Brooke Hickman

I truly cannot recommend Brooke Hickman with Lake Norman Doula enough! From the very beginning, Brooke was such an incredible source of knowledge, encouragement, and support throughout my pregnancy and birth experience. As a first-time mom, having someone who could answer my questions, ease my nerves, and help me feel confident and prepared for labor was invaluable. Brooke was always so reassuring, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping me have the birth experience I hoped for. I had my heart set on an unmedicated birth, and I truly believe having the right support team made all the difference. Throughout labor, Brooke provided the encouragement, guidance, and calm presence I needed to trust my body and the process. I was able to have the beautiful, empowering birth experience I had prayed for, and I'm so thankful she was part of it. Beyond her knowledge and professionalism, Brooke genuinely cares about the families she works with, and that makes such a difference during such a vulnerable and life-changing experience. If you're considering hiring a doula, I cannot recommend Brooke enough. Having her as part of our birth team was one of the best decisions we made, and I will forever be grateful for the role she played in bringing our sweet girl into the world!

Love, love, love Brooke! She is so down to earth, yet so professional! A true peace in the midst of unknown. She answers all my many questions humbly and knowledgeably. My season of pregnancy, labor, and delivery with my first was nothing short of superb having her by my side. Cannot recommend enough!

How do I put into words what having Brooke as my doula meant for us?! I'm an anxious person who did not love pregnancy ( yep- I said it!) and Brooke helped me focus on the positives, (like meeting my baby!!) and shared evidence based resources to address my fears, but more importantly, was a huge source of comfort and knowledge for me to come too whenever I needed it. She prayed for me and us constantly and  her faith in the Lord was a huge reason we chose her. I was so scared of giving birth and  She helped me feel at peace when deciding I wanted an epidural, she made my hospital room cozy and safe, and helped advocate for me and ask deeper questions to get answers to things I was unsure about. I'd choose her again in a heartbeat and wouldn't dream of another pregnancy and birth without her! Not to mention I'm 6 weeks post partum and she still checks on me, answers questions and is so thoughtful. We are so grateful! THANK YOU, BROOKE!!

There are not enough words to express how important Brooke was for us throughout our entire pregnancy and birth! We didn't hire a doula for the birth of our first daughter so I knew when I got pregnant again that I needed a support person (along with my husband) to help me have the birthing experience that I was really looking for. Brooke was exactly who we needed! She is very intuitive and empathetic. She knew when she needed to be warm and comforting and also when she needed to be blunt and remind me of my strength. She is also a wealth of knowledge and provides resources that might be help before, during or after birth. While our birthing experience was wild and beautiful, it was non-traditional. We didn't make it to the birth center and had our baby girl in route. Brooke was even a comfort for me over the phone while we both were traveling to the birth center. If you are hesitating at all to hire a doula, she was worth every bit of the investment! I can't recommend Brooke enough!

Worth every penny! She provided me with so much knowledge and support during my pregnancy - as well as my postpartum period as I was dealing with unforeseen complications! Even when things went "off plan" during my unpredictable labor and delivery experience, Brooke was calm and confident while providing me with the best support I could have asked for.

Brooke helped me deliver my third child. My husband and I both appreciate her calm and confident spirit. We met for our prenatal meeting in a beautiful garden where Brooke took great maternity pictures. On the big day, Brooke was there for us just the way the wanted and requested. She was a peaceful, supporting witness, cheering on my husband and I in the most practical and encouraging way while giving us space and not intervening unless required. Her wonderful massage technique helped me relax to such a point that I just let go, and to my own surprise and especially to my husband's surprise, just followed my heart and stepped into the birthing pool and stayed there to deliver my first water baby! It was not in my plan, it just happened naturally. And I had no tears or stitches this time! Brooke found the most perfect music to accompany my labor. She gave me sips of water during the most intense stage and coached me to keep my voice low when I lost my cool at a certain point. Brooke took our order for a hot meal and delivered it to the birthing suite while my husband and I were soaking in our first hours with the newborn. At her postpartum visit, Brooke brought me the very thoughtful and helpful gifts. What I like best about Brooke is her compassion and genuine care. She has been supporting me and checking on me and even making sure I reach out to my midwife and counselor when I developed postpartum depression. It has been over a year so far. I already moved to another state, I am doing much better, but Brooke is still the person who I know is there for me. I can count on her understanding and help. Thank you, Brooke!

