Testimonials

Her Use of Counter Pressure and Massage Helped me Tremendously

Staci was exactly what my husband and I needed for my natural birth! She was such a calming presence and helped me feel better when we had a change of plans and ended up with a hospital birth instead of the birth center I had planned on. She came right at the beginning of my induction per my request since I was nervous about the change of plans and walked the halls with me to help get labor going. When active labor started, her use of counter pressure and massage helped me tremendously! All her suggestions gave me ideas for positions and coping with labor, and she used essential oils to keep me calm and help with nausea. My natural birth was so much easier with her help and I love thinking back about my wonderful birth experience! 
- Melissa B. 

Wonderful Experience

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Maritza and Staci. Their presence and expertise made our birth experience less stressful. The home visits and prenatal visits made us feel very prepared to welcome our bundle of joy. I would highly recommend them to anyone! - Ciara C. 

Her Techniques Were Just What I Needed

Staci was our doula for our recent natural birth at our local hospital. I can't say enough good things about her! She was a constant source of positive support and her techniques during the labor were just what I needed to "get there". I don't think I could have went through with the natural birth I wanted without her. We highly recommend her and would use her again! - Nataee F. 

She Did Things That Meant So Much to Me

As a former doula myself and knowing handfuls of doulas in the area, there was something that drew me to Staci. I felt so confident in my choice I never even considered anyone else. Thankfully she had availability around my due date! She was so valuable to have during my labor. I can't describe how comforting her presence was. She worked so well with the staff and did things I didn't even realize until later that meant so much (like capturing candid photos during labor) I can't imagine not having her there! My husband truly understood the value of a doula after everything was over and I know he would demand to have Staci there again in the future. - Kristin G. 

Accomplished My VBAC 

There is no way I could have accomplished my VBAC without Staci's care and support!!  - Kelly D. 

Absolutely Necessary for Our Family
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It has been such a great experience working with Staci from nurturing YOU naturally. She has helped us with postpartum care for our infant twins for the past six months and has truly been a integral part helping us transition into a family with twins and a toddler. She has just the right temperament and knowledge to help families through the very unique time of birth through postpartum care. We are very thankful we found her. Many may consider a postpartum doula a luxury, we consider her help absolutely necessary to our family. - Mailynne C.

My Labor Was a Great Experience
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Maritza was very helpful and informative prior to labor. She's also very friendly and easy to be around. My husband and 5 year old were very comfortable with her, too. I was in active labor with Maritza helping extensively every minute for 16 hours. My labor was a great experience and I would not be able to say that without Maritza's involvement. She stayed several hours after my daughter's birth, too, just to be sure we were okay. She even knitted hats for our baby and her sister. Her calm, nurturing demeanor provided a stress-free environment. We couldn't recommend her more. - Shara D. 

Seriously, Just Hire Her - You Won't Regret It!

When I started looking for doulas I found Staci Bishop through the Hypnobabies website since she is a hypno certified doula.  I had planned to “interview” multiple people but after I met Staci I knew I didn’t need to look any further!  She was so warm, so knowledgeable, and made me feel so comfortable and confident that I could have the beautiful natural childbirth that I wanted to have.

She was available to me throughout my entire pregnancy to answer any questions that I had and was always extremely responsive.  During birth she was right by my side the entire time bringing me water, cold compresses, applying counter pressure, etc.  Not only did I love her, but my husband was also SO glad that we had Staci as our doula.  She helped him tremendously throughout the birthing day. 

I also loved how thorough Staci was during our postpartum visit.  We talked about everything from how I was adapting to mommyhood and my emotional health; breastfeeding and the benefits of it; vaccinations; pediatricians; chiropractic care for newborns; homeopathic treatments for newborns through adults; postpartum exercises; baby wearing; etc!  It was probably the most beneficial meeting of my entire pregnancy!

I honestly can’t say enough great things about Staci!  Seriously, just hire her, you won’t regret it!  - Mary B. 

I Cannot Recommend Her Enough

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about having Staci as our Doula for the birth of our daughter on August 15th 2012. There were many ways she was such a wonderful doula. She was thorough in her explanations and education about birth with us. She really helped me stay accountable to my desired birth plan and she is so easy to talk to and work with. She was very reassuring by how prepared, knowledgeable, and compassionate she was through the whole process. I really knew that she cared for me and my husband through the whole process and her kindness showed through the whole labor and delivery as she helped guide my husband and I through each and every contraction with gentleness, knowledge of coping techniques in labor and reminders of ways to make it all go as smoothly as possible. She has a kindred spirit and I cannot recommend her enough as I already have told many people about her. Anyone would be glad to have her as their doula. - Shawna B. 

