Best Doula Grand Rapids Near Me

Tiffany Sipka: My husband and I had My Doula GR for our first birth and have already agreed we would be using them for all future births. The support we got leading up to the birth from both Emily and Lindsey as well as the day-of coaching, comfort and advocacy provided by Lindsey were so important to our positive labor and delivery experience. We can't imagine going through it all without them!

Maggie Travin: I cannot express enough how wonderful Lindsey and Emily of My Doula GR are. The kindness, empathy, compassion, passion, and evidence-based support they provide is exceptional in every way. They provided guidance at every step. No question went unanswered. We were never judged. They connected us with necessary resources when we needed them. I don't think we would have had such a successful, beautiful experience without them. We are forever grateful. But also be prepared to want to be their friend too because they're just so cool! You won't regret hiring them. Period.

Elise LeFebre: Emily and Lindsey are amazing at their job! They were amazing with communication, providing resources, and being available whenever I needed them! My water broke 6 weeks early, and for the following week before my son was born, my husband and I were in constant communication with Emily and Lindsey via phone or text. They answered all our questions, provided us with a lot of resources and knowledge regarding our specific situation, and really helped calm our nerves during our week in the hospital. During labor and delivery, Emily was with me in the hospital and helped me so much!! I also loved that she does birth photography, so we got some photos of the birth as well :) Such an amazing experience, and I HIGHLY recommend Emily and Lindsey!!!

Zachary DeBruine: This was the 3rd delivery for my wife. Her first delivery took 48 hours, second delivery took 28 hours so we didn't expect anything else than a long delivery for the 3rd baby as well. When my wife was about 37 weeks pregnant we got something in the mail that mentioned Doula services. My wife decided to look into that, we wanted to try anything and everything to let the delivery process go smoother and faster this time, so maybe it should be worth a try she thought. We got in touch with Lindsey and after the first phone call my wife was so excited because Lindsey had given already some great suggestions in case she would deliver the baby early. Within a few days Lindsey came to our house to meet us in person, she's super sweet and knowledgeable! She gave us some flyers and a lot of information to read through. We ended up changing our birth plan a bit thanks to all the information we got. My wife had a history of low fluid levels and it seems like the baby was moving a little less at 40+2 so my wife went in at 10pm for induction. Lindsey said she would be there the entire time, but we told her she didn't need to come right away because we would've felt bad if Lindsey had to be there for a day or two, since the previous deliveries were so slow! At midnight Lindsey texted how things were going, at 2am she texted again. At 3am my wife texted Lindsey and said that the contractions were starting to get regular and Lindsey read the message right away and headed to the hospital immediately. She chatted and gave several more ideas and was so enthusiastic in guiding us through it. My wife laid on the bed with the first 2 deliveries (that's probably why it took so long!!), Lindsey recommended to keep switching positions, she took my wife for walks and told her to rest for a few minutes and then do some squatting, and all kind of other positions. She stayed very calm and was very encouraging. Lindsey showed me how to give my wife hip squeezes during a contraction. So Lindsey and I took turns doing that, I really appreciated it, she really tried to involve me as much as she could. After 4 hours (YES ONLY 4 INSTEAD OF 20+) of labor our precious daughter was born. Lindsey captured some very nice pictures of the first moments! At this point she stepped aside for a little so we could enjoy this moment together. Our daughter was born right before the café would close so Lindsey had ordered food for my wife so she didn't need to go hungry that night. Several weeks after our daughter was born Lindsey visited us and we talked about the delivery and she gave us the pictures that she had taken in the hospital. Long story short, we are so thankful that Lindsey could be our doula, it all just had to be this way. If you are reading this and you are pregnant but you don't have a doula yet, grab the phone right now and give Lindsey a call, you will never regret it! Thanks again Lindsey!!!

Erin Van Maanen: We were so lucky to have Emily throughout this process. Her knowledge and ability to build connection quickly helped us feel more prepared for the arrival our baby. Throughout my pregnancy she was accessible and made for a great resource for this new mom. I'd highly recommend her to those interested in a doula who provide insight and support to ensure your birth feels personal to you!

