What people are saying:

“I chose Cari because of her knowledge and focus on evidence-based birth, she brought that and so much more to our birthing experience. She was nurturing, compassionate, and focused. She stuck by my side for the entire 36 hour birth including time at our home, the birth center, a hospital transfer, and into the OR for an unplanned cesarean. Throughout the entire birth, she stayed positive, kind, and present. She was intuitive of our needs, provided clear and educated explanations, and expertly guided me through the pain. And as an added bonus, she provided us with beautiful photos to remind us of the special moments.

We feel lucky that we found Cari and highly recommend her to others.”

— Kerri

“We really appreciate what you did for us. It was truly a blessing. Thanks again.”

— Jennifer

“And then there were hours and hours of counter pressure, done while standing over and leaning into a birthing tub. Thank GOODNESS for my assistant Cari who was right there beside me, every step of the way throughout our 70 some hours of “doula-ing” two births this week, always with a smile on her face. Love you, Cari”

— Patti Ramos, Doula Mentor and Partner

Cari has encapsulated three placentas for me. Her timeliness, patience with questions and care is definitely what brought me back each time. I appreciate her knowledge and she would be my first choice if ever I needed another placenta encapsulated.

— Melissa

I highly recommend working with Cari. She was so well informed about all prenatal concerns, hospital interventions, postpartum care, and lactation; I can't say enough how impressed I was with her wealth of knowledge. She was also a lot of fun to work with, we had many great conversations and she skillfully stayed present with us while in labor.  She kept me motivated to keep my body moving and had lots of suggestions for positioning while in labor. I would not have wanted to go through labor without her there and would ask her one hundred times over to be my doula again -except that's a lot of labor! But seriously, pick Cari, we love her!!!

— Amanda

I can't express enough my appreciation and gratitude for Cari! She's an incredible doula and supportive presence to both mother and partner. She's incredibly knowledgeable and available to answer a variety of questions both small and large. I'm so thankful we were able to work with her! I would recommend her over and over again!!

— Megan

Suzanne & Cari – The Dream Doula Team

The team-up between Suzanne and Cari was absolutely perfect — I never once felt unsupported throughout my entire birth journey. From pregnancy through postpartum, their combined care, wisdom, and presence made all the difference.

Suzanne, my primary doula, was truly amazing during the hours of labor. She stayed by my side through a long 24-hour labor without even a blink of sleep. She showed up when I needed her and never left. She came prepared with everything I could possibly need and more — always attentive, calm, and deeply caring.

Because of her, I avoided a C-section path. She advocated for me with hospital staff in such a respectful and firm way that ensured my choices were honored at every step. She made sure I felt seen and empowered, never pressured or dismissed.

Even beyond labor, Suzanne and Cari continued to check in on me both before and after birth — always responsive, thoughtful, and reassuring. And Cari, who I also connected with, was equally warm, supportive, and knowledgeable. Their teamwork made me feel surrounded with care and strength.

If you’re a first-time mom or just want to feel truly supported through your birth experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Suzanne and her team. They’re everything you hope for in a doula — and more.

- Ishrath

I received a recommendation for Suzanne which brought me to the Dedicated Doula Team. I interviewed a few doulas and it was immediately apparent that Suzanne was so passionate about what she does and extremely experienced with everything related to birth in the Puget Sound. Suzanne and Cari immediately were helpful in picking a hospital and care team that best matched my birth goals and were with us through all the ups and downs of pregnancy. Whenever something challenging came up, Suzanne and Cari were the first ones we texted and they would reply or Zoom to talk us through it with recommendations, encouragement, or experience which was immensely supportive and comforting.

Cari was our birth doula and I don't know how either myself or my husband could have done it without her. She provided a calm, confident presence, offering actionable coaching like "release this muscle and push from here" and suggesting position changes enabling a successful vaginal birth. My husband said "you can only tell your wife that she's awesome, powerful and amazing so many times...I was running out of useful things to say, I am so grateful for Cari's awesome coaching for the both of us." When our primary nurse went to lunch, the backup nurse wasn't super helpful. Cari took over, leading pushes, position changes, and more without missing a beat. Cari was so incredibly kind and calming throughout; I cannot put into words how invaluable her presence was. My birth and recovery both did not go to plan and Cari and team have been there to talk through all the ups and downs of preeclampsia, baby blues, breastfeeding, etc. as well. Their support postpartum has been invaluable to my emotional health. The head nurse said to us that she has seen 100s of doulas and we had picked an incredible one that she was honored to work with who helped the care team every step of the way. We couldn't agree more and if we have another child, we will definitely hire Cari and the Dedicated Doula team again.

