“One year into this godforsaken pandemic, my wife and I spent 12 hours on 4 Zoom calls with Leigh, and we were genuinely sad when they were over. If that’s not a ringing endorsement in 2021, I don’t know what else to say! Leigh is kind, funny, warm, and engaging, but most of all, she is overflowing with knowledge, guidance, and wisdom. After completing her 4-Class Comprehensive Series, we feel so much more confident, competent, and prepared than we did going in. We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to learn from her, and would wholeheartedly encourage anyone considering signing up for her classes to do it, fast! You’ll learn a ton, and you’ll actually have a great time doing it.”

“I just wanted to say thanks for the last few weeks of childbirth classes. We learned a ton, and also just really enjoyed them, which I don’t think either of us was expecting. For me personally, so much of what I’ve encountered while reading about pregnancy, birth, etc. has been judgmental, or weirdly infantilizing, or has pressured me into buying all kinds of things I’m skeptical about actually needing. I really appreciated the way you approached our conversations– it felt like you were trying to make sure we were as informed as possible, and that you trusted us to make our own decisions with that information. I also appreciated that you weren’t interested in shying away from talking directly about the stuff a lot of people consider gross or weird (the fact that they do, I think, is what’s gross and weird). Also, you’re very engaging and funny! We both felt sad when the last class ended.

Anyway, I’m grateful for this particular silver lining of COVID, that we were able to take your class virtually. We’ve already recommended it to a couple of friends who’re expecting, and will definitely keep doing that as long as it’s happening online.”

“I gave birth in December and took the virtual labor & birth and fourth trimester classes with Leigh Kader. She is amazing!! Really can’t say enough about how compassionate, knowledgeable, and fun she is.”

“AMAZING virtual birth prep class. We did the 5 part series over zoom (Leigh is no longer in NYC) and Leigh was not only informative, she was funny, dynamic and super caring. She answered all our questions, was super available between classes over email, and sent us a ton of resources and information to make sure we felt as prepared and as confident as could be. HIGHLY recommend!!”

“Leigh’s childbirth class was so wonderful and helpful, even over Zoom. She has a magnetic personality and genuinely cares about your experience. She has moved to New Mexico though, so not sure what will become of her class in the future, but would recommend it for the time being.”

“Now that some of the newborn fog has lifted, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you just how grateful I am for all you did to support us through the process. Not sure there are really words to thank you enough or fully express how I feel, but I know I would have had a much different experience without you. I am so grateful for all the wisdom you shared leading up to our daughter’s arrival and for the safe space you created for both of us to process all the emotional and physical changes I was experiencing. I really struggled with not being able to breastfeed (after what felt like trying everything) which certainly impacted my ability to bond with her in those early days, but with time and therapy I have come SO far and finally feel like we are in a much better place. I’m so grateful for the postpartum support you gave us (including all the frantic texting hah!) and for teaching me to trust my instincts, which will continue to guide me along this wild parenting journey!

We both think of you often and we are just so so grateful for all the work you do and for making our birth experience such a positive one. ”

“Leigh’s super power is being present for you and giving the knowledge and perspective you need through each stage of pregnancy and birth. It was so reassuring and comforting to have her on our team as our virtual doula. It did not matter that she wasn’t physically with us in the delivery room because she had prepared us for birth, in her childbirth classes and our doula meetings with pain coping strategies and knowledge well before we drove to the hospital.

While there, she virtually helped us through a long (unplanned) induction and successful vaginal birth. I was so anxious at the beginning of my pregnancy, but by the end I was so much more at ease because I knew what to expect and that i had her support no matter what happened in the delivery room. And, things just happen, no matter your plan, something will likely put a wrench in it. Leigh’s perspective and guidance was invaluable as one unplanned event lead to the next, but ultimately lead right where we needed to be. We now have the sweetest little being in our lives and Leigh is helping us navigate life with a baby, breastfeeding and those postpartum hormone shifts. I can’t recommend her services more. ”

“My partner and I took Leigh’s childbirth preparation class as well as worked with her as our (remote) doula just as the COVID-19 chaos was starting.

She shares so much useful information during the class in a really digestible, interactive, and fun way - we learned a ton but it never felt like too much. We really valued her breadth of experience; she was ready with an answer to, and often first-hand knowledge about, any question that came at her.

We appreciated Leigh’s honest, practical, and open-minded approach to childbirth - there are so many opinions out there about what’s “right”, and Leigh offers science-based information, pros, and cons in a non-judgemental way, and supports you to make the best decision for your unique situation. We felt completely supported by Leigh from early on when we hoped for a birth with minimal interventions, all the way through to the end when we ended up with basically every intervention possible! Even though she wasn’t able to be there with us in person, she was a calming presence through FaceTime and was available to us at any hour as we made decisions, along with our midwives, about how to proceed through a series of unexpected challenges.

