Embracing Labor

Wow-​We can’t say enough about Tiffany Alblinger! She was an amazing, essential part of our birth experience, and irreplaceable in the level of heart-​filled care she provided us with. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and compassion helped us navigate through a labor that was not what we had anticipated. She physically helped me with each contraction pushing on my back and supporting my body for hours, and was a rock for my husband to lean on the whole way through from pregnancy to labor and even months later. My husband was physically unable to help me during labor, and Tiffany didn’t hesitate to jump INTO THE BIRTHING TUB with me! Her encouragement and strength in the moment stood out to us as one of the top reasons we were successful in having a home birth. After the labor she stayed as long as we needed her to, I was able to turn to her for all of the questions that come up after labor and she was easily able to help us navigate them all. She returned several days later to check in on us — this visit with her was so pivotal to my own and my husbands emotional recovery.
Tiffany helped to oversea the entire birthing process – she was like our co-​birthing-​manager – she helped guide us for preparing for the best labor possible. She had amazing referrals for everything from a chiropractor to acupuncturist to midwife to hypnobirthing doula… she was an incredible resource throughout and was easily able to surround us with providers that were our best match. One of the things I personally appreciated as the wife/​mom, was having someone who asked poignant, thought provoking questions not only to me, but also to my husband about his recovery and his concerns regarding the labor — going into my pregnancy I was so worried that he would left out of the process, but with Tiffany, it felt like he truly was my birthing partner.
I would highly, highly recommend using a doula! Its very humbling and very touching to know that there is a group of women in the world so dedicated to helping moms-​to-​be during the most challenging, vulnerable moment of their lives. Thank you doulas, and endless thanks to our very own doula Tiffany! You will forever have a special place in our hearts…

I am reviewing Ashley for the stellar post-​natal massage she gave my best friend. I purchased a massage groupon for her right after the birth of my God-​daughter as she DESPERATELY needed to relax and have some time for herself. After a couple of initial scheduling hiccups, we were finally able to get her on the schedule for her 60 minute massage. The groupon had expired at that point, and Ashley was super-​gracious and took it anyway… even treating my friend-​in-​need to a 90 minute massage since it took a bit to get her in! I was so impressed by her professionalism, and Sara was blown away by her skills and knowledge. She came home like a noodle! Would recommend Ashley to any mom or mom-​to-​be and already have referred her several times :)

Tiffany Alblinger went far above and beyond anything I expected from a doula. She is insightful, incredibly intuitive, caring, and compassionate; she gave my husband and I the confidence and support we needed to go into labor with courage and flexibility. Tiffany worked with us ahead of time to make sure our concerns were heard and that we built up the strongest set of resources we could for delivery. When I was in labor, she remained an essential source of wisdom and caring. She met us at the hospital and immediately her calm, easy presence provided relief. Together with my husband she helped me through the most difficult and intense hours of labor, took the most exceptional photos of the birth of our son, and stayed with us until we were comfortably at rest several hours later. She visited us the day after birth in the hospital and again at home to see what else she could to do support us. Her participation in our preparation, labor, and recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. I can’t begin to describe what a difference she made in our birth experience. We were fortunate to have a birth that was even better than we’d hoped for and I believe this is largely due to Tiffany’s amazing work. We are so grateful to have had her as our doula.

Love the «Embracing Labor» team! My husband and I attended a «meet the doula» night which was super helpful in selecting our doula. Our original choice was Debbe Cannone, however, we actually ended up with two doula’s, Debbe and Naomi, read more below… they were both amazing. We attended Debbe’s «Birth Boot Camp» class prior to our daughter’s birth which was so helpful in preparing us for the big day. Not only are the classes informative but it’s also nice to connect with your doula on a weekly basis prior to the birth, I felt like we had a really good connection with Debbe which made us feel really comfortable. It’s also nice to be surrounded by other couples and mom’s to be, it creates a sense of community. The day of our daughter’s birth Debbe had another mom who went into early labor a few hours before I was scheduled to be induced so we had our back up doula, Naomi, come in and assist us through the birth. While it may not have been exactly as we imagined we really did get the best of both worlds! Debbe’s other client was across the hall from me and she would occasionally pop in throughout the night to make sure things were going ok. We basically had two doulas! I felt very supported throughout the entire experience. I was not too happy about getting induced but Naomi supported me through the contractions in such a gentle and present manner. She was reassuring, supportive and directive when needed. I feel so blessed to have had such amazing support from beginning to end. The birth of our baby girl was so powerful and beautiful, it truly was the best day of my life.
I should also mention we had Tiffany do our placenta encapsulation. She was great, too! I had my placenta pills, salve and tincture the next morning! Thank you Embracing Labor :)

