What people are saying…

“I really believe that was the best birth experience anyone could have had. The doctor sends his compliments; he says Marissa did a great job! I guess the worst part [of my birth experience] was registering and discharging! Marissa informing me about what my options were, whether it be natural, epidural, planned c-section, emergency c-section…helped keep my anxiety down about the unexpected or whatever could have come. A great part of having Marissa was her giving tips for stress management and communication with my partner. She didn't just support me; she supported my relationship and our foundation too. [I would not change] a single thing. Everything Marissa provided was either new or info l didn't fully understand when first presented to me, and she helped to clarify. She helped me to advocate for myself with my provider and understand that any decision about my pregnancy and delivery was MY choice, and unless my life was at risk, I could speak up about it. She kept reminding me l can do this, and it's OK to change your mind if you want to. I have told multiple people this is the best experience I've had; I know for a fact I haven't had a pregnancy this supported. Have Marissa train everyone and then they can all be just as happy as me! [This has been the pregnancy/birth] that I have felt most supported. I didn't feel like advocating for myself made me a monster patient. I feel like the services I got were A+.”

“If you are a type-A personality, who likes data and needs someone to tell them straight "how it is" you can't find a better doula than Marissa. She is not only knowledgeable, caring and has a great sense of humor, but she also is extremely interculturally aware and managed to navigate with ease culturally and language specific moments, superstitions and beliefs. She really taught me how to be an advocate for my own healthcare decisions in the medical setting - something I will take beyond this birth and into rest of my and my family's healthcare experiences. The most amazing thing is also her flexibility and ability to make anything work. As I was admitted for my birth I turned out to be COVID positive, so she could not come in person . Despite that she managed to still truly "be there", giving play by play instructions when we asked , coaching when required and just support without judgment when we needed it via phone and video chat. Her constantly reminding me that the important thing is not healthcare provider comfort/ ease of work, but my comfort and what works for me made all the difference in those tough moments.

All in all having Marissa as part of my first childbirth experience was the best thing we did for ourselves as a family.”

“I’m so grateful to have Marissa as our doula! Her gentle guidance and expert knowledge helped us make the decisions that gave us a very joyful birth journey. Just one month from delivery, we had the challenging decision to change medical teams from an OB/GYN to midwife experience. Marissa carefully listened to our concerns, reminded us of our priorities, and then supported us through the change. From beginning to end, she became the only consistent member of our care team. Knowing that her care would follow us no matter where we decided to deliver gave me the strength to make the change - and ultimately the right decision for us. Having Marissa’s help was an absolute gift! My husband has vasovagal syncope, so we all expected him to pass out. Knowing that I had such a well-trained caring advocate gave me a huge sense of relief. At one moment during a really intense contraction, I sensed that the room was filled with nurses, but I was able to power through it by focusing on my husband’s support, and hearing Marissa’s calming voice and supportive words. Marissa supported our birthing priorities and helped vocalize our concerns every step of the way. I think of her as my baby’s first friend.”

“Marissa was the piece we didn’t know we were missing to make Emma’s arrival as smooth as possible. We hired Marissa a month before my due date and hired her after our initial call because I felt heard and super informed after our chat. She was incredibly prepared for our meetings with visual aids, information, and even gave us homework to help us. I felt comfortable enough to choose an unmedicated natural delivery because I had Marissa on my team. However, the week of my due date a c-section was recommended. At that point I felt that I wouldn’t be able to benefit from Marissa’s services and thought of asking her not to come to the hospital. But I am glad I did ask her come. Marissa sat with us in the hospital while I was prepared for the OR and anesthesia. She advocated for me with my medical staff and helped my husband and feel informed through every step and also distracted us a little with lots of laughter. She encouraged me and helped me feel prepared not only for the procedure but also to receive my daughter. Post delivery, Marissa has helped us connect with other professionals in the area to help us with Emma’s development. Would 100% recommend her services.”

