After discovering I was pregnant, my decision to hire a doula was not a difficult one! My doula educated me on what to expect during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. Her classes were so much more personal and informative than anything I received from my OB office. I learned about stretches, pregnancy ball exercises, pressure points, message techniques, and so much more to help me prepare my body for the stress of labor and delivery. I also learned about the signs of labor and how my body would progress through each stage. We covered labor positions, epidurals and everything in between! The class relieved many of my anxieties over the “unknowns” of labor (especially since I had never been through it before personally).
My doula did not just focus on me. She was able to provide so much useful information to my husband; he was able to be such a great support and source of strength for me in both pregnancy and labor! She included him every step of the way.
During labor, my doula provided strong support and great advice. She helped me create and execute a personalized labor plan that made a big difference in the atmosphere of my child’s birth. She guided me through different labor positions and had all sorts of tricks up her sleeve that really helped me manage labor pains without medication.
The information my doula equipped me with allowed me to trust my gut and make informed decisions for myself, even when my labor did not go how I planned (as I am told they never do!) My water broke but I never went into labor; and I had to be induced the next day. Needless to say, there were several unexpected decisions I had to make “on the fly” (one of which was to get an epidural later into the labor, something I struggled with - but it was the right decision for me). Conversations my doula had with me prior to labor made these difficult decisions much easier. Our goal was simple: a smooth and safe delivery, she reminded me the details of how we got that were not so important.
After my baby was born, my doula helped us begin our breastfeeding journey. She had tons of useful advice for postpartum life, and even followed up with us several weeks later to check on us - once again offering tons more advice and answering all of my “first time mom” questions about EVERYTHING!
I would highly recommend this doula program to anyone. My doula provided me with invaluable information and encouragement to advocate for myself and my baby throughout the birth. Regardless if you are a first time or fourth time mom, regardless of the type of birth you are anticipating, these ladies can offer so much useful guidance and advice for every situation! Having a doula made a big difference for my family, they could make a difference for yours too.
~ Jakayla Short
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