Angela G, OT
“What a blessing it was to find Cora Crain, who is not only a massage therapist, but also a doula. Cora takes a holistic approach when working with her clients. She cares not only for their physical healing, but invests in the individual’s emotional well-being. Her knowledge of the body’s anatomy, ability to listen to the client and assess their pain, soreness and stiffness and then use her skills to help ease those areas makes her an amazing body worker. As a doula, she helped me understand the changes my body was going through while pregnant and assisted me in preparing for the birth of our children over the past 4 years.”
Emma G, LMT
“I was getting a massage from Cora almost every week by the end of my pregnancy and it made me feel so much more relaxed. The massages also helped the tightness in my hips and in my back with all the hormones changing and the baby weight happening. I HIGHLY recommend Cora (and I’m a massage therapist so I’m pretty picky!).”
Tursa F, SAHMO4
“Cora is my go to massage therapist pregnant or otherwise. I’ve sent many friends and family to her and they all say the same thing…’Cora is the best!’. I have had several prenatal massages from Cora. SO much tension in my hips and neck are released when I see her. With my firstborn, I was 9 days past due, so I went in for massage. I received an awesome massage ALLOVER as well as focus on the uterine trigger points. I went into labor that night. Anytime I have gone to another massage therapist while out of town, I have had a hard time enjoying them. All I am thinking about it is either ‘what a waste’, or ‘Cora is so much better’. She seems to intuitively know exactly the amount of pressure I need. A great massage to work out tight knots and muscles doesn’t have to hurt.”
Jenny Knight, Certified Doula-
Cora was put on this Earth to serve women and families. Her warmth and wisdom combined with years of experience as both a doula and massage therapist make her an incredible asset to any pregnancy and birth! Not only does Cora bring all of her passion and knowledge to the table, she has a winning personality and is just plain fun to be around. My only regret is not having known Cora when I was pregnant with my first!
Eliza B.- “We loved taking Cora Crain’s childbirth class! It was great to connect with other moms at similar stages in their pregnancies, and I enjoyed having a safe space to come every week and talk about any and everything related to pregnancy and birth. Cora taught us a variety of exercises and movements that felt really good toward the end of my pregnancy, and by the time I actually started contractions, I felt like I was equipped with a whole set of tools to cope with the hard work of labor. My husband also appreciated all the suggestions for how he could be an active participant in helping me breathe and move through contractions. We definitely recommend this class—especially to first-time parents and anyone who might benefit from having birth reframed as a positive (rather than fearful or scary) experience.
Sarah B.- Cora and her class gave us a sense of calm and preparedness that nothing else did when we were expecting our first child. From stretches to how to know if you’re in labor to what to expect at the hospital to breastfeeding resources- everything we wanted to know was covered in her class. This class was truly the best resource we invested in while expecting, and we are so happy to be part of the Balanced Mama family!
Alexandra M.- In short, Cora is wonderful! Whether this is your first baby or your last baby, Cora should be a part of your pregnancy and birth experience. She will help you and make your experience better! To make a short story long, Cora helped my husband/partner and I feel equipped to handle our pregnancy and birth even though we had know I idea what we were doing. She answered all of our questions and gave us plenty of easily digestible resources, and she just made us feel comfortable with what we were going through. Plan A, for me, was to have a home birth with the best midwives in the area. When I began my labor contractions in the middle of the night on a Monday night, she was responsive to my texts and called to make sure I was okay as the process began. She came to my house to check on me Tuesday morning. We did some “spinning babies” moves and some other comfort measures to make sure things were progressing smoothly. And as the labor continued – a bit more slowly than desired – she was right there with me every step of the way! She went above and beyond by calling around and getting a chiropractor to see me immediately. By Wednesday afternoon she was still there when we had to give up our home birth plans and implement Plan B and go to the hospital hoping for a vaginal delivery. She was there to make sure I had a seamless transition to the hospital room and was seen by the best nurses and my OBGYN. She held my hand while I screamed, dried my eyes when I cried, held the trashcan when I had to vomit and played soothing music when I needed to rest. She even prayed with me when I had to mourn the loss of my birthing plan and the backup plan, and she helped me mentally, emotionally and spiritually prepare for Plan C: a C-section. She even stayed with me through the surgery and made sure I was okay in the recovery room. I can’t believe she cared for me the way she did throughout that whole journey. She was our birthing angel. She is a special lady and we can’t imagine having that experience without her. She will forever be linked to our family because of that experience and I mean that in the best way possible! I believe someone has said this and I agree, “Every woman needs a Cora!”