“Michelle & Chris took such good care of us throughout our pregnancy and during labor and delivery. We appreciated all of the information they provided us during that time. Chris was a godsend during labor and delivery and helped guide us and kept us focused in the most nurturing way. They both continue to check up and offer support even after our little one was born. We are so grateful for their knowledge and support! We highly recommend their services!”

“Michelle and Christine were wonderful! Their support turned out to be exactly what I had hoped for to help me attain a natural, positive birth experience. If you are on the fence about hiring a doula - do it! You won’t regret it!”

“ ...Working with Chris and Michelle was great. They are very caring and take the time to hear your needs and keep them in mind for the day of your birth. Our birth was just what we were hoping it would be. Having a doula doesn’t take away from your spouses involvement but strengthens their involvement. They provide guidance as what they could do to help give you better support. Having Chris part of our day was the best choice we made. Would hire again in a heartbeat.”

“My husband and I are so thankful we had Chris and Michelle on our birthing team! They are both extremely knowledgeable and help you form a realistic “birthing plan”. I was very worried about being assertive in the hospital and Chris went above and beyond to help us communicate effectively with our nurses and doctors. We highly recommend using Erie doulas - they truly made our experience 100% better than we could have imagined!
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“We had an amazing experience with Christine and Michelle. We were from out of town, and were so comforted to find two doulas who were knowledgeable, caring, and proactive in their support of our birth journey. Things didn’t go as we had initially planned, and they were with us at each step to ensure a calm and successful outcome! We’re so grateful to them.”

“We are so thankful that Michelle and Chris were a part of our birth story! I had so much uncertainty and nerves as this was my first birth, and it was worth every penny to be able to have Michelle and Chris’s knowledge and experience at our disposal. They helped us think through our birth plans and also reminded us the importance of staying flexible, which I needed down the road. They do such a great job of providing insight and options without judgment – they truly did support any decisions we made. Having Michelle at the hospital with us as I went into labor was such a comfort, and I am so grateful for her calming presence. She helped us think through and weigh different options that arose with the midwife and nursing staff, and made me feel prepared and safe. She advocated for me with hospital staff when I was out of it in labor, and I felt like I could focus on laboring because I had so much trust in her to worry about the other details. Highly recommend Erie Doulas to everyone!!”

“I don’t know where to begin with how absolutely thrilled my husband and I were with Erie Doulas! With covid we weren’t sure we were going to be allowed one in the room until the second trimester. Michelle and Chris made sure that my husband and I had all of our questions answered leading up to labor and provided us with tons of research/additional information. When it came time for delivery we felt like we were in amazing hands. It was as if we had additional family member in the room helping us through delivery. If you have the ability to hire these amazing women I would HIGHLY suggest it. We are so thrilled to have them a part of our daughter’s birth story and we will definitely be utilizing them the second time around.”

“10/10 would recommend Erie Doulas and their services! Chris and Michelle are super knowledgeable, supportive, and easy to talk to. Michelle attended our birth and helped me to achieve a VBAC - Woo!! Couldn’t have done it without her advocacy and support, for both myself and partner.”

“Michelle and Chris made my birth experience as a FTM so beautiful. She was there to support not only me but also my husband. I truly appreciated her insight as well thoughtful suggestions to help communicate my birth preference plan to the medical providers at the hospital. I felt safe, loved, and celebrated and would definitely recommend Erie Doulas!”

“...she guided us through the births of both of our children. Through both births, she was ALWAYS available for us for support, whether it was over the phone, through video, or a home visit and went above and beyond and then some EVEN through the pandemic. As a new father I was extremely nervous about the entire experience and she was a breath of fresh air. I literally couldn’t imagine the experience without her being there for support ...”

“I would just like to say thank you again for such an amazing birthing experience as a result of preparation before birth and support during the entire process”

“Michelle and Chris were incredible resources to us! We originally planned a home birth, after many unexpected twists and turns along the way, we ultimately ended up at the hospital. It was so helpful to have Michelle at our house the morning I was in labor, she was a helping hand for anything we needed, and helped us talk through the decision to go to the hospital...We are incredibly thankful for the support Erie Doulas provided us, we will definitely seek their guidance for our future pregnancies and births as well!”

“I highly recommend Erie Doulas. Michelle and Chris are awesome! They helped me to have the birth experience that I had hoped for with my second child. My first labor ended in a c section after a series of interventions (some of which I believe were unnecessary). For my second labor, I strongly hoped that I would be able to have a drug-free vaginal birth. Meeting with both Michelle and Chris throughout my pregnancy helped me to mentally prepare for my labor and to process some of the feelings that I had about my first birth. During my labor, Michelle provided constant support and she was excellent at reading my cues. Even though I wasn’t in a state to fully articulate my needs, she intuitively figured out exactly the type of support that I needed. If you are thinking of hiring a doula for your birth, you won’t regret it if you hire Erie Doulas. Their prices are also extremely reasonable for the services that they provide.”

