|
Meet AllisonHi, I'm Allison. I am a birth and postpartum doula, Birth Story Mentor and Certified Lactation Educator. I am very passionate about women's health, the birth journey and supporting families.
I have always felt empowered by the women around me, and passing on that strength and support to other women is very special to me. Mothers and babies have been a passion of mine since I was young. The very first birth I witnessed was at a maternity clinic in Palampur, India a few years ago. This beautiful moment set my heart on fire and confirmed my passion for mothers and their babies. I have been blessed with my experience with infants and mothers, as I work as an LNA in the Special Care Nursery (Level II NICU). My doula training began in August of 2017, and I continue to attain different skills and experiences. Providing warmth and unconditional love for mothers, their partners and the family as a whole is an honor. Being part of such a vulnerable, intimate experience is extraordinary and something I truly cherish. I am observant, compassionate, resourceful and attentive. I live in Goffstown, New Hampshire with my family. When I'm not at a birth or meeting with clients, you can find me spending time with my family, friends and houseplants. |
My Experience
I have attended and supported births at the following birthplaces:
|
My Qualifications & Training
|
What Clients are Saying
"I don't think I really understood how much I really needed Allison's presence at my birth until I was well into the birthing process. She was calm and steady and really kept pulling me back to my center. I elected to have a birth without medication, and underestimated the amount of strength and courage this would require. Having Allison there really bolstered me up and made this possible. While my husband was there, ready to help, and a loving presence, I felt like Allison's female energy and skill at knowing/guessing what I needed was crucial to our success. If you are looking for a doula that emanates a gentle and steady energy, Allison is the doula for you. If we ever have another child, I would not hesitate to ask Allison to be our doula again. " -Amy
|
"Allison Doherty was our doula for our second child. Allison was simply amazing! She has great confidence in what she is doing and yet has a calm and peaceful manner about her both of which made me feel instantly comfortable with her and like her. My husband also felt the same way right away which is a feat as he often doesn’t care about such things. My husband is very quiet so I wasn’t wanting anyone to run him over with taking charge and making him the third wheel but yet I wanted and needed the doula support. Allison was the perfect fit! She met with us and me separately ahead of the birth on a number of occasions. We would go over my fears and concerns about the upcoming birth along with ideas she had to help me prepare and know to maybe use in labor. I never felt pressured or rushed or like I was inconveniencing her. I felt confident and ready for my birth. Allison was always there for me in person, by phone, text or email. On the big day she walked me through calling my provider and getting to the hospital where she greeted us and never left my side unless checking in with the hospital staff for me. She helped me with positions and positive thinking. She kept in touch with the staff as to my needs and helped me get answers I needed to make decisions. The hospital was very busy so Alison was my life line! She stayed with me getting me settled in our room, supporting through the first breastfeeding and even setting up my fragrance diffuser all before she went home. I wanted pictures and Allison got many awesome photos throughout the birth and the special first time we spent with our baby. She emailed me the photo link along with a birth timeline I love! She also followed up by text and email many times following the birth and came for a postpartum visit to see how we were doing. We got to discuss the birth and events of that special day. All in all Allison was amazing and such a wonderful doula I was so glad to have! Thank you so much Allison!" -Jessica
|
"She was our postpartum doula and took truly outstanding care of me and my twins. She primarily worked overnights, doing all baby care. She woke me to pump or nurse as requested. She kept me hydrated and I always felt much better after she was with us for a night. I trusted her 100% to care for my babies right away. She is warm, caring, conscientious, and an all around pleasure to welcome into our home during a stressful time." -Trisha
"Trisha was at the birth of our first son and we were so excited to have her at the birth of our second son. I honestly couldn't have imagined giving birth without her! My second son, however, decided to come two weeks early, and she wasn't going to be able to make our birth. While I was in active labor and ready to go to the hospital, Trisha was able to connect us with Allison and Allison was so willing and eager to unexpectedly attend our birth. We had never met Allison before, but from the second my husband called her, asking her to make the hike to MGH in Boston at 11:00 at night, I knew that she would be able to meet the high expectations we had. As soon as Allison arrived, she jumped right in to support and I immediately felt comfortable with her. Allison was calm, warm, and so kind. She was willing to do anything that I asked (food, water, ask the nurse a question, etc.) and was also able to provide things for me that I didn't think to ask of her (essential oils, braid my hair). Allison got wonderful photos and wrote up a super accurate and really great visual of our son's birth timeline, that we will forever keep. She was able to add in details of the birth that I forgot or just didn't even know happened!" -Melissa
"During my son's hospital stay, Allison was wonderful. She always knew how to bring a smile to my face and alleviate my fears. She answered my questions or connected me with nurses and doctors who could help me. She was very loving with my son and showed genuine, heartfelt love for him and me. I am blessed to have had Allison's support during my son's time in the NICU." -Rachel
|
"Allison Doherty was such a blessing! I met her through Nini Bambini and my husband and I knew she 'was the one' we wanted. Initially, she was going to be my birth doula, however I ended up having a planned C-section due to my baby being breached. I was not happy about having a c-section, but baby’s health comes first! Allison was very supportive through the whole process and then became our postpartum doula. She is very warm and compassionate, and my baby took to her right away. Allison was very conscientious of my needs as well as my baby’s needs. She went above and beyond- even doing things without having to be asked- she would just look around and KNOW what needed to be done and then start doing it- sometimes even before I knew what she was doing! I felt very comfortable with Allison and I was able to nap to catch up on some much needed sleep while she watched my baby- a task that is not always easy for a new mother as it is hard to trust others with our precious little ones! But I trusted her that much! I knew my daughter was in good hands. I was so impressed by how she made it a point to understand what I needed, and how I ran my house, as well as my routines that I used with my daughter- then she seamlessly integrated this into her role when she came. Allison is so open and very easy to talk to. She really helped me start to navigate the postpartum world, making me feel like I was not going crazy! I highly recommend Allison as a doula!" - Heather