Your Birth Doula - Testimonials & Gallery

Testimonials

Felissa, thank you so much for making the labor and delivery smoother for both my husband and myself. Your guidance and regular check-ins from the first time I called you during early labor all the way through to the point of delivery helped both of us keep our minds focused and rational. It meant a great deal to us to have as natural, non-medicated delivery as possible and we had you and the rest of the delivery team there by our side to see us through it all. From day one when we first met for our initial consultation, we had such a great feeling about you. You're extremely organized, proactive, understanding, calming, and flexible yet firm when necessary. We had such a wonderful experience for the first delivery of our child!

Ruby, Erwin and baby Madelyn

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Having a doula is really helpful for first-time-parents. All the time we spend with Felissa was 100% efficient and helpful. I would say, the “preparation” for the delivery was the most important part for me. I was completely prepared for the labor and delivery thanks to our pre-partum meetings and discussions, and, as a result - I had a delivery of my dream - fast and easy :) Thank you, Felissa!!!

-Anastasiya & Anton, parents of Anna

Felissa has been an angel during my labor. I cannot say enough good things about her as our Doula. She is very professional and warm hearted. Felissa was constantly in touch with me on phone for last few days when my contractions began. She came to our home when we called her when my contractions got little tough. With every contraction she massaged my back because that was the only way I could go through it and it made me feel better. She also suggested me to take hot shower which I did and that helped me reduce the pain. After 3 hours, we were ready to go to the hospital. In the hospital, she would inform me and my husband of each and every step and massaged my back till I got epidural. She offered me water timely, adjusted mask and her constant attention was on me. I got little neck and shoulder pain lying and she again massaged it for a long time with lavender oil. I and my husband were amazed at her strength to go on for hours. Her calm voice and eyes constantly gave me support to go through labor. My husband is especially very thankful to her and tells me her support made a tremendous difference in his confidence and peace and that I was in good hands. She was there with us all the time, till the baby was born and till we were transferred to the post delivery room. We would definitely have her for our next baby. Thanks Felissa.

-Khyati and Urvish, parents to Shrey

We love Felissa. We are first time parents, and we were looking for a knowledgeable, supportive, easy-going coach for labor/delivery. I also wanted someone who could effectively connect with my husband and be a support to him too. Felissa was wonderful. I liked the idea of natural childbirth but didn't know if I could do it. It was important to me to have someone who could be supportive regardless of what I chose. Some doulas I talked to seemed almost militant about natural childbirth. Felissa was not that way at all -- she just wanted me to have the best childbirth experience possible, whether I used meds or not. She helped me write an effective birth preference sheet, she eased my concerns about my pregnancy, and she was the one person who kept me calm and focused during labor, with her quiet and kind demeanor. She held my hand, massaged my back, walked the hallways with me, and wiped my forehead when needed. She has a whole "bag of tricks" to make labor more bearable. The birth of my son was a wonderful experience, in large part because of Felissa.

-Megan & Leo, parents to Colin

Felissa was exactly the support we needed during the birth of our second daughter. Her familiarity with the hospital and ability to navigate stressful decisions was invaluable. We highly recommend her!

-Susan and Manuel, parents to Sabrina

Felissa is an amazing doula and made such a difference in our birth experience as first time parents to-be. She was such a support and resource to me and my husband and knew exactly what to do and how to help us navigate each phase, including pre and post baby. Thank you Felissa for being a part of our birth, you will always be included in the story and Aidan will know your part in his beginning.

-John, Jacqueline & Aidan parents to Aiden

We couldn’t be any happier with our birth experience and are so grateful Felissa was there to share it with us! During my labor, Felissa helped us feel confident laboring at home until just a few hours before our son was born. She gave us helpful suggestions for coping with the contractions and worked her magic by massaging my back. In the hospital, she helped me work through transition and helped me feel confident in my ability to give birth without pain medication. I loved the way that she and my husband worked together to support me – it felt as if she was another family member. We felt so comfortable sharing our son’s birth with her and were so happy that she was there to help us through every moment!

Katja (mother of Farris)

I think one of your best qualities as our doula (and really why I chose you) is your calm nature. I don’t really know how to describe it in words, but you really put me at ease ,which helped so much during my labor. It’s also very apparent that you are passionate about the birth experience and that comes across in your demeanor. I’m so glad you were with us during this life changing experience. The birth of our daughter Emily was one of the most empowering and emotional moments in my life and it was the support of my labor team that made all the difference. Thank you so much!

