Durkan, Maire

I am so happy that we chose to work with Maire for the birth of our son. When we met her I was immediately impressed by her breadth of experience and knowledge in all things birth, pregnancy, and postpartum related, as well as her kind and nuturing energy. Throughout pregnancy she met with us and did extensive education not only about birthing, but also about postpartum, breastfeeding, and numerous other important topics. She checked in with us regularly via text and sent so many helpful resources. My labor was long and difficult, but Maire stayed the entire time and provided so much comfort and support. She also helped my partner feel secure that about what was occurring. After birth, she helped us to unpack and process everything that happened. I am so happy we went with Maire, and would love to work with her again in the future!

Maire was more than we could have asked for in a doula! Her experience, expertise, passion and sincerity were evident in her approach and how she cared so deeply for us. we initially hired a doula to help my husband - but in the end, she was my rock too. I had the easiest labor bc of her and delivery, although dramatic, was met with determination brought on by Maire. My husband and I are forever grateful for her as she helped us bring our beautiful daughter, Wynne, into the world.

I cannot say enough great things about my experience with Maire. She  is thorough with the information provided before your birth. As a first time mom, I felt well educated and prepared from the meetings with Maire and the resources she would send us. I wouldn't have felt nearly as prepared as I did when it was finally time to deliver. She was with us the whole time at the hospital with her "bag of tricks" to help me feel calm, supported, and safe during my labor and delivery. To this day, deciding to have Maire as our doula made all the difference in my first time pregnancy and birthing experience. There are not enough words to express our graditude and are so thankful to have had her as a resource and support person during this journey.

Maire listened intently to all of our needs, questions and concerns and was an excellent sounding board for us as we navigated the pregnancy, the delivery, post partum complications and the integration of our little one into our family. She was a true advocate when it came to understanding the ambiguity of my ‘borderline’ diagnosis (I was not a textbook case for gestational diabetes or preclampsia but skated through my whole pregnancy on a thin line which of course involved lots of additional intervention and monitoring which almost never brought forth any clarity but rather an extended amount of caution while we approached due date- leaving me more confused and fearful with each passing day). Marie was a invaluable resource to console my fearful mind and coached me in having value added conversations with my providers. Though I did aspire for an unmedicated, natural delivery, blood pressure sent me from a routine ultrasound to the hospital for an induction in the span of an hour. With her and my husbands support I was able to still labor beautifully and naturally for a large portion of my induction. I am so grateful to her for being able to leave me with that experience especially for my first birth. I could say a million things more about how positive and even healing of an experience it was and it still would not do it justice.

Maire listened intently to all of our needs, questions and concerns and was an excellent sounding board for us as we navigated the pregnancy, the delivery, post partum complications and the integration of our little one into our family. She was a true advocate when it came to understanding the ambiguity of my ‘borderline’ diagnosis (I was not a textbook case for gestational diabetes or preclampsia but skated through my whole pregnancy on a thin line which of course involved lots of additional intervention and monitoring which almost never brought forth any clarity but rather an extended amount of caution while we approached due date- leaving me more confused and fearful with each passing day). Marie was a resource to console my fearful mind and coached me in having value added conversations with my providers. Though I did aspire for an unmedicated, natural delivery, blood pressure sent me from a routine ultrasound to the hospital for an induction in the span of an hour. With her and my husbands support I was able to still labor beautifully and naturally for a large portion of my induction. I am so grateful to her for being able to leave me with that experience especially for my first birth. I could say a million things more about how positive and even healing of an experience it was and it still would not do it justice. She was always available before, during, and after birth to help us figure out how to be the best parents we could be, and my husband and I are eternally grateful for having worked with Marie.

Where to even begin! Working with Maire significantly impacted our birth experience in the most positive way. We met Maire through a doula meet and greet when I was about 6 weeks pregnant - nervous and excited, feeling all the feels! We felt we connected with her immediately. It was so beneficial to build our relationship so early - we communicated throughout my entire pregnancy. To describe Maire, the first thing that comes to mind is that she is like a birthing fairy godmother. Her kindness, warmth and knowledge was so reassuring. Every topic we brought up she had an answer to and a path forward for more information and knowledge. We were so fortunate. When my water broke 2.5 weeks early, she jumped into action counseling us and being there by our side as our baby was born. I will never forget it! I felt so comfortable and secure with my birth plan with her by my side. Suffice to say, please book with Maire today if you're on a birth journey. She is incredible!

