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| - In short: These women are fantastic and you should stop reading this review right now and hire them.
More details: My husband and I decided quite late in the pregnancy to hire a doula for our hoped-for VBAC delivery. Amazingly, they were able to accommodate us despite the nearness of my due date. Erica proved to be invaluable before and during the birth of our daughter. It was the smartest decision we could have made, and knowing now how helpful she was, the decision about hiring a doula should have been a no-brainer. Erica offered me helpful advice with regard to starting my labor. (I was 11 days after my due date and went into labor naturally -- after following some of Erica's tips -- 24 hours before my scheduled induction.) Once in labor, Erica helped normalize a lot of new and confusing terminology and experiences given that it was our first time in L&D. She helped us feel confident in the decisions we were making and gently pointed out when we had choices when it seemed we did not. She was patient and encouraging during an early labor stage that seemed to last forever. She also stayed up all night with me while I labored, allowing my husband to sleep (which he would have probably done anyway, so having someone awake with me was wonderful). There are parts of my labor that are really a blur, but I remember Erica never left my side and vaguely recall her massaging my hands during a very difficult stage of things. I was worried that a doula would be highly anti-epidural, but Erica was open-minded and willing to work with my vision. I had an epidural and did not feel judged at all. AND I had a successful VBAC! The pictures she was able to take of my daughter's first moments in the world are also priceless. AFTER our daughter came home, we hired Karen to be a postpartum doula. She is a baby whisperer. She could immediately quiet our daughter and somehow made it so that when she was there, I could sleep without being interrupted to nurse. When the baby happened to be sleeping and I showered, I came into my bedroom to find my bed made and laundry folded. Karen also shared some breastfeeding tips that really helped in the early days. I remember she pointed out a slight positioning change that was excellent (and I'd nursed my first child, so I wasn't a newbie to this). We asked Karen to work at our home at very late and very early hours, which she willingly did. Overall, I am extremely grateful to these wonderful doulas who were so incredibly helpful and generous at a time when I really needed extra hands, encouragement, and support.
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