We had a fantastic experience working with Leigh in both capacities and highly recommend her to others!”

“We hired Leigh and Marni in the before time, hoping we’d have a relatively uncomplicated birth of our second child due in late April 2020. We worked with a doula for our first labor but wanted energy that suited us better. Marni and Leigh seemed to be just the team we were looking for—communicative, warm, knowledgeable, and light-hearted. Then, the pandemic changed everything about our birth plan.

It took some time for us all to collectively reimagine this birth for the new world. The rules and regulations seemed to change every day. We felt we were being assaulted with curve balls, both pandemic and pregnancy related. Our doulas did a great job guiding us through these changing circumstances. They helped us think through many decisions we had to make, kept us informed with anything they were learning, and offered us many resources to help educate ourselves. When discussing the potential partner ban, Leigh reminded me that I was capable of handling any and all things related to this birth. She consistently told me I could do it, no matter the rules. I needed to hear that and came back to it many times as I neared my due date. They asked us questions and offered resources instead of providing us with firm answers when we had questions. This helped us make our own decisions with solid information and a good foundation of discussion.

Leigh attended our actual birth virtually. We were initially unsure if a doula on an iPad could be very helpful. Touch and physical presence felt necessary to the process. We were very wrong. Leigh’s virtual presence was incredibly helpful. She stayed calm and positive throughout. She checked in with us as often as we needed via text, phone, and FaceTime. When she was “with” us via video, her encouragement and attention to my rhythm were both remarkably helpful. During early labor at home, she celebrated all our progress, gave wonderfully helpful suggestions, and offered us space to be in the process together. At the hospital, we had her “with” us throughout our labor. She helped us navigate a rapidly progressing active labor phase and prepared us for the steps ahead. It is remarkable how instrumental she was for us without even being in the room. I can’t imagine our labor without her support.

In this crazy moment of fear, anxiety, and changing circumstances for expecting mothers, labor support is more necessary now than ever before. Leigh and Marni made us feel safe and supported throughout this process. We can’t recommend them enough. ”

“I feel so fortunate and grateful to have had Leigh and Marni as my doulas for the birth of my son, Oscar. Throughout the process—from our first meeting, to home visits, to my labor and the birth itself, and then in the weeks after—I felt completely informed, cared for, and supported. They took time to get to know me and my partner, Justin; helped us develop a birth plan that felt right to us; and gave us the tools and preparation we needed to feel ready when my labor started. At the hospital, Marni was amazing. Having her there made all the difference, and I’m certain that I would not have had the (relatively) easy and extremely happy birth that I did without her. ”

“Working with Marni and Leigh was one of the best decisions my husband and I have ever made. From the moment we met them, our considerable anxiety around our daughter’s birth began to lift. We weren’t sure about our doctor and hospital choice, so they helped us find a better fit. Throughout the pregnancy, they were patient listeners and helpful sounding boards. And when it was time for the birth itself, Leigh was incredible. I had a prolonged early labor that seemed not to be progressing. Then Leigh arrived, and through a combination of emotional and physical support, things snapped into place. My birth was smoother than I ever imagined, and I truly believe Leigh was the reason. We are forever grateful.”

“Leigh and Marni are an incredible team of doulas. They helped my husband and I navigate a tricky birth situation. We had planned a home birth but my husband was out of town on the due date! When I went into labor - Marni showed up early and stayed through the whole birth, ten hours of unmedicated back labor at home without my husband and a hospital transfer after he arrived from the airport in a rush. I was so dependent on Marni (not what I was expecting of myself) and called for her constantly. She held my leg to help me brace through 3+ hours of pushing after 24 hours of labor. We really could not have had this baby without her! ”

“Choosing Leigh and Marni as our doula team was by far the best decision my partner and I made in preparing for childbirth. They have tremendous enthusiasm for the work they do, and they treat each other and their clients with palpable care, respect, and love. Before we met them, we wondered how we could possibly hope to find a person we would like and trust enough to invite them to be present for perhaps the most intimate experience of both our lives; but after our son was born, it seemed impossible to imagine the experience without them.

Marni and Leigh respected and reinforced my bond with my partner at every step and seamlessly inhabited a supportive role that was both unique and indispensable. Throughout my pregnancy and labor, I was consistently impressed by their natural ability to be fully present in each interaction, both authentically themselves and perfectly responsive to our needs. I believe that they were the single most important variable in my experience of childbirth as a empowering, beautiful process and a meaningful and wondrous transition into motherhood. We could not have hoped to find a better combination of knowledge, expertise, humor, awe, and joy than we did in Leigh and Marni.”