Most Valuable Investment I Made
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Staci Bishop is the most valuable investment I made when planning for my birth, not only for her support before and during labor but especially during my postpartum difficulties. There are so many decisions and details she helped me sort out with information and care to support my choices. Since she was trained as a Hypno Doula, she was also able to provide specific support for my natural, drug free childbirth. My husband was equally pleased with Staci's professional guidance, especially since she worked with us during the busy holiday season. My ObGyn even commented to me twice on how impressed she was with my Doula. With so many decisions to make when I was pregnant with my first baby, I am so incredibly grateful I hired Staci as my Doula. - Lori G.

I Don't Know What I Would Have Done Without Her
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Where do I start? Staci is amazing. My daughter's birth was the most spectacular event of my life, & a LOT of that had to do with Staci. My first baby's birth didn't go at all the way I'd wanted it to, so I wanted to do things differently the 2nd time around. Staci really encouraged me to research my options, without trying to sway me one way or another. After doing a LOT of research I opted for a home birth at the Farm. It. Was. AWESOME! Staci even wrote her own account of my birth story; check it out! Staci was there for me my entire pregnancy for moral support, came to a couple of my prenatal appointments to get to know my awesome midwives, and at the end when I was 15 days past my due date and very ready to be done, she gave me a ton of emotional support to get through those final days. I was only in active labor for 90 minutes! I think a lot of why my labor was so fast was because I was never afraid - Staci had a LOT to do with that. She helped me get into a comfy position & provided counter-pressure on my back that helped ease the pain immensely. She was a huge emotional as well as physical support to me. When I wanted to give birth on hands and knees, with Staci still pushing on my back, she and my midwives made it work! I just can't quite put into words how amazing and wonderful my daughter's birth was. I wish I could. I wish I could find some way to describe it to you so that if you are considering natural birth even a little bit, you'll go for it! It was the most awe-inspiring, life-changing, empowering experience of my life so far. Staci was incredible; I don't know what I would have done without her. Her kind, gentle spirit, her sweet & calming demeanor, and most of all, her passion for helping mamas and their babies get the kind of care they want, need, and deserve...I don't have words. Just love. - Hannah P. 

A Godsend in my Journey to a sucessful VBAC

Staci was an absolute godsend in my journey to a successful VBAC. She has such a calming presence yet is there to absolutely advocate for you along the way with other care providers. It helped tremendously to have her at the birth as she was the constant amongst changing nurses and other care providers. Our whole family now considers her a friend and I would without a doubt use her at future births! I would highly recommend Staci!
- Cassie K. 

She Was Very Helpful and Supportive

Maritza was WONDERFUL as a doula during our first baby's birth. She was very supportive and helpful during the complete process. I highly recommend her! We're looking forward to our first followup visit this week.
- Karla P.

She Knew How to Get Me From One Point to the Next

Staci was my doula for our natural childbirth at home and I can not say enough wonderful things about her! She was absolutely fabulous and I would use her again without a doubt! She was very informative and comforting every step of the way and knew how to help me get from one point to the next. My midwife was also very impressed by her and said she was great as well and very easy to work with. Staci has a great attitude and energy about her that calms you and everyone around. She works wonderfully well with others and made a great team partner for myself, husband and midwife.  - Michelle C. 

A Calm and Helpful Presence
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Staci Bishop was a fantastic doula! She was a calm and helpful presence during a surprisingly difficult labor for both my husband and I. I would strongly recommend using Staci and plan on calling her as soon as we are expecting #2! - Hope G.

She Was Immensly Supportive
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Maritza was a lovely and integral part of our birth experience. We were looking for someone who would help guide us through the entire process, while also helping us to stay as relaxed as possible. Maritza was all of that and more. Our goal was to have a positive experience during the birth of our first child, and while doulas are generally considered as helpful to those couples who are interested in avoiding an epidural and other interventions, we found that Maritza was immensely supportive of whatever steps we felt were appropriate for us (which ultimately included an epidural). We ended up having an induced labor, and Maritza was able to help guide us in asking questions of my medical provider so that we would better understand the procedure, both before and during the induction. Maritza was a great support to my husband as well as myself. We both appreciated having her calming presence, and she was truly a “team player” during the event. At one point during the birth, she sprayed a little peppermint spray on her wrists and helped me focus on the calming smell. Thank goodness Maritza had brought plenty of extra peppermint candies to share with my husband and anyone else in the room! During the “golden hour,” Maritza was immensely helpful in helping our baby start to breastfeed. Maritza’s help and focus in the chaotic moments after the birth are an example of her polite and calm attitude with which she approached the entire experience. Maritza also took photos immediately after the birth, which we would never have taken ourselves because we were focused so intently on our new baby. She also helped us post-partum in caring for our baby while we caught up on a bit of sleep. It was great that we had established a trusting relationship during the birthing process and these few visits afterwards really cemented our warm feelings towards her. - Sarah W. 