I cannot speak enough praise about Tiffany Alblinger. The support we received before during and after our birth was, and still is, invaluable. She is kind, knowledgable, supportive, reassuring and an overall pleasure to be around. I felt totally comfortable with her from the first meeting on and I feel like we will always have a bond with her because she helped us bring our beautiful baby into the world.
We planned a Bradley birth which she completely supported and, during our first few meetings, was instrumental in encouraging me find a care provider who would help me realize my goal of going unmedicated. Without her gentle encouragement I know my prenatal care and childbirth would have been much different. During the labor she offered wonderful words of encouragement along with experienced advice which helped me to understand what was happening with my body all while supporting my husband as he supported me. After the birth of our son, she stayed with us for the first few hours and helped with everything, from breastfeeding to helping me use the restroom (which is terrifying the first time) and she even gave me a very welcomed foot massage. She also came and visited us a few days after my sons birth, just to say hi, talk about the birth, and offer a helping hand around the house. She also made herself very available for questions or just to talk from our first meeting until now!
My husband and I (along with our baby!) would highly recommend Tiffany as a doula!

Courtney Scott was beyond amazing. We had her wonderful guidance for the birth of our first child. I would not have had it any other way. There will not be a pregnant friend I will not recommend Courtney’s expertise for their birth process. Courtney came to our house for several visits before birth, for my 10 hours of labor, and for visits after delivery. I appreciated all of her help throughout the process, but what really gives her 5 plus stars… her choice to go above and beyond. 4 days after our daughters birth, my breasts became insanely engouarged… like beyond painful… I didn’t know what to do… Courtney was at our house within 30 minutes and coached me to restoration. This was PRICELESS!!! Our daughter is only 3 weeks currently, and Courtney is still in constant correspondence about difficulties with our daughters breastfeeding, and other questionable situations. She was a confidence booster, confidant and friend. She was serious when she needed to be, and fun loving when the mood was light. She was amazing from the moment she walked in our door, for the birth, and everything thereafter.

Tiffany Alblinger was an excellent doula and my husband and I are so grateful to her! From the initial interview, Tiffany learned a bit about us and tailored her style to best meet our needs and our personalities. She came to our home for two meetings: we discussed and designed our birth plan (a HUGE help!), went over stretches and massage techniques, and Tiffany answered all of our many questions. She is educated, honest, supportive, receptive and has an excellent sense of humor. She is the kind of person who puts you at ease; never judges and remains impartial when you are making important decisions about your labor. That said, I very much appreciated her opinion, and I was glad to have her help in planning for an attempt at natural birth. Because of these sessions, we definitely felt as prepared as possible for the big day. Plus, without her we would not have moved our prenatal care to the excellent midwives at UCSD.
When I went into labor, she communicated with us throughout the early stages and came over to the house as soon as we requested her presence. She helped my husband get everything together before leaving for the hospital, then even parked our car when we arrived. The labor didn’t go quite as we planned and much of the day is a blur, but I do remember holding her hand through the rough parts. Her presence was so valuable, especially when it was time to make some difficult decisions. Also important to note that she worked very well with the nurses, midwives, and doctors at UCSD. The staff was receptive to her presence and respectful of her role in the labor/​delivery process.
I would recommend Tiffany A. many times over!

Tiffany was a blessing to me and I have actually never met her. My doctor recommended I use her «Secret Sauce» cream to help prevent any tearing. The cream really is magical and I did not have any tearing through child labor. After I obtained this magical cream I had some follow up questions about it. She answered my questions immediately as I was actually in labor. She followed up with me a few days later and was a wonderful resource to me. It was my second birth and I already had a doula that I used with my first birth. If I had known about Tiffany I would’ve definitely taken the time to to talk to her when I was deciding who to hire for my doula. I would definitely recommend talking with her as she was a huge resource for me and I only interacted with her via text and email. I wish her the best of luck with her future endeavors.

I cannot say enough good things about Embracing Labor! I used Courtney for Placenta Encapsulation and she was amazing. I made the decision late in my pregnancy to use her and then my son arrived a little early. Despite my lack of preparation, she was there to pick up my placenta when my son was born (at 4:30 am!) and then returned the capsules to me very quickly. I definitely recommend Courtney if you’re looking into Placenta Encapsulation. Not to mention, less than two weeks after having my son I feel amazing!
I also recommend Ashley for prenatal massage and her labor preparation class. I went to her for a massage first and was beyond impressed. I was very uncomfortable late in my pregnancy and she really helped to relieve my pains and relax me. I then signed up for her to come to our house for her labor preparation class. She gave my husband great tips on helping me through labor.
Thank you Embracing Labor!

