I set out to become a birth doula over 25 years ago after becoming a massage therapist, but I put this career goal on hold until my children became adults. I finally achieved my goal and became certified as a birth doula this year. As a seasoned massage therapist, I offer a broad understanding of a person's physical and emotional needs, especially during this special time as you prepare your body for the birth of your baby.
BS in Business Administration - SUNY Buffalo (1979)
Birth Doula Certification, DONA International (2021)
Licenced Massage Therapist - Swedish Institute, NY (1993)
DONA International
ABMP - Association of Massage & Bodywork Professionals
English
• Phone and email support as needed throughout the pregnancy/birth • On-call availability, 24/7 (2) weeks before due date & until you deliver • Up to two 60-minute prenatal visits • Continuous support during labor and delivery • Immediate postpartum care for up to two hours at the place of birth • One 60-minute postpartum visit • Guaranteed backup doula
Working with Elyse was the best decision I made for myself and family during my pregnancy! From day one it was clear that Elyse has a vast knowledge base and is a caring, passionate doula. Elyse listened to all our preferences and concerns along the way, and tailored each session to meet our goals for the birth of our son. Every pre-natal and post-partum visit was filled with helpful information and discussions that allowed my husband and I to become more comfortable and feel prepared for this new experience. Elyse went above and beyond every step of the way and I felt lucky to have her be a part of my birth team. I truly feel that without her expertise and guidance I would not have been able to accomplish the successful, natural birth that I had hoped for. Working with Elyse was such a great experience, and I would highly recommend her to all first-time moms or anyone looking for support throughout their pregnancy and birth.
- Kristen H.
What I was looking for in my doula search was someone with confidence in her knowledge of any type of birthing process, had a plethora of information and resources to share, no judgement on the decisions made through the birthing process, was caring and led with grace, and had a personality that matched mine. I found all of that through Elyse. She provided endless assets and materials from credible sources before and after birth. I ended up needing to be induced and she walked me through the entire process, my options, and how to advocate for myself based on the decisions I had to make in the moment. She ultimately made me feel like whatever decision I made was the correct one for me and gave me the confidence to move forward with what ended up being a pretty difficult birthing experience. She was available leading up to my birth and during my birth whenever I needed her. I would highly recommend her to anyone searching for a doula regardless of of the birthing experience you are looking for!
- Killian D.
As a first-time mom, I was extremely nervous about the birthing experience – specifically, I wanted to ensure my preferences were respected while in the hospital. Elyse made sure that my husband and I were comfortable, informed, and that our voices were heard throughout labor and delivery. She also went above and beyond, massaging my back and providing coaching on different positions while I was pushing! She even helped the hospital staff find a specific type of inflatable for me to use while pushing that made the experience more effective and comfortable. Overall, working with Elyse gave us the confidence that we were doing all the right things to prepare for our first baby. I would recommend Elyse to any mom who is interested in building her knowledge and confidence as she prepares for baby!
- Erin F.
Only two weeks shy of my expected due date, I decided to try and find a doula to help my husband and me achieve a natural birth for our first baby. I was so lucky to have come across Elyse as one of the first recommended doula's in my area just in time. Following her prompt response to my inquiry, she made herself readily available to go over her services and answer any questions over the phone. Being that my due date was around the corner, she was flexible in reworking her offering to fit within a shorter and immediate timeframe. I went with my gut and trusted Elyse, ending my doula search after our first chat. Thankfully so! My baby came earlier than expected, just two days after our in-person session where she shared a ton of information. During labor, she was most invaluable. I had completed a hypnobirthing course and was under the care of a midwifery group during my pregnancy, but still-- I was not prepared for how little the midwife would be present during my labor. That didn't matter so much as having her as the doula present made all the difference. She helped me get comfortable, recommended labor moves, and assisted me with every single facet of the labor process. She came prepared with resources for managing my discomfort. As I was laboring overnight, she even brought her own small sleeping mattress! This made me feel at ease as I was resting, that she was resting near me. Labor was exhausting but with Elyse's encouragement, I moved around enough and tried the positions to help my baby progress. In the end, I achieved the natural birth I had aspired for. It was an incredible experience that I am proud of, but know that my husband and I couldn't have done it on our own. I am forever grateful to Elyse for her role as our doula and highly recommend her.
- Diana C.
As first time parents, my husband and I sought the support of a doula for pregnancy, labor & delivery, and postpartum. After interviewing about 8 doulas, we decided to go with Elyse. Her services did not disappoint, as she provided us with extensive prenatal information such as exercises and webinars on birth, parenting, postpartum care & more! During labor she supported us with positions that helped speed things up, accompanied us to the birth center, advised me on what to ask my care provider, provided comfort measures such as massage, and coached me along with my care team. She supported my husband and included him every step of the way. Elyse also will follow up postpartum and sincerely answer any questions with well-researched information, or she will find the answer. She will also work to connect you with the right support people in her extensive network. My husband are so glad we met Elyse and highly recommend her to others seeking a caring, knowledgeable, and dedicated doula.
- Jess C.
Elyse was my primary doula for my birth in February. I selected her because I felt a good connection and liked that she had experience with acupressure support during birth. I ended up having a precipitous and early term birth, so Elyse was doubled booked during my delivery; however she was great about ensuring I had the best support possible with a back up doula and post partum she provided great resources to support me. She even made herself available to support me while supporting another birth during my early labor. I would highly recommend her and am grateful for her support!
