“birth is not only about making babies, birth is about making mothers, strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” -Barbara Katz Rothman
"My husband and I liked Michelle right away because of her passion, knowledge and experience. We were planning a home birth and Michelle had experience with homebirths - her last child was born at home. For these reasons I knew she had to be our Doula! Knowing Michelle would be there with me put my uncertainties at ease.
Once my labor had begun I contacted Michelle. She asked if I needed her to come right away. I said "no" because I was going to try and get some sleep. I couldn't sleep, I called Michelle so she could be on her way. I was excited when Michelle arrived at my home. It's truly amazing how her presence reassured both my husband and I that everything was going to be fine.
Before being in labor I never really knew exactly how Michelle would support me during labor, I just knew I wanted her to be with me. She did an amazing job of taking cues from to know when I need her support and when I needed to labor on my own. I had back labor and she knew what to do during contrations to help ease the pressure.
About 2 hours after Michelle arrived my labor changed very quickly. I went from active labor to baby is coming, NOW! There wasn't enough time for the midwife to arrive. Michelle acted quickly and knew what to do. During this time I never freaked out that my Midwife wasn't there. My husband and Michelle helped me to get in the birthing pool. Michelle knew that she needed to help guide my baby forward so I could catch her. As my baby came out I"ll never forget Michelle saying,"catch your baby, catch your baby!" and I DID!!! She even took a couple of photos of my daughter being born - photos that I will cherish forever.
Thanks to Michelle's support we had the birth experience that we wanted. I can't imagine Michelle not being with my husband and I during childbirth. She was my peace of mind!
~Christina and Otto
Once my labor had begun I contacted Michelle. She asked if I needed her to come right away. I said "no" because I was going to try and get some sleep. I couldn't sleep, I called Michelle so she could be on her way. I was excited when Michelle arrived at my home. It's truly amazing how her presence reassured both my husband and I that everything was going to be fine.
Before being in labor I never really knew exactly how Michelle would support me during labor, I just knew I wanted her to be with me. She did an amazing job of taking cues from to know when I need her support and when I needed to labor on my own. I had back labor and she knew what to do during contrations to help ease the pressure.
About 2 hours after Michelle arrived my labor changed very quickly. I went from active labor to baby is coming, NOW! There wasn't enough time for the midwife to arrive. Michelle acted quickly and knew what to do. During this time I never freaked out that my Midwife wasn't there. My husband and Michelle helped me to get in the birthing pool. Michelle knew that she needed to help guide my baby forward so I could catch her. As my baby came out I"ll never forget Michelle saying,"catch your baby, catch your baby!" and I DID!!! She even took a couple of photos of my daughter being born - photos that I will cherish forever.
Thanks to Michelle's support we had the birth experience that we wanted. I can't imagine Michelle not being with my husband and I during childbirth. She was my peace of mind!
~Christina and Otto
I had never even heard of a Doula before a friend of ours suggested that I get one, as this would be my first baby and because I was such a type “A” personality and over think everything, including the birthing process. When I did some searching on my own, I found a shining review for Michelle online and decided to give her a call. My husband and I had no idea what to expect. When we met with Michelle for the first time, we knew we had made the right choice. As we began talking to her, I started questioning the birthing process and how I, and most of America, approach having a baby. She gave me some suggestions of books to read, and after several meetings with her and reading these books, I realized that we put more thought into buying a car than how to give birth. The way I thought I wanted to give birth had completely changed. I went from, “I can never do it without an epidural” to “I want a natural drug-free birth”. Although my birth did not fully go according to plan, Michelle was there every step of the way (and I labored for 24 hours) and I don’t regret a second of it. I don’t know how my birth would have gone had I never met her, but I know for a fact that it would have been VERY different. Michelle is knowledgeable, supportive, and does not push you to do anything you don’t want to do. She was with me the entire time in the hospital and for a while post-partum. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a Doula, and suggest that if you are a first time mom that you let her educate you on what birth should really be!
~Nicole and Mark
~Nicole and Mark
"When my first daughter was born via c-section I was less than thrilled about my birth experience and was hoping to have a much better experience the second time around. Michelle Steele made it possible. From the moment we met I became super excited about the possibility of a VBAC. Michelle is incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and supportive and I could not have done it without her. Despite having a previous c-section and being put on strict bedrest following a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia, Michelle was an incredible support and I was able to have a natural and successful VBAC. She also did placenta encapsulation which I truly believe contributed to a breezy recovery. Hiring Michelle was the best birth decision I could have ever made and the only regret is that I didn't meet her while pregnant with my first born.
