Brea was our birth doula and she was an incredibly important part of our birth experience…read more
This was my first pregnancy. I don't have much family locally, so it was just me and my partner. I've also got a history of some anxiety, among other things. As the weeks ticked down closer to my due date, my worry and fear about the actual process of having a baby was ratcheting through the roof. I knew I didn't want to be 'alone' in the delivery room with an ob/gyn I'd never met before and my partner, who is wonderful and lovely but totally inexperienced in childbirth.
I knew about doulas and I knew that they provided support for birthing moms, but I also had a stereotype in my mind of someone who would just be whispering woo-woo affirmations at me and telling me that science isn't real. I was also nervous beforehand that I'd be throwing money at something that wasn't really going to help me, my partner, or my baby.
I'm sure that stereotype doula exists somewhere (sorry!) but Brea isn't it. And I didn't waste a single cent.
Brea's rates include multiple prenatal visits as well as a postpartum visit, plus the entire on-call time and delivery. For all the time that you get with her, it is well worth her quoted rates. I can't afford to pay her double or triple what I did, but I would. Seriously.
Brea has a ton of information and skills at her disposal.
--She's certified as a doula and she's very professional and direct in how she delivers information about prenatal care, mental/emotional preparation, physical exercises, medical terminology, and the birth experience itself.
--She'll walk you through the pros and cons of pretty much every decision about labor & delivery that you could possibly have to make, but ultimately, the decision for how to proceed is yours.
--She is educated in Spinning Babies techniques and rebozo work.
--She uses everything from guided meditations to aromatherapy to massage to TENS to get you relaxed (whatever that looks like for you).
--She has a contact in town for pretty much everything you could want as a pre- or post-natal person (prenatal massage therapist, chiropractors, acupuncture, baby-wearing guru, women's health physical therapist, postpartum depression group support, mental health professionals, --etc.)
--She's very responsive via email, phone call, and text even when she's not officially 'on call' for your birth.
--She can read the room and tailor her knowledge to fit your needs. If your partner (like mine) is both very quiet and very unsure about what to do with their laboring wife, she will show and tell them how to support the laboring partner and then hold space for them to do so.
Most importantly, once you have had a conversation with her about how you envision your birth and the goals you've set, she will support you wholeheartedly in achieving that. She seems to have a positive relationship with several of the medical professionals that she's worked with at Salem Health Hospital and while I was there, I felt like she was working seamlessly with them and with my partner to support me.
My brain went to a dark, dark place during the later stages of labor. Brea was there for the whole time helping me refocus and helping my partner help me cope. Because I had an advocate with me in the room, I was able to stick to my original birth plan and ended up with a pretty short labor for a first-timer and a very health, happy baby afterwards.
Hire her. You won't regret it.
