Amy continues to help me grieve the loss of our first child by opening her heart and her home. She hosts a support group in a very relaxed and comfortable setting that is open to everyone. During group, we all get a chance to share our story with as little or as much detail as we are comfortable with. Members of the group offer honest support and I have never felt misunderstood or uncomfortable sharing my experience with them. We let our grief manifest through creative projects that Amy plans and provides during each group session and you can always tell she put so much thought and effort into how it will help you heal. I am so glad that I found this group because not only did I find a wonderful group of people to support me and the loss of my daughter Poppy, but I also learned about Amy’s doula services. I have gone on to give birth to a healthy baby boy and Amy was there the entire time. With her extensive knowledge and background in pregnancy and infant loss, she was able to help me through what could have been an incredibly triggering and scary delivery. She continued to share her knowledge after birth by helping me with breastfeeding and continuing to grieve my daughter while also raising my son. Amy has been such a rock for our family and we couldn’t have done any of this without her. Cannot recommend her enough!

My husband and I had no idea what to expect during labor and delivery of our son. I had a birth plan outlined and really thought ai knew what I wanted and what would happen. I was wrong. I was induced and labored for several days with a couple complications. Amy was there for me, and my husband, through it all. That was 6 months ago and we still have no idea how we would have fared if Amy was not by our side. Myself and my son are healthy and thriving, could not recommend her services enough.

Amy led a very informative seminar that allowed me to really think about how I could support families in times of grief. The information was presented in a very organized way, she asked lots of questions that made it feel very interactive and Amy was obviously quite knowledgeable on the subject. I would highly recommend this seminar to others.

We are incredibly lucky to have Amy on our team. When a birthing person tells me that Amy is attending their birth as a doula, I breathe a sigh of relief. She is a source of comfort and advocacy, and her presence is a powerful positive force in the birthing process. I would recommend Amy to anyone in my own family!

Amy was invaluable to our birth experience. I said from the very beginning that if all went smoothly we could probably handle it on our own. Well, all did not go smoothly. She was there the moment we needed her and provided a pleasant, calm, reassuring, and informative (as well as witty) presence to an otherwise chaotic and challenging experience. She added to the intimacy and specialness of our daughter’s birth for us as a couple and as new parents by removing much of the stress and anxiety and allowing us to really be present together. She helped us to navigate our choices as things changed throughout the process, and reminded us of our original plan as needed. We were so lucky to welcome our beautiful little girl into the world with Amy. I won’t say we couldn’t have done it without her, but we most certainly wouldn’t have wanted to!

Amy saw me through a sad-outcome birth and then a natural (but surprise breech induction) birth- and all the uncertainty between. I recommend her to all families considering delivering at Wentworth Douglass. She is a knowledgeable, calm and reassuring presence to have at a birth (and a wealth of information and comfort before & after).

We were fortunate to go to an OBGYN practice that supported & encouraged the use of a doula. We interviewed with a few doulas and Amy quickly stood out to us as the right match for our needs. Amy provided us with pregnancy support and extensive education – even through Zoom due to Covid-19. She prepared us and answered any and all questions regarding labor, pregnancy, & breastfeeding. During early labor, Amy was readily available and facilitated us staying home as long as we were able. Once we were at the hospital, Amy provided consistent support to both my husband & I. We had a few times where our labor preferences needed to change and she was able to help walk us through decisions. Post partum, we have received the same level of attention & support from Amy with early infancy development & breastfeeding.

We cannot say enough about the positives Amy brought to our pregnancy, delivery, and early days of parenting. I have said numerous times – I don’t know how we could have done it without her! I would encourage all families to explore the services a doula can bring to your experience and my highest recommendation would go to Amy! There is nobody else I could imagine having provided the level of support, compassion, and knowledge throughout our experience with her. We feel so fortunate to have her part of our son’s birth and hope she will be present for any future pregnancies! Thank you Amy!

I used Amy as my doula for support during pregnancy and labor/delivery. She was such a major support for me during my labor an delivery! From the minute I felt like I was in labor she was there for me through text/call to give me advice around what I should be doing and when it would be a good time to head into the hospital. She met me at the hospital and was so helpful in recommending positions to get in, rubbed my back and feet, and made other suggestions to help labor progress. I utilized her TENS machine for hours to manage back pain and it was a life saver! I am certain that having Amy there to remind me to release tension and breathe through contractions and just being a calm presence in the room is the reason I was able to get the unmedicated VBAC that I was aiming for. I can’t recommend her enough!

