"Doula Lorraine was fantastic!  Because of her help, we were able to have the natural childbirth experience we were hoping for!  My husband was particularly pleased with Lorraine's level of involvement during labor.  He was concerned that he wouldn't be needed in the room because she would be there to assist.  After discussing our needs beforehand, Lorraine was the perfect compliment to his help.  She brought all the birthing tools, so we had one less thing to remember, she drew the bath water, brought me a cool drink, and stepped in when my husband needed a break.  She not only took care of the little details, so that my husband and I could focus on the labor and delivery techniques we'd learned, but was a calming presence in what could have been an overwhelming experience.  When I became stressed or scared, her subtle reminders to breathe or relax were just what I needed.  She even fed me dinner after the birth of my son while my husband called our friends and relatives!   We would recommend her to other expecting parents in a heartbeat!                                                                               The Dumonts, doula clients "I wanted to thank you so much for all you did to make the birth experience everything we could have hoped for under the circumstances.  Your calm and supportive spirit was exactly what we needed.  We could not have done it without you!  You're our Angel!                                                                                      Tamira, doula client "Once again, I can't tell you how much we enjoyed working with you! Thank you so much for everything! We could not have done it without you!"                                                                                       Jennifer,doula client and                                                                                                             Hypnobabies student "I can't thank you enough for the help you have given us with our daughter.  It was wonderful to have you be part of this very special time in our lives.  We feel lucky to have found you!"                                                                                        Trayci, doula client "There are no words to let you know how thankful we are to you and your many talents.  Thank you for being part of our pregnancy and the wonderful birth of our baby boy!"                                                                                           Ruby and Daniel, doula                                                                                          clients/Hypnobabies                                                                                          students "Lorraine is warm and compassionate and has a way of creating a calm and relaxing birth experience. Her knowledge and insight of birth and the body, coupled with her ability to work well with medical staff puts the laboring mother at ease.  Her attitude and belief in natural childbirth enabled me to successfully birth my son without medicine........something I never thought possible!:                                                                                           Gabby, doula client                                                                                  and Hypnobabies student Dear Lorraine, I don't know how to thank you for what you have done for Dave, Michael and I.  As my doctor explained later, the "curse of the birth plan" reared it's head.  At least we did have one thing that worked out-hiring you.  From the moment we did this to the birth of our son, you served as a coach and cheerleader, helping us stick with what we wanted. And, when the time came and exhaustion set in and I could no longer stick with what Dave and I had planned for, you were truly a voice of calm and reason. We don't know what we would have done without you. At first we considered not going with a doula.  We had supportive family all the way throughout the birth experience and had gone through a really informative, hands-on birth class with Hypnobabies.  However, being the type of people who like to be prepared, and first timers, we decided to hire you "just in case".  We are so thankful we decided to do this. Even our parents, who were there with us almost the entire birthing time, commented about what a good decision it had been to hire you.  As Michael's due date approached and then quicly passed, my doctor started talking about inducing labor. This was something I did not wish to have and decided to wait as long as I could to go into labor on my own. You were there every step of the way, checking in almost daily, offering advice on how to induce labor naturally, answering questions, and even tracking down a CD for us.  Hiring a doula is a personal decision and because of that, it is important that people hire someone with whom they connect.   Immediately after meeting with you, both Dave and I had a good feeling about you. Before Michael was born we interviewed quite a few doulas in addition to you and came away with how impressed we were with your overall warmth and your background and training.  The one big difference we found, besides your overall level of experience and services offered, was how proactive you seemed to be-and we were not wrong with this impression.  Not only were you able to answer all our birth questions along the way- by phone, in person and email- but when things got really hard during the birthing process and the doctors were talking about a C-section, you were the voice of compassion, calm and reason who helped us get through it all.  More importantly, I did not have to ask you to do anything for me. You anticipated all my needs and made sure I was as comfortable as I could be. This not only helped me, but also helped Dave concentrate on what he needed to do for me, and for that we thank you.  If couples are considering hiring you as their doula or are considering if they need one at all, I would highly recommend you and your services.  It was the best money we truly spent.  We would definitely consider hiring you again in the future. Please feel free to pass our number on to prospective clients, we would love to talk with them.                                                                                                          Robin, Dave and Michael Dear Lorraine, You have helped us in so many ways and were very much a part of a very exciting and important experience!  We are still amazed that we were able to spend the first seven hours of "labor" in our living room, resting and preparing for our birthing experience.  Catherine took a shower, shaved her legs, and enjoyed a breakfast sandwhich.  Once in route to the hospital, Catherine listened to her hypno CD's that had been imported to her iPOD while Vincent stopped for hospital snacks, gas for the car, and a nice cup of tea to go!  Lorraine's Hypnobabies class helped us to prepare for this day by giving Catherine empowering tools, Vincent the skills needed to coach her through the birthing waves, and by helping both of us become more aware of the many choices and rights that so many doctors do not discuss. From decisions about fetal monitoring and other medical procedures, to protecting our baby from bottled formula, we took charge of our own adventure.  With Lorraine on one side and Vincent on the other, both functioned as "hypno-coaches" for Catherine. While Lorraine's doula services were very helpful, her hypno-related guidance was invaluable.  The only hard part about delivering our baby is explaining to others that Catherine felt pressure and not pain, calm and not hysteria, and that it was not labor, but an exciting event!                                                         Del Casino/Brooks family