“Marissa was a wonderful support to me and my husband before, during, and after the birth of our first child. She is knowledgeable, calm and caring. She would listen to all my thoughts, feelings and fears and fully respond to everything with love. She would tell it like it is and make me feel heard, I never felt placated or invalidated. She cares about both parents individually and as a team, which really helped us both feel supported. Her experience with a variety of different kinds of births was incredibly useful and allowed me to have a lot of information for decision making. I had to have an early term scheduled C-section and Marissa helped me process that undesirable change and suggested to me many options I still had to make my birth experience one I enjoyed and felt I had some choice over. Her assistance in making our birth plan was invaluable. Her warmth and easy demeanor made her wonderful to be around and really helped keep all the craziness involved with having a child much more fun and easy to deal with. My husband and I are both so happy we had Marissa as part of our team.”

“Marissa was an amazing member of our support system throughout our pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum.

We knew she would be a good match from the second we met her. We wanted someone who would work with us as a couple, not just someone focused on mom. Marissa was thrilled to hear this and had mentioned how she has support groups for the non-birthing parents as having a baby impacts them too and that’s often forgotten.

We met with Marissa in person to draft a birth plan for an unmedicated birth. We went through all the possible interventions that could be thrown our way. Sam and I were able to make informed decisions that helped us to feel in control of our journey.

As time went on, Marissa was always available to answer our questions regardless of the hour. This was extremely helpful for me as I am an anxious person who seeks control wherever I can get it. Marissa made sure I never felt like a bother, even though I’m sure there were times I was. To make sure I didn’t feel like a bother she also texted me and my husband on a frequent basis checking in which was greatly appreciated.

At 36 weeks we discovered that our baby was breech leading us down a path of more tough decisions. Marissa walked us through our options and helped us weigh the pros and cons. We ended up choosing a planned c-section, which was hard for us to swallow at first. We went from wanting a pretty non-medical option to the most medical option. Marissa made time for an extra meeting with us to re-write our birth plan, again making sure our decision felt good to us.

Our daughter was born in December and Marissa met us at the hospital. She checked in with us and made sure I had everything I needed. While I was being prepped, she talked with Sam and made sure he was comfortable as well. This experience felt so much better than I thought it would, and I thank Marissa for helping us to feel that way.

The support did not stop after delivery. Marissa came for two postpartum visits where she helped me process the change from unmedicated birth to cesarean. She helped me and Sam talk about any struggles that we were going through. To this day we are still closely connected with Marissa. She created an environment that we felt safe to create a stroller group to connect with other parents.

We highly value our relationship with Marissa as a doula, confidant, and most importantly our new friend.”

“We had a wonderful experience with Marissa. She was a huge support pre, during and post birth. Not only was she a constant support for me, she was also very aware of my husband's needs and we really appreciated her a lot for that. I had a long prodromal labor and my birth journey did not go quite as expected. Through it all Marissa was right there just a txt or phone call away. She was always very prompt on f/u with me after my appointments and always addressed any concerns I had pre/post my appointments.

At the hospital, she championed for me and made sure my needs were met. Having her by my headside was a very calming process. Also knowing that she was there for my husband gave me a lot of comfort.

Our postnatal visits with her were really really helpful. She was very prompt to add perspective to my baby blues and also provide resources for me to seek help. She was instrumental in getting me in touch with my current therapist. Even though our contract was limited to 2 postnatal visits, she has checked up on me periodically after, gotten fellow mamas in touch with each other to share experiences, provide and facilitate a community for new parents and birth partners.

Me and my husband are first generation immigrants and having Marissa on our side gave us a sense of family. To top it all off, she is an excellent photographer and captured some really beautiful moments of our baby's birth. So glad we found her!!”

“We cannot recommend Marissa enough!

We immediately felt at ease with her during the interview process, and knew that she would fit our needs because our brains think very similarly.

I had a number of fears going into birthing at a hospital (even though I knew it was the right choice for us), and Marissa worked through each one with me with love and compassion, to help me feel at ease with our decision. We are very happy with the choices we made with Marissa‘s help!

She was also a great help for my husband, because we wanted to make sure that he was also supported through this process. She helped us have some thorough discussions during the process that made us both feel like we were supported and heard during a time when we felt choices had to be made quickly.

