratitude for Natalie Grammer & Jodi Phinney of Maine Doulas who helped my partner & I have the beautiful birth we had hoped for. Not only did they support me emotionally leading up to birthing day, but the incredible Natalie was our HypnoBirthing instructor. She showed up to our home after my first 6 hours of active labor and her firm hands and calm voice gave me the confidence to get to 9 hours before we finally left for the hospital. She was with me for nearly every surge applying relieving counter pressure or offering ice to my forehead sometimes simultaneously. She supported my birth partner and helped me to understand hospital jargon without it being overwhelming. And in a moment I will never forget she invited me to go deeply inward to a place where I arrived at profound trust in myself and in my body. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to replicate that self trust in my meditation practice or elsewhere but it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. Thank you, Maine Doulas & Natalie. I am blessed to have had this resource!”

“Jodi and Natalie were great support for us during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum! They listened to our goals and when things didn’t go as we planned, they were there to help support us through it. I cannot day enough great things about these two! Their prenatal support was incredible and to top it off-they were a godsend with overnights for our newborn. We were navigating a world with a toddler and newborn on little to no sleep, and they stepped in to take care of the newborn overnight so we could get sleep. They also gave contacts and advice for nursing support when I was having issues. You cannot go wrong with having these two in your corner through your pregnancy journey and beyond!”

“Natalie was amazing at the births of both our son and daughter. It was so good to have her there at the hospital - we already knew her from our prenatal sessions, she got there before us and filled out the paperwork, and she was such a support, from massages to helping my husband figure out what to do, from helping me with pain management to the amazing pictures she took (seriously good). I would recommend her or Jodi, especially if you are interested in trying to go without an epidural (although I happily got one with my second baby and she was great to have then as well).”

“Natalie is extraordinary, and I cannot imagine having had a better experience. She has a calming presence that instantly put my partner and me at peace, and she went above and beyond what we expected.

During her routine visits she expressed a geniune interest in the pregnancy and any concerns we had, and her expertise was always able to guide us to a solution or appropriate reference. Natalie is incredibly knowledgable and well connected, so we knew we could always count on her for advice. She is open minded and never judgmental, proceeding with a gentle smile.

The doula hip squeeze that she performed during my labor was magical. The entire experience, thanks to guidance from Natalie, was unlike what I had thought. She also checked in on my partner before, during, and after labor to make sure he was feeling comfortable. She made sure he ate and took breaks. From the moment we met her, and even now, we felt that there was someone watching out for us and helping us navigate a world in which we had very little prior experience.

Natalie checked in on us several times after the labor, and it was the support I received then for which I will never stop being grateful. If we choose to have another child, our first step will be to contact Natalie. I cannot imagine what the process would be like without her.

Anyone who is able to work with Natalie through pregnancy and during labor is an incredibly fortunate individual. She has been an extraordinary force, and we will never forget how much she has helped us. ”

“I cannot say enough about how wonderful Jodi Phinney has been as our doula. She supported us through all of the phases - from prenatal, to labor, and postpartum. A huge part of my confidence and that of my husband going into the day of delivery was thanks to Jodi! She helped us prepare for labor in all of the most essential ways. The day our son was born she was so helpful to myself and to my husband. She took care of me when I needed it and encouraged my husband when that was what was needed. I cannot express how thankful I am to have her in my life for the most unexpected reason - postpartum care! She helped connect me to other moms with babies, and to lactation support when it was needed. This has enabled me to make connections that I’m sure will last a lifetime! Can’t put a price tag on that!”

““We are pregnant!” I told my partner. “We need to look into a midwife & a doula.” “A who & a what?” He said.... When I met Jodi I knew she would be the doula of my dreams & I was correct. She guided us through our many birthing options & helped my partner become more knowledgable with the birthing process. We labored at home confidently for nearly 48hours as she checked in on us & when it was time she came to our home, helped chris make my contractions more comfortable and guided me through transition before we all left for the hospital. Jodi was a power house who stayed by our side overnight as we labored with our midwives. It was so extremely comforting knowing I could trust someone to help me make the decisions we had talked about throughout the process. Postpartum it was always wonderful to see her face & with her knowledge know when to call the midwives or see a lactation consultant. I would not hesitate in recommending Maine Doulas to guide you through your pregnancy & birth.”

“One of your packages on your website for postpartum doulas should be called “reclaiming your bliss” or “rent-a-wife”... It feels good to get back in touch with something I did pre-baby and feel a sense of accomplishment outside of the kids. Normally when I leave them, I come home to a house that looks like it was hit by hurricane and with housework backed up. Shannon jumps right in and seamlessly takes over, so it’s like I never left! What a great way to recharge!”

“I don’t know how we would have gotten through the transition from a family of three to a family of four WHILE opening our second business without the love these ladies gave my family in postpartum care. Natalie and Jodi are two incredible ladies that I am honored to have in my life!! Anybody would be lucky to say the same.”

“Natalie saved our lives! When we found Natalie at Maine Doulas we had exhausted all options, including a different sleep consultant. We were past the point of exhaustion, had lost all confidence in our ability to be parents and thought we had the worst baby EVER. Things were so bad at our house: our baby wasn’t sleeping more than an hour at a time, had to be held constantly, cried hysterically the minute he was brought into his nursery, had 2 ounce bottles all throughout the night, and on and on. We were hesitant to make yet another investment toward improving sleep but we are so glad that we did. Natalie traveled from Maine to Vermont to help us and from the minute she showed up we were at ease knowing we made the right choice.