~Rebecca and Nick
"Michelle and I have known each other for over 6 years! When she told me she was going to become a doula back in 2008, I was so excited for her! I knew she would be fantastic helping women with all her knowledge and love for birth!. So when I became pregnant in early 2011, I knew I wanted her with me by my side! She was fantastic, with having my fourth baby we expected a quick labor and birth, but my little girl had other plans, she decided to take her time., and even though it was her daughters birthday she was there with us the entire time! She kept me calm and strong when I needed it! Michelle was a great comfort to have by my side! We joked and laughed and helped me have an awesome birth experience! If we are ever blessed with anymore children, she will definetly be by my side!
We also encapsulated our placenta! Those happy pills have been awesome! So Thank you Michelle, you are amazing! <3
~Arnika and Joel
~Rebecca and Nick
"Michelle and I have known each other for over 6 years! When she told me she was going to become a doula back in 2008, I was so excited for her! I knew she would be fantastic helping women with all her knowledge and love for birth!. So when I became pregnant in early 2011, I knew I wanted her with me by my side! She was fantastic, with having my fourth baby we expected a quick labor and birth, but my little girl had other plans, she decided to take her time., and even though it was her daughters birthday she was there with us the entire time! She kept me calm and strong when I needed it! Michelle was a great comfort to have by my side! We joked and laughed and helped me have an awesome birth experience! If we are ever blessed with anymore children, she will definetly be by my side!
We also encapsulated our placenta! Those happy pills have been awesome! So Thank you Michelle, you are amazing! <3
~Arnika and Joel
"Being a holistic health professional, I planned a homebirth with an awesome doula to support me & my husband. Michelle helped us express all important points clearly & easily in our birth plan, which I NEVER intended to need but felt so great about having, and she fully supported our choice of the Hypnobirth method. I did everything about as close to perfect as possible during my pregnancy and felt great throughout. So naturally at about 39 weeks when slight pains started after midnight (early Mon am), I had no concerns. I watched & waited, and as the pain slowly increased I noticed no patterns emerging. After my water broke Tuesday at lunchtime the pain started changing. We called Michelle to our home. We couldn't have known we would end up needing a warrior on our side, but thankfully one was on her way. Our baby had turned and wasn't going anywhere, but labor was trying to progress. Over the next *48+ continuous* hours Michelle stayed by my side, relieved my husband for short breaks, and soothed me without fail. I don't remember a single moment when I needed her that she wasn't there. She never showed any frustration, impatience or anything other than pure service & self-sacrifice. My husband is eternally grateful for the assistance and support she showed him. Michelle guided me through pushing, holding all of my weight as I knelt in the water. She helped me latch my precious newborn on, took amazing pictures, and encapsulated the placenta - which was a godsend during the postpartum stage. I can't say enough great things, she is a gift from God who loves her fellow humans."
~Kelly and Todd
"I am a home birth nurse and have worked with Michelle. Michelle is a loving, caring and nurturing doula. Michelle has experienced both hospital and home birth herself and has succesfully breastfed all of her children. Please consider her for your next birth. You won't be sorry!"
~Karen Bachman-Kells, RN
~Kelly and Todd
"I am a home birth nurse and have worked with Michelle. Michelle is a loving, caring and nurturing doula. Michelle has experienced both hospital and home birth herself and has succesfully breastfed all of her children. Please consider her for your next birth. You won't be sorry!"
