"I was so appreciative for Debbie's loving care
and wise counsel. She showed my husband, my mother, and me that giving birth is not only a beautiful, emotional, and spiritual experience, but that it can also be a nurturing one. She is a special person with a gift for healing, supporting, comforting, and encouraging. I will always be grateful to her for helping me give birth to my son epidural free.
Today Debbie is my cheerleader, confidant, and friend as I navigate my new roll as a mother. I am so happy she is in our lives!"
"Debbie came highly recommended,
and after meeting with her I knew she was the caregiver to help me achieve my desire for an un-medicated birth from my son Henry. In my last trimester, Debbie was a wonderful resource, lent me many books and videos from her library, and she was always available to talk through any questions or concerns I had, I felt confident about the birth knowing that she would be by my side."
"With our first child,
my husband and I were determined to have a natural birth, we studied the Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, read everything we could find written by Ina May Gaskin, and wrote a solid birth plan to make our wishes clear to all of the hospital staff who would be involved with the birth of our daughter. Long story short, nothing went according to our plan. Our plan was disregarded, and any objections we raised to the numerous interventions being implemented were met with condescension. Even questions my husband (who is a pharmacist) raised about the necessity or safety of the medications being administered were outright dismissed. Bottom line, we felt powerless and part of an assembly line. When I became pregnant with our second child, I was determined that this time would be different…much different.
Debbie met with us over the course of my pregnancy and really helped us become better informed about our options, and helped us trouble shoot any potential issues that may arise when you insist on a natural birth and on bringing a toddler to the labor and delivery ward at the hospital.
The birth of our son was everything that we wanted. There were no IVs, no interruptions, our toddler’s presence was never questioned, and our toddler even spent time with me in the laboring pool. I walked away from the experience with not only a healthy baby boy, but with great memories about how we as a family (toddler included) helped bring our newest addition into the world.
I felt like my body had failed me in the birth of my daughter, and I questioned if I was even capable of giving birth naturally. Thanks to Debbie, I was able to regain the confidence I had lost, and entered motherhood a second time feeling empowered and not defeated.
The greatest thing about Debbie is that yes, she is there helping you every step of the way, and yes, she is the reason we were able to have the birth experience we wanted, but it is never about her. She selflessly works for hours on end to make the experience as peaceful and comfortable as possible, allowing you and your family to focus on what is important and not on the thermostat or if you are drinking enough fluids or if you should switch to another laboring position. She masterfully handled all of these details for us so that my husband and I could focus on the lives we had created and celebrate the expansion of our family.
~ Lauren Almond