“Through the whole experience Chris had the perfect words and suggestions to offer my husband and I through every step and decision we had to make. The open communication prior to labor and post partum truly blessed us with great advice and insight into things we really didn’t know much about. Overall my husband and I would sincerely recommend hiring Chris and Michelle for your pregnancy and birth!”

“Michelle and Chris are amazing at what they do! From our first prenatal appointments, I was impressed by their balance of experience (hundreds of births!), knowledge, and empowerment. They took the time to get to know me, my values, philosophies, and hopes for my pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding goals, and they offered tailored resources that aligned with those (readings, exercises, YouTube videos, conversation together, etc.) As we continued working closely with Michelle, my husband and I were continually grateful for her gently confident professionalism as we navigated the process as first-time clients who didn’t know much about doulas! She was calm, poised and comfortable in every step of the prenatal/birth/postnatal process, so there were never any awkward moments. She also offered us months of positivity, deep compassion, library lending, and additional research about my particular medical history at my request. My healthcare providers were very happy to hear I was working with her, too, so her great reputation is widespread. Working with Michelle as my doula helped me feel in the driver’s seat for both of my pregnancies/births and helped me make the most of these experiences in all the ways I’d hoped for. For someone looking for a true advocate who matches your desires and needs around your birth experience, I cannot recommend Michelle highly enough.”

“I was nervous about the birth of my first child, so I wanted a doula with experience that I trusted to help me and advocate for my and my husband’s wishes in the hospital. Michelle and Chris were recommended to me by a friend, and I was so thankful we found them. They listened to our birth goals and made us feel extremely comfortable with our plan and backup plans if anything didn’t go the way we hoped. Chris attended my birth, and was there with us through my entire labor that lasted through the night. She not only supported me, but helped my husband as well and showed him ways he could help me throughout labor. She even took pictures for us - photos I now consider some of the most special in my life. It was an amazing and empowering birth experience, and I’m so happy we had Chris there every step of the way.”

“Michelle and Chris are a dynamic duo! Michelle came over several times before the birth and was a calming force at my delivery. She knows so much, has great relationships with the drs and midwives at the hospitals and was attentive to everything I needed. She even came by after my son was born to help with learning breastfeeding. I refer her to everyone I know and won’t have another baby without her there!”

“Giving birth the way I wanted was THE most powerful and incredible experience of my entire life. Before having your first baby there is so much uncertainty, “can I do this, will I be a good mom, will I be able to give birth without drugs, etc...?” Having a doula help me along the way gave me confidence to know that my body was made to do this and I would be able to handle any obstacles along the way. Michelle met with us several time prior to the birth of both our children in preparation for their arrival. She provided books and reading resources to help inform us of how many people give birth this way every day and that it’s truly a life changing experience. I would HIGHLY recommend Michelle and the use of a doula during the birth process as it made me feel like I had someone in my corner who had lots of experience helping bring babies into this world in a natural, peaceful, beautiful way!”

“I can’t say enough about the value of a doula.  Most certainly, you take the cake.  My births were amazing experiences, dark moments and all,  and you were the even keel that made it possible. I could be 80 years old, talkin’ birth, and the memory of your presence at my births will still fill my heart with gratitude.”

“Michelle took the time to get to know me so that during labor she knew just the things to say and do that would be most helpful for me. Even though I was in labor for about 14 hours, she was tirelessly focused on my emotional and physical comfort the entire time.

The best part of having a doula is that they don’t have to be splitting their time and focus between you and the medical side of things. It’s all about supporting you, emotionally and physically”

“Michelle made the birth of my second child one that was as close to perfect as possible. She was the soft voice that wouldn’t let me give up, that encouraged me to push that one last time and that congratulated me when it was over. She helped my husband understand different ways to help me so he felt involved in the process and she caught a few perfect pictures just afterward of my little man. Also, the prenatal and followup visits were irreplaceable, since knowing someone was there for me and checking up on me helped me know where I could go ask questions.”

“A direct quote from my husband following the birth of our daughter: “The best money we’ve ever spent!”  Not only was the support from Michelle during the birth so paramount, but she was a supporting hand throughout our pregnancy, as well as post-birth where she took the time out of her day on more than one occasion to sit with me and discuss areas of concern that any new mom may struggle with.  There’s so much to be said for having someone as experienced as Michelle with you in the delivery room - she made herself right at home from the very moment we walked in the room, which provided me with the confidence that I needed to focus solely on myself and the baby.  It wasn’t until afterwards, when I spoke with my husband and mother about that day, that it was pointed out to me all of the things that she had done that went unnoticed by me at the time, because I simply didn’t have to worry about it - from fighting to ensure that I was able to use the shower, to kindly requesting that the doctor not require me to use stirrups to push as it was clear that my body and the baby had other plans.  Just wow - little did I know what a huge impact she had on the experience going so smoothly, and we truly can not thank her enough!”