Amy holds a special place in our heart as she worked with our family on postpartum care, overnights and most recently placenta encapsulation. Amy is trustworthy, kind and gifted with babies. She is incredibly responsive and easy to work with when we requested her encapsulation services. Initially I was skeptical of placenta encapsulation but after speaking with Amy about the benefits, I decided it was worth a try. I found that in taking the pills, it has helped my energy levels and fend off the baby blues. I strongly recommend Amy to anyone who is looking for a one of a kind doula who is well versed in all aspects of birthing and postpartum care for both mama and baby.

We chose to work with Amy for the birth of our second daughter. We had a doula the first time around, but the birth ended up being very long and full of interventions, and our birth plan was essentially tossed out the window. I was nervous about the potential for that to happen again and knew I wanted a doula’s support. Choosing Amy was easy. She’s highly experienced and a true professional. Working as a doula is not only her full-time job, it’s her passion. Most importantly, she made it clear to me that there was no single “right way” to birth. Her goal is to make sure that you, as the mother and her client, have the birth experience that YOU want and feel good about. I wanted to try for an unmedicated birth, and, with Amy’s help, I was able to have one. I truly believe I could not have done it without her. She coached me through each contraction, knew when to suggest a change to make me more comfortable, and helped me feel prepared, safe, cared for, and heard. I would work with her again in a second.

Amy was our answer to prayer as we planned for our first child’s arrival.  Her presence gave us the confidence and support we were looking for; and, along with our midwife, she held space for our natural unmedicated birth.  Now we have three children who arrived safely and naturally, and I thank Amy for laying the ground work.  I can’t recommend her more highly.

Amy was an absolutely amazing doula. I found myself unexpectedly pregnant with my first biological child and did not have a partner in my life at the time. I was really overwhelmed and stressed most of my pregnancy. I hired Amy because I didn’t know if my mom would be able to support me during labor or if she would have to care for my other child. I knew I wanted to try a natural birth but wasn’t sure if I would be able to accomplish it. Amy met with me prior to the birth and guided me through all sorts of questions so she could learn how best to support me. When labor started she made it to the hospital before I did. I was able to have a pretty much perfect non-medicated vaginal birth thanks to Amy. She worked well with my mom who commented that she’s not sure she would have made it through the birth without Amy’s support! It really was huge to have her supported while both her and Amy supported me. Amy worked very well with the Concord Hospital staff, advocating for me when needed and ensuring my wishes were known. I went into my son’s life feeling much more confident about my abilities as a mother thanks to the fabulous birth I had. I owe Amy more than I can ever repay.

Amy was fantastic.  From our first meeting with her through our follow up visit, Amy truly cared about us and our birth experience.  She is extremely knowledgeable; she made many suggestions and had items on hand that helped make labor more comfortable for both me and my husband.  She has the ability to create a calming atmosphere with seemingly little effort.  We also used Amy for her placenta encapsulation services – she took care of everything and delivered the capsules to me at the hospital the next day.

In addition to having Amy as our birth doula, I called on her for overnight support one night when my husband was out of town for a week during our son’s sleep regression.  I only regret not calling her earlier that week!

If you are on the fence about hiring a doula, it is 100% worth it, and you will not be disappointed if you choose Amy.  She will be one of our first calls when we decide to have another child.

Thanks to Amy, my second birthing experience was completely different than my first.  Amy gave me the tools to remain calm, build my self confidence and educate myself on different birthing options. Having recently relocated out of state and being worried about having the lack of family in NH, I felt like I needed extra support and a motherly figure during my birth and Amy was the perfect fit. I feel like she was more than just our doula but I now consider her a special friend.

I chose Amy to help me with my placenta encapsulation after the birth of my first son Leo. We first met up to go over the possibilities of her being my doula, and I could tell from the moment I met her, she was passionate and caring about everything birth! Ultimately I chose to try labor with just me and my partner, but I will not make that mistake again if another baby comes into my life. My labor was long and exhausting and I could have surely used her expertise. After my birth she was very flexible in coming to collect the placenta, and returned it very promptly. She also provided me with a bunch of samples from tea to diaper cream, which was so sweet! This was my first baby so I had no postpartum issues I was particularly concerned about, but the energy and balance I felt the pills give me were well worth it in the weeks following his birth (when you need that energy the most!) Overall I would recommend Amy 100% to anyone thinking about using a doula or trying encapsulation.

I used Amy to encapsulate my placenta after having my 2nd child. Amy was extremely timely and professional with all communication and very informative (as I had many questions not having done this before!) She had my capsules back to me within a day and I was able to take my first dose within 36 hours of giving birth. I can absolutely attest to this making such a huge difference in my recovery both physically and mentally. My overall feeling after my 2nd birth was better and I healed much faster.

