Kori Krysh

Kori was great from the very beginning. We had several in-person conversations going over every aspect of the labor. Kori put a whole bunch of topics on my radar, which I'm glad I had the time to think about and decide upon. My big concern was that neither a doula nor a doctor would make it on time for my labor – considering a previous fast labor. Kori reassured me she would do everything in her power to be there in time – and she was, despite a very rapid labor. Having Kori around during labor helped reduce the physical discomfort as well as gave me peace of mind that there was a person familiar with my wishes to be my mouth piece. I highly recommend Kori for your birth.
- Julie M (see birth announcement video above)

Kori has been a huge source of support for me and my partner throughout the prenatal, birth, and postpartum process.

Before the birth, Kori talked us through the whole process. Neither of us had ever attended a birth. She was available to answer questions at any time, and she even helped us put together our crib! She was very attentive during our prenatal visits and really took the time to get to know us during those sessions and anticipate any issues that might come up specifically for us.

During the birth, Kori came over to our house when I was in active labor (active labor came on pretty quick), and she helped us figure out when we actually needed to go to the hospital. It was clear she had a LOT of experience, and she reminded my partner to eat and talked to my midwife on the phone. I was having minute-long contractions that were two minutes apart, and she was completely unfazed. That was very reassuring to both of us that this was all normal. She was really supportive when I protested going to the hospital (I imagine doula-ing and babysitting toddlers are a shared skill set), and she sat in the backseat with me during the hour-long car ride to the hospital. I don't remember a lot of what happened at the hospital, but I delivered at midnight and she was around until 2-3 am, helped us with the first latch, and took amazing photos of the birth! She has many talents.

After the birth, Kori has been very responsive to any questions I've had about breastfeeding, even forgiving a panicked 2:30 am text message for what was probably not an emergency...her wide range of knowledge on breastfeeding/general newborn care/postpartum recovery has continued to be invaluable.  

-Lizzie B

Kori was my doula for my second baby's planned home birth. From our initial meeting I was immediately comfortable with her and knew I needed to work with her. She came to my house twice before the birth and really helped me process where I was in my pregnancy and prepare for the birth and postpartum time. When I went into labor she was in contact with me from the start, and even hung out in my neighborhood for a few hours before I had her come over, just to be close by. Once she was with me, she was my person. My husband, midwife, and midwife's assistant were amazing, and everyone worked as a wonderful, supportive team, but Kori was the one holding my hand, rubbing my back, and making the adjustments I needed. She didn't leave my side through hours of intense contractions and back labor. After a middle of the night birth she stayed for quite awhile to clean up, make sure I ate and was comfortable, and watch my baby start to nurse. When she came back for the postpartum visit it was like having a family member come check on me. I can't imagine my birth experience without Kori's warmth, sense of humor, and dedication.

-Emily S

I had the labor and delivery I wanted because of Kori Krysh. She was a steady and caring presence the whole way through and I am so thankful she was our doula. She was my champion when I needed her most and kept all of us, including our doctors, focused on our birth plan. I had a wonderful experience with Kori and I could not recommend her more highly. 

-Karina D

I am so glad and feel so lucky to have found Kori to be my doula for my second birth. Her experience shines through in every meeting or interaction. She was always available and supportive of my journey and provided resources for everything I needed. She helped me to navigate and feel confident in a home birth after having had a hospital birth the first time. Her ability to speak to my friends who were my support team, in a way that met all of their levels of experience with birth was truly amazing. The day I was ready to give birth Kori was there and helped at every step of the way, she hung back when needed and took charge when needed. Then when I gave birth my midwife wasn't even present until at least ten minutes after the birth, so Kori basically guided me in delivering my own baby and provided incredible support above and beyond her doula role during and afterward. She truly was indispensable and I can't thank her enough.

-Erin B

I had an AMAZING birth experience with Kori. It was my second pregnancy, and to my surprise, I was naturally pregnant with fraternal twins! Having had a vaginal birth before, I really wanted to try a natural birth with the twins. My OB then strongly recommended having a doula to help that happen. I interviewed 3 doulas and Kori was who I was looking for: she had tons of experience, and in delivering twins, had worked in the hospital I was delivering and had worked with my OBs before (we only got to know that at interview), and I felt so comfortable with her from the start! I had to be induced at 38 weeks, and I was preparing to get an epidural when contractions got more painful. However, my OB, my husband and especially Kori gave me so much support that I handled the contractions much better than my first labor. They also put so much confidence in myself that I then decided to listen to my gut and not get an epidural. Kori was by my side at all times and supporting me in every decision, balancing pros and cons. When contractions got worse, she was there and gave me a great massage and reminded me to breath in a calm way through the contractions. That helped me so much! She was very professional and always cordial to my husband, OBs and nurses too. The twins were born beautifully and healthy, and she and my husband were each one on one side, helping me to hold my babies at the same time while I was being cared by the doctors. She then stayed with us for about 2 or 3 hours after labor, helping me in anything I needed.
I can say without Kori I am not sure if I would have had the confidence to deliver them vaginally or even without the epidural. She was fantastic and I strongly recommend her!

