Talking Heart Childbirth Services
Zoë Makofske CD(DONA), CLC
As a Doula and lactation counselor I am here to provide you with caring and compassionate prenatal and postpartum support.
My Story
Being a support person is a calling for me. However, it wasn't until I became a mother myself that I was able to fully come into it. When I started my journey as a birth worker I discovered that I was able to help others simply by being my offbeat, unconventional, caring, compassionate self.
I am now a preschool/kindergarten teacher during the school year. My work as a doula and lactation counselor informs my love of being with children and families and being able to support them through transition. Working with families and young children both in birth work and as a teacher and cultivating real relationships with them is where I am able to utilize the best of myself and shine brightly!
I am incredibly passionate about supporting families from birth through childhood, whether you are a single parent birthing for the first time or if you are having your fourth child. For me it is my greatest honor to be a part of your journey.
Services
I provide each service with utmost care, compassion, love and joy!
Childbirth Support
Two prenatal visits, labor and delivery support and two postpartum visits.
$1000
I attend both home births and hospital births
In person OR virtual support offered
Postpartum Support
I will come to your home and support you and your family after you bring home your baby. Postpartum support looks different for everyone; please contact me to discuss your needs! (Sorry, I do not do overnights.)
$30/hr
Never underestimate the value of having postpartum support! This transition is hardest part of having a baby and I am here for you!
Breastfeeding Support
As a certified lactation counselor I can provide you with the help you need to successfully feed your baby, including proper preparation of formula if needed.
$50/hr
I am here to support you, not shame you or bully you. Breastfeeding can be challenging, but I am here to help you!
With this being our first pregnancy, my husband and I had many questions, concerns, and fears due to the pregnancy care we were currently receiving was not exactly what we were looking for. Around 20 weeks, we met with Zoë for an initial consultation. We were impressed with her honest, comforting, kind and compassionate approach to labor and delivery and immediately knew that Zoë was exactly the support we needed, in fact she was even able to recommend us to a midwife center in New Jersey to better help lead us towards the all natural hospital birth & pregnancy care we were looking for. Her birth prep sessions were personalized to our needs and really helped us understand what to expect and how to cope with an all natural labor. She helped us understand different hospital processes and really made sure she understood our birth plan while helping us make decisions based on her understanding of what we were looking for. She ensured that my husband was engaged throughout our pregnancy and labor, assuring all of his concerns were discussed in length.
On the day of delivery, Zoë was right there with us supporting us from the time our water broke, to arriving at the hospital right before us. She worked alongside our midwife and nurse to suggest and help me to implement pain relief without the use of drugs. Zoë is a genuinely kind and caring person, someone who is meant for birth work. Her presence brought a true sense of calm and security & we are incredibly grateful to have had Zoë by our side throughout this journey. We very much appreciate her keeping in touch after the birth to see how we were doing, offering guidance during a stressful breastfeeding journey. Her guidance, education, and encouragement helped to make the birth of our daughter comfortable, safe, and natural. We truly enjoyed working with Zoë and highly recommend her to anyone seeking doula support!
Ashley McSweeney
