Womb & Love

Mamas...Listen up!!! Catherine Petretti is YOUR woman. I gave birth almost a year ago to my baby girl, and her love guided me through every step of the way. She was there for me when the baby was breech; she knew EXACTLY who to send me to, and sent me the resources I needed at the time (and the baby flipped at Week 37!!!). She gave me the courage to use my "voice" when I felt the medical staff wasn't listening, and she was my number one advocate. My daughter's birth was such a magical experience for both my husband and me, and I am forever thankful to my soul sister, Catherine.

If you are giving birth, get a doula! We interviewed a few and we clicked the most with Catherine, who could support us during labor and also postpartum.

My birth went according to plan, laboring predominately at home and then birthing at Gracefull Birthing Center, with no complications. I honestly don't remember much from that day, it's a blur, but I have a very clear memory of her checking in on me earlier in the day, before things really took off, and I really appreciated her taking the time to let me know that everything was going just how it should. It really eased my mind!

She did such a good job helping me labor at home, that my baby was born only two hours after arriving at the birth center. They took one look at me and said I could push whenever! I did HypnoBabies and she helped me put on the right tracks, which is so helpful when you are otherwise preoccupied.

Afterwards, we had her come once a week for postpartum support. Even if you think having a postpartum doula is an indulgence, please...indulge! Once a week was all we could afford but it made a world of difference. She'd cook soup I could eat all week, she'd draw me a bath and keep my baby calm so I could recharge, she helped me get a better latch while breastfeeding, she showed me a few yoga stretches to help ease my postpartum body - little things that are hard to put a price on when you are overwhelmed by new motherhood.

I anticipate my husband leaving soon for a few months, and I intend to call her if I start feeling overwhelmed again. It's like having the most knowledgable, most helpful, most intuitive friend come over for a few hours and give you a break. You deserve it, mama!

I hired Catherine as my postpartum doula and she was very kind and caring. She was helpful around the house and also with baby, toddler, and me. She cooked delicious meals that were very nutritious. Catherine was easy to talk to and I felt very supported.

I have gone back and forth on what to say about Catherine because I feel as though my words will never be enough. Catherine supported me through a rather traumatic birth, but having her by my side has allowed me to look back and realize how great my birth story was.

She never left my side through the 3 days I was in labor. She supported every decision I made and gave me sound advice and information when I was at a loss. She gave me the power to push for 3 1/2 hours- she was powerful, supportive, calming and my biggest cheerleader throughout it all. I truly would not have been able to push for that long without her. I leaned on her physically, mentally and emotionally- she held me up and never let me down.

If you need a doula, she is hands down the best. I am incredibly lucky to have had her by my side.

Catherine was literally at my home waiting when we got home from the hospital with our newborn twin.s She made the transition from having 24/7 care there to being home as easy as possible.
She was in tune with what I needed, sometimes even when I didn't know what I needed.
She made taking care of twins look easy with her confidence and knowledge and it helped me to have confidence. But she doesn't push you to do things any specific way, though if you ask her how to do something she almost always has a good, helpful answer.
She came with me to the girls appointment to get their tongue ties taken Care of at 6 days old and was such good support. She also helped me do the exercises with them multiple times a day after their procedures. I was so thankful to have help with that.
Catherine was someone we really relied on in those early days. Even today, with the girls being 7 months, I know I can still call her if I'm in a bind and need someone I trust.

Catherine was a life saver with my twins. She was with us from the day we came home (our twins were 5 days old). I still remember how she helped me calm down that first night as I sat crying, convinced that everything was terrible. By the time she left that evening, I was calmer and felt a little more prepared. In fact, that was really how I felt every time she left. She helped keep me sane for my 14 weeks home. She has a lot of experience with twins and my kiddos were always happy around her. I trusted her 100% with them. I got the best naps when she was around because I knew they were in good hands. Her passion for helping to raise tiny humans and support those tiny humans' parents was clear from the minute we met her. I'm grateful for her support and hope that she stays connected to our family for years to come.

We had a very bad experience with Catherine as our postpartum doula and have grave concerns about any family bringing her into their home to help care for their newborn. We found that she was inexperienced, unprofessional, uncaring, and super unethical in stealing $600 from our deposit for hours she didn't work.

