Raychel Franzen
Categories
Description
We don't have a description for this business. If this is your business and you'd like to find out how to improve this page, please get in touch.
Reviews (10)
Review submitted January 2024
I chose Raychel and Kori to be my doula team and they were absolutely amazing. Their personalities meshed so well with mine and my husband’s, and I knew that either of them would be able to help keep things light and fun in the moments where things were getting intense. I loved that I had access to both of them, so if one was at a delivery, the other one would be available and I knew that one of them would be at my birth instead of a backup I may not have known. They provided so much helpful information in a google drive, and the meetings with and with them both were so productive. They also really helped me to work through some issues with my OBs office and advocate for myself and for what I wanted. Kori was at my birth and she helped us to make the best decision for us based on our circumstances and she was so incredibly helpful with latching post birth and breastfeeding when I was home. They really made us feel heard, supported and prepared for the unpredictable nature of birth and I would recommend them to anyone looking for an experienced (and delightful) doula duo!Review from the Spring 2023 Birthing Survey
What month and year was your child born? October 2022 Review: We worked with Raychel Franzen and Kori Krysh at RK Doulas and had a wonderful experience. I was excited by the fact that they are a duo, so you know you will have one of them at your birth (vs a solo practitioner who sends someone on call, if needed). They are both incredibly knowledgable, well versed in the research, and were quick to answer any questions. Raychel attended my birth and was invaluable. She helped me ask the hospital staff for more time to evaluate my choices and make decisions. She crucially slowed down a moment when the hospital staff was about to give me a drug to slow my labor but, as it turned out, was not necessary. That short pause allowed my own doctor to arrive and make a different decision, which spared me from having what I imagine would have been a much longer labor. She also provided much-needed hands-on support for what was some very uncomfortable back labor and enabled my husband to get some rest. She continued to check in on us for months after my son's birth and even helped me overcome my fear of babywearing. Any advice for people who are considering using a birth doula? I suffer from moderate anxiety and hiring a doula was essential for me. I read SO MUCH about birth but my anxious brain could not hold onto all of the information. Having someone who has been at hundreds of births gave me confidence that they would be able to tell me if what was happening was normal, abnormal, etc and that they could help me in decision making. I believe having a doula truly saved me from having a c-section, which was not my birth plan.Review from the Spring 2023 Birthing Survey
What month and year was your child born? 02/2023 Review: We just loved Raychel and Kori from the moment we interviewed them. They both have awesome personalities and we felt like we really connected on a personal level and would be comfortable having either of them with us for our birth. I had a mostly uncomplicated pregnancy so I didn’t need their services much during pregnancy until the end but any time I had any questions, they were quick to respond and provided so many helpful resources. Towards the end, Kori was extremely helpful in talking through our situation with us (marginal previa) and giving us a lot of good advice and things to consider. Kori was with us on the day, and it felt good having her there to help us decide to ultimately do a c-section. We didn’t go through any labor but if we had, I know she would have been an incredible person to have with us. During our post natal visit, she worked with me on latching and breastfeeding positions and while I ultimately decided to stop breast feeding, I was glad to have the knowledge and ability to make the decision that was best for me knowing all of my options and things to try before making that decision. I would absolutely recommend them as a doula duo!! Any advice for people who are considering using a birth doula? Interview multiple doulas and choose someone who you feel like you could be friends with and that you connect with, as you could be spending a long time with them! We chose ours as we felt like we could hang out with them and that we would enjoy their company and be able to make jokes and laugh and take the edge off of the situation when needed.Review from the 2021 Birthing Experience Survey
Raychel was amazing! I could not have gotten through my birth without her support. She had lots of suggestions to get me through labor - we stayed home for basically my entire labor - i was fully dilated when I got to the hospital. She stayed with us through my 12 hours of pushing and was just so supportive and strong. She and Kori have been so helpful in giving us referrals of any kind of support or resource we need. They are a fantastic team!Doula and pediatrician reco?
If you're still looking for a doula, I wholeheartedly recommend Raychel Franzen (doularaychel.com) and Kori Krysh (korikrysh.com), who work together in a partnership model. My husband and I hired Raychel and Kori before the pandemic. Once we were in lockdown, we switched our scheduled in-person prenatals to several Zoom chats, where they provided evidence-based information on preparing for labor and delivery itself, and answered all questions my husband and I had. When I had an induction due to gestational diabetes two weeks ago, Kori came to the hospital when we were ready to have her there and comforted me throughout, but especially during intense contractions once they broke my water. I had a relatively short labor given I was induced, and credit much of that to the people / my team involved -- not just Kori but my husband, nurse, and OB. Since then, Raychel and Kori have continued to reach out to me and my husband to check in, knowing we are exhausted and struggling as first-time parents. They've provided us with the most important things we need now -- emotional support in these trying times along with information and assurance that we're doing the best we can. They are empathetic, sympathetic, knowledgeable, and practical. I had a great experience with them and trust you will as well if you decide to go with them.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
She was marvelous. Truly and wholeheartedly recommend her.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
AmazingDoulas and Midwives - Advice
My husband and I were in the same boat, re: family. We hired Raychel Franzen through NYC Doula Collective. Raychel was the best. She was good company through our labor and before, which is an important thing to think about, and she helped me self-advocate in some weird situations with my OB, like trying to forbid me from having an epidural. In the end, I ended up having a forceps delivery, which was pretty traumatic, mostly due to the way the crazy OB handled it, not due to the fact of the surgery itself, but Raychel really supported me during the surgery and after, so I had a good sounding board and emotional resource to process what had happened. My husband was a total mess, so it was good Raychel was there. I recommend her and hiring a doula generally. Birth can be really spiritually lonely, in addition to being grueling, not something people talk about. A doula makes it less so.2018 Birth Survey
Wonderful. So glad we had her there to help us prepare and to be with us in the hospital. It was a harrowing experience but she kept us very grounded.Review submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
Excellent doula. She was steadfast and made the whole experience so much easier. She supported us from start to finish. Based on a 10/9/17 birthing experience.
