Doula Pam: Maryland Doula

Pam was a lifesaver forums. She taught us how to put our newborn son to bed in his swing or bassinet using simple techniques that absolutely work. Before I found Pam, my husband and I wold have to take turns holding ur son to our cheste all night because he refused to be put down. My husband said of Pam's services "a postpartum doula's services should be the number one gift to give to new parents."

Thank goodness for Pam! My three-month-old baby, who up until that point had been a great sleeper, suddenly began refusing to sleep at all. Bedtime and naptimes were a struggle, and my husband, my son, and I were all exhausted. I reached out to everyone I could think of for help, and we were so fortunate to find Pam. In just one session, she was able to set us straight. She explained to me - in a way that made sense to me - why my baby was acting the way he was, and what steps we could take to address his needs. She put us on a schedule and recommended other measures to help him sleep and after only a few days we could see her suggestions working. Not only did he start sleeping better, but because he was better rested, he became much happier while he was awake. We're continuing to work with Pam on his sleep schedule and I am so grateful for her help - I don't know what I would do without her!

I was a real mess when my preemie twins were being discharged from the NICU. I couldn't imagine how I could possibly take care of the two of them being a FTM. If not for Pam, I might not have made it. She was able to make me feel SO much more at ease and she gave me some great tips during the introduction to her postpartum doula services. Her booklet contains everything a new mom could possibly need to know. What I also really liked about her is that even though she has her own theory of how to do things and why to do them one way as opposed to the other, she would not push her methods on you but rather will work with you the way you're comfortable with things. Great experience.

Pam came highly recommended from a neighborhood mom who also had a baby with reflux. We called Pam when our son was three months old and we were desperate for help. He had not been sleeping and eating, and we were all so exhausted after three long months of no sleep and listening to a lot of crying. Pam immediately alerted us to the severity of his reflux. She guided us in contacting a GI doctor and gave suggestions on proper questions to ask the doctor, as previous visits to the pediatrician led to incorrect dosing of medication that were not helping our son. She assisted in in the many techniques needed to get our son to sleep, initiating a sleep schedule which saved us! Now almost 7 months old, our baby is healthier and happier and sleeping through the night with long naps during the day. My only regret is that I did not call Pam sooner. I cannot recommend her highly enough! Thank you Pam, you are a life saver!

We called Pam during a long, desperate night of crying jags the day before Thanksgiving and it was the best parenting decision we've made so far. She came over on Thanksgiving day and spent 3 hours helping us diagnose what was wrong with our then under 2 week old baby, helping me be able to start breastfeeding after a rocky start and generally made us feel like with a little coaching and the right tools, it really would all be okay. She came back and spent a night with us a week later, which resulted in a baby that went from sleeping less than 10 hours to one that is getting regular naps. If she didn't have another gig, we'd grab her for the next several weeks! Thank you Pam for helping us through this rough patch - as first time parents, we really appreciate the guidance and care you have shown us and our baby and we can't imagine finding anyone else with your mix of experience, know how and lovely "bedside manner."

Pam is incredibly passionate about what she does and that comes across in the way she communicates with new parents and in the calm confident way she is with newborns. Pam was teaching a Baby Basics class at GW University Hospital which we missed, because our daughter arrived 2 weeks early! Pam was kind enough to come to our house to give us a private Baby Basics class. Her presence and her advice about everything from swaddling to breastfeeding to nutrition for new mothers, and her offer to call her at any time, was so reassuring and made our job as first time parents seem much less daunting. We have no doubt that Pam's years of experience and her enthusiasm for the work she does will help to make the first few weeks for any new parents a happy, stress-free and wonderful time.