We hired her when I was pregnant to support our family (me, husband, toddler and newborn twins) as a postpartum doula for 6 weeks at $35/hour. We were excited to work with her based on positive references, and even paid for her to attend a 3-hour newborn training with us in our home. We paid her $2,500 upfront, but after 6 days had to let her go for the following:
-She couldn't manage our breastmilk. We got 20 bags of donated milk, and she dumped half a bag because she left it out. She also dumped an ounce of my milk without asking us because she said "you have plenty of milk."
-She seemed to know nothing about breastfeeding. Any time I asked her a bf question, she only responded by saying what she'd seen other moms do. I had a lot of twin bf questions and even though she said she had twin experience, she couldn't help me feed them tandem- we had to hire a separate lactation consultant. Luckily I had bf experience with my toddler, but based on this I think she would be a bad fit for any mom who wants to breastfeed.
-I asked her multiple days to set up my new breast pump and she couldn't do it; I finally googled it and set it up myself.
-We wanted someone to help us cloth diaper our twins and give them their first bath. We had experience with this from our toddler, but hoped she could provide us with reminders. After asking her multiple days without a response, we finally googled and did them ourselves.
-From day 1, she needed me to tell her step-by-step what we needed help with. As a newly breastfeeding mom of twins, I was starving/thirsty all the time, and I had to constantly remind her to keep me hydrated and fed. Most doulas we've worked with intuitively help where they see it's needed, and that's not her skills set.
-When we got home from the hospital I asked her to reorganize the food in my fridge/pantry so that we'd eat what was about to spoil first and save other things for later, and she told my mom "I did it even though that's not my job."
-She routinely held our babies when they were sleeping or sat next to them unoccupied, while my husband and mom were cooking/cleaning (when those roles should have been reversed).
-These were all red flags, but ultimately the deal breaker for us was that she had a bad attitude about doing housework, even though she said she would help clean when we interviewed/hired her. She flat-out refused to clean dishes that she hadn't dirtied, never did a load of laundry, and rarely tidied up. We keep our house super clean and had other help, so it was never a lot. When I asked her about it, she said "doing dishes isn't my purpose here." I told her we need help not just with our twins and me, but for our whole family. If my husband is cleaning, that means he can't bond with and support me, our twins and our toddler (during his little time off work). I understand that doulas should not scrub toilets/mop floors, but "light housekeeping" is essential. She said "I'll think about doing the dishes in the future," and then she watched me do them. That's when I knew she wasn't a team player and had a poor attitude. I feel like it's very inconsiderate for any employee to say that to their employer, let alone a new mom of twins/toddler who's recovering from a c-section.
-Finally worst of all, when we let her go she said she would reimburse us for hours she didn't work, but changed her "nighttime rate" (6pm-8pm) to $40/hour without telling us. She later said she'd spoken with her lawyer and that she not only wouldn't reimburse us, but demanded $2,500 for the rest of her contract (even though she didn't do her job).

We've worked with 5-6 doulas since our toddler was born and never found this bad attitude and misaligned priorities. As far we we understand it, the "purpose" of most doulas in this intimate caretaking role is to help new families in their most vulnerable state, not to burden them with increased stress and anxiety. Especially at $35/hour, we expected a high level of work ethic and professionalism from Catherine, and were shocked at how all-around bad our experience was.

Based on all this, we wouldn't recommend Catherine as a postpartum doula to any family.

Catherine has changed my life in so many ways. She has brought me a wealth of knowledge, compassion and hands on care at the most delicate time. We brought her on as our postpartum doula after our first son was born. It was the best decision I made for my own care and healing. She came one of the first few days of his life and took such great care of me/us from that day on. She cooked the most delicious and nutritious meals. She gives great massages, personalized 1-on-1 Postnatal yoga sessions, and infant massage that we practiced on my baby. This woman is wise, empathetic, and a baby whisperer. She gives great advice, is a wonderful listener and not to mention a strong, beautiful, soul who empowered me on my new journey as a mama. I love this woman! I cannot recommend her enough!

I can't write enough wonderful things about Catherine. She has been our postpartum doula since my son was one week old. He's now 13 weeks old, and Catherine is such an integral part of our home that I never want her to leave. She is intuitive, incredibly knowledgeable, experienced, wise, and deeply kind and gentle. Her passion for caring for mothers and their babies is unmatched. As someone who also used to work in this field, I can attest to Catherine being the best doula / birth worker I've ever worked with. Beyond her amazing ability to keep me well nourished and hydrated and my baby thriving, the emotional/mental/spiritual support she's provided me can't be put into words. I am a more confident, empowered mother because of Catherine's support and guidance. I enjoy my son more, and I know the leaps I've made in my own recovery are partly due to her support. She helps me structure my days, feel connected to myself and others, and helps my whole family thrive. I couldn't recommend her more!

Having a doula is a must! And I'm so happy I found Catherine. She was essential in getting through labor. She had such a calming presence. Like, zero judgement. I will never forget how when she walked in the room how she embraced me with a super gentle hug and went to work straight away, keeping the room calm & serene. I swear she used all her might to put pressure on my hip for at least an hour toward the end. She and my husband worked as a total team; she never overstepped boundaries. And when things got intense, she was not at all rattled. It was a great experience and I'm very grateful! I felt like a total badass after that experience and I'm positive Catherine helped make that possible. After baby arrived, she stayed to make sure we were settled and checked in a few days later. She is an awesome communicator and a total professional. She knows how far to step in and when to give space. Plus, she's just nice to know. I highly recommend Catherine!

Form the moment I met Catherine I knew I wanted to have her energy in my space postpartum. She was so finely attuned to what I needed and so incredibly nurturing. It was magic having her tend to me. From preparing sitz baths, to making delicious and nourishing food for me. To holding my baby so I could get a shower or just a break. Her presence is effortless, she really tends to the energy of the whole house. Holding space for tears and fears and excitement and the unknown of post baby. Words can not begin to describe the depth of gratitude and love I have for this woman. If you are thinking of getting a postpartum doula, do it, hire Catherine, it will be one of the best decisions you'll have made for your recovery and mental health.