We were lucky enough to have Maire as our Doula for the birth of our first daughter and it was a wonderful experience. She was amazing, she has such a loving and warm presence, she is incredibly knowledgable and has seen it all and was always ready to share relevant experiences or advice. She did a great job preparing us with info, strategies, stretches, exercises, positions and more leading up to the birth. She also helped us to mentally prepare and gave us insight into what to expect on the big day, which was really helpful. She was always available and very flexible and accommodating with her schedule which was so appreciated. Then on the day of the birth she was everything we could have hoped for! We were at the birth center and she brought things such as scents, candles and music for the room to make it calm and peaceful, as well as practical tools like a TENS unit and a peanut ball. She guided us through the stages of labor, directed different movements and positions, offered a variety of techniques to ease the pain, provided massages, got us food and water, truly she did anything and everything she could to help. She was also a huge support for my fiance throughout the process, easing his mind and providing good directions for things he could do to help. We can't recommend her enough, our birth experience was immesurably better than if we had done it alone and without all the insights she provided us. You should jump at the opportunity to work with her.

I am so thankful that I had Maire as my doula during my pregnancy. She is so knowledgeable and brought so much peace to me throughout my entire pregnancy working with her. She was so quick to respond to any question or concern I had no matter how far along I was in my pregnancy journey. Between preparing me for birth and then being there to support me and my husband during labor, her guidance and support were unmatched. She was completely invested in our birth and did not leave my side! She was an amazing advocate for me and my husband during our birth at the hospital and she helped to make my birth experience very positive. She has so much knowledge about breastfeeding and advice for caring for my body postpartum and I am so grateful for her wisdom. I cannot say more positive things about her!! She is the best doula ever!!!

We decided very last minute to hire a doula and I am so glad we did! I truly cannot imagine going through this experience without Maire. Both leading up to and following the big day she sent us helpful resources and checked in to see how we were doing. I was 2 weeks late but when labor finally started, it came on very fast and very strong and I think without her grounding energy I would have been very overwhelmed and scared. While we were still at home, Maire FaceTimed us frequently to check in and from the second she got on the phone, contractions felt easier. The way she talked me through contractions was so soothing and beautiful and so so helpful. Once we got to the Birth Center, things progressed very quickly and she provided so much comfort and support not only for myself, but for my husband and mom as well. My birth experience was so beautiful and Maire played a huge part in making that possible! Thank you Maire!

Having Máire as our doula was an experience I will never forget. Having a confident and knowledgeable person to help us throughout the pregnancy and in particular with labor and delivery was quite a relief. Máire talked us through some difficult moments physically and emotionally. As first time parents we were not prepared no matter how prepared we felt leading up to pushing. Máire was our anchor and she led us through this moment beautifully and knew exactly when to give us our time and when we needed her. She was compassionate and joyful which was such a pleasure to have in the delivery room.

Maire has been wonderful to work with from start to finish! We had reached out to Maire a little later than I wanted to but she was super flexible and willing to fit in all conversations and meetings as soon as possible in order to understand our situation as best she could. To our surprise, we ended up having our baby a week and a half later after contacting Maire and she was still very flexible and always in communication with us through the entire process. She takes the time to have a prenatal meeting with us to talk about labor, our birth preferences, how she will be there to assist us during labor, and so much more. She also met with us to discuss postpartum topics which were extremely helpful. After we got home, Maire took the time to visit us at home to make sure that we are in a good place after bringing our boy home - we had a great conversation and she even offered to do some chores for us!! We will be forever grateful for Maire's support throughout this entire journey.

My partner and I worked with Maire over the course of our first pregnancy and birth. It was such an empowering experience to be with Maire through each step of the way - it is so apparent she deeply cares about you, your baby, and everyone's health and experience. She provided tons of resources along the way (one-on-one time, websites, videos, etc.) to help us understand what to expect for childbirth and the postnatal experience. I can't recommend Maire enough for a birth experience that felt safe and informed!

Máire is a phenomenal doula and worth her weight in gold! She is caring, professional, incredibly experienced, and she was able to take a huge weight off our shoulders during our first experience with child birth. We would use her again and recommend her to anyone looking to hire a doula.