The 5 W’s of Why Staci Bishop Rocks

Who: My fiancé and I were bound and determined to be ready to knock down doors to have a natural childbirth. After enrolling in Bradley classes, which armed us with knowledge about informed consent, the birthing process, and a myriad of details, we felt semi-prepared and ready to go. As the day grew closer, I started to doubt myself. Would I be strong enough? Would Shawn remember everything? I knew from the beginning that it would just be the two of us in the room. I wanted it to be intimate and I wanted every decision made to come from my heart and not an outside influence. I knew that Shawn supported my decisions, but who would be there for him when the going got tough? We decided around 36 weeks that we would need a doula. We scheduled three interviews and only had one. It was with Staci. I didn’t need to meet anyone else.

What: Maybe it was the aromatherapy, the specialization as a hypnodoula, her crazy good organization skills, or her calm, but assertive manner, that made our instant decision? It was all of the above. The essential oils did so much for me at home. I BELIEVED in their ability to help and most of all BELIEVED in Staci using them to guide me through. I tried to get into hypnobabies during pregnancy, but couldn’t. On birth day, Staci was armed with the CD and it got me further than I ever thought it could.

When: 54 hours is a long time to be in labor. Staci was with us when I thought the contractions were bad, when they started to get bad, when they were REALLY bad, and when they stopped. Her techniques allowed me to remain calm and at home through early labor. Your sense of power is amazing when you have someone there with you, working through each contraction, telling you that YOU WILL deliver this baby and YOU ARE strong and DOING GREAT.

Where: Staci spent early labor at home with us. She went to the Vandy with us…twice. Most of all, she was there when I felt defeated and opted for an epidural. Sometimes medication is needed. For pain. For rest. I needed both. Having the support of my partner and my doula allowed me to relax. I was able to get into the side position that Staci and my Bradley classes had taught me, and in an hour and a half I was ready to push. Charlotte came into the world with Shawn, Staci, and our (third) midwife by my side. I remember Staci and Shawn cheering as I was pushing. It still brings instant tears. This woman that I met a few short weeks ago had helped me achieve a LIFE dream. How can I every repay her?

Why: Without Staci I would have almost definitely had an unplanned cesarean. I would have gone to the hospital early, I wouldn’t have had the courage to decline an unwanted ultrasound (to look for an amniotic leak that would have put me on the 24 hour clock), I would have just wanted it to be over so that I could go to sleep. She worked me through almost two days of contractions at home, gave me support with all decisions that we made, and kept me drinking fluids to keep my energy up. All of this AND the support she provided for Shawn. A great midwife told me once that however many people are at a birth is how many it takes to deliver a baby. For Charlotte’s arrival, I needed Shawn, but we BOTH needed Staci. My heart soars when I think of her. Needless to say, she comes with high recommendations from our family. When it comes time for another baby, I can only hope that she will be by my side once again. - Sarah P.

 - It Was Wonderful to Have Her Knowledge

We originally sought Staci's help because we had planned a natural childbirth using hypnobabies techniques, and she is well trained in this method.  However, our son was stuck breech throughout the entire third trimester, and Staci helped us to do everything we possibly could to turn him (providing exercises and recommendations for acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage, and moxibustion).  When it became clear our little boy was just simply going to be stuck, Staci gracefully helped us to navigate our options in terms of C-sections and external cephalic version with or without induction without passing judgement.  Well, our little guy decided it was time to come on his own while still breech at 38 weeks before we could get to our version appointment.  Staci met us at the hospital and strongly advocated for our wishes regarding a family centered a c-section which was not being offered on the Saturday I went into labor.  Staci encouraged us to speak up, and in the end my son was able to be placed on my chest while the surgical team closed me up.  It was wonderful to have her knowledge of what was happening to us, and to have her there to help us make important decisions and ensure our child was born as gently as possible.  I also credit Staci with helping our son to breastfeed immediately and things have been smooth ever since.  We didn't get the natural birth we hoped for, but having Staci made the decisions we did face much easier to make.  She really goes to bat for her clients and cares about making the birth experience as great as it can be. - Kate B.