Andrea Morse: Before our birth I had a hard time articulating what a doula was or why we needed one, but having Emily to help guide our journey was absolutely the best decision we made! My husband was beyond grateful to have her when things got hairy (scary) in the delivery room, I don’t know how we could have done it without her

Clare Chamberlin: We don't have adequate words to express how much we appreciated Lindsey before, during, and after the birthing process. My labor contractions started a week before our baby girl was born and it was only through Lindsey's patient, kind, and supportive words that I didn't feel complete despair. At every step of labor, Lindsey assured me that my body was doing the work it needed to and that I was doing everything to help our baby. She helped ease my anxiety with so many different labor positions, ideas, advice, foods, and beverages. She helped me know when it was time to contact my OB and helped me advocate for myself in OB triage. Lindsey was the perfect addition to our birth team and she helped me understand each new development and encouraged both me and my husband through contractions, medical decisions, and any unexpected events. Lindsey brought a calm and relaxed tone into the labor and delivery room that was a game changer. She captured the big moments, took notes, and cheered us along at every stage. Lindsey checked in with us at the hospital and at our postpartum visit, she helped us process the entire experience in a reassuring, empowering, and loving way. I will forever be grateful and recommend her to all moms, couples, and birth teams.

Regina Lum-Witkoske: I am so thankful to have had Lindsey as my doula!! She is very personable & always made me feel like I'm a priority to her. She gave me resources (like books & podcasts, showed me & my partner comfort measures) to help me prepare for my natural birth & calmed me down when I was feeling anxious. She was never pushy about what I HAD to do, and was very supportive of whatever choices I made. She really listened to what my needs are & made sure it was followed through during labor & delivery & responded intuitively & gently to my needs. She even came to give me an acupressure massage to help bring on labor because I was past my due date & was feeling quite uncomfortable. She made me feel empowered & nurtured & cared for, something EVERY mom should feel!

Anna Wilson: My birth was one of the most magical and profound experiences of my entire life, and so much of that is thanks to Emily preparing me before hand, supporting me throughout, and answering any questions I had after my son was born. She went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure my labor and delivery went smoothly. I don't know what I would have done without her there! Seriously, if you are considering having a doula, I would recommend Emily to anyone! She is such a sweetheart, you can really tell supporting women through labor is her passion and calling. I'm so thankful that she was a part of my son's birth story! It wouldn't have been the same without her!

Arik Abdullah: My wife and I were so grateful to have Emily by our side during her second labor. We had a doula with our first labor and she did not meet our expectations at all. Emily exceeded all of our expectations and made the 14 hours of labor a little more bearable. She was.very prepared and full of knowledge. She was always suggesting a different idea that could bring a little more comfort to my wife. She was very patient with both my wife and myself and the midwives and hospital staff were glad to have her there too! Id recommend Emily Retzlaff as a birth doula to anyone!

Alyssa Abdullah: Where to even begin...Emily is hands down the best doula I could have ever asked for. She is all the things that makes up what a doula should be. From my pregnancy to labor and now in postpartum she is there and full of information and help. I was pretty scared going into my 2nd labor, because my first was pretty traumatic for me. She was completely calm and collected the entire time. She always had a new idea to try and ease my pain or get my labor moving. She even was there in the best ways after my epidural. Can’t do too much considering im tied to a bed but she came and massaged my hands and relxed me a ton. She was there for my epidural as well, squeezing toes to keep me distracted. I could go on and on. She was there in the best ways and helped my 2nd labor be a brand new experience for me. I recommend her to literally ANYONE. ❤️👏🏼

Natalie Gehrke: Having a doula is worth every dime, seriously, and Jen goes above and beyond while still being absolutely professional! This was my second time birthing with her (both natural, unmedicated births) and it was so nice having her again to support me throughout the whole pregnancy. She knew everything about my last birth and was able to help me process and compare things along the way. She was invaluable to my birth experiences and I would hire her again for the next baby in a heartbeat...No pun intended. ❤️😉Jen answered my texts promptly throughout the whole pregnancy, even late at night when I was anxious or worried. Kaitlin was the backup Doula in case Jen couldn't make it to the birth so she knew everything that was going on too. Someone was always there to answer my texts. I always knew who I could go to with my thoughts. Jen followed up after my appointments and encouraged me to speak up when I was concerned about my care even into the postpartum week. She was fully supportive of me mentally and emotionally. It takes initiative up front to offer suggestions but also composure, and a willingness to trust in her clients and defer to others. She is a perfect blend of both and I trust her completely! Her care can be described as positive. While nurses and doctors look for what's wrong in the picture, Jen looks at what is going right and capitalizes on that. She encouraged me by focusing on what was working well during pregnancy and labor and coached me in a way that I felt empowered to rise above even difficult circumstances. She commended my efforts in labor and offered lots of suggestions for what I could do to make myself more comfortable. She celebrated the small wins and of course, when the baby was born, she was overjoyed right along with me.Jen also suggested opportunities for my husband to get involved during labor made sure he knew what was going on when I had a medical issue that arose after birth.Thank you Jen for your knowledge and support!