“Michelle was my doula for my first birth 11 years ago. She connected me with books, childbirth education classes, lactation consultants and other local resources. I prepared for a natural birth but my baby was persistently breech and so I had a scheduled c-section instead. Michelle helped me adjust to my change of plans and prepare for a surgical birth. She helped me understand what was happening every step of the way and kept my family members calm and informed. The photos she took in OR are precious. After the birth, I had trouble breastfeeding, but because of the resources Michelle connected me with pre-natally, I was able to overcome the early difficulties and successfully nurse.

Though my son’s birth was much different than I had originally envisioned, it was a positive experience and set me off on the path to be a breastfeeding counselor, birth doula and Hypnobabies instructor. It has become a passion to give the support to other women that I received from Michelle. I’ve gone on to have two other babies (in other cities or I would have hired Michelle again) with doula support via unmedicated, Hypnobabies VBACs. Michelle is highly experienced, responsive, compassionate and professional. If it is related to birth and babies in Erie, Michelle knows. I encourage every pregnant woman to explore having a doula-supported birth.”

“Both Michelle and Chris are amazing and so kind. Michelle was my doula for both of my home births and I can’t say enough WONDERFUL things about her. My births were so beautiful and calming because of her. I highly recommend any pregnant mama to consider using them as part of their birth team. It’s worth every penny and more.”

“Michelle was the greatest asset through both my pregnancies and labor and delivery. She helped me navigate through some major changes in my pregnancy and helped my husband and myself during labor and delivery. We always felt informed and supported. I don’t know what we would have done without her help. I highly recommend using Michelle she is the best!!! ”

“Finding out you are pregnant is an amazing thing, except when you have ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Almost immediately, I started to doubt myself and my abilities to carry a baby, give birth, and take care of baby after he/she entered this crazy world of ours....we knew we would need support to help us with this very big step in our lives. In came Michelle! Michelle came to our home, and brought her very positive and strong knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and realities of what could happen. We would call Michelle when we had questions and we worked closely with our midwife. We prepared by gaining as much knowledge about birth as we could. Michelle met us at the hospital and we started our amazing birth journey. It was painful, but with Michelle there to coach my husband on what to do and give him breaks, things went really well. Chris said that Michelle’s support helped him to help me in a way that would have never known how to do. She helped him to take care of himself during labor and delivery and let him be as involved as he wanted to be, which for him was as much as humanly possible. We had such an amazing experience the first time around that we decided to call on Michelle again when we found out we were pregnant again. This experience with Michelle helped my husband and I to see just how powerful and strong we are as a couple and how I could, despite my disclosed mental health struggles, was able to listen to my body and my baby to make birth the amazing and beautiful experience it is meant to be.”

“I had a homebirth and waterbirth with my second son. Michelle and Chris both were totally critical in having a CONFIDENT, SATISFYING, HEALTHY, AND STRONG labor and delivery. I call my husband my ‘’doula’’ but he and I both claim that he did his best job because of their knowledgeable SUPPORT. That was our most wonderful birth experience.”

“Michelle and Chris are such an inspiring, beautiful birth team. My husband and I met with both ladies together and I met individually a few times to check in. The love and support was always present leaving me feeling confident. With their support, I went into labor with complete confidence that my body was made to bring my baby into this world. Chris was with us during labor and her composure and feedback helped my husband support me when at times he was unsure and nervous. I remember looking at Chris after a fairly intense contraction and her simple words of “that was beautiful” was exactly what I needed to hear. We were able to bring our baby into the world just as I hoped for. I struggled physically and emotionally after the birth. Both Chris and Michelle came to the house to support me and reassure me when it was challenging. I personally am beyond grateful for the love they gave us and the support to let my light shine during my pregnancy, labor, birth and mamahood!”

“I was new in the region, super busy at work, and 1000 miles away from my family on the east coast and 2000 miles away from family and friends on the west coast. I sought out a doula to help support me during my pregnancy and delivery. I met and interviewed a number of doulas and was so relieved to find Michelle. She was caring, resourceful, and keenly attuned to my needs and that of my family. She was a phenomenal support for me through both of my births. I was older when I had my boys - 35 and 39, but I felt empowered and supported through both these experiences. She was able to help interface with the midwife, the obstetrician, and family throughout, while allowing me to focus on the challenge of delivery, meeting my baby, and breastfeeding. Love being able to reflect on these experiences with such calm and sense of support during a period that can feel so chaotic and difficult.  Michelle was a tremendous part of this experience. I recommend doulas to all expecting families.”