Elyse Pitock

We've worked with Elyse twice, and both times she has been the most amazing doula we could have asked for. During our first pregnancy, Elyse was an absolute rockstar, and so helpful and supportive. We were excited to get pregnant again, in part to be able to work with Elyse again. Our second pregnancy was extremely difficult because when I was 28 weeks along, my husband had a seizure and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. His diagnosis, surgery, and recovery was one of the most challenging periods in my life. Adding to the difficulty, as my husband's recovery progressed, I was increasingly close to giving birth. Elyse was a bedrock of kindness, wisdom, and strength throughout every step of my husband's treatment. She immediately texted me back after each of my midwife appointments. As I hit 40 weeks, when I was getting anxious about when the baby would come, Elyse provided me with so much encouragement and patience. During my labor and delivery, when I wasn't sure if I had enough strength to push my baby out, Elyse was calm and reminded me that I could do it. That gave me the final energy I needed to push my sweetheart out! And Elyse provided wonderful postpartum support and wisdom as we navigated being parents of two. Throughout everything, Elyse made me feel so seen and, honestly, loved. -Katherine

We had a wonderful experience working with Elyse. I knew that I wanted a low-intervention birth and I had a lot of anxiety about achieving that in a hospital setting. Elyse helped me work through my fears and concerns and better define my goals for my birth. Her past experience working with my midwives and in the specific hospital where I delivered helped me understand what was realistic and create a set of birth preferences that I felt good about. When I was experiencing prodromal labor for over three days, Elyse was a continuous source of guidance and support. At the hospital, Elyse was agile and adaptable in the moment, communicating effectively with hospital staff and collaborating seamlessly with our midwife. As grateful as I was for Elyse's presence and advocacy, I think her support meant perhaps even more to my partner, who was able to follow her lead with confidence. Because of Elyse, I felt at ease giving birth in a hospital, making informed decisions, and ultimately had an empowering and positive birth experience. After the birth, Elyse continued to make herself available for questions and to share resources, connecting us with a great lactation consultant. Elyse was a great fit for our family and I would highly recommend her to others, specifically those who may be looking for support choosing a provider in New York City and/or navigating the hospital system. -Cecile