Natalie M: Jen’s contact was given to me by a colleague who had twins 6 months prior to my little boy being born. She had spoken so highly of Jen for months and suggested I reach out to her to help my baby sleep (and for an overnight break from time to time ). Being our first child, it never occurred to me that ours wouldn’t sleep great! Enter our sweet baby boy, with colic and horrible sleep during the day and night. He didn’t nap during the day and most of the day was filled with screaming/crying . I called Jen in desperation when he was 2.5 weeks old and she was instantly calming and reassured me that she could help him. She was thankfully available and LITERALLY came the night I called her to start. She was an answer to prayers for my husband and I. Our son loved Jen and lit up when she would show up for the night. Our little guy didn’t catch on to sleep as quickly as the average baby and she kept working with us, adjusting the plan as appropriate given his needs. She was so positive and encouraging, reassuring us that we were doing everything right. Being a new mom, this was everything. Jen came into our lives at the perfect time and exceeded expectations. I cannot recommend Jen enough!!! I would give 10 ⭐️ if I could!!! Thank you so much and can’t wait to hopefully work together again in the future!

Marissa Stockman: If I could give 20 stars I would! We worked with Jen to help our 10 month old sleep better. We didn't anticipate to need help sleeping at 10 months, we thought we'd have it down by then, but we found ourselves miserably exhausted and it was impacting our entire household's joy. Jen took the time to meet us where we were at, took in all of our daughter's information about daily schedules and food, and came up with a plan specific to our family. She is just one of those people that you want as your neighbor, coach, friend, someone nearby. She is an amazing resource and it was so worth it to work with Lighthouse Doulas of WM!!

Jaime Centilli: I would highly recommend Jen and her team! My son is our first child (so we are brand new to everything) and from Day 1 our son was not a great sleeper. Prior to going back to work, my husband and I worked with Lighthouse Doulas of West Michigan to set up a sleep schedule to help begin the sleep training process while our nannies were coming on board. This process is something I would recommend to any new parents as she comes into the home and guides you while being hands on as needed. I had plenty of reading material on sleep training but to have someone come in and show me directly was invaluable. She also gives you support via text afterwards which is great if you forgot anything / new circumstances come up. New parents, if you are looking for a postpartum doula, call Lighthouse Doulas.

Michelle Speet: Jen is amazing. My twins were 3 months old when I was so overwhelmed that I finally decided to ask for help!! We found Jen, and she was the light at the end of the tunnel for me. Postpartum anxiety made me question everything I was doing with feeding and sleep for the twins. Jen sat with me , answered all of my questions, and gave me courage to get through all the tough transitions. From sleep training and nap transitions, to weaning & dropping bottles transition - Jen knew just what to try, and was so so encouraging! She helped me in person and via text support until the twins were 12 months old. I especially appreciated her tips for feeding my reflux baby & her tips for sleep training my babe who had trouble napping.

Janet Hur: Amazing service. Jen was a priceless resource for sleep training and just a wonderful person. I cannot say enough good things. My husband and I are both physicians and everything she said made sense. I have sent every friend who is pregnant her contact. She is skilled at what she does and also loves to help new parents. I would if 10 starts if I could!!!

Mara Evans: I am happy to have an online place to spread the good name of Jen Reifinger -for months I have been speaking fondly of her to anyone who would listen to me in person. When I learned I was having a pair of twin boys in addition to my 2 year old I knew I would need a strong strategy for the early baby days. I had just moved to the area when the boys were 4 wks old and knew no one, my husband had a demanding and unpredictable schedule. Enter Jen---the most caring and supportive person who can easily connect and seem to magically predict your every need. Jen helped several nights a week teaching the babies how to comfort themselves back to sleep, and bringing them to me throughout the night for nursing. The babies were sleeping through the night in a couple of months---mindblowing! Sleep deprivation is a huge hurdle for new moms--and you could not find a kinder, more passionate person than Jen to care for you or your babies. I am a nurse midwife by profession and my standards for postpartum support and caring for women are quite high - Jen surpassed my every expectation. Ultimately, if you have the chance to work with Jen - please do not let the opportunity pass by.

Amanda Summers: Jen was a lifesaver in helping us create a sleep plan to get our little one sleeping through the night! She provided us with concrete tools to implement and was such an amazing guide throughout the whole process. I would highly recommend!