Cindy M. ~ As new parents to a healthy baby boy, I cannot imagine the past few months, especially the last week without the support and guidance of Marissa. She was the voice of reason during 36 hours of labor and made sure that my husband and I were relaxed, informed and supported. She is professional, realistic and, most of all, caring. This is evident by the ongoing support she has offered us after welcoming our baby, visiting us at home and being on call to answer the full gamut of new parents questions and concerns. We cannot sing her praises enough! I would be happy to speak to anyone looking for more information on our positive experience with Marissa. I cannot imagine having gone through the birth process without her.
Christa F. ~ Marissa was nothing short of amazing during my pregnancy, labor, birth, after birth experience. My husband and I knew hiring her was the perfect choice at our first meeting. Marissa is genuine, energetic, enthusiastic, knowledgable, flexible, helpful I could go on and on. She helped us work through things regarding the birth and was always there when I called or emailed her for advice. It was very comforting to have someone there that knew what I was going through and only made my experience better. Marissa supported me through over 30 hours of labor and I know I could NOT have done it without her! She knew exactly what to do each time I had a contraction and how to make them bearable. We also had a great time in between them laughing and chatting...just like having a good friend with you during a trying time. The chemistry with her, my husband and I was spot on and made for a very enjoyable experience! Marissa contributed to the connection between my husband and I that can only happen during times like labor. She was an all around fabulous coach! I highly recommend her to anyone. She is the kind of person that would be a great fit to all types of personalities.
Amber F. ~ As soon as we met Marissa, we knew she would be a good fit for us! She has a very kind personality, and she is passionate about what she does. We also liked how she networks with different doulas in the STL region and stays up to date on current trends. At 35 weeks, we decided to hire a doula to assist with the birth of our first child and ended up having him just shy of 37 weeks. At that time, we had interviewed Marissa and then met with her one time to talk about our hopes for the birth and the birth plan. We had thought plenty of what we wanted labor and delivery to look like, but Marissa also encouraged us to think about what we wanted our child's care to look like (something we truly hadn't even thought about). She provided evidence and research to help us make informed decisions regarding our child's care. When I went into labor at 37 weeks, she was a phone call away and was more than happy to talk me through what was happening during the stages of early labor. She even offered to come to our home to support us during those stages. She arrived at the hospital very promptly once we were there and was a huge asset in the labor and delivery process. She answered any questions my husband or I had about what was happening, provided suggestions when we froze and couldn't remember what other tricks we could try to help manage the contractions, she helped with support and positioning during delivery and was very hands on with helping with physical support such as massage and pressure. This all allowed my husband to be more of an emotional anchor to me, which I really appreciated! Despite not having the second prenatal visit with Marissa, we felt 100% at ease and comfortable having Marissa share our birth experience with us. We would hire her again in a heartbeat for any future children! Marissa continues to be a support to us, as needed, now that our little guy is here. We are so thankful for how empowered she helped us feel with the entire birth experience!
Sarah S. ~ Marissa was my doula for the birth of my second child. I used a doula for the birth of my first and was looking again to have someone there to support me and my husband during my labor. She met with me a couple times before the birth, and came to one of my doctor's appointments. She was at the hospital with me from the very beginning of my labor. She stayed with me throughout all of my labor - about 9 hours. Her presence was very positive and calming. She used various relaxation techniques to help distract me from the pain of my contractions. She provided support and information to help me make important decisions during labor. She was very encouraging of my decisions and it was great to have someone there the whole time as nurses were in and out of the hospital room. She worked great with all of the nurses and my doctor. Marissa also checked in on me after I came home from the hospital and visited once things settled down. It was so helpful to have her support throughout my entire labor/delivery/post-partum experience. Her encouragement helped me remain positive during all the twists and turns of labor. I am very happy to have chosen Marissa!
Laura E. ~ I can't believe that I debated for months about whether to have a doula at my birth or not... Thank goodness that when I was finally ready to commit, I found Marissa, and thank goodness she was available. My labor was long and difficult and I encountered a number of unexpected complications (as many of us do) and Marissa was incredible throughout the entire thing. For more than 24 hours she supported me, comforted me, and helped me try to achieve my goals all while maintaining a positive attitude. I think my favorite thing about Marissa is that she recognizes the strengths of the individual and she recognizes that each person's labor is unique. It's hard enough being pregnant and having everyone you know tell you the best way to deliver your baby. Marissa is genuinely supportive of what YOU want to do, even helping you figure that out if you need to. Each and every bump in the road during my experience was met with Marissa's confidence in me as well as in her own knowledge. While I can't say that much of my personal situation was how I intended, I am absolutely excited to do it all over again when we get pregnant with our second. Much of that is due to Marissa and how she empowered me. I look forward to having her by my side once again.
{RockStar Dad Testimonials}
Steve H. ~ It's hard to put into words how incredible Marissa is as a doula or how much she helped my wife and me through our birthing process. We met Marissa on a Monday evening and were immediately impressed with her knowledge and experience but mostly with her demeanor. Our biggest concern about hiring a doula was sharing such an intimate experience with a stranger. After speaking to Marissa for 30 minutes she really didn't feel like a stranger anymore. This was very good since the next day my wife went into labor (via induction) unexpectedly and very early. Marissa came to the hospital immediately when we called her and helped us navigate some of the challenges of induction. She then returned around 4am just after my wife's water broke and was with us until 6pm through the birth which included almost 7 hours of pushing. Throughout that time she was a coach, a guide, a supporter, and a friend. It's difficult to imagine how we would have gotten through that day without her help. Particularly as the father, she was very helpful in making sure I was okay, was eating enough, and was able to take short breaks to update family and use the bathroom things you take for granted as having time to do but may not without another person there to take care of the mother). Her counsel was also invaluable especially since virtually nothing went according to our birth plan. Once our son was born Marissa was instrumental in making sure he was given to my wife asap and put to her breast. She then also visited us at home twice and helped both with breastfeeding and other various questions which as new parents was great to have a dedicated expert's opinion/help especially in the first few weeks. My wife and I could not be more pleased with and grateful to Marissa. Doulas in general have such an amazing charge and I can't imagine a doula better than Marissa.