I was initially on the fence about placenta encapsulation but now I am so happy that I did it! Our daughter was born at night, so Amy picked up the placenta first thing the next morning and I had my pills by that afternoon! Although this is my first child (so I have no direct comparison from previous births to make) I do believe that the placenta pills made the transition into motherhood much easier than it could have been! I have been surprised at how much energy I have and how smoothly the healing process has gone! I have had none of the typical mood swings or hot flashes that are typical in the postpartum period. I had my 6 week postpartum visit with my OB/GYN today and she even said ‘it sounds like things are going too well!’

It is hard to put into words the impact that Amy had on my birth experience with my second child. My first birth 2 years ago (without a doula) was anything but ideal and left me, for lack of a better term, somewhat traumatized. I knew that for my second birth I needed more support. A lot more. That is exactly what Amy provided. From the first time I met Amy I knew that she was the right fit for us. She is extremely compassionate and cares deeply about her clients’ birth experiences. She listened to my past experience and helped me feel confident that we could have a different outcome this time around. And with her help, the birth of my second child was more than I could have hoped for. Through an entire week of prodromal labor we were in contact and she helped me remain calm and rested. Reassuring me that my body was doing what was necessary to prepare for birth. During my labor at the hospital she provided the support my husband and I needed so that I could focus on what I needed to without worrying about staying in control or calling all the shots – because I trusted that she would have my back! I don’t think I could have had the calm, humorous, unmedicated birth of my dreams without her reassuring presence. I found that she always knew the right thing to say at the right time to help me through what I was going through. She helped me believe that what I was experiencing was natural, normal, and nothing that I couldn’t handle. And, throughout the whole process, she was right! Not only did I have an amazing birth experience this time around, but it has helped me heal from my past experience. This is all because of Amy, and I am so grateful to her!

A cousin of mine had encapsulated her placenta with her second son and she raved about how happy she was that she did. I choose to take her advice and encapsulate mine with my first child. After giving birth to a 10lb 5oz bundle of joy there was a lot of healing that needed to take place. Amy came to the hospital the day he was born to pick up my placenta and dropped it off encapsulated the next day. I was loving my new role as Mom and was shocked at how well I was adjusting to the lack of sleep and how quickly my body was healing and producing milk. After 8 weeks I finished my pills and immediately noticed my lack of energy. I am so thankful that I choose to encapsulate my placenta because it really helped me the first few weeks when lack of sleep can be so draining.

This service was both completely professional and completely stress free… we wondered a few things as this is done out of someone\’s home but she answered all of our questions and worked with our schedule. VERY prompt, VERY kind. The little personal touches were so welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for what you do -we were certainly able to educate some other parents as to how beneficial this is for your natural body – wish humans were more \”in-the-know\” about their own bodies! THANKS AGAIN! Felt good taking them in my mind as well as my body 🙂

I feel so lucky to have found Amy prior to the birth of my first child. As a new and expectant mother and father my husband and I had lots of questions and fears about the unknown. Right from the start Amy was there to answer our questions, help us frame our birth plan with reasonable expectations and most importantly to make us feel comfortable, safe and even laugh with her too. As soon as I was admitted to the hospital she arrived and from that moment on she was our calm and sensitive cheerleader and our thoughtful advocate with the medical staff. Amy understood our hopes, fears and desires and spoke for my husband and I when we couldn’t (especially as I powered through my contractions). She knew what I needed without me even having to ask for it – lavender scented heat pack on my back, calm and reassuring words, a good laugh and sometimes even just a hug. It was almost like having a friend with us in the birth room who knew us and cared deeply about our experience. My husband and I are forever grateful for her support and believe that her presence and participation in our birth story helped me achieve the calm experience that we both wanted. I can’t wait to tell my son about his birth story as he grows older and how special Amy was and still is.

I feel blessed to have had Amy’s support with us for our delivery. I was praying for a loving and nurturing environment to bring our baby in, and Amy provided just that. Her guidance was exactly what I needed to stay grounded and calm for a natural delivery. My girlfriends did not get to have a pleasurable experience in their hospital births, I wish that they could have had Amy with them as my husband and I did. She was at the hospital waiting for us before we even arrived, and made sure that our birth plan was followed through with care and love. I highly recommend Amy, and can’t imagine delivering without her. I also recommend the placenta encapsulation. I could feel a major difference when I was using them. They really helped to balance out all of my emotions the month after delivery. Thank you for all your support Amy!

I don’t know what we would have done without Amy. Most of the birthing class knowledge went out the window when we got to the hospital and she was there to ensure that our delivery went smoothly. Thank you for providing a calm and quite environment for my wife to deliver in. And we love the delivery room photos you dropped off to us when you came to visit the baby. We look forward to you helping with our next child.