~Karen Bachman-Kells, RN
"When I was pregnant with my second child I decided that I wanted to
have a different labor and delivery experience than what I had with my
first. With my firstborn, I did everything that was standard by
hospital procedures which meant pitocin to speed up my labor, epidural
to mask the pain, and a two day stay at the hospital afterwards. The
hospital experience was fine with no major problems but looking back on
it, I felt as though I was completely disconnected from the whole
birthing process. I felt none of my contractions after being put on the
epidural and just laid in bed waiting for the doctor to tell me to push
so my baby could enter the world. I felt that after 9 months of
feeling everything one does through a pregnancy and then culminating into a
"feel-nothing" L&D was a huge letdown and it wasn't what I wanted with my second pregnancy. So
I started looking for a doula to help my husband and I out as we
navigated through the journey to a natural labor. I was thrilled when I
stumbled upon Michelle's website and instantly felt as though she would
be the right person. I was crossing my fingers that she would be
available for my due date. I had viewed a few other doula websites but
was impressed by the wealth of information she had up and I could see
how passionate she was about her job. She responded very quickly to my
request of meeting her and said she was available for my due date. We
met her for the first time in July 2010 and felt comfortable with her
right off the bat. She was friendly and sweet and really knew her
stuff. We decided she was definitely the one we wanted by our side in
the hospital when our son was ready to make his
debut. Throughout my pregnancy, she helped us make informed
decisions within our comfort zone and never tried to push her own
agenda. She constantly stressed that she was there for us and would
support us with whatever decisions we made regarding our L&D
experience. We gained a ton of confidence with the information she
would present us with and I was actually excited to have this baby and
to do it all drug free! My husband and I were looking forward to having
her with us in the hospital and knew she would be right there every
step of the way to help us get through all the hospital policies and to
stick to our guns with our own decisions. Unfortunately when
the big day came, Michelle wasn't able to make it to the birth and we
didn't even make it to the hospital (due to a very fast labor and birth)! We had our son on our bathroom
floor with just my husband and I present for the delivery. We were
getting ready to go to the hospital
but baby decided he couldn't wait! It was an absolutely crazy
experience but we were both so calm throughout it all and I really
credit it to Michelle and to just how much knowledge and confidence we
gained from having her as our doula. I knew my body was capable of giving birth
on its own and it sure proved that to us! We were disappointed that
she wasn't there but were flying high knowing we had made it through on
our own and completely drug free. We were transferred from home to the
hospital since it wasn't a planned home-birth and my husband had called
911 right before I delivered. Michelle met us there and provided
support for us while we were in the hospital. Once again, just having
someone there who was on our side and knew all the hospital policies and
could help us make the right choices was invaluable. Even though my son is only 5 months old, I am already looking forward to my next pregnancy
and to working with Michelle again. And hopefully this time, we'll all be present for the delivery!"
~April and James
"Wow, words cannot even express how thankful I am that I had Michelle’s support during my pregnancy, labor and birth! She was such a huge help and comfort to me and my family throughout the entire experience. Going into this I didn’t know much about doulas and really had no idea what to expect, but I figured scheduling a meeting couldn’t hurt. Best decision I ever made! Within minutes of meeting Michelle I knew that she was someone I wanted by my side during birth. She truly loves pregnancy, childbirth, and being a part of the entire process, and it really shows! Her enthusiasm made me feel even more confident and excited about my birth plan. Throughout my pregnancy she was always there to answer all of my (many, many) questions and ease my fears, and when the time came for my little one to be born she came right over as soon as I needed her. She knew exactly what to do and how to help me get labor to progress, she was full of energy and ready for anything! She stayed right by my side whenever I needed her there (which was most of the time) and she kept me moving and laughing between contractions, which was just what I wanted! I have such fond memories of that night and most of them include Michelle. Toward the end, when I told her I couldn't do it anymore, she smiled at me and said, “You ARE doing it!” I will never forget that moment! It was exactly what I needed to hear…and I DID do it! I had an absolutely perfect birth! I don't know how things would have turned out without Michelle, she added a level of comfort and confidence that I can’t imagine I would have had otherwise. I am so, so thankful for her! Her wisdom and support were absolutely priceless, and now that I know all about doulas, if we are ever blessed with another child, Michelle will be the first person I call! Thank you, Michelle! You rock!"
~Kat and Troy
"We hired Michelle 10 minutes after our interview ended, because she seemed so knowledgeable and supportive. Michelle learned all of my Hypnobabies scripts and tools to help with pain management. When my water broke early and I had to go to the hospital because of GBS, Michelle met us right away, and proceeded to help get my labor started. She walked every step and did every lunge with me. When I ended up needing Pitocin she was there to support and comfort me and my husband. When I felt like I was losing it, Michelle read my scripts to me and helped me stay in control. She was in the front lines when I needed her and in the background when I needed my husband. Our baby was born 36 hours after we got to the hospital, Michelle was there the entire time. We don't know what we would have done without her. Because of her help, knowledge and support we were able to have a wonderful birth. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birth and doula. We love you Michelle!"
~Maggie and Jeremy
"Michelle was readily available with any questions we had before, during, and after the birth of our son Geovaney. Michelle provided us with a wealth of information from all aspects of the birthing process. Since this was our first child, we obviously did not know what to expect, and Michelle did an outstanding job as our Doula. Her presence and support during the actual labor was invaluable to us."
~Vanessa and Vince
"We had the great experience of having Michelle at the birth of our second son in 2009. She was an awesome support person to have on our side. We had a natural hospital birth. She knew exactly what mom needed and when she needed it. She was also a great support in the weeks leading up to the birth when I needed a "cheerleader" to keep me going and excited about the birth. We loved her so much we are using her again for our 3rd baby due in a couple months! Can't say enough great things about her!"