Pam was my angel. My baby would not sleep anywhere but upright on top of me while I was sitting up. Laying her on her back or side, elevated or not, many types of swings and bouncers, even co-sleeping, nothing worked, she would cry, cry, and cry. When she was three weeks old I sought help and thank goodness. I thought I would just need a few nights help transitioning her to sleep off of me, but at the same time Pam came, our daughter started showing more and more signs of refluxing: grunting, coughing, snorting, stuffy nose, lots of spitting up, nearly constant neck and back arching. Pam helped me to know what to talk about with our doctor, and I was able to get in to see a GI specialist. Having Pam with us helped me get enough sleep to function on a consistent basis while helping my daughter through this awful time. Pam was kind, considerate, and incredibly helpful, giving me research and bringing her own items in to help. I absolutely trusted her completely during the many sleepless (for her!) nights with my high needs little one. About three weeks after proper medication combination and dosing, diet changes, and sleeping arrangements, my daughter was able to start sleeping comfortably and safely (in a Nap Nanny) and she was no longer in the pain and discomfort she had been experiencing during the day even when not sleeping. If Pam had not come into our lives, this process would have been so much more traumatic and I'm not sure how we would have coped. I am so incredibly thankful for Pam, and only wish I had found her with our first child!

I cannot even begin to imagine how we would have made it through the first 6 weeks of our son's life without Pam. She came to us the day we came back from the hospital, and was invaluable in helping two pretty clueless new parents learn how to care for a newborn. More important, however, was the help she gave us in getting the proper care for the severe reflux our son turned out to have. She diagnosed the reflux, gave us guidance on bringing it to the attention of our pediatrician, and had infinite patience in helping our son to sleep despite the severe pain he was in. Ten months later, our son is still on prevacid and zantac, but he is pain-free and the happiest baby imaginable. He is also a fantastic sleeper! We are infinitely grateful to Pam for her help!

This is a belated thank you to Pam! You saved our lives. When I first met with Pam I had no idea that I'd have a preemie or that he'd be colicky with acid reflux. We had no family close-by and I really had never been around babies, so my thought was that Pam could help ease us in to parenthood. I never realized that she'd actually become such a Godsend. When our son came home from the nicu we met with Pam. She warned us of colic, but we never really gave it much thought. Several days after Pam left our house I called her in a panic ... our child literally would not/could not be put down without screaming ... we spent 72 hours taking turns holding him and when I couldn't take it I called Pam and she came to our rescue - without saying I told you so- she spent the night with us to 1. give us much needed sleep and 2. to watch his sleeping patterns. He was a colicky mess! From learning the finer points of swaddling to problems with nursing, Pam was the best investment any potential new parent could welcome into their home. Thanks for everything! -Jessica, Bob and Zac (now 15 months)

Talk about an angel from heaven! I called Pam and tried to schedule her for my post-partum. Unfortunately she was scheduled for a medical mission (on my delivery -- how appalling, right?) But Pam was kind of to offer to come over and give me some free information anyway. That is the kind of person she is--- loving, kind, and beyond passionate about what she does. Pam was informative, bright, and an encyclopedia of baby knowledge! You can bet with my next baby Pam is front and center on my list!

In the other testimonials on this page, Pam has been described as a fairy godmother and a Godsend. When I first met her, I imagined myself hiring a Mary Poppins or Fraulein Maria to help take care of my infant twins and let me get some sleep. But after having her in our lives for two weeks, I realize how much more she gave us than just creative babysitting. Now when I think about her, my eyes well up with gratitude and relief. In a short period of time, the babies have started sleeping much better, which means that my husband and I are sleeping better too. She has served as an interpreter, teaching us to read what goes on in our children's minds and bodies. Now that we know what they are feeling, we know how to soothe them. Everyone in the house is healthier and happier. The change is marked and amazing. And she came just in time, just when I was about to tumble into a postpartum abyss. It would be an understatement to say that I don't know what we would have done without Pam. She is one of those people who make atheists like me wonder if there just might be a God after all. She saved us. If she wasn't sent to us by some greater power, all I can say is that we just got very, very lucky. I wish the same good fortune for all new mothers. Other than the birth of our babies, Pam is the best thing that has happened to us in a long time.

Pam has been an angel sent into our lives. She has been helping us with our 3 month old son for the last 1 1/2 months. Our son has very bad acid reflux and was sleeping only 4 hours per day. He was exhausted, in pain and very irritable when we first met Pam. With her help he is now sleeping 10-15 hours per day and is markedly less irritable. She taught us techniques for helping to calm him and recommended medications which were then prescribed by our pediatrician. He is on both Zantac and Prevacid. I don't know what I would have done without Pam's help. I was so sleep deprived and exasperated with my son's inconsolable crying and screaming. It was taking a grave toll on my well being as well as my marriage. Pam has been our Godsend! If there are any mothers out there who are going through, "colic" with their babies and don't know where to turn, I recommend Pam with all my heart. Thank you Pam for all you've done for us! You are so wonderful!

