Kind Words
Lecia + Talmage
I had such an amazing birth experience and Marleen made it possible. This was my first birth and I had a dream to go the natural route. My husband and I read a couple of Bradley Method books to try to prepare on our end, and Marleen also gave us some ideas of relaxing methods we could use. She is so friendly, a great listener, and I really felt like she wanted to help us reach our birth goals. The night I gave birth, I realized how grateful I was that we had chosen to have Marlene help us. I had some resolve, and my husband did great with the coaching, but I really don't think I could have withstood the pain so long if Marleen wasn't with us helping with comfort measures, and being a support and friend to both my husband and me. I highly recommend her!.
Grey + Warren
We had the great pleasure of working with Marleen for nearly two years, and can't recommend her highly enough. The only reason we stopped working with Marleen is because we moved away from LA... our daughter still misses her, and so do we! Marleen brings a thoughtful, calm, and nurturing energy to everything she does, whether being a doula, helping as a nanny, or preparing healthy, soul-nourishing food. If you have the opportunity to bring Marleen into your life, we highly recommend it. She will almost certainly have a positive and lasting impact on you and your family.
Margarita
Amazing! This was my first time having a doula and it was the best decision I've ever made . She made me feel comfortable every step of the way. She was informative about everything and when she was not sure about something, she did her research and got back to me promptly. She is trustworthy and extremely helpful. Marleen is also punctual. She made the hospital feel more like home and was there for me when my husband took a breaks at the hospital before and after the birth of my son. She met my needs and more! Totally recommend her. She's also vegan and makes the BEST soup ever!
Lauren + August
It was a true blessing to have met Marleen and been lucky enough to have her as a postpartum doula. She’s so knowledgeable, helpful and kind. Its hard to have a stranger in your space after giving birth because its such a special and intimate time but Marleen's energy is so pleasant and she immediately fit right in. She met us at the hospital and came home with us the first night to make sure the transition was as smooth as possible.
She offered advice and tips when asked and if she didn’t know the answer she would be totally honest and say that she’d do some research and get back to us. We needed a lactation consultant and she provided us with a great referral and also provided us with some light reading materials regarding breast feeding positions etc. because I had asked about it.
She was very intune with the needs of not only myself but of my husband and our son. I felt totally confident in her abilities and comfortable leaving her with our newborn son if I needed to pop out to get some air or take a walk. She helped me with feeding, diapering and shushing in the late nights which were tremendously helpful and needed in the early stages of postpartum. She made me a special bath with healing herbs which felt like I had gone to the spa. Ah! I loved that.
She did light cleaning and laundry which were essential to our survival in the early days. AND did I mention she’s a proper vegan chef ?! Her meals were incredibly nutritious and tasty. When she mentioned that she cooked in our first meeting I was thinking like ok, she will come to our house and heat up a can of soup or something but she made THE MOST delicious gourmet, flavorful meals out of the things we had in the house, it was unreal. Felt like going out every night. We felt so pampered ! I highly recommend her for postpartum doula services - you need Marleen! We are so lucky to now call her a dear friend.
Savannah + Hugh
Marleen was our postpartum doula with our second baby. Her calm, easy energy was the perfect addition to our home. She was flexible, understanding and compassionate. The food she made for our family was delicious - even our 18 month old gobbled it up. We went on to hire Marleen several more times through the first year to stock our freezer with her yummy meals.
Heity +Scott
I highly recommend Marleen and can't say enough about how wonderful she is. I interviewed and considered 5 other doulas, but when I met Marleen I instantly knew she was the one! Her bedside manner is incredibly supportive, loving, and practical. She is extremely informative, even at our very first meeting when I had not officially decided on her. I felt that other doulas were hesitant to give even basic information without making a commitment. My goal was to have a non-medicated birth; I used an epidural with my first baby and there were so many complications that I wanted to try again, hoping that I could be successful with the help of a doula. However, I knew how much pain contractions were so I thought it was a long shot for me. With the support from Marleen, who also guided my husband in massage, support, and what to say, I was able to take each contraction one at a time. Before I knew it, I was close to pushing (and past the point where I could get an epidural!) and on my way to a smooth and natural delivery. Marleen worked with the nurses and the doctor easily but always advocated for me - my nurses and OB all said how much they liked Marleen and were surprised and how much she helped with the whole birth process, but never got in their way. I could not have done it without her, not by a long shot. Her massage methods were amazing and helped relieve the contraction pain. Thank you SO MUCH Marleen!
Elana + JP
Marleen is an incredibly caring, graceful and thoughtful doula. She could anticipate my needs even before I knew myself what I needed. Marleen's warm and gentle presence helped me through a difficult time while I was struggling with some health issues after the birth of my daughter. She could trouble shoot problems with me, add light and laughter when I needed it, and also just be a friend. I could not recommend Marleen more