~Jessica and Craig
"When I was preparing to give birth to my first child, I didn't know where to start. Someone told me the best decision they ever made in their birthing experience was to hire a doula. So I searched all over online and came across Michelle's website. We met and clicked right away. There are many things I love about Michelle, but I will only list a few; She is very open to all types of birthing experiences. She has her own personal views but never once did I feel that she tried to "convince" me to do something I didn't want to do or even make me feel bad for doing things a certain way. She is also SO knowledgeable about the birthing process! I felt like an expert at the end of it all! And best of all, she is a kind and wonderful woman. I am so thankful that I found Michelle because even after 37 hrs of labor and a few hiccups in my original birthing plan, I look back and I am HAPPY about the way it turned out. So many women cannot say this because they felt so unprepared for how things actually turned out. But having Michelle by my side to educate me, comfort me and be my rock, I have to say the actual birth of my son was nothing short of amazing."
~Carli and Skip
"Michelle and I connected from the first moment we met. She was the second doula I had interviewed and within minutes I knew I wouldn't want anyone else at my birth. My situation was unusual in that I was a surrogate for a same sex couple but Michelle didn't bat an eye and was incredibly excited and supportive. My intended fathers also came to love Michelle and now tell everyone they meet that is pregnant that a doula is the best investment in your birth you could possibly make. Logan's birth was intense and Michelle was with me every step of the way. It absolutely would not have been the amazing experience it was without her by my side. I was so upset that she wasn't able to be at my next birth because I had moved so far away but she has become a friend so I was still able to call her the day my son was born. Michelle is an amazing woman and the best support person I could imagine. I would never dream of having anyone else by my side during childbirth. She is incredible."
~Wendy
"Michelle was the best investment we made in our pregnancy! We were expecting our first and neither my husband nor I really knew what to expect. Michelle was not only a huge support for my questions and concerns pre-pregnancy, but also during the main event of labor and delivery. I was really committed to having a natural childbirth and had some very specific ideas on what I wanted. Truth be told though, I didn’t even know that birth plans existed, but with Michelle’s help she walked us through every step of labor, delivery, and our hospital stay (including baby care and procedures).
I remember having a moment of panic 2 days before my delivery date because I couldn’t get my delivery of Oral Vitamin K drops (I decided not to do the hospital injection) in time for my due date. Michelle came to the rescue. She tracked down some Oral Vitamin K through a midwife she works closely with the very next morning for me.
When the main event came Michelle had an amazingly positive, calming influence that really helped keep me calm and focused. Her reassurance that what I was feeling was all completely normal and updating me on my progress was invaluable. I had a natural, hospital-based labor and delivery – didn’t even get the IV! Michelle’s support and guidance truly made my birth plan come true. I will never forget the amazing experience of my daughter’s all natural child birth. Michelle was also kind enough to take pictures for us. These are an absolute treasure. It is so much fun to go back through them and re-live the experience! If I am ever crazy enough to do this again, my husband and I can’t imagine doing it without Michelle by our side!"
~Kristin and Chad
~April and James
"Wow, words cannot even express how thankful I am that I had Michelle’s support during my pregnancy, labor and birth! She was such a huge help and comfort to me and my family throughout the entire experience. Going into this I didn’t know much about doulas and really had no idea what to expect, but I figured scheduling a meeting couldn’t hurt. Best decision I ever made! Within minutes of meeting Michelle I knew that she was someone I wanted by my side during birth. She truly loves pregnancy, childbirth, and being a part of the entire process, and it really shows! Her enthusiasm made me feel even more confident and excited about my birth plan. Throughout my pregnancy she was always there to answer all of my (many, many) questions and ease my fears, and when the time came for my little one to be born she came right over as soon as I needed her. She knew exactly what to do and how to help me get labor to progress, she was full of energy and ready for anything! She stayed right by my side whenever I needed her there (which was most of the time) and she kept me moving and laughing between contractions, which was just what I wanted! I have such fond memories of that night and most of them include Michelle. Toward the end, when I told her I couldn't do it anymore, she smiled at me and said, “You ARE doing it!” I will never forget that moment! It was exactly what I needed to hear…and I DID do it! I had an absolutely perfect birth! I don't know how things would have turned out without Michelle, she added a level of comfort and confidence that I can’t imagine I would have had otherwise. I am so, so thankful for her! Her wisdom and support were absolutely priceless, and now that I know all about doulas, if we are ever blessed with another child, Michelle will be the first person I call! Thank you, Michelle! You rock!"
