Kim N Doula Review from Michael and Chelsea LayneWords can’t begin to express how much Kim meant to us as our Doula.My husband and I were first time parents and had taken a more natural online birth class that reallyopened our eyes to what a natural/unmedicated birth was, and knew getting a Doula would be extremelyhelpful.We got the name of Kim, who gave us a call to just chat, and we hit it off from the very first phone call.She was so easy to talk to and we knew she would be a great fit for us.We expressed to her that our goal was to have a natural, unmedicated childbirth, but were nervous as theonly place our insurance would cover a delivery was in a hospital setting, where we knew the cascade ofinterventions would be prevalent and within arms reach. We are strong willed people, but havingsomeone else to advocate for us in that hospital setting was a must for us.We met a few times in person to get to know each other better and to go over our birth plan, any questions we had, and any helpful tools she was able to give us to prepare for this birth. She was always very helpful with our questions or concerns.The evening came where I felt my first contraction. I labored at home from 10 PM Monday until about 5PM Tuesday when we all decided I should probably go to the hospital as I was feeling pushy. Long story short, I labored until 10:35 PM on Wednesday and pushed for 3.5 hours until our son was born at 2:03AM on Thursday. Kim was such a trooper and helped us get through a 52 hour labor and delivery with no pain medication. She not only helped with different coping mechanisms, but was able to go out and get my husband food so he could keep his strength up to help me, and was our extra set of eyes and ears to help with any questions we had. I truly believe Kim was the reason I was able to labor and deliver naturally for that long of a period.Oh and side note...my husband had an emergency appendectomy the day after the delivery. Kim was done with another appointment and texted to check up on me. When she heard my husband was in surgery, she asked if she could come help hold our son so I could get some rest. We truly cannot thank her enough for all she did for us, she truly went above and beyond the call of duty.Michael and Chelsea Layne

“Having Kim to support us was a great experience. She was always sharing information with us and supporting Emily (my wife) every way she could. She would always encourage me to rub Emily’s feet and back and really pushed me as a husband (and now a father) to be the best support to my wife when Kim wasn’t around. Kim walked us through the hospital Emily was delivering at, and knew every corner so well. She has such rapport with the staff at the hospitals she serves at, and is known well amongst the staff as the most kind, loving, and God sent for what she does. She was there to support Emily and I during her C-section. She helped comfort her anxiety before the procedure in ways that us as men have trouble understanding. Kim being there while I, husband and father, tried to stay calm and collected knowing all at stake was comforting to me as well. She is a Mother. She’s also motherly to anyone she encounters. So glad to have had her as a doula and to have her as a friend!”Theo Davis

“Kim was an amazing doula!! She helped me have the kind of birth that I wanted and was so supportive not only during labor, but with questions or concerns I had before and after our baby boy was born. She has such a calm demeanor and I can tell she truly loves what she does. We highly recommend Kim!”Courtney Ibinger

“Kim was actually back up for my doula and so I only met her a few hours before I went into labor. Nevertheless she was amazing! This was the first labor experience I had that I would describe as fun and a large part of that was Kim. I felt very comfortable with her. She wasn’t awkward and got along great with my husband and all the nurses. She helped with counter pressure and massage and was very encouraging! I highly recommend her!!! Feel free to contact me with questions!”Nichole McPherson

“Kim is a wonderful doula! We are extremely thankful for the love and support she gave us as we welcomed our little one into the world. Kim was by my side the entire time I was in labor. She was ready to give advice or suggest a way to get through a contraction. We were blessed to have her with us!”Hannah Rogers

“Kim cares deeply for the mothers and families she serves. Upon being hired, Kim was eager to meet with my husband and me, get to know us, and listen to our birth wishes. She provided us with an abundance of resources to help us piece together our birth plan and was always available to answer our many questions about the labor and delivery process. In the weeks leading up to my due date, Kim frequently checked in and sent me words of encouragement, which did wonders for my nerves as a first-time mom. She even prioritized my pregnancy by adjusting her travel plans to remain close by in case I went into labor before my due date. When the day finally arrived, Kim was an irreplaceable attendant at my daughter’s birth. She never left my side, and her calming presence assured my husband and me that we could handle whatever happened during the process. Her genuine kindness and her passion for being a doula is evident in all she does! Not only did my husband and I achieve the wonderful birthing experience we hoped for, but we gained a dear friend in the process. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude to Kim!”Elizabeth Byrd

“Kim has been an angel in our lives. We met with several doulas before our first birth and picked Kim because of an immediate connection with her. We were initially unsure of whether a doula was for us, however, I had a high-risk pregnancy and we had no family in the area so we decided to go for it. She met, messaged, and called us to just check in several times before the big day, provided guidance on our birth plan, and tailored her support to our requests. The birth itself did not go smoothly and ended up with me receiving oxygen at one point and an eventual unplanned C-section. Kim was a calming presence throughout, worked well with the nurses and doctors, and kindly, but firmly bought us some time to discuss decisions as a family when things began to feel rushed. Her knowledge of delivery and preparedness was clear and she struck an amazing balance of being involved and knowing when to step back. She prioritized my husband’s feelings and input as well, made sure he was front and center in the support process, and was an advocate for him, too. We underestimated how important that was to us.

During the C-Section, Kim was the person allowed to go into the room with me while my husband waited to be allowed in. I was terrified: she held my hand and comforted me until he could rejoin and then she was by both of our sides. When our son was born, he was whisked away to the NICU. Kim stayed by my side and was there when I woke up again in a hospital room. She anchored me and showed incredible kindness during an incredibly hard time. Her presence strongly impacted my ability to look at the birth with acceptance and be able to remember joy in parts of it. In the weeks that followed, she reached out regularly to check on all of us and has remained a presence and friend in our lives since. She is well connected and helped us find a lactation consultant afterwards. We strongly recommend Kim as a doula – besides my husband, there is no one else that I would want by my side during pregnancy and birth.”A Grateful Mom & Dad

“Kim brings such a calm presence to a birth team. She has a very sweet sense of humor and can always find something to be positive about. She truly cares about all her clients.”Mary Kate B

“It would be difficult to overstate just how much Kim has meant to my husband and me throughout the whole process of transitioning into parenthood. At first, I was hesitant to hire a doula at all. It seemed like taking that step would make me have to face the reality of what I was about to go through – childbirth! – yet I have not for one moment regretted connecting with Kim. So much more than just being there for the birth (in fact, doulas were not allowed in the hospital when my baby was born due to COVID-19), Kim acted as my personal pregnancy assistant, advocate, and second mom! She won’t brag about her expertise, but you should know that she has an impressively deep knowledge of pregnancy, the process of birth, and all things baby. She is warm, supportive, prompt, professional, communicative, and extremely easy to get along with. I can’t imagine what my experience would have been like without her; Kim is a true treasure!”Chrissie Gach

“Let’s just start off by saying there is no commentary that could capture what it has meant to my wife and I to have Kim in our family’s lives. You really just have to meet here and find out for yourself if she is as good a fit for your family as she was for ours! The idea of inviting someone you may have met only recently to be a part of what could be the most intimate, intense, and meaningful experience of your life is intimidating at minimum. Then we met Kim and only after a short period of time, I started to wonder how we ever thought we would get through the birthing process without her. Ironically, because of Covid-19 precautions, we were without Kim in the hospital at the time of birth, but somehow she still managed to gift us with her support. If we could all be so lucky to experience a doula that truly lives her passion through her work…Kim would never have time to sleep.”Jonathan Gach