Pam and Jennifer were lifesavers for our family! We had two older girls (3 and 4 1/2 years) when our twins were born. As "seasoned" parents we knew the ropes of parenthood, but knew nothing about handling two babies at once while tending to the needs of 2 older children. Pam supported us even before the twins arrived with wonderful advice on caring for all of the kids and ourselves. She was with us as soon as we got home from the hopital, provided us with great medical and personal advice to get us through miserable experiences with reflux, and helped us get the twins on a great schedule. She was there to help lift as much stress as she could for me, and she did just that. From the great care to the twins, to the advice as a seasoned nurse and mom, to keeping our laundry and kitchen clean - she helped us get on our feet. We love how much she helped us! Jennifer also provided fabulous support to our family! Her maturity, care, and attentiveness to our newborn twins let us sleep peacefully at night. She was very responsive to their needs for special care through difficult times with reflux, and I treasured waking up to a clean house and happy babies. We also have two older girls, 3 and 4 1/2 years old, and she was just as kind to them. They still love hanging out with Jennifer a year later! She's like family to us.

Our 4 month old son was struggling with sleeping; he was up every 1-2 hours and hardly slept during the day. We called Pam for some sleep training and it turned out that with Pam's expertise and going to our doctor, our son had acid reflux. He began taking Previcid (acid reflux medication) and now a month later, he is sleeping 9 hour stretches through the night, and 1-2 hour naps, 3 times a day. If it weren't for Pam's expertise in acid reflux, we would have never had the knowledge to get the help our son needed. Thank you Pam for everything!

Just wanted to give another shout out to how great Pam is and touch on just one small part of her vast knowledge about children. I rencently found out that a child of one of the mothers in a parents group I belong to was treated for plagiocephaly (flat-head). Pam is extremely knowledgable on the causes and prevention of this condition. Unfortunately, this condition has become more common because newborns now spend so much time on their backs. I contacted Pam to see if she would present to my mothers group about how to prevent plagiocephaly and she said, 'Of course!'. Thank you again Pam for your open arms and big heart!

As soon as Pam walked in the door, she started helping--she taught us how to swaddle, use white noise, and a pacifier to help our little boy get the sound sleep he so desperately needed (and mom and dad needed, too!). She stayed with us for four hours, observed nursing, and identified that our son had acid reflux. It explained so much--why he cried when we put him on his back, his coughing and wheezing, and his obvious discomfort. In a follow up visit, Pam showed us more strategies to help control the reflux (in addition to equipping us with information to share with our pediatrician). Pam is a well of information--and she delivers her advice wrapped in true concern for parents and the baby. She has a true gift for working with new, stressed out parents. We are ever grateful for her expertise and gentle manner. Thank you, Pam!

All I can say is, thank goodness for Pam! When my husband and I first had our babies, we desperately needed help from an experienced, empathic, wise person. Although we interviewed several people for the job, we were most impressed by Pam's level of organization, her commitment to truly helping new parents learn to be the best they can be, and her dedication to the mothers she works with. Pam has a great level of respect for her families. She recognizes that every family is different, and she is flexible. That meant a lot to us. Pam makes sure that by the time she is finished working with you, you are ready to care for your babies with confidence. You will know how to change, bathe, feed, and soothe your babies better than anyone. But the best part about choosing to work with Pam is that my husband and I know that even now, 10 months later, we can always call her when we're not sure how to handle a new situation. We can count on her advice (and we frequently do). In fact, whenever our babies throw a new curveball at us, we often find ourselves asking, "What would Pam do?" Thank you Pam! (And Sophie and Jake thank you too!)

Pam and Jen saved us! We have no idea how we would have survived the first six weeks of parenthood without them. Grandmas only know so much and the pediatrician only sees our baby for a few minutes at a time. Pam and Jen know tons about newborns from being around them all the time. Pam showed us how to calm our baby, what equipment to use and and correctly diagnosed our daughter's reflux. Jen worked nights and taught us many useful tips. Most importantly, our baby adores her! Pam and Jen are very responsible--they come when they say they will and work hard to solved problems. They take their work very seriously and clearly enjoy it. They fit in easily with us and our household. We can't say enough good things and wish they could move in with us!

