“Melanie was instrumental in our birth process.  She is extremely thorough, thoughtful and knowledgeable.  We interviewed a couple different doulas, but in truth, Melanie was the only one we clicked with.  After sitting down at our house for our first pre-birth meeting, I felt like she was genuinely interested in our preferences and made sure we were all on the same page.  This sense of oneness and togetherness was extremely important in the weeks to come.  Once the time was right for my wife to go to the hospital, we contacted Melanie to let her know what was happening.  When we needed her to be there, she never left our sides until hours after Hogan was born. But it was Melanie's demeanor, experience and support that made our experience that much more amazing.  She said in our first meeting, "I'm not only here for the mother, I'm here for the father... probably a little more".  That couldn't be more truthful.  She helped provide the support I needed in order to provide whatever my wife needed... help in different soothing techniques, supporting her physically, and allowing me to get an hour of shuteye if I could find it.  I didn't have to worry about anything "little" or on the side.  Melanie allowed me to take care of anything my wife needed.  I'm the one who needed Melanie without even knowing it.
One final note, it was wonderful to see how supportive and accepting the Spokane Valley Hospital staff was with Melanie.  They seemed to have a very good working relationship and I feel the staff was accepting of her role and that they appreciated her as a help to everyone.  It was a VERY wonderful experience.  As a proud father of a beautiful baby boy, I wouldn't go through this beautiful time again without Melanie along for the journey.  Thank you Mel!!!”  -Brian Prisock
 
“We feel so fortunate and grateful to have had Melanie as part of our birth team. She far exceeded all of our expectations- from the thoughtful conversations and preparations leading up to our big day, her easy going and caring nature during our post-partum visits, and of course- having her there for the birth of our sweet son. It’s hard to imagine a time in a woman’s life when she is more vulnerable. Not only did I feel more comfortable with Melanie there, but she also helped me realize my own strength and provided the voice of reassurance I needed as the going got rough. We had many challenges during our pregnancy and as luck would have it, also during labor and delivery. Though we had hoped for a natural (non-medicated) hospital birth, things never seem to go as planned and we found ourselves facing a c-section in the middle of the night after 30+ hours of challenging labor. Melanie stayed with us and provided support through it all- she was even able to take photos as our little man made his way into this world. At first, I was on the fence about having pictures taken but I am SO glad she Melanie captured these moments for us. I can’t imagine what our experience would have been like without Melanie and we really hope to be able to use her doula services again in the future!!” – Kim Prisock
 
“My partner and I hired Melanie to be our doula for the birth of our first child after taking her Birthing From Within class.  In the class we found her to be so warm and welcoming, and she really made us feel at ease.  She was so knowledgeable and supportive of all her students.  Our decision to hire her turned out to be a great one! I birthing our son at home, unmedicated and I have to say nothing prepared me for how intense that experience really would be.  Melanie was by my side the whole time.  She showed up at our house at 6am when my water broke.  She assisted my partner in setting up the birth tub, something I was in no shape to help with!  She was right where I needed her at all times, whether to be offering words of encouragement as I struggled through strengthening contractions, or offering advice to my partner so that she felt comfortable in knowing how to give me the support I needed.  In the days after the birth she checked in with us often and made it clear we could always contact her with any concerns or even just to bounce ideas off her.  She obviously loves her work and truly shared in the joy of welcoming our son to the world.” – Brianna

“I don’t know how to thank you enough for your support through the end of my pregnancy and birth.  It was one of the best experiences of my life and I couldn’t have done it without you.  You are amazing at your job.  We also enjoy your company and laughing with you!” – Mike and Shelly

“Worth every penny!” – Donovan West

​“Although this was my third child, it was the first time delivering outside of a hospital setting.  I know I wanted a natural birth, but was very unsure what that would be like and if I’d be able to handle the pain.  Melanie’s support and encouragement throughout the pregnancy and birth provided me with preach of mind and helped make the birth a great experience.
- Laura West

"We took Melanie’s “Birthing from Within” class and I cannot say enough positive things about her class. I was feeling so much anxiousness about child birth, and her class helped to ease my fears and prepare me for what we were facing. I knew by the end of class that I had made the right decision hiring Melanie as our doula. I had a high risk pregnancy and Melanie constantly made herself available to me over the phone, text, and email to answer questions and offer suggestions. She even offered to go to some of my OB appointments with me. Prior to my daughter’s birth Melanie came over to our home twice to answer questions, allow us to get to know each other better, and help with writing our birth plan. I appreciated her suggestions on how to accurately articulate my wants and desires in a way the medical staff would understand and respect. At 36 weeks pregnant my doctor recommended an emergency induction. Melanie was my second phone call and she was immediately my saving grace from that moment on. I was so scared, felt so out of control and suddenly so unprepared.  I was realizing with the necessary medical interventions I may not get the un-medicated child birth experience I was hoping for. Melanie immediately calmed my fears and empowered me to believe that I was ready, and that I could do this! It was a long, painful induction and Melanie was there with us every step of the way, offering support to myself and my husband and allowing him to get much needed breaks. She recommended different positions that might be more comfortable, offered suggestions as to how my husband might best comfort with me with pressure points and massage, and probably the most important thing she did for me was cheer me on. I didn’t realize how much I needed positive words of encouragement, but hearing how great I was doing helped me to push through it. After many hours of a painful, and slow induction I ended up getting an epidural and I never once felt shame for doing so from Melanie, she genuinely supported every decision I made 110%.  After our baby girl was born Melanie immediately grabbed my phone and started taking pictures and video for us, this is something I didn’t think of doing or wanting at the moment but now I am so thankful for these amazing pictures of the most important day in my life. Melanie stayed with us for several hours after her birth, helped with breastfeeding, and made sure we had everything we needed. A few weeks after getting home from the hospital Melanie came over for a visit, gave me a quick break from the baby, and also gave me a time-line of the events that took place during the labor & delivery process. It was such an exhausting couple of days, I couldn’t remember in what order everything happen, so her time-line was so awesome to get! Looking back, I honestly can’t even imagine not having Melanie there with me for the birth of my daughter, she is truly such a caring, attentive, knowledgeable, supportive, compassionate person, whom I now get to call my friend.  Having a doula is a necessity as far as I’m concerned and worth every penny! I am so thankful we hired Melanie to be our doula, and I would recommend her to anyone I know having a baby. " - Shawna Labusohr

“Melanie is sensational! We had a wonderful birthing experience with my son Cole, in no small part because of having Melanie as a teacher and doula. She went above and beyond, first accommodating my husband and I in a last minute birthing class, and then being available for the birth even while she was pregnant! She was a huge support to my husband too, guiding him in how to be involved and how to help with the birth so that it truly was our birth experience. We are looking forward to having her there again for our 2nd baby due in a few months! Thank you Melanie.” – Maya Murphy