We ended up needing an unplanned C-Section and it was a huge relief for both of us to have Marissa there in the operating room. It was comforting to see her calmly go through the steps needed because she’s done this so many times before. Just seeing that calm helped me out (even though it probably didn’t look that way to her since I was crying the whole time #hormones #sleepdeprivation).

Her help postpartum was also invaluable! Processing all the thoughts and feelings afterward was a huge help. I also had a fear of postpartum depression since it seems to run in my family, so it was yet another comfort to know we had someone looking out for that. Since that wasn’t an issue, we got so many projects done with her help! Any kind of organization is now known as “House Tetris.”

Short version - Hire Marissa!.”

“After learning the benefits in school, I always knew that when the time came to have a family, I wanted to have the support of a doula. We interviewed several doulas and Marissa was the best fit for us. She has extensive training and knowledge, which all shined through when we first met her. She is the type of doula who is data-centered, culturally sensitive, and inclusive of partners. This last part was important to us because my husband wanted to learn about the process and be involved. Throughout my pregnancy Marissa was incredibly helpful too. The last month or so was very stressful for us - having to make some changes and even switching hospitals a few times at 38 weeks!

She carried us through these times with compassion and the guidance we needed. During my long delivery she was literally at my bedside for hours, the whole time, cheering me on in the early hours of the morning when I was exhausted and felt like I couldn’t go on. Every time I look back at my birth I smile because Marissa was there supporting me, my husband, and my baby girl.”

“This is my first time having a doula as a part of my support team. Although we connected virtually for our first visit and connected via text/phone mainly thereafter, Marissa made each exchange feel personal and I never felt I was unable to communicate anything with her. Meeting for the first time at labor and delivery was such an amazing experience. I felt like Marissa had become a close friend of not only myself but my husband as well. She consistently reminded me that how I feel matters and every decision about my body should be made by me. Her words were very encouraging and she always knew just the right things to say. I believe I couldn’t have been given a better doula as support. I truly appreciate her and I still smile when I receive messages from her knowing I’m hearing from someone who genuinely cares about their clients. Overall, I can not express enough how great she is and just how much of a difference having her support made in impact on me and my family.”

“I highly recommend Marissa!

1) Marissa provided constant text and phone support (even at 2am!) from day 1. I would often text her at 2am worrying about something and she would respond. She also helped both my husband and me, which was so important because birth partners need support and reassurance too.

2) Marissa coached me through not only birth, but also through the ups and downs of life that came during pregnancy. Everything from "I have a cold and feel isolated" to "How will I get the house organized?!"

3) Marissa helped me better navigate my healthcare providers. I am someone who very much believes in and relies on medical establishment. I work in the healthcare space and liked that Marissa had experience working with a healthcare practice. Marissa helped me navigate a standard of care that was right for me. I am typically pretty good at advocating for myself, but it was nice to have someone else there to help me better craft my points and educate me on the options. Ex 1) I was armed with all this research, ready to go into the doctor's appointment and have a lively academic discussion. Although interesting for a scientific conference, Marissa reminded me that this is about me and my care, not what the medical society treatment guidelines should be. She helped me better format my conversation to the doctor, to start with what I wanted to do and what was right for me personally. Ex 2) I was induced & not even a day in they wanted me to stop solid food. With Marissa's encouragement, I advocated for myself multiple times and finally got the doctor's approval to have saltines. It sounds like the smallest thing, but it was what I needed to keep going.

5) Marissa encouraged self-care, especially postpartum. It was nice to have someone say - go get a massage!”

“Marissa kept us feeling safe, secure, confident and prepared throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery. Having Marissa’s support navigating this new experience was one of the best decisions we made for ourselves and our son. She helped us to consider so many things we hadn’t previously thought of as we carefully created our birth plan together. Every step of the way she led us to feel informed and empowered. She asked thoughtful and insightful questions as she guided us to think about what we wanted and needed during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum. Marissa completely respected our wishes and values. Ultimately, she was an advocate and a friend. Marissa was also impressively organized and responsive throughout the whole process; she still checks in on us to this day. Marissa’s passion and compassion shined during labor and delivery – she was a beacon of calm, and seeing her by my side brought tremendous comfort. She encouraged me, and helped us to make sense of everything during such a vulnerable time. I truly believe that being a doula is Marissa’s calling. She is an absolute angel. We are so grateful to have had her as our Doula. We could not be happier with our experience. Thank you, Marissa, from the bottom of our hearts!”

