Birth Doula Services
As soon as we found out that we were pregnant with our first baby, my husband and I knew that we wanted to find a doula to be a part of our birth experience. Since we hadn’t given birth before or gone through pregnancy before we knew that a doula could walk alongside us through the experience and provide support, especially during and after labor—and Stephanie was just that for us!
From the first time that we met Stephanie’s confidence made us feel completely at ease while her easy-going personality also made us feel comfortable right away, the perfect combo! Our first meeting felt like we were getting together with a friend in our backyard, it didn’t feel like we were meeting a stranger for the very first time. In getting to know each other, Stephanie was super helpful in asking the right questions, as my husband and I were still thinking through the type of birth we were hoping to have. She helped us think through the pros and cons of the type of birth we wanted to have as we weren’t even planning on having a birth plan, but Stephanie gave us some resources and encouraged us to put together a very simple birth plan.
I am glad that we put a birth plan together because we wanted to have a natural childbirth, but we were also not opposed to the option of pain relief. I was also very excited to learn and practice the different comfort measures that would be helpful in getting through the laboring hours that we had ahead of us.
As it turned out, my labor had several complications and lasted much longer than we were anticipating-beginning with natural laboring for many hours (with Stephanie’s amazing support!), receiving pain relief and after many circumstances resulting in an emergency C-section (also, with Stephanie’s amazing support!).
I cannot say how vital Stephanie's role was every step of the way. She worked alongside the nurses, midwives, and doctor that we had throughout the entire labor. She naturally seemed to know what was needed for the exact moment-from massaging my forehead, changing out cold washcloths, and simply holding my hand. Not to mention the support that my husband received from her as well. He said that he didn't know what he would have done if Stephanie wasn't there.
After coming through the C-section and having our sweet little baby girl arrive, Stephanie continued to be a support during our time in the hospital and upon arrival at home, checking in to see how we were doing. Even during my difficult time with nursing right away, Stephanie was just a phone call away to answer my questions and to listen!
She is so genuinely caring and really wants to see her mamas thrive, even after birth. Meeting with Stephanie after the birth was also extremely helpful with processing everything that happened during our birth, as it was not exactly how we thought our birth would go, but it was the wonderful birth of our beautiful Selah, nonetheless! We are so thankful for her and we are blessed to have her in our life. She definitely has a gift and is amazing at loving and supporting mamas and babies during the crazy amazing time of pregnancy and birth.