- Julie (mother of Emily)

My wife and I first met Felissa in Harmony in Campbell, CA as part of the "Meet the doula" night activity. We went through a speed dating kind of interviews with about 8-10 doulas. We liked most of them but we really felt a connection with Felissa who came across as a genuinely nice person who would be able to help first time parents like us. Take it from us: we went for many birth courses to prepare for a natural birth, but one of the best money that we spent was to get professional help from a doula during the birth.

My wife went through a roughly 24 hour labor and she is a very strong woman but her contraction patterns were far from normal. Till the very end when the baby's head is crowning, her pushing contractions were still 5-6 mins apart. Imagine the pain that she has to endure throughout the labor. I don't want to say that Felissa is a magician who can eliminate all the pain but certainly with her help on comfort measures, my wife was able to successfully have a natural birth.

Besides comfort measures during the actual labor, she actually has a lot of fantastic suggestions for child birth,. For example, she gave us several good tips for our birth plan such that it created an impact on the nurses and doctors at the hospital and I really felt that they paid more attention to our desires stated in the birth plan. Another example is that she quietly and effectively suggested that we go to the hospital as late as possible so that we can labor at home.

Felissa has a natural mild disposition that lends herself naturally to this job. It seems to me that she innately understands the train wreck first time parents are going through, including the father, that she turns all the negative energy into positive energy. If you want her to take charge, she will take charge but if you want her to step back, she will do that too.

She is a wonderful doula and an amazing person.

Syn Wee & Han Ming (Mom and Dad to Perennial copied from yelp.com http://www.yelp.com/biz/felissa-hay---your-birth-doula-san-jose)

When we first knew of Felissa through her website, it wasn’t long before we warmed up to the idea of having her as a major source of labor support. Little did we know what that help entailed until Felissa wowed us by the end of our initial meeting with descriptions of how she could serve both us. Felissa’s experience and knowledge allowed us to feel confident in our ability to have a natural birth. She diplomatically discussed various options as we began to put our birth plan together without her imposing an agenda of her own. She was professional yet personable, which helped us feel especially comfortable when it came time to deliver.

Even with a busy, short labor, our doctor was impressed by Felissa’s calm presence and commented on how we made an excellent choice for a doula because of how she helped us. Felissa’s approach encouraged us to remain calm ourselves, which contributed to a wonderful, smooth birth experience.

Not only throughout the pregnancy but after giving birth to Thomas, Felissa made a point to ask us how we were doing. Her heartfelt concern and presence shined through on the day we went to the hospital, and they made a difference in easing anxieties and focusing on each moment leading up to meeting our son face to face. When that time came, Felissa helped take pictures, one of which was our first family of 3 photo and clearly contributed to making the birth day a wonderfully memorable one.

Should we have another child, we definitely would have her as our doula.

Thanks again, Felissa!

Bryan and Jamie (parents of Thomas Mitchell Feci)

Felissa’s support gave us the confidence to approach our daughter’s birth not with anxiety but with only joy and anticipation. Not only did we feel much more prepared for the events of the labor, birth and bringing home our new baby, but we were thrilled to have her support in the delivery room to keep us and our doctors and nurses focused on the birth we hoped to have. We would absolutely recommend having Felissa be a part of your birth experience!

Monique, Andy and Naomi

Wow, Where do I start? Felissa is an AMAZING doula!! My husband and I felt blessed to have had her participate in the labor/delivery of our son Nathan. Felissa was very accommodating with us as we told her three weeks before my due date that we wanted her to be our doula. We were even able to still have our 2 pre-baby “getting to know you” appointments with her. She made a great effort to get to know us and learn what we wanted for our birth experience. Unfortunately, my labor spanned over a week long period, but regardless Felissa was with us every step of the way. I couldn’t believe how involved she was even though my labor went on forever. Felissa was very attentive to my needs, whatever they may have been. She massaged my feet, made sure I was walking regularly and changing positions, she asked me how I was feeling, she got me water and sometimes she just talked in my ear with her quiet reassuring voice telling me I was doing great and I would make it. You don’t realize how much those things help until they are being done for you. She always paid close attention to my husband and mother by rubbing their shoulders, getting my husband warm blankets while we were using the shower during contractions and making sure they were both eating. There were many times during my week of labor I felt like I couldn’t go on and Felissa was right there lifting me back up. We also had quite a few moments where my husband and I had to make tough decisions. Felissa was right there making sure we understood what our options were, helping us to ask the right questions and making sure my husband and I were given the time to talk about things alone. We also have great pictures of our first moments together with Nathan thanks to Felissa. If anyone I knew asked me for a doula I would definitely recommend Felissa in a heartbeat in fact we are very excited to use her again in the future. She is sweet, thoughtful and really has a comforting and loving way about her. She was not only a doula to us, but a friend and we want to thank her for everything she did for our family!