“There’s no words that can describe how much Marissa meant to us during this amazing time in our lives during our first childbirth experience in bringing our daughter into the world. We are beyond grateful for Marissa’s support and kindness throughout this beautiful journey. From meeting Marissa during the first virtual meeting, to our birth plan, to our delivery experience, every moment with Marissa had led up to the success of welcoming our daughter the best we can into our lives! Marissa was an integral part of our birth team that gained the trust of and worked with our nurses and midwife. She was holding one of my legs and worked alongside staff to ensure my vaginal delivery was possible, which was our end goal, to avoid a c-section, if possible. It’s amazing considering I didn’t even know what a doula was prior to all this, to now realizing how important the doula role is in a birth experience.We have such a beautiful story to tell her when she’s older and we will definitely share how amazing her doula was! Thank you, Marissa, so much from the bottom of our hearts for all you’ve done for us!”

“It was a pleasure having Marissa in the lead up, birth, and post birth of our daughter. She was a wonderful source of support throughout the experience. She stepped in at the hospital when we needed her to, and was always there to answer questions and put us at ease when needed. Marissa did a great job of creating a relaxed and supportive atmosphere and we are so happy to have shared our experience with her. Thank you Marissa!”

“We got to work with Marissa as a doula for the birth of our son. From our very first meeting we knew she would be a great fit to support myself and my husband through the labor and delivery process. As a first time mom I had a lot of fears going into labor. Marissa is highly knowledgeable, compassionate, thoughtful and has a confident and calming presence. She was always easy to access when I had questions and would regularly check in before and after the birth. She not only provided us with wonderful resources and helped prep myself and my husband in the meetings leading up to the birth, but was also such a much needed presence during a very long and unexpected labor and delivery. The birth of our son was far from how we originally had hoped or planned for. It was a birth that could have easily been traumatic, but having Marissa as part of our support team made the experience something I can look back on without deep negative association or regrets. We are forever grateful to have had Marissa support us in one of the biggest and most important days of our lives. I would hands down highly recommend Marissa and her expertise to anyone who is interested and looking for support!”

“Marissa is the kindest, most compassionate, and intentional person I could have asked for to be by my side throughout my pregnancy and birth journey. She was super attentive to all of my concerns, and offered many resources to work through any worries that might pop up during the process. Marissa was also incredibly supportive of my partner, ensuring that he was able to communicate his concerns, and this genuine solicitude was remarkably necessary and beneficial to our whole experience.

Marissa truly listens to the desires of her clients, and she goes above and beyond her duties in all respects. When my birth location needed to change abruptly late in my pregnancy, she happily attended multiple hospital and birth center tours (many of which required a decent drive to get there) to help us talk through pros and cons and come to an informed decision.

Marissa caters her support to fit whatever her clients’ needs may be, and this distinction is ardently apparent in every discussion and meeting with her, and it sincerely sets her far apart from others in the field.

With Marissa’s guidance, support, resources, and recommendations, I can truly say that I had a wonderful, beautiful labor and delivery, and that I felt ultimately supported throughout the whole process of pregnancy and beyond. I could not recommend Marissa enough!”

“From the first time I “met” Marissa for a consultation virtually, I knew she was who I wanted to work with. She has a calm demeanor, a wealth of knowledge and really knows how to provide support and guidance. I instantly felt comfortable with her. She really helped my husband and I navigate our way through preparing for my first birth and baby and having a “plan” but being open to the fact that even the best plans don’t always play out they way we expect/want them to. We went into labor and delivery with the goal of healthy baby and healthy mom, and the hopes that it would go the way we ultimately desired but the understanding of being open to alternatives. From prepping the birth plan/wishes to helping us understand our options and alternatives, as well as advocating for all of that, Marissa made it all seem less daunting. When it was finally time for labor and delivery, Marissa was an incredible support to myself and my husband. She helped us navigate through all of the challenges/changes along the way. When I had a less than favorable reaction to a medication, she helped me from slipping into a full blown panic attack. She provided physical and emotional support working through my contractions, help deciding on next steps, and made sure I felt validated and supported through the whole process- and it was a long process haha It was truly amazing because it felt like we’d known Marissa for a long time and not just a couple of months. I am so incredibly thankful to have had Marissa there for the birth of our son, and the support she has provided pre and post-partum. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”