- Alyxa L.
My husband and I decided that having a doula for support during pregnancy, labor and postpartum would be a great experience for us. After interviewing several doulas, we chose Elyse and we do not regret our decision at all whatsoever. Elyse supported us during pregnancy by visiting us in our home and providing us with techniques to prepare us for labor. She would send us videos and articles to review as well. Elyse was always just a text or call away if we had questions or were uncertain about anything related to labor. I had a very long labor- 34 hours to be exact. She was available via phone from the beginning and supported us in-person as soon as we requested. I cannot imagine my labor without her by our side. She advocated for us at the hospital and made sure to explain things to us thoroughly before we made any medicinal decisions. Her postpartum support was amazing. My son was born with a cleft palate. She continued to answer any questions we had (to the best of her knowledge) and even directed us to centers/people that could further support us and our son. You will not regret having Elyse as your doula! I will always remember the support she gave us and will always cherish the bond we created!
- Stephanie B.
I am so grateful for Elyse’s support and encouragement during my pregnancy, labor and delivery. She was empathic and understanding of my needs and wishes. She assisted me in advocating for myself every step of the way, and as a result I had a very satisfying induction (which I was initially dreading) with minimal interventions. Elyse has so much knowledge and a tremendous amount about of pre/postnatal resources to share which was so helpful throughout the process. I highly recommend Elyse to guide you on your childbirth journey!
- Tierney V.
My husband and I had the pleasure of having Elyse Breit, as our doula for the birth of our first baby. Elyse was with us every step of the way. From the beginning, she listened to what we wanted our experience to be like and provided us with the tools that could help us achieve the birth experience that we envisioned. She was knowledgeable about at-home things we could do such as various exercises/ stretches, spinning babies and hypno- birthing to name a few, and she was always available to answer questions at all hours of the day. During labor (30+ hours!) Elyse was an absolute lifesaver, she provided different positions to move labor along, as well as pain management techniques. After the birth of our daughter, Elyse helped me breastfeed her for the first time and continued to support us throughout our postpartum journey. The support that Elyse provided made us feel more comfortable and confident throughout the entire pregnancy and labor/ delivery. We couldn’t have done it without her. We highly recommend Elyse Breit as a doula!
- Jessica s.
We are very happy we chose Elyse as our doula. We found her to be very supportive, caring, knowledgeable, responsible, and easy to communicate with. Her genuine love for being a doula and interest in supporting people in birth shows. She was a huge support to us through our birth process as first time parents not knowing what to expect. She asked us questions and was supportive of our choices, bringing knowledge and options to the table without being judgy or pushy. Thanks to our discussions with her we were much better prepared for labor. In the delivery room she was a calm and steady presence, and even though our "ideal" plans went out the window pretty early on, she was always trying to support us and come up with ideas and options to help even if the situation was not ideal, taking things as they were. She took covid protocols seriously and also arranged for us to meet with a back up doula, just in case. We had an overall wonderful experience with Elyse and are so happy we chose to work together for the birth of our child. Highly recommend, zero regrets!
- Kristen S.
I worked with Elyse to prepare for the birth of my son. Elyse was very patient, knowledgeable, and kind. She answered any and all questions that I had. She came prepared to every meeting and made sure that all of my expectations were met. As an added bonus, she provides great prenatal massages! I appreciated her perspective and felt very confident with my birth plan prior to labor. I would recommend Elyse as a birth doula.
- Lauren K.
My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Elyse for the delivery of our first baby. She was a great support throughout my pregnancy, labor & delivery, and postpartum. As first time parents, we were very nervous about the whole birthing experience, however with Elyse's help & expertise, we were able to properly prepare for the birth of our son by learning about different labor positions, exercises, videos, articles, and so on. Her knowledge of labor and delivery was very helpful and apparent. During labor and delivery, Elyse was there every step of the way providing assistance and making sure I was comfortable throughout the process. I am so grateful I had Elyse's help and definitely recommend her to future mommies :)
- Nicholle U.
We had the fortunate experience to be paired with Elyse late in my pregnancy. As a doula she is full of knowledge, warm, caring and offered useful tools to help me prepare for delivery. She spent time getting to known my family and discussing my birth plan. On the day of the delivery she was very responsive and instrumental in providing on site support for both my husband and I. She was an advocate for me and my preferences, prioritizing my needs throughout the delivery process. I would highly recommend Elyse to anyone seeking a doula, we feel lucky that we found her.
- Heather S.
I am beyond grateful for the support that Elyse provided me throughout my birth journey. While I was pregnant, Elyse helped me with everything from building my birth plan, to providing me with various stretches/exercises to help turn my baby when he was breech (which worked!), to helping me build my confidence leading up to birth. On my son’s birthday, she was the calm support that my husband and I needed in the room. My birth did not go exactly as planned and Elyse was able to help us navigate us through our options and provide support along the way. Elyse’s services did not end there. She helped us through the postpartum stage, making sure that we were settling into being new parents and that we had all the resources needed to succeed. Elyse is extremely caring and passionate, and I cannot imagine my experience without her support. Having a baby is a monumental moment in a person’s life and I highly recommend having Elyse as your doula to ensure you have a wonderful experience like we did.
- Jessica S.
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