Please reach out via email – marina.guides123@gmail.com – or fill out the form below. I would love to answer any questions you might have and/or schedule a complimentary consultation.
“Marina was an extraordinary guide to pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. As soon as we started working with her in my second trimester, she provided a wonderful array of educational resources and was continually available for our ten million questions. I was really impressed by how client-centered and family/couple-centered her approach was – she began by asking us, in writing and again in person, all about ourselves, our hopes, fears, learning styles, and coping styles. When my partner and I embarked on my pregnancy and then engaged Marina’s services, my partner wasn’t sure at first what his role in our three-person team was supposed to be, or in what ways he could be involved. We both had a vague conviction that we both wanted to be as equally active and informed as possible, but weren’t at all sure what that looked like in practice. It was so helpful right off the bat that Marina invested in getting to know us individually and as a couple so that he could gradually figure out how to have more agency and be a good guardian and support during the birth process. Probably most helpful of all was to have hands-on, in-person coaching and practice with various physical postures, kinds of touch, and forms of movement that my partner and I could try during early labor, as well as advice about other things we might do during early labor. It was also so helpful to go through all the phases of labor and understand what to expect, and the range of possible experiences, at each phase. It was also incredibly reassuring to have all our questions answered about “gaming out” what would happen in the event of various contingencies — what if I’m recommended for induction, or for C section, or for various forms of labor augmentation or assisted delivery, for example. We had a million questions — many extremely trivial or silly in hindsight! — and I was so grateful and impressed that Marina took all our questions with the same upbeat, respectful, and calm seriousness. She never made us feel like any question was too big or too small or too inappropriate to bring up. During early labor, we would have been particularly stressed about deciding exactly when to go to the hospital. It was so awesome to have Marina on the phone as soon as labor started and to keep checking in with her by phone and text to decide when she’d arrive at our place, and then to have her in our home helping us decide when to go to the hospital, and then to have her really take charge with the cab and with getting into and through triage. That really helped my partner and I just focus on my contractions and my experience. Once up on L&D, I was so grateful for the clear, direct, pithy communication and guidance. I felt like everything went exactly according to our previously-discussed birth preferences – and if they hadn’t, I still would have been in great hands with Marina’s help making sure my voice and my priorities were heard. Since our baby’s birth, Marina has provided priceless advice, resources, and reassurance on any number of things, from my physical symptoms to issues with the baby’s sleep, feeding, and behavior, to how to continue to share the work of baby care in an equitable and sensible way with my partner. We’re so thrilled to know that Marina will continue to be available to us for new kinds of wisdom and help as our baby grows. I can’t imagine having done this without her.”
Laura, Prospect Heights
marina reggiani smith 