"Working with Kate was an absolute pleasure -- I cannot express how much I endorse her doula services! First off, Kate is just an awesome person: she is kind, smart, and helped me feel at ease in the weeks leading up to labor and during a long birthing experience. She is extremely well versed in pregnancy, birth, and childcare issues and I really appreciated her well researched and data-driven inputs on things we had questions about. Prior to birth, Kate met with myself and my husband and we discussed my goals and fears. Her input was really helpful to prepare us for 'the big day.' When it came time to give birth, our plan went out the window and Kate helped us feel in control and informed as we navigated a long induction. Her presence at the hospital was absolutely key! She continued to advocate for us, help us make informed decisions, and was an awesome cheerleader when the time came to get to work pushing. The little touches (scent, lighting) helped create a calming atmosphere, but moreover she was instrumental in helping us make key decisions when we were emotional and running on little sleep. She also reassured us at stressful points during the process and my husband appreciated her presence and support too – it can be a nerve wracking process for the people supporting the birthing mother as well! If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, there is some great evidence on better outcomes having one at your side. Having Kate in my arsenal of support people during my baby's birth was hands down the best decision I've made all year -- and I don't say that lightly. Highly, highly recommend Kate!" --Whitney
"You need Kate as your doula. End of story. No matter where you are giving birth (hospital, birthing center, home). You need a doula and you need Kate. I had a home birth with Kate as my doula and for the short amount of time she wasn't there it was absolutely chaos. I had a very fast labor (4 hours) and for the very short time Kate wasn't there it resulted in me crying through the pain and my husband crying as well because he is not a doula. Is he is supportive and an amazing husband? YES. But he has never witnessed a birth and is not trained to handle them. I DONT THINK I WOULDVE HAD THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITHOUT KATE. During transition I was losing it and she was bringing me back with my breath and helping me in the way I needed to be helped. Kate is extremely educated, was able to help me make informed decisions, help me breath through the surges and ultimately helped me bring my baby girl into the world. I highly recommend Kate as your doula. LISTEN TO HER. Surrender and do everything she says and you will have an incredible birth too!" --Nicole
"Kate was our north star during our birth experience! I actually met her for the first time after I had already been laboring in the hospital. I’d been diagnosed with preeclampsia and needed to be induced on short notice, leaving my original doula already booked with another client, so Kate stepped in. The hospital environment and staff was very professional and supportive, but my labor went through many phases and lasted almost 40hrs, so naturally there were many staff changes. While the important clinical information is relayed shift to shift, it’s hard to translate the emotional journey we’ve been on. Kate created stability and a sense of progress, even when the way felt lost. She offered hands-on comfort and techniques when labor was happening, and sound, strategic advice when it stalled. I had my heart set on a vaginal delivery with as few interventions as possible, so beyond what was required with the induction process, I was resisting as many unnatural elements as I could, including an epidural. But after fighting through excruciating contractions from the Pitocin, Kate explained the pain vs suffering dynamic and helped me step back from my struggle and revisit my plan. I decided to get an epidural that provided me incredible relief and some much needed rest. After getting my first few hours of sleep in almost 36 hours, my dilation had completed and I pushed for less than an hour and finally gave birth. I can’t state how grateful I am for having Kate on my birth team." --Willow
"I highly recommend Kate to anyone looking for a doula. I hired Kate for my first birth and could not be happier with the support my husband and I received. From my own perspective, it was worth every penny to have an advocate who could help me through my experience. There were times during labor that were much easier to get through thanks to Kates help. My husband was also grateful for her coaching on how to be helpful during the birth. Without her being there, he would've struggled with knowing when and where he could/should step in. I look back at my birth with very positive thoughts and I don't think I would feel the same without Kate being there." --Katie H
"We had the best experience with Kate! As a first time mom, she helped make my labor experience an extremely positive one. She knew what I envisioned for my labor and delivery goals which helped make both my husband and I confident and excited for the whole process. It’s important to trust your birth team, as it’s one of the most sentimental days of your life! Would recommend her to anyone, and would definitely use her for all future babies ;)" --Maria
"I wanted to share how much I appreciate my doula, Kate. This incredible woman sat by my side for 50 hours, nurturing me and helping my partner and I cope through my strenuous birth. I don’t think I could walk away from my birth saying it was a positive experience unless I had her by my side helping me advocate for myself MANY times. Helping me grieve every piece of my birth plan I had to let go of as I went. She is a so incredibly patient and pushed me where she knew I could handle it, which helped me to know I gave it my all. The ways Kate helped me through birthing Xan will forever shape my future. The world needs more kind compassionate and strong women like her. So much love for you Kate! " --Ty
"If you are lucky enough to have an option to hire Kate Finley as your doula, jump on it. Not only does she have the compassion to support you through your pregnancy and your birth, she has in depth knowledge, and she is constantly learning. Before I met Kate, I was terrified of birth. I did not think I was capable. I am a person who ended up at a stand alone birth center having an unmedicated birth, and I was excited about it. Kate provided me with support I needed to make the right decisions for me during my pregnancy and during the postpartum period... She is a caring ear but so much more. She helps you make the decisions that are right for you, whatever those may be. She has no agenda other than to help you meet your own goals, whether that is a birth center, a hospital, an epidural, an unmedicated birth, or whatever else is in between. She has helped me make some of the most important decisions of my life. I would not want to do birth without her. " --Danielle
"We had a great experience with Kate! We appreciated her candor and sense of humor and how she supported us through a bunch of unknowns. She has great materials and resources for preparing for birth. I ended up with a breech baby and first attempted a version procedure at week 34 to be able to have a vaginal birth. Kate helped me stay calm through the intense procedure, anticipated me wanting my husband’s support and helped him get in position and ready through the procedure. We ended up needing to have a c-section and Kate helped us get ready for the procedure and emotionally prepare and feel grounded in what would happen. She came to the hospital with us and gave me one of the best foot massages of my life as I anxiously awaited a procedure I was very scared about. We are very grateful she was their to support our journey into parenthood!" --Margot
"Kate is an amazing doula and helped my husband and I through the end of pregnancy and child birth. She is very knowledgeable about all aspects of pregnancy, labor and postpartum and shared her knowledge with us during prenatal appointments that helped us prepare for child birth. During labor, she was great emotional support and was very encouraging- I would not have been able to have an unmedicated birth in a hospital setting without her. She involved my husband during labor and had many effective strategies to get through each contraction. She is kind and understanding and an all around great person and doula. I would recommend Kate to all expecting mamas!" --Camille
"I can't thank you enough for your support and presence in welcoming Kiera into the world. I couldn't have chosen a better person to be there - so glad you are a part of our story." --Katie
"My husband and I hired Kate late in my pregnancy to be our doula for my daughter's birth at the beginning of March 2022. Kate met with us multiple times and helped us to prepare a birth plan. Once I passed 38 weeks, Kate was available by text or email 24/7. As this was my first birth, the information Kate provided about what to expect during the birth process, coping strategies for labor and other resources for postpartum were extremely helpful. When I went into labor, Kate met us at the hospital and stayed with us until after my daughter was born. I was able to labor and deliver my baby without an epidural. I believe part of the reason I was able to do this was due to Kate's support as our doula. I'd recommend that any first time mom consider hiring a doula for support regardless of where they plan to deliver their baby. Having Kate with me gave me so much confidence in myself. She was an excellent advocate for me and also a great comfort during and after birth." --Erin