I very much apprecited Pam's help with our first born son Lucas. Let me quote from an email that I just sent to a friend who is also expecting a ababy and asked for a referrel: My post partum doula's name is Pam Ferinde, a lady is her early 60's. She is increadibly experienced and knowledgeable in childcare, helps with laundry, cooked me lunch, if needed, or toke the baby for a few hours when I did not get sleep during the night. She was very helpful with all kind of issues that came up after I gave birth: I had problems with breastfeeding as my nipples were bleeding and she went out of her way to try out different things to get the problem under control. Also, she advised on how to establish a daily routine with Lucas, how to get him to sleep easily, helped with bathing him, and was very knowledgeable in all the little questions I had about how to do things right. She came over 2-3 times a week for around 3 hours during the first weeks and was also available via telephone when I had questions. I strongly recommend her. As I did not have family to help me with the baby, she was the source of information, experience and common sense that I needed in learning how to treat Lucas best which was very reassuring in a situation when everything is new and sometimes quite frightening - at least I would have found it difficult to cope at my own with all the "Am I doing this right?" doubts.

Pam was like a fairy Godmother to us. She helped us care for our newborn twins while I recovered from my c-section and caught up on sleep. She taught us many strategies we were unaware of as we cared for our first child five years ago. As a result of her teachings and expertise, and the fact that her methods work, we have two wonderful babies that do not have colic, or reflux and are, at three months, sleeping between 4.5 and 5 hours at night. Pam also referred us to Jennifer Sharp who has been with us for about 5 weeks, she also has been a wonderful gift to our family, providing loving care for the babies and giving us the opportunity to get in some solid blocks of sleep. Pam has done a wonderful job training Jennifer, and Jennifer is very good at what she does. She is mature beyond her years and truly loves babies. Can't say enough good things about Pam and Jennifer's services. They have given us a wonderful start to life with twin infants. I feel incredibly lucky to have found them and found them available when I needed help.

I don't know how I, or my twin boys, would have made it through the first few months without Pam's help. Numerous people have asked me, 'Do your boys ever cry?'. Of course they do, but usually with good reason. Oh, and they have been sleeping 11-12 hours a night since they were about 8 months old and nap 2-3 hours a day!! I could go on but will just say that I am thankful for Pam's help almost every day.

Pam came to help our family after the birth of our daughter Mary. My son, Matthew, was just shy of 14 months when Mary was born. I knew that Matthew was going to need as much help and attention as Mary and I would. The moment I met Pam ( about 2 months before I was due) I knew she was for us. She was so professional, gregarious and warm. Matthew loved her instantly and spent a great amount of time with Pam after Mary came. It is hard to find a Doula who will willingly take care of siblings as well as the newborn and Mom. Pam REALLY does do what the family needs! She put us first in every aspect. She came for overnights to be with Mary so that my husband and I could sleep. She straightened my house better than my housekeeper and even ironed my husband's military uniform shirts. But the most important thing Pam did for me was to me my constant support and friend. She encouraged my mothering skills, answered my questions and gave me reference materials when appropriate. She always made me feel that my post partum emotions where perfectly normal. She wiped my tears and laughed with me. I thoroughly enjoyed having Pam in our home and our lives. I would recommend Pam to anyone looking for the best Post Partum Doula. Oh yes, and get the Miracle Blanket...It WORKS!!!

We adopted our first child in November 2006 and he came home from Guatemala at around 7 months. He had never slept in a crib before, and obviously we all had some significant adjustments to make! Pam was invaluable. After a week of always having to put our son to sleep on our chest and then hope he wouldn't wake when we put him in the crib, Pam's techniques and suggestions, combined with her amazingly comforting presence to me, got him easily falling asleep for naps and nighttime within just a couple of days! Pam's entire attitude and her support, including her notebook, all turned me from a distressed, panicked new mom to one who could cope with the challenges of a newly adopted baby. Thanks Pam!