I called Amy as soon as I found out that I wasn’t producing near enough milk for my newborn. Amy came over to our home within a few hours. She has a great demeanor and was able to calm my fears and concerns. Being a new mom finding out you’re not producing is quite emotional and I felt so much better after consulting with Amy. She told us about using an SNS system, which I was not familiar with. Now, 6 weeks in, I still have an exclusive breastfeeding relationship with my baby using the SNS and donated milk. Amy took the time to explain everything to us and all the options we had. She even let us borrow her scale for a few days so that we could measure our babies weight changes as we started to supplement with donated milk. If we hadn’t contacted Amy, I may have given up on breastfeeding but we are still happily going strong.

Amy is awesome! She is part of a great doula collective called Great Bay Doulas. When my postpartum doula couldn’t make it because her son had a fever, she sent Amy as her back up. Amy tenderly cared for my son, including giving him a foot massage. When the baby was asleep, she organized the baby’s dresser, changed the sheets, neatly made the bed, folded the laundry, and emptied the dishwasher. It’s obvious that Amy is passionate about serving moms and babies. I highly recommend Amy as a doula.

Amy was wonderful to us when we had our baby! I had heard many great things about encapsulation from co workers and online but didn’t have much knowledge about it. I emailed with Amy while my husband and I were talking about having a baby and she was super helpful in educating us about encapsulation. She has an awesome information booklet that answered all of the question my husband and I had. When we finally had our baby Amy came to the hospital and retrieved my placenta and returned it encapsulated in no time at all! She also returned with a little care package that we thought was very sweet. Amy is professional, very sweet, and goes the extra mile. We highly recommend using her services!

Amy is the best! I preferred no medicine labor for my baby so I came to Amy. She gave me a big hug the first time I met her. She suggested me to join the Hypnobirthing class after I told her that I was not going to use epidural. The class helped me a lot when I was in labor. She helped me a lot during the labor, adjusted my breath, a lot of massage which release most of my pain. My labor was very long, but Amy was there with patient and smile. I was screaming at the last moment and almost lost my awareness, it was Amy that brought me back, and helped me deliver the baby smoothly. I highly recommend Amy to be your doula. She will make your labor much easier and smoother.

Amy was a great support to have on my birth team. She is knowledgeable and someone you can trust to help with labor positions and other tricks. Above all, Amy genuinely cares about each of her clients and their families. That love is what makes her special!

As a mom already struggling with PTSD I knew I wanted to do anything I could to make the transition to having two little ones easier. When I first contacted Amy she was prompt, informative, and showed compassion to my needs. We welcomed our new addition into the world at home and Amy came to there to both pick up our placenta and drop off our capsules. I was able to start taking my capsules before I even left my house for the first time! I noticed a marked difference in my mood, milk supply and general well being as compared to my first birth. I was considered high risk for postpartum depression due to my PTSD and honestly feel that my capsules helped minimize the hormonal disruptions I was worried about. Thank you Amy!

I’m so happy I did the placenta encapsulation! I credit it with my smooth transition into motherhood and will definitely be doing it again. I recommend it to anyone considering it.

Amy was very fast! I had my pills by the next day. She is very friendly and professional. The pills really helped with my milk supply and helped me recover quickly. I will definitely do this for the next baby.

Amy was quick to answer any questions we had regarding the service and we received the capsules very quickly. I even had questions months after encapsulation regarding the capsules and even regarding allergies and weight gain of my infant. She has always been helpful with answers and information. She is very caring and clearly loves her job. Thanks for everything, Amy.

Going into my first pregnancy, I had more questions and fears than I could possibly count. Thankfully, a friend recommended I hire a birth doula and words cannot express how glad I am that I did. Amy is absolutely amazing. The support provided during labor and delivery to my fiancé and I made bringing our sweet baby boy into the world the best experience of my life. I felt prepared, confident, and most of all, ready- largely due to Amy’s knowledge, constant support, and warm and calming nature. I was able to let go of all of my fears and concerns with Amy’s help and fully embrace the most life changing and amazing event I have yet to experience on this earth. I whole heartedly recommend Houndhill Doula services to any & all expecting parents. The doula experience exceeded our expectations and left us with amazing memories we will cherish forever.

Amy was awesome!  Not only did she show up right away to pick up my placenta, but she went the extra mile and sat and chatted with me shortly after my delivery.  She was actually the first person I saw when I “came to”  and was the first person I spoke with about my birth experience.  It felt so good to talk to someone who has experienced many births and hear her words of encouragement about my own story.  It’s obvious that Amy goes the extra mile for her clients.  She is passionate about what she does and everything baby!  She is kind, gentle and compassionate.  I would highly recommend any of Amy’s services to anyone.  Thanks again for everything Amy!  You are great.

Posted 12/2/2013