- Nicole

“Cari's gentle presence and amazing support will never be forgotten. Thank you.”

— Misty

The placenta capsules really, really make a difference. I am surprised at how my mood has been evened out and my energy has increased. And my breastmilk came in last night. I couldn't be happier and J. is getting her fill if more of the milk all over her face, neck, and chest after feeding is any indication.

Thank you again so much for your wonderful support! We were so relieved to have had you there with us.

— Heather

“Cari is a hardworking and loving birth doula! She goes the extra mile serving her mamas and working with her at both births and birth prep workshops highlighted for me what a positive and encouraging support she brings to the families she so lovingly serves. Cari is very hardworking and full of passion for birth work and I’m very excited for the families who get to work with her!”

— Elizabeth Kane, former doula partner

As a dad (and budget holder for the family), I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggled with the decision to shell out the extra money for a doula. In fact I was very much against it at first. But i have to say, after having Cari doula for the birth of our first-born, she was worth every dollar. To those dads out there that need convincing, rest assured that you will be happy with this investment. Not only do I recommend having a doula... I wholeheartedly endorse Cari. My wife labored for over 36 hrs after her water broke, and still managed to have a vaginal birth. I can say with certainty that without Cari's guidance, support and encouragement we would've had a c-section long beforehand. Hiring Cari as our doula was easily our #1 best investment out of all our birth expenses (followed by a super comfy rocking chair).

— Wes

Doula Cari (Aida) was a complete must at both of my births. She has a strong, and calming confidence that transcends into whatever birth space you choose. For us, it was the hospital and she is a quick thinker and was able to help translate all the medical jargon when I wasn’t in the headspace to fully comprehend. She was my rock when my husband was fighting for his life to stay conscious in the delivery room. Without her calming presence and understanding of any birth situation, my very fast labor and delivery would have been much scarier without her! If you are wondering if you should have a doula, I wouldn’t hesitate to see if Doula Cari is available to support you, she is the best of the best!

- Leanne

Where to begin! Hiring the Dedicated Doulas was one of the best decisions of my pregnancy. We interviewed many doulas, but I trusted Suzanne and Cari the moment we talked on the phone. Their warm energy put both me and my husband at ease; we both knew very little about the birth process and felt behind, but they were so understanding and supportive with no judgement. We've been consistently blown away with the level of service from Suzanne and Cari.

Leading up to the delivery, it was so clear they genuinely care - from ad-hoc phone calls helping me weigh whether to attempt a version to flip a breech (I did, and Suzanne even showed up to it for support), to their regular casual check-ins, to an extended home visit with the most helpful personalized guidance - we felt comforted we had such strong advocates in our court. They nudged me even to switch my delivery hospital to one they felt better about with fewer interventions, which turned out to be one of my best choices. 

I thought we'd be mostly 'done' with doula services after delivery, but we continued to get tremendous value. I had so many questions as a new mom - and Suzanne and Cari were always just a text away. Rather than waiting days for a pediatrician response, multiple times a day I'd send them a random text about anything - 'is this normal...?', questions about my baby, pumping, etc. and get almost instant responses. They reassured me I'm never being 'annoying' (my concern) and encouraged questions at all hours. Suzanne even diagnosed a debilitating spinal headache that doctors had completely missed, for which I got appropriate treatment and instantly felt like myself again.

I've already referred the Dedicated Doulas to 2 friends because my pregnancy experience wouldn't have been nearly as positive without them, and I hope others can experience the quality care that my husband and I got to. Thank you Suzanne and Cari!!

-A

Suzanne and Cari were absolutely phenomenal. Cari essentially held my hand and had the gentlest, most calming voice that encouraged me to relax and keep my noises low-toned. She also really empowered me to lean into what my body was asking for (like getting into the pool) rather than wait for some perfect moment. She reheated pool water on my stove between contractions and really chameleoned herself to the energy I was putting out, which allowed me to totally focus and relax when I could. Here’s a message I sent her shortly after birth:

“Also Cari - just wanted to say I keep telling people how amazing you were. Your calmness and prompts during contractions made everything feel so doable and I also told someone you have the perfect doula hand hold - gentle and firm so I knew someone was there but also so I wasn't trying to squeeze/add tension where I didn't need it. Genuinely could not have asked for a better experience. “

 
But what blew me away the most was how incredibly responsive and engaged they were in the early days after birth, quickly responding to texts, offering suggestions for questions, providing resources for problems I was having (such as lactation consultants), and connecting me with a postpartum doula on their team who was available THAT night when my husband and I desperately needed some uninterrupted sleep. They even came by my house to give me a crash course in breastfeeding while I waited for lactation consultation availability. They were my lifeline in the early days and I’m so grateful.

- C