-Daniela S

I really enjoyed working with Kori.  We met first at my place and she seemed very calm and grounded as a person.  I like that a lot and thought this is important energy to have around during birth.  When I started having contractions, I called her and she was at my house in 20 minutes since I was having a home birth.  She communicated a lot asking me what I needed and making sure I was comfortable and was doing what I wanted.  She was encouraging and present, always reminding me to breathe and keep going.  I was lucky to have a quick birth but was very happy for her support, which was soothing, calm and soft.  i recommend her as a doula.

-Genevieve W

Kori was wonderful to work with and a kind, energetic, and positive presence at the birth of our first child. We always felt free to reach out to her with questions and concerns and she provided knowledgeable, thorough, and helpful answers. I went into labor which stalled after some time--Kori had already come over to our apartment and she spent the remainder of the night with us to make sure all went okay. My eventual delivery was long and had a number of complications, but Kori provided guidance, reassurance, and necessary firmness and authority as required. Perhaps most of all, she was an excellent and unflappable advocate for us with our medical team--very collaborative but also asking the right questions when we didn't always know to do so or letting know when we might question or push back on something. We loved working with her!

-Gabriella D

Kori is the best! She made my labor experience amazing. Not only did she do a wonderful job of educating me on all of my options before labor began, she fully supported me with the kind of birth I wanted! Even when plans changed and I decided to have an epidural, she did everything she could to keep my labor moving forward and make me feel at ease with my decision. Her calming personality and sense of humor really kept me and my husband grounded throughout the day!!

-Cody L

Kori is a fantastic doula. She was our doula for our second child, so I'd been through the birth process before, but I'm so glad we hired her. Before going into labor, we met a couple of times to discuss my previous birth and our preferences and desires for this birth. On the day I went into labor, she met us at the hospital and joined me in the examination room. As soon as contractions ramped up, she helped me manage the pain through massage, trying other positions and counter-pressure. her recommendations sped up my labor and helped me progress. The hospital didn't have a room for me and she successfully advocated for me to move to a room ASAP, liaising with the doctor and nurses. During and after the labor she was a calming, encouraging presence and my birth experience was greatly improved by having her with me every step of the way. Thank you Kori!

-Meghan M

My husband I were so fortunate to have Kori as the birthing doula for our 3rd child. What struck me most when I first met Kori is her calm, friendly, welcoming nature. I think I knew I wanted to work with her, before she even started speaking! She has such an ability to meet you right where you are, which is such a gift. Whether it was an in-person meeting, phone call or email…I always felt so at ease and comfortable expressing whatever feelings and thoughts I had about my pregnancy and the impending birth. Because of this, I was able to sink into my body and hold the possibility of an un-medicated birth without an attachment to it. As I am an older mom who experienced gestational diabetes with this pregnancy and my 2nd was born 2 1/2 weeks early, the doctors were certain this little one would come early and quickly. This brought a bit of anxiety, especially for my husband, given that we live about 40 minutes outside the city where i was giving birth. Kori's steady reassurance coupled with her knowledge of ways to prepare for the birth helped us bring more calm and sense of readiness to the later stages of my pregnancy. And when it came time for our little guy to make his way into this world, Kori was right there holding the space for me to trust my body and reflecting back the strength I had to do this. And I did! A mere 4 ½ hours later, little Bodhi Arlo was in my arms. It was such an empowering experience, one facilitated by Kori’s trusting, open presence. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to assist us with his birth!

-Jen P

I am so happy that we used Kori for the home birth of our son! Although she wasn't there for much of the actual labor part (once labor started, he came really quickly, so she was only there for ~10 minutes of it), I distinctly remember her touching my arm, telling me I was doing a good job in her gentle voice, and responding with "I know it does, but you can do this" when I said that it hurt so much. She also grabbed my husband's phone and snapped a bunch of photos during the 10 minutes of pushing S out and our time together afterward! Kori also helped clean me and our apartment up, so there was nothing to be done by us the next day, except enjoy being together as a family.

We chose Kori because she is a naturally joyful person, a "happy laughy" person, as I call them. I am not and I knew that having someone with that personality on my birth team would help me get through it. She was a great compliment to our midwife who is more like me (a bit too serious for our own good, sometimes! Ha!). Plus, she got along great with my husband, which was super important to me as I wanted him to be supported as he was supporting me.

I also feel like she helped us mentally prepare for the birth by spending a few hours with us, talking through our preferences, fears, etc before the birth, and was a kind ear to listen to us during our postpartum check up.

If all the stars align and there is a next time, I wouldn't hesitate to work with Kori again.

- Stephanie D

My wife Jessica and I are first time parents and credit Kori for making the labor experience as positive as possible. After 24 hours of labor, the doctor ordered a C-Section which was something Jessica was really hoping to avoid. Kori provided amazing support immediately, giving Jess reassurance that she could still have a positive birth story. During the recovery, Kori was equally as helpful, this time providing much needed support to me. And not for nothing, Kori is great to just hangout with, as there is lots of time for that as well. We recommend her without hesitation.