“When we first met Marni and Leigh we knew we had found our doulas ... We just felt comfortable with them and that turned out to be really important. I just remember feeling a renewed sense of calm when Marni joined us on the night I went into labor. I’m glad we had someone with us we could trust who could coach us through the whole experience and feel so lucky that we got to share those first moments of our daughter’s life with Marni. ”

“When I first met Marni and Leigh when they came to my apartment for an initial interview, I didn’t want them to leave. I felt immediately at ease with them and felt my shoulders drop as we eased into getting to know each other. Later, when I went into labor with my first baby I felt again that sense of overwhelming relief at seeing Marni when she arrived at our apartment, and later when Leigh came to the hospital to relieve Marni. My labor was so long that I got to experience both of them as doulas. There are so many things I could say about this amazing duo — that they’re never too preachy, that they really know how to listen, that they will tell you everything you need to know about giving birth, breastfeeding and postpartum care — but I want to focus on their stamina and grace.

Marni stayed by our sides for more than 24 hours. When it was time for me to push, she brought in Leigh so that I could have a fresh coach, full of pep and energy to see me through to the end and help with my recovery and initial breastfeeding. 24 hours plus!!! And through it all, Marni was patient, kind and full of helpful techniques as I labored. There was a moment in my labor that I think back on often where I started to doubt myself and the process. I said the thing I promised myself I wouldn’t say — I told Marni “I can’t do it!” She held my gaze and reassured me that yes, I could and shared with me how we’d work through each contraction together. That moment happened well before I was admitted to the hospital and I really needed it. Because of Marni’s strength, both emotional and physical (as she gave me deep back pressure that I requested with each contraction), I pushed aside my self-doubt. I could do it because Marni said I could and I trusted her completely.

The gift that Marni and Leigh gave our family was not only the healthy and happy birth of our son, but the ability to keep fear and doubt far away. They also let me bond with my husband in a joyful way. I worried I’d get frustrated with him or question his guidance because he’d never done this before, but with Marni and Leigh I got to sweep those issues aside. I could see my husband as a true birth partner, knowing that Marni and Leigh were there to support both of us. Marni and Leigh are the unsung heroes of our new life.”

“My husband and I weren’t sure if we needed doula care for our birth- after interviewing several doulas, we decided to go with Marni & Leigh’s services. I am so thankful to this day we were lucky enough to met the duo. When our day (or days, in my case) arrived Leigh was more amazing than I could’ve imagined and packed any pain with tremendous defenses. She and my husband worked together to make sure I was totally cared for. I really feel like I couldn’t have been as strong for myself as I was with Leigh’s support. We are so grateful. After my daughters birth, Leigh checked in to make sure I was still strong and answered any lactation questions I had. This ladies are amazing!”

“It is with out any reservation that I can HIGHLY recommend the doula services provided by Leigh and Marni. They were incredible through out the entire time they were with us. I actually hired them at almost 38 weeks pregnant. !! Things didn’t feel right at the end there with the doula we had been working with and we decided to look for someone else. Marni had helped a good friend of mine deliver at Methodist a few months earlier. I was lucky to find such strong doulas so late in the game. From the moment they took on our pregnancy, we felt better. During the prenatal meetings, both Marni and Leigh were super friendly, warm, so knowledgable, and practical. They asked all the right questions, gave us excellent advice for dealing with early labor, and spent time doing hands on practice with me and my partner. I was also very impressed by the notes they sent after the visits. It was clear they had been listening and paying close attention to what we wanted.

From moment my water broke - Leigh was there. Calm. Funny. Light. The voice of reason. It was my first baby. And we were home. She stayed in touch through out the day and came as soon as I needed her. Leigh was absolutely amazing during my home birth. I have goosebumps all over just thinking about it. Amazing. Goosebumps! So loving and strong and present. My parter tells the story that as soon as Leigh got there, I wanted nothing to do with anybody or anything other than her. He too felt much more confident about the decision to have a home birth once we hired Marni and Leigh. In addition to my doula, I also decided to have a good friend be at our birth. She and Leigh worked like magic together. They’d never met before and were incredibly orchestrated. My midwife told me on day 1 after baby came that I had an “amazing” team of people. Leigh was a huge part of that. She was reassuring, calm, and direct during the painful and scary parts. Compassionate and confident during the tough decisions. And so, so kind during all of the incredibly vulnerable moments. (We spend a lot of time in the bathroom together!)

She came back a few days later and was just as wonderful postpartum. She recounted the birth with me, gave me new mommy tips, shared dozens of pictures with us from the birth, and gushed over Luna. Thanks to her, I never cut Luna’s little fingers with nail clippers! For weeks after the birth, I was texting her with questions. That’s how sincere and credible she and Marni were through out the process. I still send them pictures and it’s 8 months later. They take their job seriously and are loving and professional. I will be forever grateful to them. I didn’t have an easy birth. Things could have turned out very differently. But Leigh helped me to give my baby the time and space she needed to come into this world when she was ready. This team provides a superb service. I can only sing their praises.”

