Testimonials
I cannot even begin to express fully my gratitude and appreciation for Katie as a doula. Peaceful doula is exactly the vibe she gives! I have always known about doulas etc. And they have volunteer ones at hospital births for many but I was new to hiring one separately on my own. I was going through some major life events/tragedies on top of being pregnant, and I was up late one night just searching and happen to stumble upon her business and sent a message on a whim. She pursued me back and made the exchange SO simple and easy. She answered all my questions and explained the process and anything I was uneducated/unaware of.
Because of her, I was able to switch from the hospital birth setting and care that I was not feeling well at with midwives who just seem like they take that title but are essentially basic OBs that don't truly follow natural pregnancy birth like they claim. She guided me to birth centers that were within my desired expectations and out of them was able to find my dream birth center where I had the water birth I always wanted with excellent environment and staff.
Even with her busy schedule, she was always responsive and personable and didn't make me feel like I was asking too much or bothering her. I felt absolutely comfortable and clear minded telling her what I wanted and she delivered exactly that! She was amazing support during labor and delivery (and even afterwards during recovery) and helped me progress just how I wanted to with no stalls in labor like I had my first hospital birth. My birth center I chose was amazing, but Katie being there was the icing on top and I definitely wouldn't have been as happy if I didn't have her there. It was truly meant to be! Thank you so much Katie and I'll recommend you whenever the topic comes up!
-Aubrey H
Katie was God sent to us right on time. She empowered me to know my rights and to make the right choices in preparation for our baby. I was weak and on partial bed rest. She encouraged me to take yoga classes and other simple exercises. That’s when I discovered I could do things I thought I was too weak to do. When I almost failed to decide on accepting an induction, she asked if it was okay for her to pray with me. We prayed and the baby came naturally a week before induction–AMAZING!
Katie is the best support I needed. The day our baby was born, my husband was scared/nervous and speechless, but Katie’s presence made my birth experience great. I can go on and on about how sweet and supportive she has been from the time we met before and after, but all I can say is that I felt valued, loved and cared for by Katie. You gave us the best experience. You’re blessed in Jesus’ name.
Lydia and Derrick
Katie is awesome. I am so glad to have made her part of my birth plan. The in person meeting we had at my house in the beginning got me on the right track with Katie making me aware of different sources and sharing sites with me I didn't know about. Then she came to my home to help move labor along and offer support as it got closer to delivery. She stayed after baby was born to help make sure everything was in order for us. She even caught some of the important moment pictures for us when we were too preoccupied to think of taking them but so glad to have them after. Having her to contact throughout was comforting, and then having her come for a follow up after birth and once I was home really wrapped up the experience nicely. Katie is caring and able to answer questions or resourceful if you have an odd one. Definitely recommend you hire her as your Doula!
-Rhia
My husband and I recently chose Katie as our doula to attend the birth of our daughter. Having had a long labor and difficult birth resulting in NICU time with my son 3 years prior (without a doula), we had a lot of fears and concerns with going through another birth.
We are so happy with our decision, as Katie met and exceeded all of our expectations! Prior to my delivery, she was always available to answer questions and would check-in frequently to see how I was doing. She went above and beyond to address all our concerns and help us formulate a birth plan (and even a back-up plan) which resulted in a very smooth, complication-free delivery. I wanted a labor that was as natural as possibIe (i.e. minimal interventions), which she helped me achieve.
Throughout the labor she would assist me in staying comfortable during contractions (e.g. rubbing my back, offering me water) while encouraging me to move into positions that would help my baby find her way out. She reminded me that my body knows what to do, which helped during the times where labor seemed more difficult. She also helped my husband feel included in the birthing process, while encouraging him to take breaks once in awhile (e.g. grab lunch) while she stayed by my side.
It was so empowering to have such an enjoyable birthing experience for my daughter's delivery and helped me in reconciling some of the trauma I had from the birth of my son. I'm so thankful to Katie for her help, and highly encourage anyone looking to have a more positive and peaceful birthing experience to reach out to her. You won't be disappointed!
