Stories of Clients :)
When we decided to try for our second child I knew this time around I wanted, no I needed, to hire a doula. I desperately wAnted a vbac and I knew having a good doula would increase my likelihood of success. Once I found out the incredible news that I was pregnant with our second child I went to a Facebook group asking for doula recommendations and received a message in my inbox from Danielle Anthony. We agreed to meet at Barnes and Noble cafe to discuss what I wanted for my birth. We hit it off immediately and I explained the trauma that came with my first child and my hopes for a vbac. She explained that she wasn't certified yet but that she was in the process and had to attended a certain amount of births to get her certification. I was hesitant at first to hire someone who had yet to be certified but we hit it off so quick and I figured I would rather of someone I am comfortable with than all the certifications in the world so I took the plunge and hired her! She was an amazing doula. My husband and I leaned so much from her. She taught us laboring positions, massage and relaxation techniques, meditation, and help answer all my questions as far a labor and birth goes. But I think the most beneficial service she offered was emotional support. I remember texting her or calling her on a few occasions when pregnancy or just life got to be too stressful. She kept me strong willed to try for my vbac. There were many times I considered saying "screw it" and scheduling a c section but she just sat me down and told me the truth "that I wouldn't be happy with that long term ESP if I never gave myself the chance". She was never judgmental on my ideas for birth. When I finally went into labor I texted her periodically about my contractions (timing, frequency, etc) and she helped me through them, offering to come over if I wanted her to. After about 16 hrs at home they became too much to bear so I asked her to meet us at the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital I was dilated 5cm so they admitted me. We labored for a while unmedicated but after about 22hrs I became exhausted. I started fighting my contractions instead of breathing through them so I contemplated going against my birth plan and getting the epidural. Danielle, my husband, and I discussed the pros and cons to the epidural and decided to go for it. Once I got the epidural and fell asleep my contractions sped up and I started to dilate quicker. Danielle told me that it may have one of the best decisions I made for myself. Once it came time to push Danielle helped the nurses coach me through the breathing and after about an hour or so my beautiful daughter was finally born. Danielle even had my phone and took some amazing photos for me and stayed after with me for about an hour. My husband said to me after she left that hiring her was the best investment we could've made this pregnancy and I agree. I'm not sure I could've had a successful vbac without her support and knowledge. Danielle wasn't just a doula I hired, she became a good friend who helped me have one of the most amazing experiences of my life. An experience I desperately needed to recover from the trauma of my first birth.
Christian D.
Christian D.