- Julia, mother to Nathan (photo of me, Nathan, Julia and Gabe)

Felissa exceeded our expectations. In our birth wishes, we mentioned that we were open to medical interventions, if there are complications during the labor. While I was not opposed to getting an epidural, I wanted to try and give birth in the most natural way as possible. During the first two pre-birth consultations, we discussed the pros and cons of medical interventions. Felissa kept us informed throughout my pregnancy by referring to books and online resources because we wanted to be prepared as much as possible. I was especially worried about my pregnancy and birth because I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. When I entered the early stage of labor, I was convinced that I would ask for an epidural when I got to the hospital. Nonetheless, when I met up with her at the maternity ward, my fear soon faded away. Soon after we were admitted, she suggested that we walk around the hospital, which distracted me from contractions. She carefully massaged my lower back every time I had a contraction. This was for several hours! Without her massages, words of encouragement, and support throughout the labor, I would have not been able to give birth to my first baby without any pain medication. My husband and I felt support throughout the labor, and we trust Felissa with her ability, character, and judgement. What we also appreciated about her is that she gave us the space to make our own decision. As a result, our birth experience was extremely positive and rewarding. Our baby Sora was born on Felissa's birthday, which added another level of excitement for all four of us! We highly recommend Felissa!

-Rie and Phillip and baby Sora

Felissa is an excellent doula. My husband and I feel lucky for the opportunity to have had her as our doula recently. She is organized and professional, has access to information and resources, and is knowledgeable about birth issues. She is also personable and easy going which is exactly the energy needed around labor. I felt at ease and well-supported from the moment that we hired her. She was attentive and encouraging with words and action throughout the entire 30 hours of my labor and was willing to stay afterwards until i was settled. She is truly a caring, giving individual. (Review from http://www.yelp.com/biz/felissa-hay---your-birth-doula-san-jose )

Dawn, Minkz and Penny

When we first met Felissa, we knew immediately that she was the right doula for us. Her eyes spoke of a calm and gentle person, and we didn’t realize how true it was until she helped attend the birth of our daughter.

The birth I wanted did not go the way I planned at all, and unfortunately was full of unforeseeable interventions. Felissa, however, stood by my husband and me doing everything she could to make the process just a bit more bearable. She remained level-headed and encouraged us throughout the process, and we know we could not have done it without her! We are so grateful to have had Felissa be a part of our birth experience, and would recommend her without reservation to anyone looking for a loving, kind, and exceedingly knowledgeable doula.

Michael and Emma, parents to Ava

Felissa is a very understanding, attentive and dependable lady to have on your support team. Her advice from her personal experience helped me cope with my complicated labor and not feel disappointed that it went in a different direction than we intended. The pictures she took of the first moments after delivery are priceless; I will treasure them always. I'm very glad to have had Felissa as a doula.

- Melinda

From the moment I met Felissa I knew I wanted her to be my doula. She is warm and friendly, punctual and well-organized. She came to my home during labor and helped drive everyone to the hospital when it was time. Once there, she helped me control my breathing and gave relieving massages. She was able to be strong and firm without ever being overbearing when the contractions were hard. I had a long labor during a holiday, but she never left my side. My entire family was reassured by her, and I can't imagine my experience without her!

Jennifer

Dear Felissa,

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for being such a supportive, warm, & giving presence for my sister, brother-in-law, nephew & myself throughout an extraordinary tough experience. While you were an amazing advocate for Jennifer, you were also a true member of our entire family. I don't even want to think about what would or could have happened without you.

I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to thank you in person, but as I'm sure Jennifer has already told you, I am a staunch supporter of doulas now. But I doubt as many doulas would have given as much of themselves & exhibited such compassion & humanism as you did. We were all so lucky to have you as our doula!

Samantha (Jennifer's sister OBGYN med student)

Evan

Claire