~Kat and Troy
"We hired Michelle 10 minutes after our interview ended, because she seemed so knowledgeable and supportive. Michelle learned all of my Hypnobabies scripts and tools to help with pain management. When my water broke early and I had to go to the hospital because of GBS, Michelle met us right away, and proceeded to help get my labor started. She walked every step and did every lunge with me. When I ended up needing Pitocin she was there to support and comfort me and my husband. When I felt like I was losing it, Michelle read my scripts to me and helped me stay in control. She was in the front lines when I needed her and in the background when I needed my husband. Our baby was born 36 hours after we got to the hospital, Michelle was there the entire time. We don't know what we would have done without her. Because of her help, knowledge and support we were able to have a wonderful birth. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birth and doula. We love you Michelle!"
~Maggie and Jeremy
"Michelle was readily available with any questions we had before, during, and after the birth of our son Geovaney. Michelle provided us with a wealth of information from all aspects of the birthing process. Since this was our first child, we obviously did not know what to expect, and Michelle did an outstanding job as our Doula. Her presence and support during the actual labor was invaluable to us."
~Vanessa and Vince
"We had the great experience of having Michelle at the birth of our second son in 2009. She was an awesome support person to have on our side. We had a natural hospital birth. She knew exactly what mom needed and when she needed it. She was also a great support in the weeks leading up to the birth when I needed a "cheerleader" to keep me going and excited about the birth. We loved her so much we are using her again for our 3rd baby due in a couple months! Can't say enough great things about her!"
~Jessica and Craig
"When I was preparing to give birth to my first child, I didn't know where to start. Someone told me the best decision they ever made in their birthing experience was to hire a doula. So I searched all over online and came across Michelle's website. We met and clicked right away. There are many things I love about Michelle, but I will only list a few; She is very open to all types of birthing experiences. She has her own personal views but never once did I feel that she tried to "convince" me to do something I didn't want to do or even make me feel bad for doing things a certain way. She is also SO knowledgeable about the birthing process! I felt like an expert at the end of it all! And best of all, she is a kind and wonderful woman. I am so thankful that I found Michelle because even after 37 hrs of labor and a few hiccups in my original birthing plan, I look back and I am HAPPY about the way it turned out. So many women cannot say this because they felt so unprepared for how things actually turned out. But having Michelle by my side to educate me, comfort me and be my rock, I have to say the actual birth of my son was nothing short of amazing."
~Carli and Skip
"Michelle and I connected from the first moment we met. She was the second doula I had interviewed and within minutes I knew I wouldn't want anyone else at my birth. My situation was unusual in that I was a surrogate for a same sex couple but Michelle didn't bat an eye and was incredibly excited and supportive. My intended fathers also came to love Michelle and now tell everyone they meet that is pregnant that a doula is the best investment in your birth you could possibly make. Logan's birth was intense and Michelle was with me every step of the way. It absolutely would not have been the amazing experience it was without her by my side. I was so upset that she wasn't able to be at my next birth because I had moved so far away but she has become a friend so I was still able to call her the day my son was born. Michelle is an amazing woman and the best support person I could imagine. I would never dream of having anyone else by my side during childbirth. She is incredible."
~Wendy
"Michelle was the best investment we made in our pregnancy! We were expecting our first and neither my husband nor I really knew what to expect. Michelle was not only a huge support for my questions and concerns pre-pregnancy, but also during the main event of labor and delivery. I was really committed to having a natural childbirth and had some very specific ideas on what I wanted. Truth be told though, I didn’t even know that birth plans existed, but with Michelle’s help she walked us through every step of labor, delivery, and our hospital stay (including baby care and procedures).
I remember having a moment of panic 2 days before my delivery date because I couldn’t get my delivery of Oral Vitamin K drops (I decided not to do the hospital injection) in time for my due date. Michelle came to the rescue. She tracked down some Oral Vitamin K through a midwife she works closely with the very next morning for me.
When the main event came Michelle had an amazingly positive, calming influence that really helped keep me calm and focused. Her reassurance that what I was feeling was all completely normal and updating me on my progress was invaluable. I had a natural, hospital-based labor and delivery – didn’t even get the IV! Michelle’s support and guidance truly made my birth plan come true. I will never forget the amazing experience of my daughter’s all natural child birth. Michelle was also kind enough to take pictures for us. These are an absolute treasure. It is so much fun to go back through them and re-live the experience! If I am ever crazy enough to do this again, my husband and I can’t imagine doing it without Michelle by our side!"
~Kristin and Chad
