KIND WORDS FROM CLIENTS
After having become the grandmother of twin girls, I was especially concerned about how my daughter and her husband would manage to get enough rest to meet the infant demands of my two darling granddaughters. The parents- to- be discovered Emily at a hospital education program. After a positive interview she agreed to be the after- birth help they were seeking. She started her duties as soon as the twins arrived home, screaming to get out of the bitter cold January morning. Emily brought calm and competence into the nursery immediately, and I knew those babies were in good hands. She had the knowledge and sensitivity to guide the new parents without being intrusive and carried out their choices respectfully. Her flexibility and initiative in keeping the kitchen organized and the laundry clean were valuable assets in maintaining order in the household.
Most importantly, I watched the way she related to the tiny beings she nurtured. They were secure and happy with her as infants as well as later when she helped them adapt to a routine suitable to their age and development. Emily never interfered with the essential bond that grew between parents and babies. Keeping a balance between professional caregiver and appropriate emotional involvement was one of her greatest strengths.
I believe character is an essential quality for someone who guides babies in their development as social individuals who are learning about who they are and how they should behave in the world outside of themselves. Emily is stellar in that regard. She quickly picked up the family values and the rhythms needed to make their lives run smoothly, at least as much as that is possible with two tykes the same age.
Emily’s tenure lasted as long as her geographic proximity to the family. They have moved and now have an additional baby. I regret their leaving and having to do without her excellent help. I have an abiding affection for Emily and enjoy our continuing relationship. She is a treasure to three generations of my family and will remain a beloved friend.
-Jackie, Emmie, & Paul’s “GranMommie”
We cannot possibly say enough good things about Emily. She is the greatest and has set the reference standard against which we evaluate childcare providers. Emily was with us from when our twin girls were two weeks until we moved away. During that time, Emily was a godsend. She is rock-solid reliable; she is respectful of your decisions as a parent; she is patient and understanding; she has vast experience and is generous in sharing her wisdom when asked; she is deferential, non-judgmental, flexible, comes with no pre-set child-rearing agenda, and is unimpeachably professional; she is the reassuring presence you need to help keep things together—so you can get some sleep, or take care of the cooking, or doing the laundry or the dishes—when you are on your last nerve, on no sleep, and wonder how you can possibly go on. EMILY WILL HELP YOU GET THERE – through thick and thin! We trust her so much that we flew her to our new home up north to help out when our third child arrived and we needed someone we could count on absolutely (more than any friend or family member, by a long shot) to come through in the clutch to take care of our girls while we were busy in the hospital. Highest possible recommendation.
-Emmie, Jackie (Twins) & Paul’s Momma & Daddy
Emily provided me with her services when my infant was three weeks old. By that time, my family had left and I definitely needed some extra help as my husband was working full time. Emily not only assisted me with the care of my child, but also my home and my own physical and mental health. Emily provided me with education on breastfeeding that helped calm my many concerns. At the time, I was experiencing a good amount of pain when breast feeding and Emily provided me with many tips to make breastfeeding more comfortable. She also assisted me with creating a schedule for when I returned to work on how to pump, store the breast milk safely, and best provide the breast milk to daycare.
There were many times during my week with Emily that I felt exhausted as a new mother. She was great about stressing the importance of taking a break for myself either to nap, work out, or even get a facial. While it was hard for me to leave my responsibility as a mother to someone else, I found it to be rewarding not only for me, but also for my baby as I could come back to him refreshed and with more energy. I felt completely comfortable with Emily caring for him while I was away. Emily also provided assistance with cleaning the house, preparing meals, laundry, and pet care. While I am a person who likes to believe I am super woman and can do all of these tasks with a newborn on my own, it was great to have that extra assistance for a week. For example, I was able to go through the rest of my baby gifts and not only organize my baby’s closet with his new clothes but also store all of my maternity clothes that were taking up too much space! There is no way I would have been able to organize without her assistance that week. Emily was there to provide a number of valuable services and assistance with multiple tasks; however, I believe that Emily is most valuable as a person of objective reference as well as a person of support. Emily provided me with the most recent research on infant care and only provided me with her personal opinions when I requested them. Her information was objective and did not seem overly influenced by strictly medical or completely non-medical sources. She was extremely supportive throughout her time with me and always made me feel that I was functioning well as a new mother. Her support, I feel, improved my confidence and overall comfort level with caring for my new baby. I am truly grateful and appreciative of my time with Emily and would highly recommend her to any mother. Whether it is a woman’s first time as a mother or her fifth, Emily can provide extremely helpful and supportive services.
– Sully’s Momma & Daddy
Emily’s warmth , knowledge and experience makes her the perfect doula for any new mother. She seamlessly came into our home at the most special , but also overwhelming time , having just given birth to twins . She guided us through it all , with a perfect balance of assistance but gentle guidance so that my husband and I could also find our way and what worked for us. I will always remember those first few weeks so fondly , because of the wonderfully smooth start Emily gave us.
-Cora & Lucian’s (Twins) Momma & Daddy
After the birth of our second child, some unanticipated circumstances left us needing a lot more help than we had expected in the first days and weeks. A friend referred us to Emily and we hired her as our postpartum doula. She quickly got to know our family and our home and jumped right in, keeping the household running smoothly for the first few weeks. Emily also provided some much-needed extra attention, affection, and supervision for our older daughter during this transitional time. The assistance that Emily provided really gave me a chance to rest, relax, recover (from birth and a bad case of bronchitis) and enjoy my baby and family instead of being stressed about taking care of myself, both children, and the house.
– Violet’s Momma & Daddy
Emily Flowers was a friend prior to the birth of my daughter, but it wasn’t until Kara was born that I realized how much I appreciated our relationship. As a postpartum doula, Emily helped me transition into parenthood by being there when I needed advice, baby supplies, childcare, or even just a break. Her wealth of knowledge on nursing made feeding time much less stressful. She brought me nursing bras when I couldn’t get out to shop, she made food for my family when I was too tired to cook and she even organized a few rooms I did not have time to get to. She made a very overwhelming and exhausting time much more enjoyable. Emily’s nurturing heart was always full of encouragement and support at a time when I needed it most.
– Kara’s Momma & Daddy