“Marissa was exceptionally organized and went out of her way to find educational materials, such as breastfeeding classes; she was extremely flexible in communication style and schedule; and we never felt our time was limited by her. We felt kindness and compassion throughout. Thank you for joining us on this journey to welcome our baby girl into the world. We appreciate all of your words of support and encouragement. It’s clear - this isn’t just a job. Marissa’s care is a calling.”

“Being a first time mom I was so unsure and scared of what was to come throughout my pregnancy and birth. Marissa made both myself and my boyfriend feel more than prepared and comfortable. She was available & still is available anytime throughout the day or night. She coached me on how to advocate for myself throughout the whole birthing experience. I truly believe the reason I had such a positive pregnancy and birth was because Marissa was apart of that. She was our doula first but a friend second & that is something that I hold dear to my heart!”

“We chose Marissa as our doula after meeting a few doulas. Our first impression was that Marissa truly uses a trauma informed approach to her care and I felt very safe with her. We are first time parents and truly had no idea what to expect. After the first prenatal visit, I remember thinking that one of the best decisions I made for myself and my future baby was to hire Marissa as our doula. We had so many questions and she spent hours responding each one of them and exploring our birth preferences without pushing us to choose one thing over another.

I had a difficult labor experience that ended being an unplanned C section. When the OB asked whether I wanted a C/S during my vaginal birth, my first reaction was to ask Marissa her opinion (not even my partner). This is how much I trust her with our lives! I cannot recommend her enough!”

“When Marissa first came to our house, we were clueless. She patiently walked us through the birthing process and what to expect in the hospital. She laid out the pain management options clearly and with her guidance we felt prepared and confident for the birth of our son. In the hospital she championed our decisions and helped us navigate communications with the nurses and doctors. Marissa made us feel supported and safe. We were very grateful for her services.”

“Marissa is a awesome Doula and highly recommended her, I remember when we first video chatted with her trying to decide on a Doula, and after interviewing lots of Doulas, first thing I said to my wife was she the one and we were right. She is an amazing person and will always give you the right advice and advocate for you.”

“Thank you again for all of these incredibly helpful resources!! It truly means so much to me that you took the time to chat with me last week - it made me feel so supported during a time where I've felt overwhelmed. I ended up connecting with a lactation consultant - she came by last week and was incredibly helpful and kind. It was really important to me to find a lactation consultant who was sensitive to and supportive of my personal goals with feeding and she was exactly that! I just wanted to say thank you again - as a business owner in an industry with unconventional hours and client needs, I know how hard you must work and it's so clear to me how much you love what you do! I can't thank you enough for your generosity and kindness - it really made a difference for me in these early days/weeks. I'll absolutely be passing your name along to friends, and will likely be in touch much earlier in my pregnancy if/when baby #2 is in our future. :) Thank you again for everything!”

“I welcome Marissa’s presence in any birth room I attend, and found it very valuable to have her, especially in navigating changes to the birth plan and discussions with the family.”

“Marissa was immensely helpful to the patient, staff, and partner. She worked above and beyond the average doula, and during a multi-day induction.”

“Marissa helped me set up my business website for my own doula and childbirth education services! She was also a great resource for other aspects of starting a new business. She totally got my vision in regards to my website, on the first try! I would absolutely recommend her services.”

“Marissa is fantastic, and even saying that so simply feels like an injustice to the incredible support she provides to families prior, during, & after birth. I went into my birth so informed with her expertise. She helped my husband + i talk through the many different scenarios that can occur during a birth. I can say so proudly this was the most magical birth experience for myself & i swear it was (aside from my powerful body! ??) because of the many techniques advised/ suggested. We also utilized Marissa for post partum support & we truly felt the love & dedication she provides. We are so grateful & already plan to have Marissa as our doula for our next baby! XoXo”