When we found out we were expecting our first child, we were not really considering hiring a doula. However, after speaking to a relative who had a really great experience, we started to look into the idea. We interviewed a few different doulas but ultimately chose Tiffany Albinger and we are SO GLAD we did. Tiffany is not only incredibly friendly and kind but she is a child birth educator with extensive knowledge and experience. As first time parents that was exactly what we needed In our meetings before the birth she really took the time to get to know us and to educate us on what to expect during the birth. We were so much more prepared to deal with the different issues that could arise when we headed into the hospital and thank goodness for that.
My daughter’s birth did not go as we had planned and we ended up facing a number of decisions regarding medical interventions. Everything ended up fine and I was able to deliver my daughter without a C-​section, but I firmly believe without Tiffany this would not have been the outcome. She helped us digest the information the doctors were giving us and ask the right questions but never tried to influence our decision. Tiffany also worked tirelessly during my labor, running errands, getting us food, massaging my back for hours and providing counter pressure so that I could get through a tough back labor. We honestly believe that we would not have made it through the labor without her! Even the nurse asked us where we found Tiffany noting that she was one of the best doulas she had ever seen.
My husband and I often talk about how hiring Tiffany was one of the best decisions we ever made. She was our guardian angel and we can not recommend her enough.

Tiffany Alblinger was our doula and I can’t imagine going through the process without her. I am now a new father and Tiffany was such a great blessing to have with my wife and I as my wife went through her pregnancy, labor and delivery. Tiffany met with us prior to going into labor and she made sure my wife and I felt prepared and taught us some great massage and breathing techniques that really helped when my wife was in labor.
When my wife did go into labor it was around 1am. Not only did Tiffany answer her phone on the first call, but she walked us through some steps over the phone and was at our place very quick. Even though it was very late at night Tiffany was alert and attended to our needs.
As the dad and a photographer, I really appreciated that I could give my phone to Tiffany during the delivery so that I could focus on my wife and not worry about capturing special moments. Now we have some great photos of the two of us with our newborn baby!
If you are on the fence about having a doula, do yourself a favor and take some time to meet a few and I know that you will have a great experience like we did. Thank you so much Tiffany and Embracing Labor.

Tiffany Alblinger is a Godsend! I used to think doulas were like a midwife’s assistant and were not really necessary. However, after some encouragement from a friend, my husband and I decided to meet with Tiffany. I knew immediately that she was someone I wanted at my labor. Tiffany has amazing energy and a very calm spirit.
Having a doula meant everything to us as Tiffany prepared us before the event and stayed with us as long as I needed her. One of the things I loved about having a doula is she gave my husband incredible confidence and support. We both felt prepared and excited before having our son.
Do to some health issues, I ended up giving birth in the hospital. Tiffany was a rock for both my husband and myself. If it wasn’t for her, I would have gone to the hospital many times before I needed to. She answered all of my calls and texts and was right there with me when I was ready to go to the hospital. I was already 8 cm when we arrived!
I could go on forever, but I will end this by saying every pregnant woman should have the individual support of a doula. Meet with one and see, like I did, if it is an option for you.

The process of selecting a doula is rather daunting. After all, this is the person that is going to spend hours with you in all your glory while you are experiencing some rather intense things. We had set up a few interviews and after meeting with Laura S. with Embracing Labor we cancelled the other interviews. We knew from that first meeting that we wanted Laura to be with us while we delivered our first.
Laura was great leading up to delivery day, answering any questions we may have and helping us make sense of things that our doctors told us in our appointments in the final weeks. Then, the day of delivery we made it to Mary Birch and pretty quickly were told that we should start pitocin soon to get things going. We called Laura right then and she was there immediately. She helped us figure out what we were comfortable with and she made sure that we kept getting nurses that supported our wishes to have a birth that didn’t involve medical intervention (if possible). To make a long story short, my labor lasted for a little over 31 hours from start to finish, and Laura was with us for the majority of them. We (and my husband says this all the time) don’t know what we would have done without her there. She was pivotal in allowing him to take breaks and in helping us navigate something that was somewhat scary and new to us.
We highly recommend Laura to any one who is looking for some support in their birthing process.