Brooke is absolutely AMAZING!!! She was my go-to throughout the entire pregnancy, pre-labor and labor process. Our daughter came super fast, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Brooke’s knowledge and support. She was so helpful to my husband in times of confusion. I absolutely loved her prenatal visit with us where she taught us various laboring positions and tips to have the birthing experience you desire. My hopes for my birth were that I would not rely on pain meds/interventions, that my water would stay intact throughout most of the labor, that my daughter would descend in good positioning, that I would be able to birth in the tub, and that I would not tear. We got EVERY SINGLE ONE of these things in our labor and birth experience and I truly believe that Brooke’s guidance and support were some of the main reasons for the success in each of these areas. She is wonderful at communicating clearly, is bold/directing when you need it, but kind and calm when you need it, and she is thorough in following up. I love Brooke to pieces and would highly recommend her for anyone needing a doula.

Hiring Brooke will be one of the best investments you can make for your birth and pregnancy! Brooke provided education materials, books, support and encouragement throughout our pregnancy. She visited with us twice to lend materials and to practice laboring positions and discuss all the risks and benefit of different aspects of birth. I never felt any pressure to birth a certain way and Brooke was incredibly supportive of all of our decisions leading up to the birth of our child. I experienced prodromal labor for weeks before I gave birth and Brooke helped me work through it and determine how to handle it so that I was well rested when the time came for full-blown labor. I never felt that my concerns were not taken seriously and I felt like Brooke was very encouraging and supportive when I was feeling worn down. When the day came, our birth went incredibly quickly. I was in labor for 2 1/2 hours start to finish. Brooke rushed to the birth center, walked in, and immediately started preforming the counter-pressure techniques we had discussed that I would like to try during labor. The relief I felt from the pressure and pain of intense contractions was immediate and incredible. Brooke's calm and collected demeanor helped me to feel safe, calm, relaxed, and prepared for the birth of our daughter. Immediately post birth, Brooke was encouraging and supportive and I could tell she was genuinely so happy for us. You could just see her joy overflowing. During the postpartum period, Brooke came to check on us, do my belly bind, offer advice and support about healing, and talk with me through my baby blues. All in all I can't sing Brooke's praises enough. She is an incredible woman, mother, and doula, and we were so honored to have her support and encouragement at our birth. She will absolutely be present if we decide to have another child.

I cannot fathom the birth of our daughter without Brooke in the picture. She was everything we searched for in a doula and more. Brooke was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and made it clear that she would be supportive no matter what we envisioned for our birth plan. We had 2 appointments prior to our birth where Brooke came to our house and spent extensive time with me and my husband answering questions, helping us form our birth plan, practicing labor techniques, etc. so that we felt well prepared. She also text me to check in after my scheduled doctors appointments and sent encouraging messages as we neared our due date. One of the things that was important to us in a doula was that she had a strong Christian faith. It was so comforting to me to have Brooke pray over me while I was in labor. While in labor, she was always by my side encouraging my husband and I both, applying back pressure during contractions, making sure I always had water, holding my legs as I pushed, and the list goes on. Additionally, when I had an unexpected postpartum follow-up appointment and my husband was unable to go because of work, Brooke took me to my appointment!! That was certainly not in her job description but her selflessness once again solidified why we chose her and would highly recommend her to anyone! She is truly using her God given gift. She was made to be a Doula!!

Brooke was such an asset during the birth of my second child. She quickly cleared her scheudle and booked it across town to get to me in a timely manner. She was ready & willing to do whatever it was I needed. She offered verbal & physical support, all the chapstick I could need, and took memorable photos I'll forever cherish. I really appreciated having Brooke on my side for my very intense quick birth.

Someone asked me what my birth experience was like, and without hesitation, I said it was absolutely amazing. I have my doula to thank for that.  Brooke was absolutely fabulous and everything that I wanted in a doula. As a first time mom, Brooke helped me understand what was going to happen, what my options were, and the information behind each choice. There is not a hint of judgment from her, she simply presents the evidence and helps to facilitate an informed decision. She was available when I needed her to answer random questions via text message, and found research for me if she didn't already have it. I truly believe that because of her my baby's birth was as smooth and simple as it could have possibly been. Thank you, Brooke!!