Máire Durkan was our Birth Doula for the birth of our daughter on April 22, 2022 (originally due May 1, 2022). We first met Máire during a Zoom "Doula Meet and Greet" through The Birth Center DE in early December 2021 and officially hired her a couple of weeks after that meeting. We chose Máire to be our Birth Doula because of all of her years of experience as a doula and as an experienced mother herself, along with the fact that she was a calm presence, has a fun and upbeat attitude, was someone we felt an immediate connection with, and more! She was always available to answer our questions either via texting or phone call which was extremely comforting, reassuring, and helpful. We are so thankful that she was there for us both during our labor and birth! - Hannah and Lou Caputo

Maire has been a wonderful Doula to work with. From completely educating me on pregnancy to birth, labor and beyond as well as well-versing me in all options/events that can and do happen, so that I can make well-educated decisions. She ensures that you are an advocate for yourself and acts as that same liaison when you are unable to. She went above and beyond by attending my labor classes with me (as I am a single mother) and stayed through my entire (failed) induction as well as Cesarean section after 48 hours, once my labor turned that way. She is very resilient to change with the many situations of labor and delivery and staying calm under pressure for the delivering parent(s), while also changing things up to possibly create change/progress along the way. She always had a positive attitude and treated myself and others present with kindness and respect and added a level of knowledge and calm (I tend to be an anxious person and felt much less so having her as an educated party) in somewhat chaotic times. She has now become not only a mentor and birthing companion, but also a friend and I am so thankful she helped to bring my daughter into the world with me!

We couldn’t have been happier with our experience having Maire as our doula for the birth of our first child. From the first time we met Maire we found her to knowledgeable, kind, down to earth, and passionate about her vocation. She was organized when carrying out our prenatal appointments and made sure we were prepared for the big day. She answered all our questions and sent us additional information about topics that were important to my husband and me. It made us feel at ease to have her part of our birth team since she had attended many births in the past. She was able to help us think through important decisions with the hospital care team and made sure my husband remained as hands-on as he wished in supporting me. Throughout my labor she offered me many comfort measures and ensured my husband could take breaks as needed. As intimate as an experience that labor and birth can be, Maire fit in flawlessly the day of—we can’t imagine not having her with us! Thank you Maire!

We found Maire towards the end of my pregnancy and she went above and beyond to make us feel more comfortable and confident with the whole journey of parenthood. She is an amazing professional that is always available to answer and help all your questions and needs. I wouldn't think twice to hire her as our doula again.

Maire was an awesome Doula. She really cares and was there with me the moment I hired her. I often would be busy, but she would remember to check in throughout my pregnancy, gave me tips, sent me links and was on top of everything! She goes the extra mile and made sure that I was okay even before the major contractions came. She was there the day the induction started and there until a day and half later when I gave birth. She was positive and calm and informative. Thank you for all your support!

I decided to have a more natural labor and delivery experience with the third baby. Having a doula by my side was the right and the best choice! I met Maire Durkan about a month before my due date. She was very helpful, responding to every text and email within minutes and providing multiple resources and valuable advice! Maire gave me such a great comfort and support in the delivery room. She constantly reminded me of the right breathing techniques, visualization, etc., as I went with no epidural. Her voice was gentle and calming, she was very encouraging and supportive! I don't think I could've done it without her!

My husband and I took 2 classes with Maire. She was super helpful in walking us through everything we need to know for the birth of our first baby! She also took the time to talk through things to know for after postpartum. She made it very comfortable to ask questions about sometimes uncomfortable topics. We feel much more prepared now that she educated us on what to expect. I would definitely recommend Maire!

I feel so lucky that Maire agreed to be our doula for the birth of my first baby. She is highly professional and knowledgable about pregnancy and labor whilst also being warm and relatable. Maire was a huge support during my labor and my baby’s birth, she kept me calm and grounded and held my hand when I needed it. Her genuine passion for supporting not only women and birthing people but also their spouse and family is evident as soon as you meet her, she is perfectly matched for the important work of a doula and I hope she will agree to be my doula for my future babies.

Marie is such an blessing for our family! I can not express how much we appreciated the guidance, information, and support she gave my husband and I throughout our pregnancy and labor. Marie was an advocate and gave our family the confidence and peace for the birth of our baby girl. The birth experience with our daughter was a beautiful experience. Marie’s experience and tools made it happen and exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend her to any mom wanting a beautiful birth experience.