“My wife and I welcomed our first child into the world May 3rd, 2020. She is a very healthy and happy baby girl. We connected with Mary Jo early in the pregnancy on the recommendation of two friends. We knew we would need help with the delivery, particularly since my wife was the first of her sisters and friends to have a baby. Mary Jo was a huge help preparing us for the process of labor. She gave my wife a lot of confidence and was able to ease a lot of our concerns.

When coronavirus emerged, our birth plan seemed to get turned on its head. I had many doubts about using Mary Jo virtually during labor. I just imagined the video chat during the chaos of labor would be more trouble than it’s worth. However, we continued to meet with Mary Jo. Her knowledge of real time hospital policies kept us updated, prepared and reassured that we would still have a safe hospital experience. Mary Jo always made herself available and I know that helped create a coherent birth plan and calmed my wife when uncertainty arose.

Mary Jo promptly picked up the phone at 1am when contractions became intense and frequent. We stayed in touch throughout the early morning and with her help, maximized our time at home. As soon as we arrived in the labor room, we started what would become a 6 hour video chat. I was very impressed with the personal relationships that Mary Jo had with our nurses. She used those relationships to our advantage and was able to quickly and clearly communicate with the professionals in the room. As one could imagine, my wife was in a great deal of discomfort but Mary Jo was always there to switch things up and keep the labor progressing. She used her black magic to help my wife break her water, at a moment when we felt stuck. It was extraordinary and provided the well needed momentum that led to the birth.

I am delighted that we decided to continue using Mary Jo despite the logistical uncertainty surrounding coronavirus. It certainly would have been a more chaotic and challenging task had we choose to go at it alone. I was able to focus my energy during labor tending to my wife and not worrying about the big picture. With Mary Jo by our side we were truly able to enjoy the extraordinary moment. We would personally recommend Mary Jo to any couple preparing for the big day.

Thank you Mary Jo”

“From mom: I truly cannot express how grateful my husband and I both were for Mary Jo’s wisdom and support during one of the most intense and amazing experiences of our lives! Her presence and guidance during labor were completely essential to us both. I believe without her there we would have felt much more overwhelmed and at times, scared. She not only supported and guided me through the pain of contractions, using counterpressure techniques, massage, heated blankets, etc. but she was also able to back my husband in means of encouraging me through it all. We lovingly refer to her as a ninja because she was so quick and stealth and knew exactly what I needed and when. There were times when the pain was so extreme that I questioned whether or not I had the strength to endure. However, because of Mary Jo’s deep knowledge I was able to make it through. Looking back now, we are full of amazement and gratitude for Mary Jo and will forever remember all that she did for us that day! She truly has a gift for this.

From dad: There’s no doubt that our experience would have been significantly harder without Mary Jo. She was everything we wanted her to be, and everything we didnt know we were going to need. She’s a beautiful combination of absolutely neccesary pragmatism and spiritual strength and encouragement. I couldn’t reccomend her more. ”

“We decided to hire a Doula as a few friends of mine had recommended the experience. Both my OB and postpartum doula highly recommended Mary Jo and so we hired her. It’s perhaps the greatest decision we made throughout the process. Mary Jo was incredible and made my birthing experience calm, peaceful and less stressful. In the weeks before delivery, she helped set my expectations and eased my concerns about the labor process. And on the day of, she was there by my side every minute, coaching me through the process. She allowed my husband to feel much more relaxed, and we constantly felt in great hands. Both my husband and I have raved about her to everyone we’ve talked to, and I can’t recommend Mary Jo enough.”

“I had a wonderful experience with Mary Jo as my doula. My labor progressed very slowly, and she tried every trick in the book to get things moving. She was attentive, knowledgeable, and empathetic. She had a great rapport with the nursing team so it felt like we were all working together. There’s no way I would have made it without an epidural without Mary Jo, and my only regret is not having her for my first baby. ”

“I was so thankful to have Mary Jo, not just during the labor and at the hospital, but also for the weeks leading up to it. It was so reassuring having someone just a text or phone call away who knew what to do – because my husband and I certainly didn’t know anything! Mary Jo has a calm and comforting presence yet you know she is alert and aware of everything happening around you at the hospital. I was particularly glad to have her because I knew my husband wasn’t going to handle the labor well, or take any sort of initiative. It was an abnormally busy day at the hospital while we were there so I was even more thankful to have her. I also highly recommend her yoga classes – they are good for the body and the soul, and I am still in touch with women that I met there. If you are on the fence about getting a birth doula, go for it, and use Mary Jo!”