Birth Doula Client Testimony
Five Questions
- What were your expectations prior to having a doula?
[2nd time mom]:
I was expecting to have someone care for and support me during my labor. Specifically, she was to provide pain relief options and to encourage me to persevere during the pain of labor because my desire was to have an unmedicated delivery.
[1st time dad]:
I expected that having a doula would be helpful because I didn’t want to be the only person helping [my wife] or advocating for her. I thought that having a doula would relieve the pressure of having to know everything on my own and be prepared for every possible situation.
[1st time mom]:
I expected our doula to help provide suggestions for pain management and just be a sounding board for us to help us make decisions when things got stressful. I really wanted to do a natural labor, so I wanted to have a doula to help me stay calm and help me get through the pain and be a support to my husband as well. - How were you surprised by the actual experience?
[2nd time mom]:
I felt that my doula did exactly what I had expected and that the pain was manageable with her and my husband’s support. (I support I was pretty surprised by the pain at the end when [baby’s] head and body came out!)
[1st time dad]:
I was surprised by how much labor we did at home versus in the hospital. To me this really speaks to how well [my wife] responded to Amanda. If [my wife] couldn’t have focused when we were working with her, she may have had to go to the hospital sooner.
[1st time mom]:
I was surprised about how comfortable I felt with Amanda during labor. We didn’t know each other super well before I went through labor with her, but she made me feel very comfortable the whole time. She was so good at coaching me and had lots of helpful sayings that got me through the contractions! - In what ways did having a doula exceed your expectations and/or foster support for you and your spouse as a couple?
[2nd time mom]:
My doula encouraged me to pray with my husband, to have [my husband] help me change positions frequently to get me more comfortable; she encouraged him to basically do the same things she was doing: massage, imagery, supportive language; she gave [my spouse] bathroom and snack breaks...Together, they exceeded my expectations of physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
[1st time dad]:
Amanda came right when she heard [my wife’s] contractions were starting and stayed with us until [our daughter] was born. Amanda was committed to seeing us through delivery. She had great composure with the doctors and nurses and never became defensive or spoke for us, she just helped us understand what the doctors and nurses were saying and let us make the decisions ourselves. Amanda helped take off some of the pressure from me, and made labor feel more special for [my wife] and I. At the end when [my wife] was pushing, Amanda was really committed to helping [my wife]. I knew she wanted [my wife] to deliver that baby! Amanda also gave us a flash drive of pictures from labor and delivery, and created a timeline for us of the labor process - that was really cool!
[1st time mom]:
Amanda was even more vital than I could have imagined! She helped us get through all the stages of labor, and helped me to focus on my breathing and get through each contraction. She really helped me to keep moving which I think really sped up my labor. She was very aware of [my husband’s] role too, and stepped back naturally when [my husband] was playing a more active role with me. She was also able to give [my husband] a break in the middle of the night when he was exhausted, and I was super thankful for that! - Were there any fears that having a doula helped to calm?
[2nd time mom]:
I was fearful of the pain and my doula helped me to have reasonable expectations about dealing with the pain. She reassured me that if it was necessary to use medication for pain relief that it would be okay. Since my doula had recently gone through a natural, unmedicated childbirth I felt that she was very knowledgeable about the stages of labor and how to cope through each stage.
[1st time dad]:
I was afraid of burnout. I am not a night person, so having Amanda there helped me get through the night supporting [my wife]. I was also worried about trying to remember everything - all the warning signs and different things that could happen - but having another person who knew those things was helpful.
[1st time mom]:
I was really afraid that we would end up doing things that we didn’t want to, like getting an epidural or other pain relief, without necessity if we didn’t have a doula. With Amanda there I felt like we wouldn’t get overwhelmed or caught up in the moment and make an uninformed decision. - Who would you recommend me, as a doula, to?
[2nd time mom]:
All my friends and family! And my patients! I have already given Amanda’s name out to several people. She is an amazing advocate for the laboring woman and an even better friend.
[1st time dad]:
Everyone I know!
[1st time mom]:
I would recommend Amanda to anyone who wants to do a natural labor. She is so comforting and easy to work with. I was so thankful for her presence at our labor! I will definitely plan to have Amanda be our doula again in the future!