By the time she left, 72 hours later, we knew we had a baby capable of sleeping through the night and taking quality naps.

Natalie didn’t just disappear after our 3 nights together either. She was there for us by phone, email or text whenever we started to panic and doubt ourselves, she offered pep talks and confidence boosters and helped us think through what our baby was really needing from us. We know how much of an investment this is (especially if you have already tried everything else like us) but it is 1000% worth it with Natalie at your side! It’s been 5 months since Natalie left our house and our baby is still sleeping 11-12 hours at night and just made the transition from 3 naps to 2. Natalie set us up with all of the tools we needed for the future before she even left our house.

Natalie is kind, compassionate, knowledgeable, and supportive. We apologize for the lengthy review but we cannot say enough good things about Natalie from Maine Doulas. If we decide to expand our family in the future we will without a doubt call Natalie again!”

“Jodi Phinney is my doula, more like my savior! I had my son 7 1/2 weeks ago. It was a very long 77 hour labor. The first 48 my husband and I labored at home with confidence as Jodi checked in on us regularly, popped in to show us new position ect. Once things progressed to a point we did not feel comfortable with she came to our home at 1am where she supported us and then the 3 of us headed into the hospital for a long road of active labor. Jodi was there with us for over 24 hours. She was an amazing support for my husband. Her presence made him able to take a break and get food, take a nap. She was amazing for me. As nurses and midwives came and went as shifts changed, it was wonderful having her and her vast experience there with us the whole way. It would have been a scary journey without her. Her presence gave as confidence and calm.
She was a great help during my pregnancy. It was fantastic to have her available for me to bounce questions off her. Postpartum she has been a godsend! When she called to check in and I told her about some excess bleeding, she encouraged me to call the midwife. It was a good thing I called.
I could go on and on about how grateful I am to have Jodi as my doula. She is my angel.”

“I’m so grateful to have found Jodi & Natalie during my pregnancy. Natalie was my doula during and after the birth of my daughter and I truly don’t know how we would have survived without her! She was a supportive, calming, and knowledgable presence during labor and continued to provide support afterwards, proactively checking in during the difficult newborn phase and always happy to answer our questions. Five months later she is still as helpful and supportive as ever. I can’t recommend Maine Doulas highly enough!”

“We were blessed to have Jodi play such an integral part of the birth of our first child. I was hoping for a natural, unmedicated birth but with this being my first one I also didn’t know what to expect and was keeping an open mind. My husband and I met with Jodi a couple of months before my due date and instantly connected with her. We knew her knowledge, experience and calm demeanor would be just what we needed. In addition to the obvious discussions of our birth plan, she made sure to get to know who my husband and I were, our families and what mattered most to us in our relationship. We always felt comfortable with expressing our thoughts, feelings and objectives with her. I called Jodi when contractions started and while I was anxious and nervous, she reminded me to keep on with my daily life and let things progress as they should. She arrived at our home when contractions intensified and helped me labor comfortably at home for as long as possible. When we arrived at the hospital she ensured all involved were aware of my birth plan and worked extremely well with the nurses and doctors. She advocated for me whenever it was necessary so my husband could stay focused on supporting me. She not only provided me with guidance and support, but did the same for my husband. After only three hours in the hospital, I delivered my son naturally without any interventions and I credit much of that to Jodi. I have become such an advocate for doulas, specifically Jodi, because of my experience and highly recommend her a million times over. She visited us in the hospital the next day and then again when we were back home. While the focus from family and friends was on our beautiful, healthy little boy, she was focused on how I was doing which, to be honest, even I wasn’t thinking about. Jodi started out as my doula and has since become a dear friend. If/when we have another child, I would absolutely want to have her by our side again!”

“Jodi and Natalie are fantastic! I had the joy of having Jodi present during my recent twin birth, and let me tell you, it would not have gone as well if not for her presence. She is such a strong, calm, caring and funny person and really saved the day. She listened to my wants and needs before, during and after childbirth and advocated for me the entire time. She even traveled to NH to help us when we decided to deliver the twins at Memorial Hospital. I did not meet Jodi until September 2018 (and the twins were born in October!) when I decided almost last minute that I needed a doula, but it was like I had known her for years... in such an intimate moment of your life, that’s what you want! Even though I reached out to Maine Doulas late in the game, they were quick to set up a consultation and meet me wherever was convenient to discuss my birth plan. There is absolutely no judgement - they want what YOU want. My pregnancy took twists and turns at the end and they helped me stay true to my desires. THANK YOU, Maine Doulas! ♡”

“My husband and I considered using a doula for some time before we decided to. Since this was our first pregnancy, we had no idea what to expect during childbirth. We wanted to make sure we had enough help and support to get us through the process. I was initially hesitant about adding someone to my support team thinking that my husband and I could figure things out on our own. Looking back now, I can’t imagine giving birth without Natalie there. Her calming presence, support and encouragement throughout the whole process were incredible. She had an amazing way of relaxing me through her words and hands, providing counter pressure, massage and comfort whenever each was needed. We can’t say enough of how appreciative we are that Natalie was there to help us through this amazing process.
Thank you Natalie!!!!”