“Lanie is absolutely amazing. As a new mom, you can really lose yourself in the challenges of taking care of a newborn and neglect some of your basic needs without even realizing it. Lanie is great at doing things without you having to ask – refilling your water, making tea, making lunch, offering to take the baby if she sees you need a break, etc.
Lanie was great at making sure basic chores around the house were completed – washing dishes, sterilizing baby bottles and breast pump parts, doing laundry, taking out the trash, sweeping the floors, making snacks, etc. but she is also really great at helping out with baby – providing breastfeeding support, giving advice about baby’s daily routine, sleeping suggestions, changing diapers, taking baby so you may nap and so on. We called her “The baby whisperer” because she was great at getting our fussy newborn to quiet down and eventually fall asleep.
Lanie is great at making breastfeeding snacks. She made delicious energy balls made from peanut butter, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, rolled oats, raisins and honey. This is now a new favorite of mine. She made chocolate chip lactation cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, blueberry oatmeal muffins, breakfast egg muffins, etc. all of which my husband and I both loved.
With no family locally and taking on the challenges of being first time parents, Lanie made my husband and I feel as though we had all the support we needed. Lanie is a great resource. She told me about a local mom group, different products to help assist with my postpartum recovery as well as baby’s needs. We highly recommend Lanie and couldn’t be more thankful for her services.”
-Bernadette
“My husband and I are so grateful for the support Lanie gave us during our first week at home with our newborn son. She helped us to feel more confident as first -time parents, both by sharing her expertise and encouraging us with her supportive attitude. She knew just how to step in to help when needed, and she gave us lots of advice and tips that have proven indispensable in taking care of our newborn. She also went above and beyond in sending us extra info in emails, and being available over the phone and text. We highly recommend Lanie and would definitely use her again should we need help in the future!”
-Becky
” My biggest fear about bringing the babies home from the NICU was keeping them safe and fed. I had a lot of anxiety especially because they were born prematurely at 31 weeks. I was attempting to tandem breastfeed, but being sleep deprived, there wasn’t much time to do the research on how to properly breastfeed (the breastfeeding classes didn’t help much.) Once I realized it was too much for me to handle on my own, my husband and I decided we needed support. We found Lanie from Gemini Crickets and it was the best decision ever! She not only helped with breastfeeding, she provided emotional support, encouragement, resources, tips on how to make it through the day with twins! My only regret was not finding her sooner!
The most helpful part of having a doula was knowing I wasn’t alone. I loved hearing stories from Lanie about her experiences and struggles. It made me feel like there are other moms who have gone through this and survived. It was nice knowing that it does it easier!
I would recommend a doula to ALL moms! It’s a special gift you can give yourself especially during a very vulnerable time in your life. I couldn’t help questioning whether I was taking care of my little ones correctly- feeding, burping, diaper changes, bathing, etc. Lanie helped walk me through every step of the way! I felt reassured and comforted knowing there was someone who cared and was willing to support me!
If I could choose anyone as my doula, it would be Lanie! Immediately upon meeting Lanie, I knew she would be the perfect person to help guide me through the beginning stages of motherhood. She’s professional, genuine, caring, knowledgeable, experienced, reliable, honest- all the qualities I want in a doula! If you’re wondering if you need a doula, you definitely should go for it! It’s worth the investment! And Lanie will make it worthwhile! You won’t regret it!”
“I can’t say enough great things about Lanie. Having her help and support with my second child was invaluable. She has such a sweet, warm and compassionate personality and from day one she connected with my newborn as if she was her own. I was lucky enough to know Lanie from her prior role as a full-time nanny and after I got pregnant with my second and knew she became a postpartum doula, I didn’t hesitate to contact her for help.