-Jenny
I cannot recommend Katie enough! We hired her to help with the birth of our first baby, especially with pain management since I was going med-free. Katie was very thorough before the birth with helping us prepare with labor positions, stages of labor, etc. A huge plus was helping me know when to go to the hospital; she definitely saved us a trip when I had prodromal labor for an entire day. When everything started happening at the hospital, Katie came and was an absolute life saver! She was there for me as much as I needed during labor, which was also nice to reduce some of my husband's stress. It's hard to picture how I would've gotten through an unmedicated labor without her. She's also very sweet and has a calming presence. We definitely will recommend her to friends in the area as well as hire her for our future babies! :)
-Samantha
Katie was a wonderful doula for us. She was the doula for both my now two-year-old and my six-month-old. We asked her to be our doula for a second child because she did such a phenomenal job at our first child's birth. Katie made me feel safe, comfortable, and loved all throughout prenatal, postpartum and of course during labor and delivery. Both times she came to our house to help us get to the car. Her gentle and kind spirit made for such an inviting relationship right away. We plan to have her at our future births as well. She has become a friend to us now. you can tell just by talking to her for 2 seconds how much she loves her job, how much she loves the parents and the babies. Our faith is very important to us, which we shared with Katie right away, so there were even times where she prayed for us and with us, which meant so much! I can't say enough good things about working with Katie.
-Emma
From the first moment we met Katie, she made us feel comfortable and reassured. We liked her calm and knowledgeable demeanor, and her unflappable support. Originally I had a plan for a low-medication, low-intervention birth, but health issues forced us to pivot quickly, with an induction needed. Katie was wonderful at helping me adapt my birth plan for the new circumstances, and helped me feel less worried about the change of plans.
At the birth, she stayed the entire time with us, and was so helpful during early labor with positions and counter pressure. She guided my husband in supporting me through contractions, and offered encouragement to both of us. And when I requested pain medication she helped advocate for me. My birth ended up having complications, and I was so grateful for Katie's continued support and coaching through the process. When our baby had to be assessed by doctors, she stayed by my side to help me cope, and was able to speak to the staff on my behalf. She truly was a wonderful, supportive, and calm presence during a challenging circumstance, and I am so grateful that she was there! If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, don't be! Having her there was worth every penny, since I would have had a much less positive experience without her there.
-Emily
My experience with Katie was a true blessing to myself and my family. Never having a Doula before with our first child i wasn't sure what to expect but Katie was able to help us all through it. From our first visit to the birth of our daughter i was able to always count on Katie for advice, support and anything else I needed for our big day. The knowledge she gave us before the birth was what we could expect and what she could give us was comforting.
Katie is very easy going and has a strong lead role when needed. She put the families needs and want first always.
We are truly blessed to know Katie and have had her during one of most amazing times in our life.
-Kayla
Katie was a god send for me and my family. I don't know what I would have done with out her. She was professional, knowledgeable, caring, empathetic. words do not describe her. All I can say is my birth experience went well because of her. I wouldn't change a thing.
Thank you Katie.
-Asanti
We really loved having Katie as our Doula. I (Christine) loved how Katie really cared about what we wanted for the birth. She was a great source of evidence based information and was there before, during, and after labor as a source of encouragement and comfort. Her experience and peaceful presence were awesome and a big part of having the kind of birth we wanted!
I (Jason) was initially skeptical about the idea of having a doula at all. I was concerned she would somehow take my spot. That was definitely not the case. She was there to help me and answer my questions too and to help me to support Christine throughout the labor and delivery. She was worth her weight in gold.
We definitely highly recommend Katie Schram as a doula and plan to use her for all our other babies too.
-Christine and Jason
I worked with Katie for the birth of my two daughters. One was a home birth and the other at a hospital. Katie was a godsend in both cases. I see this not only because of the comfort she provides and the knowledge she has. Because, Katie's presence was comforting. There aren't too many people when they are physically present you feel a sense of peace. Katie brings that into the delivery room. She is patient, focused and above all supportive. My last birth was very difficult and I had planned a natural birth and had given birth naturally twice however, this time it just felt different. Therefore, I was hysterical and wanted to get Epidural. The whole time I was crying Katie was there holding my hand massaging my back, and being a solid rock. At this time my husband was crying also. What was surprising was my daughter was there when I was about to get ready for the Epidural and did not need it. However, I was ashamed to not have pulled through. And, I felt guilty for even requesting it. Katie was there to debrief with me at our postpartum visit and help me make sense of the birth. Birth is a joyful event however, it can be traumatic too. And, Katie is the person I would chose to be there with me no matter the type of birth. I have recommended her to family, friends, and coworkers. I have full faith in her and will love to work with her for any future children I have. Thank you Katie.
-Kadija
We chose Katie to be our doula when I was about 6.5 months pregnant. We had finished baby/birthing classes and decided the we'd both benefit from a doula!
Our time with Katie was really helpful! As first time parents, we had no idea what to expect from labor/delivery, but Katie asked great questions and made us feel as ready as we'd ever be!