-Danny W

Kori helped us achieve the birth we were hoping for. In the preceeding months she spent time getting to know us and our birthing prefences––for a natural birth in a hospital setting. At the first signs of labor she was super responsive to our calls and texts. And when we felt ready, she came to our apartment to labor with us for 7 hours. I was so grateful for the various positions and techniques she suggested that kept things moving. She helped us determine when it was time to head to the hospital. Once at the hospital, Kori helped us navigate (the dreaded) triage waiting room. There they determined that I was 9 or 10 cm dialated (yay!!!) and I gave birth to a healthy girl an hour and a half later. Throughout the entire process my husband and I felt supported by Kori's steady and patient presence and coaching.

-Rachel R

Upon meeting Kori, I knew she was the person I wanted to have by my side throughout my pregnancy and birth. When I met her, I immediately felt the depth of her support and could see it in her eyes. I trusted her. We were in a huge transition between moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn and deciding upon a home birth instead of a hospital birth and Kori helped to guide us through the process and help us to feel confident with the choices we were making along the way. When it came time for our baby to be born at home, we contacted Kori to let her know and immediately felt a huge amount of pressure and anxiety melt away to know that she was going to be there through such an incredibly intense and primal experience that was happening NOW! Kori was able to read exactly what my husband and I needed at any given moment and helped us to normalize the experience whenever it felt overwhelming. We are eternally grateful for all the ways that Kori gave and supported us in one of the most sacred moments of our lives.

-Sarah C

I had a wonderful birthing experience with Kori Krysh.  She was extremely attentive and was everything I would hope a doula to be.  We met several times beforehand to discuss my birthing plan and her role.  On the night my daughter was born, Kori was so helpful with managing the discomfort, and responded to my every whim.  When things got tough, she  helped us make informed decisions around how we wanted to proceed.  I would highly recommend her.

-Kathy T

We can't recommend Kori highly enough and are certain that our medication-free birth would have been impossible without her! When I first met Kori in my last trimester I was open with her that I wasn't sure if I wanted to have an epidural or not, and she was totally non-judgmental about that and happy to work with us regardless of what kind of birth plan we chose. As the pregnancy progressed I decided I wanted to try to avoid an epidural if possible and she was full of resources and support. At the birth itself, I was in a lot of pain during late labor, transition and pushing and if it wasn't for Kori helping me get through each contraction with both physical and emotional support, I would have definitely needed an epidural. It was also so helpful that Kori knew what to expect in the hospital setting and what the normal aspects of each phase of labor were, since our midwives weren't with us continuously. It was very reassuring for my partner and I to not be alone. throughout the process she included my partner and made her feel like a equal participant. She checked in on us frequently at the end of pregnancy (I was a week and half past my due date) and was always quickly responsive and reliable. She stayed for as long as we needed her after birth to help us get started with breastfeeding and to make sure all our wishes were met during the first few hectic postpartum hours. Through the whole labor and birth process she never felt in the way - it felt totally natural and comfortable to have her be part of our birth team despite only having met her a few times previous for our prenatal visits. Overall we were so happy with her as our doula and are really grateful for her role in our son's birth.

-Liz L

My lovely doula Kori was extremely influential in helping me labor and birth without any pain medication. She advocated for me and helped me avoid getting any interventions early on. She was truly supportive and pushed on my hips for hours at home and at the hospital – I'm the only person I know that has "hip labor". I would most highly recommend her for labor support. She even ran out and got my husband and I some delicious food after we were snuggled up with our new little lady. We loved her! 

-Molly W

Kori was an amazing and integral part in delivering our Twins.  She was there for my husband and me from just after my water broke until nearly 24 hours later when we finally got to hold our babies.  After pushing for hours, I had to have a C-Section which was not in our birth plan, but Kori was in the operating room with us the entire time and made sure that the parts of our birth plan that could be executed were executed.

She is a calming, knowledgeable presence who never left my side.  Nurses and doctors come in and out when you are in labor and partners often cannot anticipate your needs.  Kori never left my side and knew what to do to make my laboring experience the best it could be.

-Francine O

I think of Kori and my heart smiles.  She was an integral part of my HBAC (home birth after c-section).  At first I was worried whether or not we would have enough time to build a relationship where I felt comfortable enough to have her with me during such a special time for us.  She was great at keeping in touch with me and even came with us to our midwife appointments.  The morning I began my birthing, I called her right after calling my midwife, and she was there within an hour.  As soon as she arrived she brought in such a calming, soothing, nurturing energy.  She knew everything I needed before I even had to ask.  She was great with not only my husband and I, but my son and family, who were all there while I was birthing.  Without her I could not have had the amazing home birth experience that I had.  From her lavender spray to her loving supportive embraces.  She was the captain when I needed her to be and the co-pilot when necessary.  Her encouragement  gave me  the strength I needed at some of my weakest points.  After 24 hours of birthing we finally got to meet our beautiful baby boy, I had my successful HBAC.  Kori was great at getting me something to eat right away and being there for me while I was being tended to postpartum.  She has come to visit us a few times since my birth and we still keep in touch almost two years later.  She was my gift, my guardian angel through such an amazing birthing experience.  I am eternally grateful for all she did for us.

- Natasha P