She was so flexible and happily willing to help wherever I needed, getting my older daughter ready for school, tidying up around the house, folding laundry, watching the baby so I could rest or shower and also providing advice, resources and sometimes just nice adult conversation. She even introduced me to baby massage and now my daughter loves it and it’s become part of our nightly bedtime routine. Having Lanie’s support during those first few months really made all the difference for me and our family. I wish I could of had her around for my first and would highly recommend her for anyone looking for a postpartum doula.”
-Valerie
“I had many years of babysitting experience, so as I neared my due date I wasn’t worried about taking care of our daughter. But nothing can quite prepare you for your own child especially when your family is across the country. Our daughter was extremely fussy in the first few weeks after birth. She needed to be held all the time which became a challenge especially when it came time to pump (Breastfeeding warrants a whole separate story.). When my lactation consultant suggested a postpartum doula might be helpful, I immediately jumped on the possibility.
Lanie provided mental, emotional, and physical support. She would rock our daughter so I could pump, help with laundry, dishes, run errands. She also helped me troubleshoot eating and sleeping problems as they arose. In addition to her educational background, Lanie has young kids of her own so she is up-to-date with the current guidelines and trends in parenthood.
I consider Lanie our guardian angel. She walked into our lives at an extremely low part of motherhood and not only did she help me navigate those first couple months, she slowly helped me regain my confidence. To anyone considering a postpartum doula, I would highly recommend it. If it all works out, we hope to work with Lanie again when we are ready for baby #2 (TBD). “
-Ally
“Lanie is a gem. My entire family would highly recommend her as a postpartum doula. Not only did she help me with feeding support, allow me to rest, allow me to spend time with my twins by taking care of the rest of the house, she also provided support for my husband and entertainment and resources for my toddler who found the transition to big sisterhood incredibly difficult. Before meeting Lanie, I never knew what a postpartum doula was meant to do, and why they would benefit a family, especially when relatives and friends are eager to help with a cute new baby. However, I was so surprised to learn how much I needed the support she provided. Her intuitive nature and flexibility was invaluable. She is also an incredible resource for all things baby and a mothers postpartum physical and mental health. If she did not have the answers, she would research for me and follow up quickly with helpful resources. The time Lanie spent with my family after the birth of my twins gave my husband and I much needed confidence on our new journey as a family of five. ”
-Amber
Lanie is a very warm and caring person, and was a great source of support after the birth of our third child. I have 2 year old twins, and I was worried about balancing time with them while still getting bonding time with the new baby. Lanie was very helpful with this, switching between helping prepare the toddlers’ breakfasts (and mine), entertaining the toddlers, holding the baby so that I could have hands free, and helping with house duties such as laundry, cleaning up after the toddlers, and dishes. She was flexible and followed my lead, but was also proactive in finding things to do to help. Having Lanie’s support as a doula helped a great deal with my confidence in balancing the needs of all 3 kids, and I was surprised to find that the toddlers transitioned to a new baby much better than expected. As our family started to settle into a routine, I was also able to take advantage of the time that Lanie was here to have some much needed shower and rest time, which was an unexpected perk. I looked forward to Lanie’s visits every time.
Lanie also provided emotional support and was there to listen or to offer ideas in a nonjudgmental way. She’s kind and helpful, and turned to her doula community for help with some challenging questions around feeding. Another surprise benefit of having a doula was the amount of knowledge she had – I had forgotten so much in the 2 years since I last had newborns. It also made me wish that I had had a doula after my twins were born when everything was new and overwhelming – I think it would have been a huge benefit, as it was this time. I’m so thankful to Lanie for the help in adjusting to new motherhood again, and for making it a much smoother experience than I had pictured.
-Michelle
“Lanie is very helpful! She has much more skill and knowledge than most others with the same amount of postpartum doula experience could have. Her prior work experience, education, and recent life experience, gives her so much skill and current knowledge for this job. I highly suggest any postpartum mom ‘on the fence’ to give her a try. I’m so glad I did! I ended up hiring her longer than I thought I would, because she was so helpful.”
-Kerry
Lanie's Loving Doula Care and Sleep Consulting 