“I have to admit that when my wife first mentioned that she wanted to hire a Doula to help with her labor I was a bit skeptical. I thought we could just wing it and get through the labor on our own. As it turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. We were fortunate to meet Leigh at our birthing class and after seeing how knowledgeable and passionate she was about child birth, we decided to work with her and Marni as our doulas.

Both Leigh and Marni spent hours with us in our home discussing my wife’s birthing plan and talking to us about everything from the stages of labor, to coping positions, to what to pack and indulging us as we went through all the crazy “what if” scenarios that were going through our heads. Leading up to labor, Leigh and Marni were both available via text and phone at all hours of the day and night to answer questions and always responded immediately.

My wife had a long labor that started on the Saturday morning of labor day weekend and she didn’t deliver until 1PM on Monday. Leigh sacrificed time with her family on a holiday weekend to be with us. She came to our home in the middle of the night on both Saturday and Sunday to help my wife cope with the contractions. In watching videos of women in labor at our birthing class, it looked like a very hectic and stressful time. As a first time expectant father I was concerned with the pain my wife would have to endure in labor, especially without the use of pain medication. Looking back, my wife’s late labor was just like what I saw in the video, but because of the way Leigh and Marni prepared and coached us, it was not hectic and stressful, it was the most amazing experience of my life. If you are thinking about hiring a doula I highly recommend Leigh and Marni. I felt they went above and beyond to give my wife and I an incredible birthing experience and for that we are forever grateful. ”

“I have nothing but the best things to say about these two ladies. I did a lot of Doula phone interviews and a few in-person, and my husband and I immediately connected with Marni & Leigh. This was important for us since they would be part of such a personal experience. We loved how relatable they were and we liked how they were a team. It reassured us that we would be in great hands with either of them and not to worry another birth would get in the way.

We were interested in a doula and their services because I personally wanted a little extra emotional expertise and support and experience during my delivery. I was extremely thrilled with the prenatal visits, labor & delivery support and postnatal visit. They both listened to our needs and we always felt we were on the same page. My husband always felt like he was involved too, which was important because sometimes people misunderstand the role of the doula. We were a team and they guided my husband on tips during prenatal visits. Overall, we felt very prepared and comforted knowing we had Leigh and Marni as our doulas. They are extremely responsive, honest and awesome listeners, (one of the most important traits!). I would highly recommend working with them. ”

“Leigh has training as a childbirth educator, which I thought was a big plus. It was a huge help for my husband when she arrived at our home (while I was in labor) - she immediately helped support me, applying counter pressure and helping me try different positions. At the hospital/birthing center, she continued to be amazing. My labor “stalled” for a little from 7-8 cm, which was REALLY tough, and my baby was turned in a funny position which was making it tougher for me to progress, and Leigh really helped me do different walking techniques and positions to help turn the baby around!

Leigh has supported other births that have not been natural - and this sounds strange, but prior to going into labor, it also made me feel better to know that Leigh would be supportive if I chose to have an epidural. I did not want to have to worry about someone judging me if I did want an epidural partway through, and did not feel that way about Leigh at all - she is completely open and understands that each person’s labor/birth process is unique and very personal. She is really down to earth while super sensitive at the same time. She is so obviously and genuinely interested in the birth process! During our postpartum visit, she was so sincerely enthusiastic to see our baby, and was helpful with lactation support as well. In a nutshell, we had a terrific, very positive experience with her and with our birth. ”

“Simply put, Leigh is everything we could have asked for in a post partum doula. It was not easy for us to figure out what sort of care we wanted after our baby was born, and we were so lucky that we found Leigh to help us define the kind of help we needed, and to provide that help. Leigh literally received us at our home from the hospital, and from there, took our overwhelmed, tired, and emotionally-taxed family under her wing in the best way possible. From helping us get our home set up for the baby, to helping with breastfeeding, to making food for us and nourishing us in other ways, Leigh gave us what we didn’t even know we needed. And when we realized we needed more hours of support than we’d originally planned for, Leigh connected us to colleagues and helped us build out a schedule with them. As we transitioned out of the more overwhelmed early period of time to getting our feet under us, Leigh remained with us every step of the way, coaching us through developmental milestones with our baby, expanding our repertoire of parenting tools, increasing our understanding of just how to be with our baby. She helped us become better parents and managers of our own home, guiding us through thinking about meal planning and other household tasks. And now as we are getting closer to fully spreading our wings and being on our own without Leigh’s help, she is giving us the confidence we need! In short, if you are thinking about post partum doula care, you will be lucky to find Leigh. Before our baby was born, we were unsure what kind of help we needed. Now, we couldn’t imagine these first months without Leigh by our side.”