Our ten-month-old son, Alexander, needed to be swaddled to sleep, and we knew it was time to teach him to sleep without it. After asking my pediatrician, friends, strangers and searching the web for ideas (none to be found), we came across Pam's name. Someone finally knew how to help us! After emails and phone calls with her, she gave us a strategy on how to assist Alexander in this transition. Pam listened to our story, and after hearing about Alexander, was able to adjust her system to meet his personal needs. Not only did she give us a plan, but she gave us hope! As a mother I needed to be told that he would adjust, even though it would take time. Pam would counsel us via phone or email, and her advice was so valuable. Her experience and knowledge was like nothing we had encountered before. After two weeks, our son was having two successful naps a day unswaddled, and at the end was sleeping through the night without his swaddle. I do not know how we would have done this with out Pam.

Being new parents, our first experience has brought us complex new challenges for sleep patterns, soothing etc. Pam was a godsend! Pam spent a few hours with us and was able to suggest, teach and demonstrate techniques for us to use with our new baby girl that worked instantly. Her observation and interaction with us was extremely helpful and we feel her services and her wisdom and experience were invaluable for us as new parents. We highly recommend Pam - her time with us was like a miracle! We got 6 hours sleep instantly. Feel free to contact us as a referral.

We are the parents of a baby that was born 2 months premature and also suffered from reflux. Feeling at a loss for how to handle some of the medical / sleep issues we initiated contact with Pam and hoped for the best. During our first meeting she was completely "hands on" and gave us so many ideas for things to try! She also wrote up an extensive evaluation on her observations, recommendations, and plan of action. We were blown away by the thought and detail she put into not only the evaluation, but her daily phone calls. It was so wonderful, as a first time mom to have such a valuable resource!! Many friends had lots of suggestions, but Pams' recommendations are based on her skill and training as a nurse and research based interventions. We couldn't have been more please with her services!

Pam exceeded our family's expectations in every way. She was an absolute dream for a sleep deprived mother, allowing me full and complete nights of sleep. She was an adventurous playmate for our active toddler, and an objective source of information and advice for my husband. She was on the ball from the minute she arrived, letting our family adjust to her being here, but also counseling and advising along the way. Pam showed us that Anderson was already on a pretty regular schedule, we were just too tired to realize it! Her knowledge helped not only our infant, but the entire family, and we were definitely "the happiest family on the block!" Thanks Pam!

I am the mother of preemie twins, Maya and Ewan, who were born at 26 weeks. After their traumatic term in the NICU, they came home at the end of Jan. 2006. Pam came to us in the beginning of March, and has been fantastically useful ever since. She taught us the 5 Ss; most importantly, about how to swaddle the babies so that they went to sleep more easily, and stayed asleep longer. She also taught us about how white noise could be helpful to maintain sleep. I was resistant to the idea initially, white noise not being the most soothing to adult ears. But I tried it in desperation one day, and it worked like magic to calm our daughter. I now use to overnight, and both babies are sleeping from 10 pm to 5 am, at 5 months of (corrected) age. Pam is a great help for any new mother, and is always available by phone when one needs her. I highly recommend you let her help you when you most need it!

I gave birth to my first child in May,2006. While I thought I read everything that I could have to prepare my husband and I for caring for our new baby, we were somewhat overwhelmed when we got home from the hospital. Sleep deprivation and hormones going wild, it was my first Mother's Day as a Mother and I new I needed some help. I feel extremely fortunate to have found a wonderful Postpartum Doula named Pam. Pam really knows how to mother new Mothers. Pam spent days and nights at my home, providing me with the guidance I needed to care for my newborn. The nights that she spent at our home allowed me to get some sleep to function better during the day. Pam provides professional expertise, an infant care log, handouts on important issues, videos to watch on infant care, and will make suggestions on baby products that will make you and your baby's life much easier and safer. I am very thankful to have found such a wonderful thoughtful and caring person who continues to be a resource for me and my family.

As a first time mom with twins, I don't know how I would have survived without Pam! She taught me how to care for my newborns, helped me while recovering from a difficult pregnancy and birth, and she encouraged me and cheered me on as I assumed this wonderful new role of "mom." Alyssa and Katelynn are grateful, too!

Pam has and continues to be an amazing resource for our family. She has taught us how to care for our twins through so much love, nurturing and patience. With Pam's help we have learned how to best soothe and comfort our babies. In addition, she has taught each of us how to take care of ourselves so we can be of maximum service to eachother and our family. I highly reccommend Pam and treasure the gifts she has so generously given to our entire family.