Choosing a stranger to help you through such a personal experience is kind of weird, but Katie made it feel easy and was supportive of all of our decisions!
When it came time to go to the hospital (and I was 3 weeks early!), Katie was there within the hour and stayed the WHOLE TIME (like 30+ hours). My husband and I were so glad she was there--it was comforting to have someone there supporting both of us.
If you're on the fence about a doula, do it! If you're considering Katie, definitely meet her to see if she's a fit for you!
-Leah
Katie was our doula for the birth of our first Daughter in December. We were so grateful to have her on our birthing team. At first my husband was unsure about hiring a doula but once we met Katie he quickly changed his mind. To be honest there were so many things that I was completely clueless about when it came to delivering our baby. Katie provided us so much helpful information and encouraged us to make our own decisions that were best for our family. We truly appreciated that!
I had my daughter at 40w 6d. 6 days past my due date felt like an eternity. Katie was able to really help calm my nerves and keep me as sane as possible during that time.
When it came time to deliver Katie was amazing. She was helpful at the hospital to both my husband and I. She kept reminding me to breathe and offered different labor positions and techniques. She took photos for us as well and stayed for awhile after the baby was born.
I would recommend Katie to any family who is looking for a Doula. She really educated my husband and I that we do in fact have choices when it comes to our birth. We were so lucky to have her and will be using her again!
-Theresa
Katie was amazing. The exact kind of person you want in a doula! My birth experience was one of those you don't think will happen to you..induced 2 weeks early due to sudden elevated BP. My entire pregnancy up to then was flawless, no issues, no sickness, totally healthy mommy and baby the whole pregnancy..until 38w appt...Entire birth plan out the window. Katie was so great helping me through the emotional rollercoaster that comes with unexpected induction... but not only for me, having Katie there allowed my husband to get some rest during my 42 hour labor..him having the peace of mind knowing Katie was there for me was the only reason he was able to get a some rest. PSA TO ALL THE HUSBANDS (YES_SHOW THIS COMMENT TO YOUR HUSBANDS!!) HAVING A DOULA ISN'T ONLY TO BE AN EXTRA SUPPORT FOR YOUR WIFE, IT'S FOR YOU TOO!! TRUST ME!
Katie was all around such a great experience. I will definitely be seeking her support for our future children.
-Katy
We feel very lucky to have had Katie as our doula. She is very calm, kind, and caring. I had a very fast labor and I have to attribute some of this to Katie--I call it the Katie Method:) To summarize, she encouraged me to continue on with normal activities through early labor, encouraged me to stay relaxed, and then she encouraged me to labor sitting backwards on the toilet. I went from about a centimeter dilated to delivered in less than 2 hours!
Amazingly Katie made it to the MotherToBaby Center in about 20 minutes after I asked her to join us there. She thoughtfully made the room more inviting by putting out tea lights and dimming the lights. Then she got me feeling comfortable laboring on the toilet facing backwards with my head resting on a pillow. I truly appreciated her being there with me through tough contractions and pushing. I also really appreciated her quickly finding the nurse when things were starting to move fast. My husband and I were very thankful that she was there to keep me company when my baby (and husband) had to go to the NICU. She even ordered food for me and my husband and picked it up from the delivery guy!
I am very grateful to Katie for supporting us through labor and delivery. All women should be so lucky as to have Katie as their doula.
-Kristi
Katie was there for the birth of my first son. I had big goals to give birth naturally, un-induced, without intervention, and unmedicated. I achieved my all dreams and beyond. My birth experience was amazing and incredible and I owe some of that to Katie. I was texting Katie for hours before we met at the birth center. She sent me suggestions on ways to labor and cope at home. Katie stayed in touch every couple hours all night until I called her at midnight saying it's game time! She met us at the birth center right on time at 1am! Katie made sure that both me and hubby stayed hydrated during the 8 hours of labor at our birth center. She made sure we were eating and always checking to see if we needed anything. She offered suggestions when I ran out of ways to labor. She constantly applied back and hip counter pressure during contractions. During every contraction actually, she was applying pressure and saying encouraging words so I could make it through to the next contraction. She was quiet and let me labor in peace, but never left me. Katie was completely apart of my amazing birth experience! One of the greatest things she did for us was take photos of our new family without being asked. I wouldn't have even thought about it if she hadn't asked for one of our phones. Thanks to her, I have a little photo album and 1 video of my little baby taking his first breath. I couldn't be more grateful to have been matched with Katie!!
-Julie
